Vegan Buddha Bowl with Green Tahini

13-06-2017 Local Black Bookbuddha bowl, dairy-free, gluten-free, lunch, quinoa, recipe, salad, sweet potato, tahini, vegan2 Comments

Defined as ‘a bowl which is packed so full that it has a rounded “belly” appearance on the top, much like the belly of a buddha’, buddha bowls might sound like just another food fad.

Sweet Potato & Quinoa Vegan Buddha Bowl with Green Tahini • Recipe • Cake + Whisky

But not at all. Because if the term is new, the concept (a random bunch of delicious veggies, thrown together in a bowl and topped with all sorts of creamy n’ crunchy treats) really isn’t.

Packed full of nutrients, buddha bowls make for super satisfying, healthy meals.

They’re super easy to adapt to any diet (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy-free) without feeling like you have to compromise. And they only take a few minutes to put together.

As a result, they’re my packed lunch of choice.

I’ve tried quite a few variations of the ol’ grain + greens + veg + sauce combo, and this quinoa & sweet potato vegan buddha bowl is simply the best (yes, even better than this bad boy!).

As it just so happen, this baby is good for you, nutritious, vegan and gluten-free.

But because it’s packed full of colours, flavours and textures and soooooo satisfying, you won’t even notice it!

Just my kind of superbowl!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:16]

More healthy lunch recipes:

Spring Potato Salad (Vegan, GF)

Best Ever Guacamole (Vegan, GF)

Tomato & Coconut Pasta (Vegan)

Spring Buddha Bowl • Vegan, GF

11-04-2017 Local Black Bookbuddha bowl, dairy-free, gluten-free, green beans, lunch, plant based, quinoa, radish, recipe, salad, Spring, vegan, vegetarianLeave a comment

Sooooo… My diet over the last month has been 80% deep-fried takeaway food and 110% carbs. #sohealthy #not

But now that the flat’s finally starting to feel like home, it’s about time for me to go back into the kitchen and onto the (mainly*) healthy eating bandwagon.

*because there really isn’t any point in me pretending I’m going to quit chips and bread, is there?

Buddha bowls – colourful combinations of vegetables, grains and protein, all piled up in a bowl – are one of this year’s top food trends.

And that’s really no wonder seing that a buddha bowl is:

The best when it comes to healthy yet satisfying meals
A genius way to use up leftovers and reduce food waste (any- and everything pretty much goes!)
Packed with fibers, vitamins, high-quality proteins and antioxydants
My new go-to lunch for all the above reasons!

My current favourite is this Spring-inspired little number.

Green beans, quinoa, radishes, pistachios, olives and a zesty, lemony dressing… Spring lunch perfection!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:8]

Looking for more healthy, plant-based lunch-spiration?

Spring cauliflower salad

Best ever guacamole

Vegetarian Caesar salad

Quinoa Fried Rice

23-09-2016 Local Black Bookcooking, easy, egg, fried rice, leftovers, lunchbox, packed lunch, quick, quinoa, recipe, rice, stir fry, vegetarian2 Comments

When it comes to cooking, I still have so much to learn.

I’ve always been a very decent cook, probably mainly because I’ve been free to experiment in the kitchen from a very young age, with my parents encouragingly eating up sometimes-far-from-perfect said experiments.

This learning-on-the-job sort of experience obviously has it limitations, the main one being that for a long time, I’d have to work with whatever was already in the fridge.

But every limitation has its silver lining, and in that specific case, it’s made me really, really good at cooking with leftovers. And actually enjoying it.

There’s something truly magical at making something with nothing, and that’s how I feel when I turn a simingly empty fridge into a bountiful meal, always to my boyfriend’s great surprise.

(Even though, quite honestly, he should really be used to it by now!)

This is exactly what happened with this Quinoa Fried Rice.

Ready in minutes and requiring only a handful of ingredients, most of which are absolute staples in my house (and I’m sure many others’), it’s just as delicious and comforting as the original, but made a bit healthier with the addition of protein-packed quinoa.

Below is the basic recipe, which is absolutely delicious as it is, but feel free to add additional toppings or any leftovers hanging around in your fridge, turning your Quinoa Fried Rice dish into the most delicious way to use up meat, fish or vegetable leftovers.

Who knew fighting food waste could taste that rice?!

Quinoa Fried Rice (serves 1)

Ingredients:

about 100g cooked quinoa, preferably fridge-cold
1 tsp sesame oil
1 egg
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
salt, pepper
facultative: any cooked meat, fish or vegetable leftovers you have laying around, sliced thinly

1. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

2. Heat up the sesame oil in a frying pan or wok, then throw in the quinoa (and leftovers if using) and cook on high heat until it starts smelling nice, then push the quinoa to the sides of the pan and add the egg in the middle. Cook until the egg is slightly under-set (usually about 20 sec or so), then mix together with the quinoa and cook for a little longer.

3. Transfer to a bowl, top with the thinly sliced spring onion & eat immediately.

PIN FOR LATER:

Autumnal Quinoa Salad

07-09-2016 Local Black BookAutumn, butternut, Fall, feta, gluten-free, healthy, healthy eating, low carb, lunch, lunch box, packed lunch, paleo, pine nuts, pumpkin, quinoa, recipe, salad, savoury, vegetarian5 Comments

If I’m not all that happy to wave the Summer goodbye, I must admit there are things about Autumn I’m rather excited about.

Besides the fact that my workplace will FINALLY be turning the AC off and I won’t have to wear cashmere to avoid catching a cold in the middle of a heatwave, that is.

Top of my list is the comeback of all sorts of winter squash onto the list of seasonal fruit & veggies!

I love squashes & pumpkins of all kinds, and couldn’t help but pick up one of the first butternuts of the season at my local farmers’ market last week.

It almost ended up into my favourite soup, but a bit of fridge foraging later and this beautiful Autumnal Quinoa Salad was born…

Easy to make, healthy & super tasty, it’s the perfect dish for a light Autumn dinner or a colourful, vitamin-packed lunch!

Autumnal Quinoa Salad with Butternut, Feta & Pine Nuts (serves 2)

Ingredients:

200g quinoa (I got this pretty mixed-coloured one from Waitrose)
300g butternut squash, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp olive oil
50g crumbled feta
20g pine nuts
sea salt, cracked black pepper, oregano

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200°C (gas mark 6).

2. In a bowl, mix the slices of butternut with the olive oil, a pinch of salt, some black pepper and a generous pinch of oregano. Spread onto an oven-safe dish and bake for 35-45 minutes (or until the edges start caramelising).

3. Bring a big pot of salted water to the boil, then throw in the quinoa and cook for about 20min, then drain.

4. In a dry pan, fry the pine nut kernels until golden.

5. Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl or pile them up onto two plates, top with a little more oregano and serve immediately.

This dish can also be eaten cold, which makes it a brilliant packed lunch option as well!

PIN FOR LATER:

Cake and Whisky

Life in London and other almost-grown-up tales

Menu

quinoa