Crop Drop Buddah Bowl
A bowl which is packed so full of good stuff that it has the appearance of the rounded belly of a buddah - The ideal meal to make with the contents of my Crop Drop bag this week! The variations of this dish are endless, I prepped and cooked each component separately to the flavours I enjoy and then put them together. I also wanted an excuse to use a grain called Freekeh, a young green wheat which is roasted and rubbed to create its flavour. It's low in carbs and fat, has a low G.I and is high in fiber - Pretty impressive right! Quinoa, or rice can also be used.
ingredients
1 grated carrot
1 finely sliced shallot
1 tsp coriander seeds
Cayenne pepper
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Salt
Olive oil
100g tinned chickpeas
1 clove of diced garlic
1 tsp turmeric powder
Olive oil
Salt
50g Freekeh
Olive oil
Salt
1 courgette. Thinly slice 1 half of courgette length ways and save the rest for another meal!
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Tamari or soy sauce
Rainbow chard
1 clove of diced garlic
1 handful of sliced mushrooms (I used shiitake)
Olive oil
Sesame seeds
method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Rinse off the chickpeas and pat dry with paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible. The drier they are' the easier to roast!
2. Place the grated carrot in a small bowl and add the apple cider vinegar with a small pinch of salt, cover and set aside. Next you need to dry roast the coriander seeds. Place them in a small pan over a medium heat for a couple of minutes until they begin to look roasted and start it jump in the pan. Transfer them to a pestle and mortar and crush them lightly, then set them aside. In the same pan add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry the sliced shallot until golden. Allow to cool a little, then drain the oil through a sieve, discarding the onion which was there to give the oil flavour.
3. Back to the chickpeas - in a bowl, add 1 clove do diced garlic to the dried chickpeas, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Mix evenly to coat then lay the chickpeas flat on to baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for around 15 minutes until slightly crispy. Remove from oven and add a small pinch of salt.
4. Whilst the chickpeas are in the oven pour 50g of Freekeh and 250ml water into a saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and a dash if olive oil, stir then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until cooked.
5. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the sliced courgette. Place the courgettes into a hot griddle pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, cook each side for 2 minutes then set aside on some paper towel so soak up any excess oil.
6. Add olive oil to a large pan on a medium heat with the diced garlic. One the garlic begins to go brown add the chopped mushrooms, after a few minutes the mushrooms will begin to wilt and you can add a splash of tamari sauce and stir to evenly coat. Add the chopped chard and let simmer for a few minutes until the chard has wilted, remove from heat and sprinkle a pinch of sesame seeds.
7. Remember the carrots! If the carrots are fresh, they develop excess juice so you may need to drain this away. Add the roasted crushed coriander seeds along with the onion oil and a pinch of cayenne pepper
8. Time to assemble any way you like. I added a few thinly sliced raw beetroot for crunch and colour! You may want to add a squeeze of lemon juice over the top but as each component is packed full of flavour it's not necessary.
