Heart Healthy Mediterranean Bowl

Research shows that consuming a Mediterranean style diet reduces cardiovascular disease risk, can lower inflammation, weight, and even blood sugar levels (1,2). Daily, this includes a generous amount of colorful vegetables, beans, nuts, herbs, spices, fruits, olive oil, whole grains, and fish (2).   

Cook Time

20 Minutes

Ingredients for bowl

1 small cucumber or ½ large cucumber

1/2 bell pepper chopped in bite sized pieces

2 cups of spring greens (can also use spinach or arugula)

¼ cup of tahini sauce (can also use hummus)

½ cup canned chickpeas

Ingredients for sauce

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 pinches of ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons water 

Instructions

Dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, and sea salt. Stir in the water, small amounts at a time, and whisk until creamy. You may need more or less water to get the right consistency.

Chickpeas:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Make sure to drain and rinse the chickpeas.

Using a paper towel, spread the chickpeas to dry them off. Move them onto a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and drizzle it with a small amount of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt, and cumin.

Roast them for 15-20 minutes, they should be crispy.

For the bowl:

Put all ingredients together in a bowl and top with chickpeas, then drizzle with tahini dressing.