Name: Harvest Bowls
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 each large sweet potato (peeled and chopped); 1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts (halved); 2 Tablespoons + 1/4 cup olive oil; 8 each chicken tenders (or 2-3 chicken breasts); As Needed + As Needed salt; As Needed + As Needed black pepper; 2 teaspoons + 3 teaspoons curry powder; 1/2 cup pecan halves; 1 each pomegranate; 1 each avocado (peeled, pitted, and sliced); 2 cups + 4 teaspoons water; 1 1/2 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk (about one 13.5 oz. can); 2 teaspoons light brown sugar (packed); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 cups long-grain white rice (or jasmine rice); 1/2 cup honey; 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Get to know the ingredients

Long-grain white or jasmine rice

Use uncooked rice here, stirred into the boiling coconut milk mixture. It cooks right in the water, coconut milk, sugar and salt, then rests covered before you fluff it.

Curry powder in two places

Curry powder seasons both the chicken and the sauce, so keep both amounts in mind as you cook. The chicken gets a little on all sides, and the sauce gets the larger measured amount.

Pomegranate arils

Use one pomegranate, and the arils go on at assembly. Add them after cooking, along with the pecans and avocado, so they stay fresh against the warm rice and chicken.

Let’s make it

Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.

Servings

Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.

Estimating…

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How to make it

0 of 5 steps complete

Roast Veggies: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spread out chopped sweet potato and halved Brussels sprouts over a large baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast until the vegetables are tender and starting to brown, about 18-30 minutes.
Coconut Rice: Cook the coconut rice while the vegetables are roasting. Add water, coconut milk, sugar, and salt to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then stir in rice. Return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Remove lid and fluff rice with a fork.
Sweet Curry Sauce ingredients: 1/2 cup honey; 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard; 1/4 cup olive oil; 4 teaspoons water; 3 teaspoons curry powder; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 1/2 teaspoon EACH garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes; salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste). Sweet Curry Sauce: Add all sauce ingredients to a small saucepan. Whisk well to combine, particularly to dissolve the cornstarch. Cook over medium heat until simmering and just begins to thicken. Remove from heat.
Cook Chicken: Season chicken with salt and pepper and a little curry powder on all sides. Sauté or grill over medium-high heat, flipping once, until cooked on both sides. Remove to a plate to rest.
Assemble Harvest Bowls: Add a big spoonful of coconut rice to a bowl. Top with grilled chicken and a spoonful each of sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, pecans, pomegranate arils, and sliced avocado. Drizzle a small spoonful of sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

Make room for Harvest Bowls

Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.

The last little job

Build each bowl with a big spoonful of coconut rice first, then add the chicken, roasted vegetables, pecans, pomegranate arils and avocado. Finish with just a small spoonful of sauce so it coats without taking over.

A little more help as you go

Watch for browned edges on the vegetables

The sweet potato and Brussels sprouts are ready when they’re tender and starting to brown. The timing has a range, so use the colour and tenderness as your cue.

Keep the avocado for assembly

Slice the avocado after the hot cooking is done, then add it straight to the bowls. It’s part of the fresh topping layer, not something that goes into the oven or pan.

A few questions you might have

Can I use chicken breasts instead of tenders?

Yes. You can use 2 to 3 chicken breasts in place of the chicken tenders. Season them the same way with salt, pepper and a little curry powder, then cook until done on both sides.

How thick should the sweet curry sauce get?

Cook it until it simmers and just begins to thicken, then take it off the heat. It’s meant to be drizzled over the finished bowls, not reduced into a heavy glaze.

Do the pecans get toasted or cooked?

No. The pecan halves are added when you assemble the bowls, along with the pomegranate arils and sliced avocado. They stay separate from the roasting pan and the chicken.

What other rice or vegetables can I use?

You can use other rice, including rice pilaf, brown rice, sushi rice, jasmine or white rice. Try vegetables such as butternut squash, carrots, green beans, zucchini or broccoli too.

Should the sauce go on before or after the toppings?

Add the sauce at the end, after the rice, chicken, roasted vegetables, pecans, pomegranate and avocado are in the bowl. A small spoonful over the top is enough.

Any more cooking tips?

Rice: You can substitute any rice including rice pilaf, brown rice, sushi rice, jasmine, or white rice. Vegetables: Use what you have on hand including butternut squash, carrots, green beans, zucchini, or broccoli.

Harvest Bowls

1. Start the rice once the vegetables go in

2. Give the sauce a real whisk

3. Rest the chicken before slicing