Meatless Monday: insta worthy veggie bowl & refreshing herbal iced tea

It’s the beginning of the week: hello Monday, and you want to start it off on the right foot so you can feel good about yourself right? Well let me introduce you to the meatless Monday movement:

Importance of meatless Mondays 

  • Reduce environmental footprint
  • Protect precious resources 
  • Support the demand for vegan alternatives 
  • Protect the welfare of innocent animals
  • Add higher quality of nutrition to your diet 
  • Reduce risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and even cancer

By sticking to a strictly plant-based diet each Monday will reduce your overall meat intake by approximately 14% --  which is the idea behind Meatless Monday. This has become a global movement across 36 countries and is continuing to grow rapidly, all for a good cause: protecting our planet and innocent animals. Making a conscious effort to consume less meat on a weekly schedule will help you feel good about your choices, while improving your diet, so it’s truly a win-win situation and what better way to start your week? However, sometimes it can be hard to find really delicious plant-based recipes that actually fill you up, well look no further with this delicious veggie bowl recipe that is so versatile you will never get bored of whipping it up in the kitchen! Did I mention this recipe is high in protein, fiber, nutrients AND easy to make?

Chickpea Veggie Bowl

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • ½ cup shredded carrots
  • 1 cup chopped kale
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 avocado sliced 
  • 1 can chickpeas 
  • ½ cup rice, or quinoa    
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste 
  • Vegan dressing of choice - my personal favourite: Primal Kitchen vegan ranch
  • Optional: you may add or substitute any ingredients for different veggies or fruits of choice 

DIRECTIONS

  1. Turn oven to 425F 
  2. Line a baking sheet and set aside
  3. Rinse, drain and pat chickpeas dry
  4. Toss chickpeas in a bowl with olive oil, 2 tbsp chili powder, salt and pepper to taste
  5. Place chickpeas in the oven for for about 20 minutes until crispy
  6. While the chickpeas are roasting, make rice or quinoa according to the package
  7. Meanwhile, place your red cabbage in a microwave safe bowl add salt, pepper, 2 tbsp water, and half squeeze of lemon 
  8. Place red cabbage in the microwave for 1 minute, mix and place back in the microwave for an additional minute then set aside
  9. Next up, drizzle a pan with olive oil over medium heat then add kale, carrots, salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 5-7 minutes until veggies are soft 
  10. Once all of your ingredients are ready, it’s time to assemble your bowl: add cabbage to one half of the bowl and rice/quinoa to the other, then top with remaining ingredients, drizzle your choice of dressing, add a squeeze of lemon and enjoy with a refreshing glass of iced tea (recipe below)! 

Herbal infused iced tea

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 bags green or black tea
  • 1 lemon (juiced)
  • 1 tbsp local honey
  • 3 sprigs fresh organic thyme (washed)
  • Filtered water
  • Pitcher

DIRECTIONS

  1. Boil enough water to fill your pitcher
  2. Place 2 teabags in the pitcher then add your honey, lemon juice and fresh thyme
  3. Pour boiling water over top and allow to steep
  4. Once the water has cooled down you may serve immediately over ice or store in the fridge until ready to drink and enjoy with your new favourite veggie bowl!

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