Bowls are the new plates. From smoothie bowls to buddha bowls, it’s hard to escape the bowl trend and so as not to be left behind, this week we (and by we, I mean Coco, Teddy and I) are making this bowl for dinner. I call it my late summer veggie bowl as its filled with lovely August tomatoes, green beans and corn.
The idea behind the bowl concept is that they are a really tasty way of eating lots of random ingredients that you might not otherwise put together. A bowl is basically a mix of different foods piled on a plate and then you just dig in. While it may seem simple enough concept, the key thing is to keep them nutritionally balanced and not to have too wacky a flavour combination.
Start with some veggies and then add some protein and healthy fats. For this bowl I added hard boiled eggs, but if you are a vegan, just leave them out as the lentils provide protein or add some beans.
This recipe makes two portions. If you are cooking for one, it’ll keep perfectly for dinner the following day and tastes just as good eaten cold. If you are cooking for more, just multiple the recipe accordingly.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 large corn on the cob
½ cup lentils
2 x hard boiled eggs
Handful of green beans
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 avocado
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Pinch chilli flakes
2 wedges of lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to season
Method
Shuck off the outer husk and silk from the corn. Cut into four portions and place in a saucepan. Fill with enough water to cover the corn and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of sea salt. Cook for five minutes and then remove from the water. Brush with olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of chilli flakes.
To cook the lentils, place in a medium size saucepan and cover with two cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat and allow to simmer for approx. 15 minutes or until the lentils are tender and the water is fully absorbed. Don’t allow the lentils to become mushy. Remove from the heat and season with a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt.
Hard boil the eggs and remove the shells and cut into quarters.
Steam the green beans lightly and set to one side.
Cut the tomatoes in half and drizzle with a tsp of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of sea salt. Allow to sit for a few minutes.
De-stone the avocado and remove the flesh and roughly chop.
To assemble the bowl, just spoon each element onto the bowl; don’t mix them, rather give each ingredient it’s own space on the bowl as in the picture. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top and season with sea salt and black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Once served, eat whatever way you wish.
