My Favorite Cava Bowl
We have a Sunday ritual in our house. It involves resting as much as possible. Since cooking is both a hobby and part of our work life, it can be hard to keep myself from spending my whole Sunday in the kitchen. So to save us from cooking all day on Sundays, we usually eat cereal and eggs for breakfast, eat out for lunch after church, and have leftovers for dinner. It’s a welcome rest from my “work” and I enter the week feeling rested! Our favorite lunch spot after church is definitely Cava. I love the simple ingredients they use and that it’s more affordable than a sit down restaurant. Also, everyone can build a plate full of everything they love. So i’ve recreated my favorite bowl to make mid-week when i’m craving it!
Ingredients:
Makes 8 servings
Chicken:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon powdered garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
juice of 2 lemons
Lemon Herb Tahini:
½ cup tahini (or greek yogurt!)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup water (leave out if using yogurt)
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup cilantro (leaves and stem is fine!)
2 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey
Honey Lime Slaw:
1/2 head purple cabbage, thinly sliced
juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon honey
salt and pepper to taste
Pickled Onions:
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup boiling water
Bone Broth Rice:
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup bone broth
1 cup water
a pinch of salt
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the chicken with the rest of the marinade ingredients. Use your hands to rub it all into the chicken. If you can do this about 8-12 hours before, the flavors will have more time to soak in, but its ok if not. Put it in the fridge, or set it aside if you’ll be cooking it within an hour. In a blender, mix all of the lemon herb tahini sauce ingredients until well combined. Pour into a jar and set aside. In a big storage container or bowl, toss the slaw ingredients together and set aside to let the flavors mingle. Put the spices for the pickled onions in a jar and pour over the ½ cup of boiling water (be sure your jar is safe to use with bowling water). Add the apple cider vinegar and give it a stir. Put the thinly sliced onions in the jar and make sure they are covered in the liquid. They are ready to go whenever, but will get more flavorful the longer they sit.
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill to medium heat. Cook the breasts for about 6-8 minutes per side. Move them to a cutting board and give them a rough chop. Meanwhile, add the rice to a lidded pot with the water, broth, and salt. Put the lid on and bring to a boil. Once its at a bowl, lower the heat to low and leave the lid on. Let it sit for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Take the lid off and fluff with a fork before serving.
The beauty of bowls like this is that everyone can take as much or as little of each component as they’d like. Serve it family style and relax knowing that you’re family is being nourished!
P.S. You can add any other ingredients you like! This is just how I do it. My husband likes his with hummus, olives, and crumbled feta!
