I’m no whiz in the kitchen but since I learned the value and importance of food preparation, I learned to make at least the simplest of dishes.
And when you have no one to feed but yourself (well, in my case, Nic, who does not complain most of the time), you dare to make bold moves and experiment just a little bit. After all, you’re eating whatever you end up making! So I totally get it when you find a recipe you really like but have trouble putting all the ingredients together. Some things are either really hard to find or so expensive, they’re just impractical to purchase.
This is why I put together a really simple recipe which you can customize however you want. I made two versions of it, so you can choose whether to SPLURGE or SAVE. Enjoy!
| SPLURGE | SAVE |
| Ingredients: | Ingredients: |
| 1 ½- 2 Cups Quinoa
Tip: A less expensive alternative to Quinoa is Millet. A grain that has a similar texture as Quinoa although different in terms of nutrition. |
1 ½-2 cups of Brown or Red Rice |
| ½ cup Mushrooms | ½ Mushrooms |
| ½ cup Chickpeas | ½ Chickpeas |
| 1 medium-sized Red Bell Pepper; Julienned
1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes |
1 medium-sized Red Bell Pepper; Julienned
1/2 cup Tomatoes cut into thin wedges |
| ½ Lemon cut into thin wedges | ½ Lemon cut into thin wedges |
| 1 Jar Pre-made Pesto
Gourmet Farms has one with a vegan recipe that sells at P190 per jar. |
|
| Pesto Sauce from Scratch: | |
| 3-4 Handfuls of Basil Leaves without the hard stems | |
| 1 Whole Garlic – option to make that two if you want your pesto garlicky! | |
| 2 cups Virgin Olive Oil | |
| ½ cup Peanuts | |
| Salt and Pepper to taste | |
| Add a superboost: Throw in a handful or Moringa leaves |
PROCEDURE:
- Cook your grains according to package instructions.
- If you’re making pesto from scratch, combine all ingredients into a blender and blend. Add salt and pepper to taste and Olive Oil if you find the consistency too thick.
- Pan roast your vegetables. If using tomatoes, cook these with the rest of the veggies. If Cherry Tomatoes, add these with the pesto (see Step 4). You can choose to throw in Eggplants, Zucchinis or julienned carrots too.
- Combine Grains with roasted vegetables and chickpeas. Mix a cup of pesto in, gradually adding more ’til everything is covered in that green goodness.
- Serve with Lemon wedges to squeeze before eating. I like to sprinkle some Cayenne pepper over the Lemon for a bit of kick.
Option to top with peanuts or if you’re splurging, Pine Nuts. DONE! 😉
Like I said, you can go wild with whatever vegetable suits your liking or keep it simple. If you do try making your own green bowl, let me know how it goes! I’d love to discover ways to make mine better too. Happy Holidays! <3
