Sweet Potato & Quinoa Bowls

Feeds 2

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I love colourful food, it sings to me like a nightingale. If you follow my Instagram stories you will know how much joy I get from a colourful kitchen. I'm not sure if this is a scientifically backed-up theory, but I believe, that because our bodies thrive on different coloured foods, we perk up when we see the rainbow on our plate or in our kitchen. It would make sense - we crave sunlight because it provides vitamin D and revitalises us. In that same vein, we should derive a sense of happiness or pleasure from seeing an abundance of naturally colourful foods.

Don't get me wrong, beige is also a massive staple of mine because: potatoes, cheese, and bread are all absolute musts in my world. However, a lot of what I have for breakfast and lunch includes some deep green, a splash of red, and maybe a yellow and a purple. I am now however, trying to share more of my lunch recipes to increase the accessibility of my cooking. I get really hangry so I often don't take the time to make picture-perfect recipes when they seem pretty basic to me. Yet, I nearly always make tasty dishes and it dawned on me that not everyone knows how to incorporate a lot of these veg and grains into their diet without being supremely bored.

Alas, I bring unto you a simple, colourful, bowl of awesomeness. Happy eating salty sailors!

PRO TIPS

• If you need to add some protein on top - some grilled chicken, prawns, fish, or boiled eggs will do just nicely. It's one of those easily adapted recipes for whatever you have on hand.

• Following on from that; you can substitute broccoli for cauliflower, sweet potato for pumpkin, baby spinach for any leafy green, and the toppings for your favourite salad toppings.

• If you aren't in the mood for spice, skimp on the chilli powder, as it adds a nice kick to the sweet potatoes.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato (2 medium), cubed

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder

• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

• 1 teaspoon of garlic salt

• 1 head of broccoli

• 1 tablespoon of coconut aminos (or soy sauce)

• 1 cup of cooked quinoa

• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 cup of baby spinach

• 1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup of roughly chopped mint leaves

• 2 tablespoons of beetroot hummus

• 1 tablespoon of balsamic glaze (or sweet dressing of your choosing)

• 2 tablespoons of cubed feta (optional)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200℃. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, toss together: the cubed sweet potato, olive oil, paprika, chilli powder, cinnamon, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic salt, Make sure to coat the sweet potatoes thoroughly.

3. Pour the potatoes out onto your baking tray and separate them so they aren't crowded.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, tossing them half way through.

5. Whilst your sweet potatoes are baking, chop your broccoli into small florets.

6. Steam your broccoli for 3 minutes.

7. In a frying pan, heat up 1 teaspoon of olive oil on a medium-high heat. Once hot, throw in your steamed broccoli for 1 minute. Then toss through the rest of your garlic salt and your coconut aminos (or soy sauce) for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

8. Now it's time to assemble your bowl. Split everything between two bowls or making one massive salad.

9. Place the quinoa at the bottom, top it with the sweet potato and broccoli, then sprinkle your baby spinach, tomatoes, feta, red onion, and chopped mint over the top.

10. Place a spoonful of the hummus over the bowl and drizzle with balsamic glaze right before serving.

11. Enjoy the colour!

Stay Salty,

Romy xx