# Future Protein Bowl

## Description
A revolutionary sustainable protein bowl that gently introduces insect protein through crispy cricket flour falafels and savory mealworm crumble, paired with vibrant roasted vegetables, fluffy quinoa, and creamy tahini sauce. This eco-friendly dish delivers complete nutrition while reducing environmental impact by 90% compared to traditional meat proteins. The familiar Mediterranean flavors and textures make this an approachable gateway to sustainable eating, proving that the future of food can be both delicious and planet-friendly.

## Quick Facts
- Calories: 520 per serving
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 80 minutes
- Servings: 4
- Difficulty: medium
- Cuisine: Fusion
- Health Score: 9.2/10

## Nutrition Per Serving
- Calories: 520
- Protein: 32g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fat: 22g
- Fiber: 12g
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 480mg

## Dietary Information
This recipe is: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free

## Ingredients (4 servings)
- 1 cup cricket flour (fine ground, food-grade)
- 0.5 cup chickpea flour (for binding)
- 1 cup dried chickpeas (soaked overnight)
- 0.5 cup roasted mealworms (food-grade, lightly seasoned)
- 1.5 cups quinoa (tri-color preferred)
- 2 medium sweet potato (cubed)
- 2 medium zucchini (sliced)
- 2 large red bell pepper (chunked)
- 0.5 cup tahini
- 0.25 cup lemon juice (fresh)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons cumin (ground)
- 2 teaspoons coriander (ground)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 0.5 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- 0.5 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 2 cups microgreens (mixed variety)
- 0.5 cup olive oil (extra virgin)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)

## Instructions
1. Cook quinoa in vegetable broth with a pinch of salt until fluffy and all liquid is absorbed. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Process soaked chickpeas, cricket flour, chickpea flour, half the garlic, cumin, coriander, parsley, cilantro, and salt in a food processor until coarse mixture forms. Add water if needed for binding.
3. Form mixture into 16 small falafels, about 1.5 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm up.
4. Toss sweet potato, zucchini, and bell pepper with 2 tablespoons olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Roast at 425°F until caramelized and tender.
5. Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet and pan-fry falafels until golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.
6. Toast mealworms in a dry pan with a pinch of salt and cumin until crispy and fragrant, creating a savory crumble topping.
7. Whisk tahini with lemon juice, remaining garlic, and water until smooth and pourable. Season with salt to taste.
8. Assemble bowls with quinoa base, roasted vegetables, cricket falafels, drizzle of tahini sauce, mealworm crumble, and top with fresh microgreens.

## Allergen Information
Contains: sesame, insects

## Tags
sustainable, eco-friendly, high-protein, innovative, future-food

## Source
Recipe by: CalorieGram AI

## Machine-Readable Data

### Recipe Metadata
```json
{
  "id": "f25c535f-ba4d-4143-8ab0-691a66b40064",
  "youtube_id": null,
  "title": "Future Protein Bowl",
  "cuisine_type": "Fusion",
  "meal_type": [
    "dinner",
    "lunch"
  ],
  "difficulty_level": "medium",
  "servings": 4,
  "prep_time_minutes": 45,
  "cook_time_minutes": 35,
  "total_time_minutes": 80,
  "health_score": 9.2,
  "created_at": "2025-06-25T19:11:13.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2025-06-25T19:11:13.000Z"
}
```

### Ingredients Data
```json
{
  "servings": 4,
  "ingredients": [
    {
      "name": "cricket flour",
      "amount": 1,
      "unit": "cup",
      "notes": "fine ground, food-grade"
    },
    {
      "name": "chickpea flour",
      "amount": 0.5,
      "unit": "cup",
      "notes": "for binding"
    },
    {
      "name": "dried chickpeas",
      "amount": 1,
      "unit": "cup",
      "notes": "soaked overnight"
    },
    {
      "name": "roasted mealworms",
      "amount": 0.5,
      "unit": "cup",
      "notes": "food-grade, lightly seasoned"
    },
    {
      "name": "quinoa",
      "amount": 1.5,
      "unit": "cups",
      "notes": "tri-color preferred"
    },
    {
      "name": "sweet potato",
      "amount": 2,
      "unit": "medium",
      "notes": "cubed"
    },
    {
      "name": "zucchini",
      "amount": 2,
      "unit": "medium",
      "notes": "sliced"
    },
    {
      "name": "red bell pepper",
      "amount": 2,
      "unit": "large",
      "notes": "chunked"
    },
    {
      "name": "tahini",
      "amount": 0.5,
      "unit": "cup",
      "notes": null
    },
    {
      "name": "lemon juice",
      "amount": 0.25,
      "unit": "cup",
      "notes": "fresh"
    },
    {
      "name": "garlic",
      "amount": 4,
      "unit": "cloves",
      "notes": "minced"
    },
    {
      "name": "cumin",
      "amount": 2,
      "unit": "teaspoons",
      "notes": "ground"
    },
    {
      "name": "coriander",
      "amount": 2,
      "unit": "teaspoons",
      "notes": "ground"
    },
    {
      "name": "smoked paprika",
      "amount": 1,
      "unit": "teaspoon",
      "notes": null
    },
    {
      "name": "fresh parsley",
      "amount": 0.5,
      "unit": "cup",
      "notes": "chopped"
    },
    {
      "name": "fresh cilantro",
      "amount": 0.5,
      "unit": "cup",
      "notes": "chopped"
    },
    {
      "name": "microgreens",
      "amount": 2,
      "unit": "cups",
      "notes": "mixed variety"
    },
    {
      "name": "olive oil",
      "amount": 0.5,
      "unit": "cup",
      "notes": "extra virgin"
    },
    {
      "name": "vegetable broth",
      "amount": 3,
      "unit": "cups",
      "notes": null
    },
    {
      "name": "salt",
      "amount": 2,
      "unit": "teaspoons",
      "notes": "to taste"
    },
    {
      "name": "black pepper",
      "amount": 1,
      "unit": "teaspoon",
      "notes": "freshly ground"
    }
  ]
}
```

### Nutrition Data (per serving)
```json
{
  "calories": 520,
  "macros": {
    "protein_g": 32,
    "carbs_g": 48,
    "fat_g": 22,
    "fiber_g": 12,
    "sugar_g": 8,
    "sodium_mg": 480
  },
  "dietary_tags": {
    "vegan": false,
    "vegetarian": false,
    "gluten_free": true,
    "dairy_free": true,
    "nut_free": true
  }
}
```

---
This recipe is from CalorieGram Recipes - Your AI-powered healthy recipe discovery platform.
Visit https://recipes.caloriegram.ai for more healthy recipes.