Rosemary Scented Superfood Lunch Bowl

It's been quite a while since I last thought of writing down some interesting things I've been cooking. During that time I've had some awesome realisations about how much diet can affect how we feel and function on a day-to-day basis. As a small child I was made so severely ill by eating "normally" that I was hospitalised, and my issues with the modern diet have continued since then. I'm both coeliac and lactose intolerant, which makes most people quiver in terror of a life lived eating rice cakes, but what I've learned over the last year is that it actually opens up a whole exciting world of delicious food. I've always loved cooking, and eating, and if you don't rely on processed staples such a sliced white bread and pasta you can experiment with so many interesting ingredients and think more creatively than spaghetti bolognese (not to say that isn't delicious!).

I'm a big fan of whole foods that boost your nutrient levels through the roof and as a result have become obsessed with quinoa. It's pretty chilly outside at the moment so I thought I would share one of my favourite colourful lunches to make at home. It is delicious warm but can also be kept in the fridge and taken into work the next day. It is also pretty cheap to make if you are on a budget. You can mix and match with the veggies, sometimes I like to throw some aubergine in there too.

Serves Two

For the Quinoa

 - 1/2 cup Quinoa (uncooked)

- 1 cup Water

- Fresh juice of 1/2 lemon

-Pinch salt

1 tbsp dried Rosemary

For the Roasted Veggies

- 2 sweet potatoes cut into small chunks

- 1 courgette chopped into quarter rounds

- 1 red onion cut into broad slices

- 1 fennel bulb rough chopped

- 1 red pepper cut into slices

- 1 tbsp dried Oregano

- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika

- pinch chilli flakes (optional)

- good glug of olive oil

Garnishes

- 1 avocado

- 2 spring onions

-1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

- 1 tbsp dried cranberryies

- sprig fresh mint roughly chopped

- Crumbled Feta (optional if you want to go vegan)

1. Preheat the oven to 180 Celcius (or equivalent, AGA put in the top right). Put all your chopped vegetables in a baking tray, sprinkle over the herbs and spices, season with salt and pepper then glug a good drizzle of olive oil over the top. Mix all this together with a spoon or your hands, just make sure it is all covered.

2. Roast the vegetables in the hot oven for about 40 minutes, every 10 minutes give the tray a shake to ensure even cooking.

3. When your vegetables have been cooking for 20 minutes get a good pan and cover your 1/2 cup of quinoa with double the amount of water. It doesn't matter what measuring device you use, the 2:1 ratio gets it nice and fluffy for me. Sprinkle in the salt, squeeze in the lemon juice and mix in the rosemary (this gives it a lovely scent when cooking). 

4. Bring the Quinoa pan to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, then  turn off the heat and cover with a lid for another 5-10 minutes. Toss it with a fork to check if all the water has been absorbed and to seperate the grains. 

5. Once the quinoa and vegetables are cooked (check the sweet potato is soft) toss them together in a large bowl. The oil from the vegetables will act as a dressing. Roughly chop your garnishes and scatter over the top with some fresh mint and you are good to go!