Sometimes I see recipes or photos on the internet and have to admit that I think they look very over the top, they look like they were just made to look beautiful. This is often the case with sushi bowls, for example. Too much effort has been made to make the bowl look beautiful. But secretly these dishes are also very tasty, and maybe I think they look made because I just love rustic and nice simple food.
This made me want to delve into how to make such a beautiful looking bowl that is easy, simple and quick to prepare. And if I could use this project to use up my scraps, that would be great. I usually do that by combining all the ingredients I have left with couscous, but now they went into the bowl.
Ingredients
- for two bowls
- 150 to 200 gr sweet potato, boiled
- 400 gr chickpeas, not drained
- 1 teaspoon of Cajun spice mix
- 1 tin of diced tomatoes
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- lemon juice
- honey or agave syrup
- Something if desired to spice things up a bit
Garnish - yogurt
- a few sprigs of fresh coriander
- lemon juice
- olive oil
- a few leaves of lettuce
- 1 tomato
Preparation
I prepare the sweet potatoes in this dish in the oven. I often make a stock in one go so that I can use them in different dishes for a few days. To prepare the sweet potato quickly, I cut them into medium-sized pieces and bake them in the oven at 200 degrees for about five to ten minutes. The time depends a bit on how big your pieces are. While the potatoes are in the oven, you have time to collect your other ingredients.
Heat a frying pan with the olive oil, slice the onions and chop the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and let them fry for about three minutes. Then stir in one tablespoon of the cajun mix and add the already cooked sweet potato. Fry the potato for a while and then add the chickpeas. Then stir, taste and add lemon juice.
Add the tomato cubes and keep stirring and tasting. If all goes well, the mix will get better and better! Then use salt, pepper and spicy herbs to flavor the dish. This is something you will have to do according to your own taste. If the mix is too wet, you can turn up the heat to get rid of some moisture. Is the mix almost ready and not too thin? Then add a little honey or agave syrup, stir everything one more time and you’re ready to serve!
All you have to make now is the garnish. Quickly dice or slice a tomato. Grab a large bowl and spoon in your mix, with the lettuce and tomato on top and a tablespoon of yogurt. Just sprinkle some olive oil, salt, pepper and coriander and sprinkle a splash of lemon juice in the bowl and you’re done! Voilà, your own fast and healthy bowl full of tasty ingredients!
The result
This dish was very simple to make and very tasty. My father and I really enjoyed it. My husband Luis doesn’t like spicy food, but because he was at work I could make this bowl as spicy as I wanted. The freshness of the yogurt, lemon and tomato with the kick of the spiciness really makes the dish. Everything goes with the cajun spice mix. The kick really finishes it! I developed this recipe all by myself, and it will certainly not be the last time that I will create these kinds of flavors! A healthy and filling lunch that is definitely worth repeating!
You can supplement this bowl with anything you want. I used a black bean paste that I still had.
Do you also have a nice recipe for a simple bowl? Or a lunch bowl that is very complicated and indeed looks perfect? I would love to see photos or recipes, or your feedback if you made this bowl.
