Warm Winter Power Bowl

Don't you love a simple meal you can throw together in minutes? How about a one-dish meal full of contrasting colors, textures, and flavors? Something warm and hearty and soul satisfying?

If you answered YES to all of the above, then I have the perfect dish for you to try.

This is my kind of meal. If you're one of those people who don't want your foods to touch each other on the plate, then move along. There's nothing here for you. (Just kidding--you could make all the components, and serve them next to each other. Or in separate bowls.)

I used an instant whole grain medley from Aldi to make this meal. I love this stuff! It's organic, already seasoned with olive oil and herbs, tastes great, and you can heat it up in the microwave in under 2 minutes! What's not to love?

However, I did roast the beets from scratch, peel them, cut them up, and reheat them in a pan. If you prefer, you can purchase precooked beets at Costco, Trader Joe's, and many other grocery stores. Just warm them up before adding to the power bowl.

What makes a power bowl? A combination of nutritious ingredients, including plenty of high quality protein (like venison), healthy fats (like olive oil), fiber (like whole grains), and different colored veggies full of vitamins, antioxidants, and phyto-nutrients. Make sure you include something green, and a couple of other colors, too!

Ingredients:

3-4 venison sausages (or any type of sausage)
2-3 TB olive oil
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large beet, roasted, peeled, and chopped
1 large handful of fresh beet greens
1-2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
1 package (8 oz.) instant whole grain medley (or cook some grains from scratch)
3 oz. Israeli feta cheese (Trader Joe's carries this fabulous cheese)
10 kalamata olives, pitted

In a large skillet, cook the sausages until they are no longer pink in the middle. Remove from pan, slice into bite-sized pieces, set aside and keep warm. In the same skillet, heat the olive oil. Cook the red peppers until starting to soften. Add the beets, beet greens, and garlic. Cook until greens are wilted and garlic is soft.

Heat the instant grains in the microwave (or according to package directions) for 90 seconds.

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve warm. Can be reheated the next day. Makes about 3-4 servings.