I am always mindful of foods that support a strong immune system, but it is now officially Fall and it becomes even more important. I love meals like this one that mix it all into a cute bowl; there’s just something comforting and inviting about it! I will be honest, I cheated when I made this and bought some FROZEN organic root veggies to make life easier. The thing is, frozen can actually mean you get MORE nutrients from your produce due to the fact that often times we are purchasing from a grocery store where the produce has traveled for days after harvest and each day it loses more of its nutrient density. Frozen foods are typically flash frozen at harvest, therefore maintaining the nutrient profile at its optimal level. The exception to this is if you purchase your produce from local farms at their farm stores or at farmers markets where you are getting produce freshly harvested.

Those of you who are low carb/keto and gasp when you see an apple and sweet potato in here, do know that you can adjust the amount to create the macronutrient profile you are going after. I would encourage keeping these ingredients in here and just reducing the amount (perhaps even add more chicken)!

The dressing includes some pure maple syrup (which makes for an excellent natural sweetener in small doses. Just be sure you are buying PURE maple syrup and not maple flavored corn syrup!). If you would rather not have the maple syrup, simply omit, or use whatever vinaigrette you prefer. Just remember: 2 Tbsp of maple syrup are in the entire recipe, so when you drizzle a small portion over your bowl, you will not be getting many extra carbs from the syrup! I prefer to see these types of sweeteners used versus many of the non-caloric sweeteners available and trust me when I say the hint of maple in this bowl is AMAZING!!

Autumn Chicken and Kale Bowl with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette (about 4 servings)

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BOWL

• 4 cups cooked riced cauliflower & broccoli mix (for low carb) OR quinoa and rice
• 1 large sweet potato, diced (or mix of root veggies. I used beets, carrots and sweet potatoes)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
• 1 bunch of kale, destemmed and chopped
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 apple, diced
• 2 cups cooked, shredded, pasture raised chicken
• 1 cup smoked gouda, grated
• ½ cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the diced sweet potatoes (or root veggie of your choice) on the baking sheet. Drizzle the oil over the potatoes then sprinkle the seasonings on top. Toss to combine and put in the oven for 20 minutes or until they are tender.

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, cook your riced cauliflower and broccoli (or rice and quinoa) according to the directions on the package and set aside.

Once your sweet potatoes are done you can assemble your bowl however you would like; in layers, mix it all together in one large bowl and then serve…totally up to you! The balsamic vinaigrette can be mixed in with everything before serving or, leave in a small dish on the side so individuals can add the dressing on their own.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MAPLE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

• 2/3 cup olive or avocado oil
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp PURE maple syrup
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tsp sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS
Add all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Blend until the dressing turns creamy. Add the herbs and stir. Keep in an airtight refrigerator for up to one week.