Better Than The Freezer Aisle: Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake

As a vegetarian, planning ahead is essential. I find that if I forget to pack lunch, my only option at the cafeteria is a grilled cheese, which is not exactly a healthy choice. Between getting myself and my three year-old daughter out of the door in the morning, I don’t always have a lot of time to pack a lunch, so I understand how convenient prepackaged frozen meals can be. Eating a meal from the freezer aisle every day runs through my grocery budget pretty quickly, though, to say nothing of not being able to control what ingredients and preservatives I’m eating.

By recreating one of my favorite freezer-aisle meals, the Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake, I not only save money, but know exactly what is going in my mouth. I like the way Kashi incorporates unexpected ingredients into their meals, as they always leave me looking forward to lunch. Mayan Harvest Bake costs $3.99 (1 serving) at my local grocery store and my recreation costs $3.95 (4 servings, $.98/serving).

For another Kashi inspired meal, check out the Black Bean Mango Rice Bowl.

Copycat Kashi Mayan Harvest Bake

Author/Source:

Regan @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 0.67 cup sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium plantains, cut into strips
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil #1
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil #2
• 3 teaspoons garlic, chopped
• 1.26 cups onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups kale, chopped, loosely packed
• 15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon ancho chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 0.25 cup cilantro, chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 0.5 cup quinoa, uncooked and rinsed
• 0.5 cups bulgur, uncooked
• 1 cup polenta
• 0.33 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray pans with cooking spray. Place sweet potato cubes and plaintain slices on baking sheet and toss with oil #1. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft. While sweet potatoes and plantains are cooking, heat oil #2 in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, salt, and pepper, and cook until onions begin to soften, about 5-10 minutes. Add kale and cook for another 5 minutes, until kale has wilted. Add black beans, tomato sauce, tomato paste, ancho chili powder, maple syrup, cumin, and cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a large saucepan, bring vegetable broth to a boil. Add quinoa, bulgur, and polenta. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until grains are soft. Place grains on plate and top with sweet potatoes, plantains, black bean sauce, and pepitas.

Freezing Directions:

Instead of placing on a dish, place grains in an 8×8 foil tin. Top with sweet potatoes, plantains, black bean sauce, and pepitas. Cover with foil. Label and freeze. TO SERVE: Thaw. Transfer to a microwave safe container and microwave until heated throughout.

Servings: 4

**conversion chart image provided by Erik Spiekermann

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This entry was posted on Monday, March 11th, 2013 at 9:00 am and is filed under Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.