Serves 2 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 25–30 minutes
This is the definition of meal prep in action, and it's exactly why I created my Mindful Meal Prep System.
For me, it's all about having a few different components ready to go in the fridge so that I can easily put a meal together. I'm someone who needs a little preparation and planning around food, otherwise I can fall into the trap of not eating properly. Having things ready to go makes such a difference.
This is one of those bowls I'm always excited to put together. It's so satisfying, full of flavour and really easy to make. You don't have to think too much: roast some vegetables, cook your quinoa, add a few fresh ingredients, take your sesame chickpea bites out of the freezer and spoon over some tahini yoghurt and pickled carrots.
The best part is that you can prepare almost everything ahead of time, then simply bring it all together when you're ready to eat. And, of course, you can use the individual components in different ways throughout the week, too.
Ingredients
1 cup tri-colour quinoa
1½ cups water (adjust to packet instructions if needed)
1 vegetable stock cube
1 medium sweet potato, cut into approximately 2cm cubes
1 red capsicum, cut into bite-sized strips
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4–6 sesame-encrusted chickpea bites
2 handfuls rocket
½ cucumber, diced
½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh mint, roughly chopped
3–4 tbsp tahini yoghurt
Method
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly under cold running water and drain. Place in a medium saucepan with the water and vegetable stock cube. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 10–15 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed.
Remove from the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork, then spread across a large tray to cool and release excess steam.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C fan / 220°C conventional. Toss the sweet potato with the olive oil, cumin, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread across a lined baking tray and roast for 25–30 minutes, turning halfway through.
Add the peppers to the tray, toss gently and return to the oven for another 15–20 minutes, until the sweet potato is tender and golden and the pepper has softened.
Reheat the sesame-encrusted chickpea bites until piping hot in the centre. You can add them to the roasting tray alongside the capsicum for the final 12–15 minutes, turning halfway, or warm them briefly in the microwave before pan-frying in a little olive oil until golden on the outside.
Prepare the remaining ingredients by dicing the cucumber, halving the cherry tomatoes, roughly chopping the parsley and mint, and washing and drying the rocket. Drain the pickled carrot.
Divide the quinoa between two bowls and arrange the roasted sweet potato, pepper, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and rocket around it. Add the warm chickpea bites and pickled carrot, then scatter over the fresh herbs.
Finish with a generous spoonful of tahini yoghurt and a sprinkling of sumac. Serve immediately.
A note on hummus: If you prefer, you can use hummus instead of tahini yoghurt. I often keep portions of homemade hummus in the freezer, which makes it easy to defrost and add to a grain bowl or serve alongside falafel.
Meal prep & storage
This bowl is particularly useful for meal prep because most of the components can be prepared separately and brought together when you're ready to eat.
Quinoa: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cool promptly and refrigerate.
Roasted vegetables: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
Chickpea bites: Store separately in the fridge or freeze for later. Reheat until piping hot before serving.
Fresh salad: Keep the rocket, cucumber and tomatoes separate until serving to preserve their freshness.
Tahini yoghurt: Store in a separate airtight container in the fridge.
Pickled carrot: Keep refrigerated in its pickling liquid.
A note on fluffy quinoa
If your quinoa feels a little sticky or gluggy after cooking, don't worry. Spread it across a large tray and allow it to cool, releasing the excess steam. Once cooled, gently fluff with a fork and, if desired, drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil before serving.
A little more ease in the kitchen
This bowl is a lovely example of what I mean by preparing a few useful foundations ahead of time. The quinoa, chickpea bites, pickled vegetables and tahini yoghurt can all be prepared separately, then combined in different ways throughout the week.
It's the approach behind my Mindful Meal Prep System. Rather than following a rigid meal plan or preparing complete meals for every day, it's about having versatile ingredients ready to go, giving you more freedom and flexibility when it comes to mealtimes.
If you'd like to bring a little more ease and intention into your kitchen, you can explore the Mindful Meal Prep System here.