Wellness Nourish Bowl
For us here at the base of the globe, daylight savings was set in motion recently. We set our clocks forward an hour, in order to save as much light as possible. I love this time of year because it means longer days, and evenings outdoors.
Whether it be barbecuing (aka Braaing as us ‘Saffa’s’ call it), walks in nature/on the beach or even a stroll around the neighborhood – it’s so great to make the most of this time of year.
So, in order to make the most of all these outdoor activities, I don’t preferably want to be cooking for hours in the kitchen. I introduce you to a simple timesaver – staple batch cooking and preparation. I share some tips on staple batch cooking along with a delicious recipe – my Wellness Nourish Bowl.
This dish is so tasty and the ingredients combined give you a pretty impressive nutritional profile. Plant based and vegan with ALL the flavour, making healthy delicious, ALWAYS!
So a few key tips when staple batch cooking – preparation is key. I think most of the time our food choices fail us when we’re either pressed for time or too lazy to prepare a proper nutritious meal (and let’s face it we’ve all been there).
However, when you begin to introduce staple batch cooking into your regime, it can alleviate all of that as you’ll always have something on hand that is healthy, tasty, already cooked and good to go.
Choose your recipes
I like to roughly think of a few recipes to make for the week ahead. Weekends are a good time to take a moment to do this, and pinterest, foodgawker and your favorite food bloggers are always handy resources to refer to.
Now I don’t tend to freeze and re-heat meals – but rather opt for batches of food that can keep in the fridge.
Get your staple ingredients
Once you’ve figured out what you’re gonna make, time to make a list and get your staple ingredients for batch cooking. For me this can be:
- Loads of vegetables to make a huge tray of roasted veggies (sweet potato, carrot, capsicum, red onion, leeks, etc)
- Mixed Wild Rice/Brown Rice/Quinoa – some form of wholefood gluten free grain/carbohydrate
- Beans, Legumes and Plant Based Proteins – chickpeas, beans and lentils, tofu, tempeh
- Salads – leaves/sprouts/tomatoes/cucumber/carrots
- Sauces and Spreads – hummus/cashew sauce
Try shopping at you local market or green grocer because supporting local is important. And ALWAYS remember your re-usable bags.
So once I’ve made these batches, mentioned above, they can be stored in glass airtight containers or jars in the fridge. Having all your greens washed and ready to go makes a huge difference too. It’s then so easy to throw together a salad or dish to have at home, or take out for a picnic.
Think roasted veggie salads, crackers and hummus, bean and rice dishes, or simple sides to accompany a barbecue.
All these ingredients are already cooked and ready to use and surprisingly tase even better when cold! This time of year if perfect for cool, refreshing and nourishing meals that are quick and easy leaving heaps of time for adventures outdoors.
Now, moving onto this Wellness Nourish Bowl that is just bursting with flavour and not to mention nutrition. Fibre rich carbohydrates from the sweet potato and mixed wild rice, plant based protein from the marinated tofu, source of healthy fats from the creamy avocado, and alkalising goodness from the greens and radishes. Nothing short of delicious I kid you not!
Now I know the ingredients in the photographs are beautifully and meticiously layer out, but I love this dish all mixed up together. Dicing the avocado into cubes and mixing it through all the other ingredients, amalgamating all their flavours. The best way to eat a nourish bowl, in my opinion.
A delicious plant based bowl full of nourishing whole food ingredients. Loaded with flavour and nutritional goodness. Perfect for lunches, picnics or weeknight dinner. A wholesome nutritionally balanced meal.
- 1 TBS Organic Tomato Sauce
- 1 TBS Organic Tamari Sauce
- 1 TBS Maple Syrup
- 1 TBS Organic Miso Paste
- 1/2 Tsp Paprika
- 1 TBS Organic Cold Pressed Olive Oil
- 1 Sprinkle Garlic Powder
- 250 g Organic Firm Tempeh
- 2 Large Orange Sweet Potato
- 2 TBS Organic Cold Pressed Olive Oil
- 2 Tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 Tsp Fennel Seeds
- 2 Tsp Pink Himalayan Salt
- 1 Tsp Paprika
- 3 Cups Mixed wild rice medley (cooked) (pre-cooked)
- 1 Handful Baby Spinach - finely diced
- 1/2 Lemon - juice of
- 6 Dried Turkish Apricots - Sulphur Free
- 1-2 Tsp Pink Himalayan Salt
- 2 Tsp Sesame Seeds
- 1 Avocado
- 1/2 Tsp Black Sesame Seeds
- 2-3 Sliced Radishes
- 1 Cup Wild Rocket
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Pre-heat the oven to 180C (Fan Forced)
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Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl.
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Slice the tempeh into bite-size cubes and pour over the marinade ensuring each cube is basted.
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Cover and place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the meal
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Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and place into a large mixing bowl.
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Add the remaining spices, salt and olive oil and mix thoroughly ensure each cube is basted with oil and spices.
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On a large baking tray lined with baking paper, add the sweet potato cubes. Laying each one flat on the surface of the tray to ensure even cooking.
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Place the tempeh cubes alongside the sweet potato and bake/roast in the oven for 20 mins at 180C fan forced.
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Bring a pot of water to the boil and add approx. 1 1/2 Cups of mixed rice medley. Follow the instructions on the rice packet - until cooked.
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Rinse and drain the rice with cold water. Place into a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
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Once the rice and oven good are all cooked it's time to plate up. Follow the image for guidance. Garnish with the following:
Sliced Radishes
Avocado with Black Sesame Seeds
Wild Rocket
- Use Organic wherever possible
- Support local farmers and brands
- Remember re-usable shopping bags and jars when collecting ingredients
