Nourish bowls

I try to eat healthy. Well, mostly. Oats with sliced banana every morning, a salad or casserole for lunch and dinner, with plenty of fruit in between. I guess that doesn’t sound half bad, until you factor in the daily sweet treats which have proven too difficult to resist. So with plans of eating less cakes, lollies and chocolates in mind – a hard task given how often they seem to appear in the office – I figured a month without artificial sugar would be enough to set me right. I may have slipped a couple times already, but I figure that’s neither here nor there when you’re already seeing the positive benefits of a small change in attitude and action.

So what better time to start getting organised, right? Instead of relying on a lot of avocado on toast for those quick lunches, I’ve instead taken to preparing nourish bowls (or a hearty salad) the night before work, so it’s ready to go as I dash out the door. The best part? There’s not a lot to it, and it’s easy to incorporate any vegetables or mediterranean style ingredients that you might have to hand. If you haven’t picked up on it yet, I’m a pretty big fan of anything simple. You’ll find a quick guide below on how to prepare my go-to nourish bowl; but don’t forget you can always incorporate your favourite flavours, be in olives, roasted red peppers, chargrilled eggplant or elements of a more carnivorous persuasion.

Nourish Bowl
Ingredients:
Quinoa (1 1/2 cups)
Vegetable stock
Marinated tofu (you can buy this prepackaged alternatively you can marinate your own – I prefer a soy, honey, garlic & chilli combo for the latter option!)
Edamame (1 cup)
Carrots (2x grated)
Avocado (1/2)
Broccoli (1 whole – steamed or roasted)
Hummus to serve (either store bought or home made)

For the dressing:
2 large tablespoons of miso paste
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
4 tablespoons sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch ginger, finely grated

Method:
1. Cook the quinoa either in a rice cooker or over the stove in 3 cups of water (it’s 2:1) in vegetable stock.
2. Meanwhile, prepare your other ingredients
– grate carrots
– slice broccoli into florets and cook to taste (either roast or steam)
– cook edamame in boiling water for approximately 4-5 minutes
– fry off the tofu until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside (it will look slightly golden)
3. For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together. Feel free to add some olive oil or some water to thin in out a little and adjust ingredients as desired.
4. Prepare the nourish bowl with all your toppings, drizzle a generous amount of dressing over the top and eat!

See – simple! x