Today, I’m excited to be featuring three incredible power bowl recipes created by Jamie, the founder of Maikana Foods. When we came home from the hospital, Jamie dropped off a post-partum care package of salads, bowls, soups, and gluten free muffins that saved us in those first few days.

Every single thing we ate was incredible, fresh, and healthy, so I asked her if she would share some of her recipes with you guys.

If you live locally, I strongly suggest that you check them out! I’ve tried all three of these bowls and can personally attest that they’re incredible. The mango basil chicken salad is far and away my favorite.

I hope you enjoy Jamie’s recipes as much as I do!

Goat cheese, Orange, Beat Bowl

One of my favorite bowls and one of Maikana’s biggest sellers is our goat cheese, orange segments and roasted beets power bowl. I like to think of these three items as best friends. They are the Rachel, Phoebe and Monica of the salad world. I tend to like to pair these with cannellini beans or chickpeas, sunflower seeds or pepita seeds and some sort of onion like scallions or red onions. I keep the base of goat cheese, roasted beets and orange slices the same but switch up the rest of the items. I think it’s always important to keep in mind texture and taste when planning my menus. You always need a crunch, something smooth and rich and a citrus or acid to round out a power bowl or any dish.

Recipe makes 2 large servings:

– 1 cup of prepared quinoa
– 2-4 cups of mixed greens of your choice
– 1 cup of roasted beets, diced
– 2 tbs of goat cheese (more if you’re a cheese lover!)
– ¾ cup of orange segments (about 2 oranges)
– 2 tbs of sunflower seeds (shelled)
– ¾ cup of canned chickpeas, strained and rinsed
– 1/8 cup of red onions, thinly sliced

Plate these items as you prefer. The colors are gorgeous and really showcase how amazing nature is. This is a great power bowl to make for a luncheon, baby or bridal shower. It’s simple and elegant. I dress all my bowls fairly simply. With this one, I take the leftovers from the oranges and squeeze out the remaining juices. Mix it with olive oil, a little red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and a little honey if the fresh orange juice sweetness isn’t enough- so easy and so good!

Mango Basil Chicken Salad Bowl

My clients also like the power bowls that feature chicken salad. We always make our chicken salad with non-fat organic Greek yogurt. It’s a great sub for heavier mayonnaise and it adds a lovely tartness to your chicken salad. This week our clients loved our mango basil chicken salad. We paired it with crisp green grapes (apples work great as well), lemon roasted broccoli, golden raisins and a lots of other deliciousness.

Recipe makes 2 large servings:

– 1 cup lowfat or nonfat greek yogurt
– 3 6-0z chicken breasts, cooked and finely chopped
– 1 cup of diced mango
– 3 tbs or 6 large leaves of basil
– Juice of ½ lemon
– 1 tbs of honey
– Salt & pepper to taste

Throw everything except the chicken into a blender. Pulse until desired consistency. I like to make mine smooth. Take this mixture and add it to your chopped chicken. I let mine sit overnight for best flavor but you can also eat right away. It’s definitely not easy to wait!

Power bowl pairings:
2 cups of broccoli, roasted with lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. 350 for 15 minutes
½ cup of green grapes, sliced in half
3 tbs of toasted almonds slices
3 tbs of golden raisins or dried fruit of your choice
2 tbs of sliced scallions
1 cup of chickpeas, roasted for 15 minutes with salt, pepper, olive oil at 350 degrees.

This bowl is delicious! The mango basil chicken salad can be made ahead of time and used in a variety of different ways over the week! Just be sure to double (or triple) the recipe. I like to pair this with a lemon tahini dressing. I toss together a little fresh lemon juice, some tahini paste, olive oil, a tad of organic maple syrup, salt and pepper and you’re good to go!

Quinoa Summer Bowl

Summer is the time for berries in your salad. I love how fresh and summery berries and summer fruits make my salad! It’s almost like having dessert for your healthy meal. This bowl was very popular this past week. The blueberries can be subbed out for a berry of choice. I have made this with strawberries as well and love it! It’s a great combo all around.

Recipe makes two large servings:

– 1 cup of prepared quinoa
– 4 packed cups of baby spinach or arugula
– 2 peaches, flesh cut off the stone, lightly oiled and grilled for 1 minute per side
– 8-10 cucumber slices
– 1/8 cup of red onion, thinly sliced
– 3 tbs of toasted almond slices
– 1 cup of cannellini or white beans of your choice
– 2 tbs of goat cheese
– Basil, julienned to finish

Plate all these ingredients as you see fit. Top the power bowl with the toasted almonds, goat cheese and julienned basil. I like to pair this with a light and fruity salad dressing- think raspberry vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper with a little honey. Easy and so fresh! Yum!

About Julie

Maikana opened its digital doors in November of 2016. Maikana was born out of Jamie’s desire to have healthy, beautiful and unique food delivered to her own door. After she closed my restaurant in Costa Rica, she took a nanny position until she figured out her next culinary move. She was taking care of two kids for 60-plus hours a week and was balancing that “parent” chaos with trying to stay healthy. It wasn’t easy. Jamie figured if she was having a tough time eating healthier, especially as a chef, then a lot of other people might be dealing with the same issues. This led to her desire to start a company that made healthy food, more specifically power bowls, more accessible to those with a busy lifestyle. It has given her the chance to bring the “pura vida” lifestyle she lived so easily in Costa Rica, back to Connecticut. Maikana literally means “come & eat” in Fijian.