5 steps to a Pinterest worthy veggie bowl

Photo Credits; OneTwoSimpleCooking.com, VeganMiam.com, AHouseInTheHills.com, CherryOnMySundae.com

The new day job has been totally zapping me these past couple of weeks so by the time I get home in an evening I'm a total zombie and "cooking" isn't really anything I can handle... I'm so zonked that if the fridge is bare or T doesn't step into the rescue, my tummy and brain are screaming for carbs and I'm reaching for the takeaway menu's - eugh!

So I've been trying to ramp up my ideas for veggie bowls, being a total geek on a Sunday and cooking up a batch of different recipes that can be mixed up and see us through the week without too many Mr Chow's chow mein's thrown in. Seeking out the best grain, protein and veggies combo's has been an easy chore to bear. Having a batch of quinoa or red rice, some roasted veggies and delicious hummus or dressing in the fridge, on top of which I can throw a poached egg, some roasted tofu or crispy kale (or poached chicken for T) means we are never too far away from something delicious and nourishing when we are both totally pooped.

So after a rather crazy week I thought rather than just show you one veggie bowl combo I'd share with you some of my favourite recipes and ideas out there, in 5 easy steps to making your own. For even more ideas or those of you who are looking for a full recipe, check out my pinterest board here. Go forth and create - and let me know how you get on!

1. The Grain

Choose your favourite grain as your base, add some extra flavourings with a quick dressing whilst they are still warm if you fancy it. My current favourites on rotation are;

• Red Rice - dress with soy sauce and a little lemon juice whilst warm
• Brown sushi rice dressed with sushi seasoning
• Quinoa - added bonus protein if you go with this one. This recipe from the Kitchn for how to cook quinoa works out perfectly every time
• Wheat berries - not always that easy to get hold of but have an amazing nutty taste and great texture
• Pearled Barley or Spelt - also have fantastic bite and texture

2. The Veggies

This is where you can really start to get creative (as well as clear out the fridge, possibly a favourite pastime of mine?!). Try and get as much colour in as you can. A mix of roasted, steamed and raw is good in my book;

• Finely shredded red cabbage
• Spiralized carrots, courgettes or beetroot
• Steamed cabbage or kale
• Spicy slaw made with white cabbage and carrots with a vinegar and chipotle dressing
• Pickled cucumbers - check out this amazing recipe from Vegan Miam
• Kimchi
• Sauerkraut
• Any roasted vegetable including cherry tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, sweet potato or squash
• Edamame beans
• Finely sliced radishes

3. The Protein

Top your veggies off with a protein hit;

• A poached egg - the easiest by far and adds to the sauciness
• Hummus - a favourite of mine as you can make a massive batch and snack on for the rest of the week. See my current fave recipe for roasted squash hummus here.
• Roasted tofu - this takes a bit of prep as you need to weigh it down with a tin and paper towels in the fridge the night before roasting to get rid of all the liquid, but so worth it. Favourite recipes of the moment Gochujang Tofu and Chilli Roasted Tofu

4. The Sauce

A bit of saucy-ness is most definitely needed to keep things interesting and shall we say moist? Plus there is no harm in adding yet more flavour to the mix. Just a few ideas here, some super easier, some for when you have a bit more time;

• Salted yoghurt (have I mentioned enough times how I'm obsessed with this?!)
• Sriarcha (see above)
• Tahini sauce - thin the tahini out with lemon juice, olive oil and water
• Herb oil
• Tahini peanut sauce from this blog post
• This green thai-style sauce from Top With Cinnamon
• This roasted red-pepper sauce from Love and Lemons

5. The Garnishes

Finish off with whatever makes you happy. Some are almost obligatory - avocado slices?! There are so many ideas in my head for these I could write another entire blog post, so in brief;

• Roasted chickpeas
• Shichimi Togarashi - a Japanese spice blend with dried chilli, orange peel, sesame seeds and nori - brilliant sprinkled on anything
• Salted nori seaweed chips, crumbled and sprinkled over - either stock up at the Asian market or make your own
• Kale chips
• Crispy shallots
• Avocado slices
• Feta cheese crumbles
• Toasted nuts or seeds (with soy sauce? yes!)
• Ground flax seeds
• Dried cranberries 

Don't forget to check out Pinterest for more recipes and ideas. Let me know how you get on - I'd love to see some of your creations! xxx