When it's scalding hot outside, eating fresh foods in the summer heat really gets you by. Not only does it freshen you down but it also keeps you active and your energy levels up whilst also keeping you hydrated from all the water we would have lost through sweat. I'm not one who usually can endure the heat but when I eat light, healthy and fresh ingredients I feel all the way better and it boosts my mood completely.
I love nourish bowls which could also be considered as Buddha bowls. These super bowls are basically a bunch of nutrient dense foods put together to make up a tasty lunch or dinner. There isn't a specific way to make them - honestly the ingredients you choose are limitless. I kind of went with what I had left in my fridge and threw everything together from there, I did have artichoke hearts in the freezer which I knew would work fantastically for this recipe and my judgement call was spot on.
Kalamata olives are one of my favourite things of all time. In general I'm an olive person I know it's a love or hate food but put olives on anything and I'll be content. In this case the black olives compliment the artichokes and tomatoes so nicely, to give it that Mediterranean touch which it's all about. I do recommend if you have any on hand or are considering to make a nourish bowl of your choice to include some olives - you won't be disappointed. This has just inspired me to make one of my all time favourite french dips : tapenade. so stay tuned for that!
HERE IS HOW TO MAKE YOUR NOURISH BOWL:
GRAIN: It's ideal to always have a base in this case referring to a form of grain. Start by adding some rice, quinoa, Bulgar wheat or any grain of your choice to make this meal more substantial and balanced.
FAT: We should always incorporate fat in every meal. Here I have added 1/2 an avocado to this dish. The black olives are also considered a fat.
VEGGIES: Fill up with as many vegetables as you want. Vegetables are so low in calories you can eat in abundance until you feel satisfied, eat the rainbow so they say add as many colour variations as you like to get in various forms of micro-nutrients. Try to stick to vegetables which are in season to guarantee it's fresh and organic as possible.
PROTEIN: In this case the quinoa works for both my carbs and my protein. Usually I would have added an extra boost of protein which could vary from anything such as beans, lentils, tofu, chicken, beef, tuna.. whatever is on your mind and you think will mesh well with the other ingredients.
SAUCE: This goes down to the finishing touches which will make your nourish bowls almost come to life. Having that added flavour always compliments a dish. I decided to just squeeze half a lime on mine just to keep it as minimal as possible but there have been other days where I added hot sauce for an extra kick. A tahini dressing could work so nicely also. Again experiment with what you like and just go with it!
CRUNCH: I always like garnishing and topping off my creation with a little crunch, mainly on my salads which I guess in a way this would be considered salad like.. Over here I add sesame seeds which is a typical choice of mine however, I like to vary other possible options could be pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, slivered roasted almonds (SO delicious) croutons if you wish, or some water biscuits crumbled. If you're making close to a Mexican burrito bowl just crack some nachos in there, that surely going to be next on the list!
