The circular shape of a bowl represents wholeness, inclusion, protection, timelessness and focus. From Goldilocks and her “just right” bowl of porridge to today’s Buddha bowls in every colour of the rainbow, there’s infinite potential for what foods can be enjoyed in a bowl. My source of inspiration for building a glorious bowl is to just open my fridge door when I notice leftovers piling up. That’s how this Lox and Loaded Bowl came about.
Bowls are a great way to use up vegetables, herbs, meat, fish, chicken, pasta, rice, beans or grains. Add crunch with varieties of lettuce. Be inspired by Mexican, Thai, Japanese, vegan or breakfast bowls. Add colour with beets, kale, spaghetti squash, blueberries, pomegranate arils or citrus wedges. Use dressings sparingly. Top with a few seeds, nuts or herbs to heighten flavour. With this kind of bowling, you can’t strike out. Read on for the recipe.
Lox and Loaded Bowl with Caper, Lemon and Dill Dressing
Time: 30 minutes (less if using leftovers)
Yield: 1 serving. May be multiplied as needed.
Equipment: baking sheet
- ½ cup sweet potato (or yam) wedges
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- ½ cup sugar snap peas
- ½ cup asparagus spears
- ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 baby cucumber, halved and chopped in thin strips
- 1 cup butter leaf lettuce or mixed greens
- 2 ounces salmon lox pieces, rolled
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon capers (rinsed)
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill or 1 teaspoon fresh
- Pepper – to taste
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Toss the sweet potato or yam wedges with the olive oil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
- Bring a pot of water to boil, plunge the peas and asparagus in and remove just as they turn bright green (blanching). Plunge the vegetables into ice water and then dry them on paper towel. You can do this while the yams are cooking.
- Arrange the lettuce, sweet potato, peas, asparagus, tomato, cucumber in sections around a bowl finishing with the rolls of lox in the center.
- Whisk the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, capers, dill and pepper in a bowl and serve on the side or drizzled over the salad.
