Hello, there and happy Monday my lovely food lovers! I hope you had a good weekend.
I spent most of it working on Emerald Creek (almost done) and I enjoyed a few hours in the snow that fell between Friday and Saturday.
It was nice to get outside for a few hours and with the layers I had on, I wasn’t at all cold except for my cheeks. So it was a fun little break that allowed a bit of inspiration to seep in, so rather than whip up (another) soup, I went for an oven roasted Buddha bowl, or Harvest Bowl if you prefer.
This easy vegan meal is packed with vegetables and nutrients, and it’s very easy to make. And best of all? You can change up the veggies and get weeks upon weeks worth of meals based on what’s in season in your neck of the woods.
What’s your favorite plant based meal?
Kitchen Tools:
*Immersion blender or Food processor
*Kitchen knife
*Silicon baking mat
*Mixing bowl
Ingredients:
*Oyster mushrooms
*Onion
*Carrots
*Eggplant
*Bread (optional)
*Garlic
*Tahini
*Lemon juice
*Soy sauce
*Cornmeal
Instructions:
*Preheat the oven to 185C
*Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, brush the inside of the eggplant with oil and bake face down for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool.
*Chop or tear oyster mushrooms into strips, weigh them and toss in a mixing bowl with salt, black pepper, smoky paprika, cumin, oregano and ground ginger.
*Spread mushrooms out on a baking mat or parchment paper and bake for 25 minutes. Remove, toss with a few tablespoons of cornmeal and put back into the oven.
*Chop onions and carrots into uniform sized pieces and place on baking sheet. Add garlic cloves without peeling the skin off to the baking sheet. Bake additional 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
*Place eggplant into a tall plastic container along with tahini, lemon juice, salt, pepper and any herbs and spices you want. Set aside 1/4 cup of water or broth. Use the immersion blender to whip it all together until you have a creamy eggplant dip.
*If you decide to serve bread with this easy vegan meal, pop it in the oven for a few minutes while you plate the rest of the food.
*To plate: Spread the eggplant dip on the bottom of each plate. Add the vegetables on top of or around the eggplant, and the bread on the side. Eat it together or use the eggplant dip as a dipping sauce for each one.
Tips:
**Switch to a different type of mushroom and halve them or cook them whole.
**Parsnips or baby carrots are a great way to change up the carrots.
**Other veggies you can try: chopped corn on the cob, green beans, asparagus, potatoes and pretty much ANYTHING you want!
**Tear your bread into hunks/chunks for a more rustic feel
**Be sure to chop all veggies in uniform sizes so they cook evenly.
**Add the veggies to the baking mats by baking time. I used 2 separate ones to make it easier.
**Just 300 calories per serving**
The Spicy Spatula 
Whatcha think?