Easy Greek Vegetarian Bowl

I'm really into Greek/Mediterranean food lately, and luckily, more of these types of restaurants are popping up all over. As far as eating out or getting takeout, Greek is the way to go. Greek salads are one of the better salads to order at restaurants since you actually do get some decent vegetables and not (m)any "bad" toppings. Nova Grill in Villanova is great because they even have salmon on their menu and whole wheat pitas. The Simple Greek in Wayne also has a lot of veggie options and whole wheat pitas to choose from. New Wayne Pizza in downtown Wayne has some Greek offerings as well, but I just like them because they have plentiful salad options.

Anyway, after having bought several Greek salads when eating out the past few months, I decided I should just buy these key ingredients to keep on hand. This led me to experiment and come up with new recipes. I have found one of my laziest meals, or for days I don't "have time" to make an omelet for lunch, is this Mediterranean bowl below. This bowl is full of veggies and protein, and is a good hit of fiber. It's quick, it's cheap, it's easy, and it's nutritious:

Kelly's Simple Greek Mediterranean Bowl

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chickpeas, washed and drained

1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese (like Nancy's or Daisy Brand)

5 Kalamata Olives

2 tbsp Feta cheese

>2 cups vegetables (raw for salad, cooked for warm bowl)- I like spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, kale, or whatever I have around

Optional toppings: lemon juice, balsamic glaze, sun dried tomatoes, parsley

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. For a salad, eat as is.

2. If you are feeling cold and want a warm bowl- heat in microwave or on pan on top of stove until the cottage cheese melts.

Enjoy!

Nutrition facts: The analysis was done using Diet Master Pro software based on 1 c cooked + 1.25 c raw vegetables + 1 tsp balsamic glaze as an optional topping. The sodium can be lowered by using a no/low sodium cottage cheese.