Vegan Nourish Bowl

Although we just got through the last of our Thanksgiving leftovers, it is now time to prepare ourselves yet again for another Holiday debauchery of eating, eating and more eating. Regardless of the holiday time, am I alone in this constant comfort food craving that has yet to come to an end? Something to do with the dark days and cold weather I assume… In any case, the holidays are a time to indulge so long as we do so in moderation. A little of the bad stuff counter-acted with a lot of the good stuff makes for a holiday we can enjoy and most importantly feel good about. So, to help you get all those nutrients in between those forkfuls of pie and mashed potatoes, I’ve created a completely meat and dairy free bowl that is packed with protein and vitamins. Most importantly, this is one tasty and filling bowl. Here are the components:

• roasted maple butternut squash
• noodles made from red lentils
• garlicky spinach
• avocado mash
• browned broccoli
• toasted pumpkin seeds
• shaved carrots
• cucumber
• hummus

I like to prepare all the ingredients on a Sunday, and put this together throughout the week whenever I want to reach for something healthy. Happy Holidays, and hope you enjoy this throughout the season!

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash (peeled and diced)
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp freshly grated garlic or garlic powder
• 1 tsp sumac
• red lentil noodles (or any bean noodle, or bean itself will work) cooked and coated in olive oil so they won’t stick.
• 1/2 tsp finely diced garlic
• 1 extra large handful fresh spinach
• 1 cup broccoli (chopped)
• 1 avocado (cored and removed from skin)
• 2 tbsp of fresh herbs of your choice chopped (I used basil and mint.. cilantro will work nicely too!)
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 1 carrot (shaved using a peeler)
• 1 mini cucumber (seeded and sliced)
• 2 tbsp hummus

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Place butternut squash in a roasting pan and coat with 1 tbsp olive oil (may need more depending on the size of your squash), maple syrup, sumac, 1 tsp garlic, salt and pepper. Roast for 35-45 minutes or until tender and brown on the edges.

2. In in a medium pan, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat. Cook garlic for 30 seconds then add spinach. Cook until spinach has shrunk down, season with salt and pepper and set aside. In the same pan, brown broccoli by roasting it in the pan for about 3 minutes on each side. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mash the avocado, fresh herbs, lime, salt and pepper until combined. Taste and adjust lime juice/seasoning to your taste.

4. Assemble your bowl. Place prepared ingredients in the bowl (squash, broccoli, spinach, noodles, avocado, carrots, cucumber) and dollop hummus in the center for dipping. Then sprinkle with crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds.