Roasted curried buddha bowl, a whole bowl of good

ROASTED BUDDHA BOWL

This is genuinely the prettiest savory dish I have ever made, it looks like pure health and beauty, fuck that it is health and beauty. A bowl of lightly spiced roasted veg tables and chickpeas with grilled mango and coconut and tahini dressing. I normally cut out most oil in my recipe however I have invested here in coconut oil. At health food stores it is expensive but at your local Asian market i got a bottle for 99p. Coconut oil is one of the best sources of heart-healthy medium-chain fatty acids, notably lauric acid which helps boost your immune system. It is white and solid at room temperature so is great replacement to butter in baking and melts when heated so good for roasting and frying. So here is me investing in my families immune system and heart.

The other great things about this recipe is the amount of fiber, minerals and vitamins you get from all the veggies and chickpeas. I've talked about how great chickpeas are for protien and how cauliflower is fiber awesome before AND how sweet potato is low GI, and all they are all in this bowl of goodness. The spices as well are metabolism boosters and the tahini dressing is full of vitamin B and E, magnesium, iron and calcium due to the tahini. This is just a bowl packed with good. My family loved it so much they didn't leave any for my dad who was out so I had to make more.. I hope you like it as much.


Ingredients (meant to serve 3)

Bowl
1 large sweet potato
1 large purple potato
2 medium onions
2 medium carrots
1 yellow bell pepper
1 mango
1/4 of a medium cauliflower
3 tbsp of coconut oil
3 tsp of your favourite cuury powder
1/2 tsp of cinnamon and the same of cayenne
1 tsp of ground ginger and  the same of coriander
1 large garlic clove crushed
1cm knob of ginger crushed
bunch of fresh coriander
1 tbsp of agave
salt and pepper

Dressing 
1 tbsp agave
2 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp light coconut milk
1 clove of crushed garlic
1 tbsp of lemon juice
1 tsp sesame seed oil 
salt and pepper

- Mix together melted coconut oil, curry powder, crushed garlic and ginger, coriander, cayenne, cinnamon, ground ginger and a large pinch of salt and pepper together in a small bowl, set aside.
-Roughly chop all your veggies in to small chuncks, all roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Toss in the coconut oil and spice mix, reserving tbsp for the chickpeas, and use your hand to massage the spices into the veg (work for that flavour baby).

- Drain the chickepeas and pat them dry. Toss in reserved spice mix.

-Place chickpeas in one tray, the veggies in another and put in a 190 oven. I also put the purple potatoes on another tray to stop the purple color rubbing off of the other veggies.

Babies pre-oven so golden

Lovely lovely lovely

- Check every 5-10 mins to make sure your nut burning your creation. The chickpeas (as they are smallest) will be done first, when they are golden and crunchy remove and toss in a pinch of salt, pepper and a tbsp of agave.





- While the veggies are cooking make your dressing and prepare your mango. Add too a jar all your dressing ingredients. Place the lid back on and shake till all the components have emulsified. Season to taste.

The dressing

- Peel your mango and cut into chunky strips. Cook on one side on a very hot lightly oiled griddle pan. When the mango has nice dark sear lines on one side, gently remove and set aside.
- When the veggies are done remove from oven and place in a bowl with the chickpeas, mango and roughly chopped fresh coriander. Gently toss like it was a salad.

- Serve with your dressing. You can also serve it with crushed plantain chips (for extra crunch), dried apricots and fruit (for a little sweetness) and mango chutney (for a tangy touch)  

VIOLAAAA

My new best friend is a vegetable

Meet my new friend cauliflower!

HEYYYYYY

Me and good ole cauli' are both pale and this means that this white and pasty vegetable is often pushed aside for its more colorful cousin broccoli and kale. Pfftttt pale and interesting I say! Cauliflower is GREAT, it conatins Beta-carotene (the same that's in carrots to help you see in the dark), vitamin C and K and per 100 calories of cauliflower you get 12 grams of fiber..

12 GRAMS!!!!!

ehemm. So here are two versions of baked cauliflower bites for you! Think like popcorn but a vegetable.

Cauliflower Vegan Cheese Bites

Ingredients

Love this stuff.. so cheeeeeseeeey

1/2 a cauliflower
3 tbsp of dairy free cheese sauce powder (plus 1 tbsp extra for dusting)
1 tbsp of italian herbs
5 tbsp of water
salt and pepper


- Pull of the florets of the cauliflower leaving behind the majority of the waxy stems. Cut florets into popcorn size (or smaller) pieces. Place in bowl.
- In a separate small bowl mix together rest of the ingredients. If you don't have the cheesy powder nutritional yeast or any vegan cheese flavoring in powder form will substitute. You want to create a thick sticky mixture that will coat the cauliflower.
-Add you mixture to the cauliflower and coat. Place on a baking tray.

Babies pre-oven

-Toss with extra cheese powder (for extra crispiness) and place in a 180 degree oven till golden, you may want to take them out at intervals and move them around so they cook evenly.

Hozaaaa cauliflower cheese, snack mode.

Caramelised Cauliflower Bites (yes it works, yes its amazing)

Ingredients
1/2 a cauliflower
1 tbsp of honey or liquid sweeter
pinch of salt

- Pull of the florets of the cauliflower leaving behind the majority of the waxy stems. Cut flores into popcorn size (or smaller) pieces. Place in bowl.

- Add salt then Honey toss till all florets are coated.
- Place on a baking tray and put in a 180 degree oven till golden, like with the cheese bites you may want to take them out at intervals and move them around so they cook evenly.

Golden and purdddyyy

I added raisins to this one, it was a good call