Blackened Salmon and Kale Protein Bowls

So I have been trying to eat healthy for all of 7 days. It is not easy when your social media feeds are full of sinfully delicious recipes that make you drool. But then I made these salmon and kale protein bowls and I felt better about life and myself! The salmon is spicy, crispy on the edges and served overna cool, refreshing, kale salad topped with chickpeas, hemp seeds, and chia seeds for an extra protein fix.

I finally decided to jump on the “healthy living” bandwagon, and I’ve been doing it for all of 1 week (minus 1 day for takeout pizza and the jar of Nutella that I don’t remember consuming on day 2). I knew that it was time to go back to the gym, so I browsed the clearance section of my local Old Navy, grabbing whatever work out pants that were in my size. I remember thinking that my sister-in-law would be so proud of me for finding such super cute outfits. I didn’t try them on….maybe I should have…but I just HATE trying on clothes at the mall. I ripped off the tags, stuffed them into my workout bag, downloaded the most gangster rap I could find and headed to the gym.

I walked in, proud of myself for getting my butt to the gym. And as I was changing, I realized that those pants I bought were actually maternity pants. Workout maternity pants to be precise. Oh god, these preggo pants were so obvious too! They had an extra panel of fabric that went way over my stomach and laid comfortably right under my chest. A normal person would panic. A normal person would change into the OTHER pair of workout pants in her bag. Not me. I proudly pulled those pants over my stomach and rocked them like a boss! I walked around that gym for an hour in those pants, with a few weird side glances I’ll add.

My first start at the gym was probably an epic fail, so….yeah…please don’t judge me. Also, please don’t judge me on the fact that these pants have become one of my favourite pairs of pants to wear. They’re just so comfortable!

I wish this was a one-off moment in my life, but in truth, these stories aren’t a surprise to my friends and family. I feel like a hot mess most of the time, I embarrass myself on a regular basis and I’ve become strangely comfortable with it by now.

These salmon and kale protein bowls are my small redemption for my workout fail this week. The salmon is coated in a spice mixture, cooked in a cast iron pan and then topped over a kale salad for a fantastic salad win. Take that embarrassing workout story!!

There is so much good protein in this dish, salmon and chickpeas are full of protein and the salmon has an added benefit of healthy omega oils. The blackened salmon spice is amazing – spicy, flavourful and creates a slightly crunchy coating over the salmon that is irresistible. And then there’s kale – packed with so many vitamins that you can’t possibly feel guilty about this dish.

And I know that it’s February, so you must be getting REALLY sick of healthy salad recipes, but this is not your typical iceberg lettuce salad. No limp lettuce here! This salad is packed full of crunchy kale, chickpeas, creamy avocado, spicy salmon and a tangy, citrus salad dressing to wake up your senses so you don’t feel like you have to compromise taste for healthy! I added extra protein in the form of chickpeas, hemp seeds and chia seeds to make you feel full LONGER = BONUS!

Blackened Salmon and Kale Protein Bowls Recipe

Citrus kale salad topped with blackened salmon, creamy avocado, chickpeas, chia seeds and hemp seeds for a protein-packed meal!

Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 2

Ingredients

Blackened Salmon: