This recipe came out surprisingly so delicious. It really was a “clean out the fridge” type of recipe using what we had to cook with.
I actually love the times when I don’t have a plan for a meal, but just see what I already have and create something from it. To be honest, I do it often. We can have fairly busy days sometimes, and although I love to research a meal and execute it, I also love to be able to just throw together a dish intuitively without thinking about measurements or following a specific recipe. That’s where magic happens.
We really want to encourage you to have fun experimenting with food, and not be scared to make something bad. When you use whole, fresh foods you can almost guarantee that you will create a satisfying and tasty meal.
This time I cooked with a little bit of olive oil, but you can also just use vegetable broth if you like. Ryan likes to ‘steam-sauté’ the veggies with water or broth when cooking, then dress the dish with a drizzle of oil (usually healthy ones like olive, flax, hemp, sesame, etc.) when the veggies are done. He says that the oil has more flavor and nutrition when presented raw, and I find this method tastes great and feels really good in my body.
In this blog, we want to portray a variety of meals. Yes, it’s helpful to follow a standard recipe format for certain meals, but it is also nice to get a general idea for a dish and then make it as you like. We want to offer both approaches here, depending on what feels appropriate.
I didn’t mention it below, but you can add hot sauce at the end to your bowl. I got this amazing one today from Wild Brine called Spicy Kimchi Sriracha. Holy cow, please go and try to find this in a grocery store near you, or ask them to order it. Maybe you can order it online. I’m not a huge hot sauce person, but I do like a little sometimes, and this one is next level. Flavor, spice, heat - just all around a great product. It doesn’t necessarily match the flavor profile of the dish, but I’m pretty playful when it comes to that sort of thing.
What is a condiment you like on meals, and is there a specific one you are obsessed with? Let us know and leave comment below! We have a lot of fun trying new products.
Kay, let’s go ahead and cook this now… I’m hungry!
Veggie Love <3
Mediterranean Veggie & Tofu Bowl
Ingredients:
• Broccolini
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Carrot
• Onion
• Tofu
• Eggplant
• Red Bell Pepper
• Quinoa
• Italian Seasoning
• Red Chili Pepper
• Coconut Aminos / Tamari / Soy Sauce (your preference)
• Vegetable Broth
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
Method:
Place little bit of olive oil in the pan, you don’t need much.
Add small amount of veggie broth.
Chop all veggies and sauté in pan until soft
Place quinoa and water in a pot and cook. I made 1 cup quinoa / 2 cups water, and cooked on medium for about 10-15 minutes, until the quinoa opens and you see the little sprouts come out.
When veggies are almost done, add spices and flavorings. This is really to your taste, so start slow add more as you like
Eat it up!
Chop, cook, serve. Easy as 1, 2, 3!
Recipe Stats
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes max
Total: 30-40 minutes or less
Cookware Used: 1 pan (or wok), 1 pot, 1 large stirring spoon, 1 plate and spoon per person
Results
Honestly I started preparing this dish not exactly planning to make a post out of it, but Ryan and I brainstormed a bit and realized we could probably make something share-worthy from what we had. And, end result… we both loved this dish! It was super yummy.
It’s rare for Ryan to not use any condiments, sauces, or sides with pretty much any dish, and when I offered him hot sauce or something for this bowl, he said no, it was great as is! That’s saying something.
We love playing with flavor profiles, and the fact that we had eggplant and broccolini in our fridge steered us to make this Mediterranean inspired ‘stir fry’ so to speak. So I guess it’s sort of a fusion dish, and it was awesome, and so much fun.
Final Spiel
Again, get comfortable playing in the kitchen. Find joy and excitement experimenting with the food that you are nourishing your brain and body with.
If you make this or your own rendition, you can tag us @spacenlight on Instagram, hashtag #31NYR, send us a DM showing us your creation, or comment below! We’re on Facebook as well @spacenlight.
See you tomorrow! I actually don’t have a specific meal planned, although I have many ideas written down, so I’d like to hear from you guys - what would you like to see or what’s one of your favorite meals / comfort foods? Maybe I will try to make it and share it!
