Happy new year and happy Veganuary! In the post-Christmas run up to the new year it's a mix of wanting to get up and get on with things and also relishing in the glorious time off, where you're not expected to do anything but see friends and family and eat up all the left-overs. By the time new year rolls around, you've eaten enough cheese and crackers to feed a small army and you're more than looking forward to getting some truly nourishing food inside you.
You're probably thinking about your new year's resolutions - things that you said to yourself back in September you should get on with, but instead put it off, until you can be held accountable by a new year rolling around. If your new year's resolution is something health-focused, learning something new, or even trying Veganuary, chances are you've got some sort of goal for this year and I wish you all the best in achieving what you set out to!
If your health goals involve some delicious, nutritious plant-based food then your in luck, this nourish bowl is packed full of the good stuff, with a base of lime and ginger quinoa, topped with a roasted munchkin pumpkin and stir-fried veggies, drizzled with a deliciously creamy almond satay sauce, with lime, ginger and a pinch of chili flakes.
Loaded with plenty of vitamin A and antioxidant vitamin C from the pumpkin and red pepper, helping to maintain your immune system and eye health. Cruciferous veggies broccoli and red cabbage pack in the iron for your blood and energy, magnesium for your muscle function, fibre for your digestion, vitamin K for your blood clotting and blood calcium regulation, as well as the all-important calcium, for your bones; just to name a few. The zesty quinoa delivers a whole range of nutrients, including a healthy hit of protein for muscle and cell maintenance, zinc which helps our immune system fight off infection, as well as our taste and smell senses to function normally. And finally, the crunchy almond butter dressing, giving us fat-soluble vitamin E - a powerful antioxidant protecting our cells from oxidative damage, as well as some essential fats omega-3 fatty acids - which are not only essential to our heart health but our brain function too! Almond butter is also rich in copper, an essential nutrient needed in small amounts; it works with iron to enable our body to form red blood cells, along with the maintenance of our bones and immune system. So as you can see, this bowl; full of colourful veggies, nuts and seeds, loads you up with everything you need for the start of a nourishing January!
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Almond Satay Nourish Bowls | Serves: 2-3 Time: 30 mins
You'll need
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Measuring cups + spoons
- Wok
- Baking tray
- Small saucepan
- Sieve
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Veg
- 1 munchkin pumpkin or 1/2 butternut squash
- Drizzle olive oil
- Pinch salt and pepper
- 100g tenderstem broccoli
- 100g pak choi
- 1 red pepper
- 100g mangetout
- Drizzle sesame oil
- Pinch salt
- 1/4 red cabbage
- 1 cup quinoa
- rinse and boil 20 mins
- season with
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1/2 inch ginger, finely grated
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 2 tbsp crunchy almond butter
- Juice 1/2 lime
- Pinch chili flakes
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 inch piece ginger, finely grated
- Handful toasted almond flakes
- Spring onions, chopped
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Meanwhile, wash the pumpkin, then remove the stem. Chop in half, scoop out the middle and slice into wedges. Place on the baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes.
- Rinse the quinoa and boil for 20 minutes, then drain and season with lime juice, ginger and a pinch of salt.
- Meanwhile, prep the veg by chopping the pepper and pak choi into strips. Add a splash of sesame oil to the wok on a medium-high heat, then add the broccoli, pak choi, pepper and mangetout, fry for 5-10 minutes, until the veg is heated through, but still maintaining its crunch, season with a pinch of salt. Leave the red cabbage raw and slice thinly.
- To make the sauce, whisk together the coconut milk, almond butter, lime juice, chili flakes, soy sauce, garlic powder, maple syrup and ginger.
- To assemble the bowls, start with a base of seasoned quinoa, then top with the pumpkin slices, cooked veg, shredded cabbage and drizzle over the satay sauce, garnish with a sprinkling of toasted almond flakes and spring onions. Then serve up and enjoy!
Cassidy xx
