RECIPE: Make Hen Mother Cookhouse’s Energy Bowl
Lots of restaurants have versions of a healthy energy bowl, but there is one that surpasses them all! I absolutely love the energy bowl at Hen Mother Cookhouse in Johns Creek. It is healthy, full of vegetables and grains, and so, so delicious! Do you think the chef would share the recipe? — Amy Harris, Brookhaven
Soraya Khoury, owner and chef of Hen Mother Cookhouse, developed this recipe because she wanted a savory grain bowl on her menu. “I wanted something with more sustenance than oatmeal, but with tons of nutrients. A meal that could really satisfy you,” Khoury explained.
At the restaurant, they prepare the dish with either quinoa or farro, but Khoury suggests our readers could use barley, amaranth, lentils or rice, if they prefer. Diners can choose to have their bowl topped with an egg, avocado or roasted chicken. In our photo, it’s topped with a fried egg.
The restaurant garnishes the dish with a mixture of sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. They combine those on a baking sheet, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast until crisp.
Hen Mother Cookhouse’s Energy Bowl
- 1/2 cup 1/2-inch dice butternut squash
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling on butternut squash
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh broccoli florets
- 4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 4 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons ghee
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced cauliflower florets
- 1/2 cup shredded Brussels sprouts
- 4 cups cooked quinoa or farro
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups shredded kale
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Arrange diced butternut squash on a small baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and then roast until tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Blanch the broccoli: While squash is roasting, prepare a medium saucepan of boiling water. Add broccoli florets and cook until the color changes, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain broccoli into a colander and allow to come to room temperature.
- Prepare the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard and remaining olive oil. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if desired, and set aside.
- When ready to assemble, in a large skillet, melt ghee over high heat. Add cauliflower and Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring constantly, until cauliflower is tender, about 2 minutes. Add reserved roasted butternut squash and blanched broccoli, and toss to combine. When mixture is heated through, after about 1 minute, add quinoa or farro. Stir to combine thoroughly, then stir in water and butter. Cook 2 minutes. Add shredded kale and cabbage and cook 2 minutes, or until kale and cabbage are lightly wilted. Remove from heat and add dressing. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, using cooked quinoa: 639 calories (percent of calories from fat, 59), 11 grams protein, 55 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 43 grams total fat (23 grams saturated), 91 milligrams cholesterol, 253 milligrams sodium. Per serving, using cooked farro: 754 calories (percent of calories from fat, 47), 18 grams protein, 87 grams carbohydrates, 14 grams fiber, 41 grams total fat (23 grams saturated), 91 milligrams cholesterol, 245 milligrams sodium.From the menu of ... Hen Mother Cookhouse, 11705 Jones Bridge Road, Johns Creek; 770-417-8404, henmothercookhouse.com.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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