Mexican cuisine was never really for me. I loved the flavour but hated the heaviness of it all. Much to my husbands disgust of course - he's a taco fan from way back. A few things led me to creating this nourish bowl recipe. Firstly, I'm currently obsessed with coriander and will add it anyway, anyhow. Secondly, I was asked to do a recipe collaboration with Cobram Estate Olive Oil. They needed a summery, healthy recipe and this Mexican nourish bowl recipe had been lingering around my mind for a while. Thirdly, I totally dig the flavour of Mexican and wanted to be able to make it healthier somehow. And so it was born.
Vegetarian at it's Best
This year I set the intention to eat more vegan and vegetarian foods. And not just me but as a family. Last year we would eat around 1 vegetarian dinner every couple of weeks but this year I am aiming for 2 vegetarian meals a week. There's a few reasons why I want to increase plant based meals in our diet:
- It can be a lot cheaper - vegetarian proteins are generally a lot cheaper to buy than animal proteins.
- It is better for the environment - cattle farming comes at a great cost to the environment through increased water usage, large amounts of feed needed as well as the amount of methane produced by cattle (who knew a humble fart could be bad for the ozone eh?).
- Legumes are nutrient dense as they provide the body with vitamins, minerals, protein, antioxidants and dietary fibre while being low in calories.
- Vegetarian sources of protein can promote heart health by reducing cholesterol, blood pressure and triglycerides, while stabilising blood sugar levels.
The flavours in this recipe are so fresh and satisfying. I'm going to be honest and say it isn't the quickest meal to make and it uses a fair few pots and pan BUT it is SO delicious. AND if you make enough so that you have leftovers for lunches then it is more than worth it. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do.
Enjoy,
Sarah
xx
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Chips
- 1 large sweet potato thinly sliced
- 1 tsp paprika
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt to season
Rice and Black Bean Mix
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 1 450g tin black beans rinsed
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- pinch salt
Guacamole
- 2 avocados ripe
- ¼ cup capsicum finely chopped
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- juice of 1 lime
- tabasco sauce to taste
To Serve
- 4 leaves silverbeet finely chopped and massaged with olive oil
- 2 corn cobs chopped in half
- coriander finely chopped
- 4 lime cheeks
Instructions
Sweet Potato Chips
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Place all of the sweet potato in a large baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Add the paprika and salt and toss to coat evenly.
- Spread the sweet potato out evenly over the base of the baking dish so as they are not overlapping. Another baking dish or two may be required.
- Place in the oven and cook for approximately 45 minutes or until slightly crispy.
Rice and Black Bean Mix
- While the sweet potato is cooking, place the brown rice and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Place the corn cobs into a steamer on top of the saucepan with rice and cover with a lid. Cook until tender.
- Once the rice boils, reduce to a very low heat and keep covered.
- In a separate saucepan on a medium heat add the paprika, cumin seeds, garlic powder and salt, stirring continuously until aromatic.
- Add olive oil to the spice mix and stir until well combined.
- Once the rice has cooked until tender, add the beans and oil mixture. Stir well to combine.
Gaucamole
- While the rice is cooking, remove the avocado from its skin and place into a bowl. Use a fork to mash roughly.
- Add the lime juice, tabasco sauce and capsicum and mix to combine.
To Serve
- Divide the silverbeet, rice and bean mixture, sweet potato chips and corn to each bowl.
- Top each bowl with guacamole, chopped coriander and a lime cheek.
Leave a Reply