If you can think of a better way to celebrate spring than with all the earth’s gorgeous colours and spice, let me know.
This is can easily be made in bulk and stored for the week’s lunches (mindful that the avo may go a bit brown but the lemon juice and storing in a sealed container can usually mitigate this).
Ingredients:
- 1 tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups pumpkin
- big handful of spinach
- 1/2 an avocado
- 1 tomato
- 1/4 red onion (pickled if possible, not essential)
- 1 chopped spring onion (not essential).
- juice of one lemon
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1tsp cumin ground
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp coriander ground
- For the Salsa de Queso “cheesy” dressing
- 250g silky tofu
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- juice of one lemon
- 1 tbsp miso ( I used a red, active miso)
- 1tbsp onion poweder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
Method:
- Get your oven going, pre-heating on 200 degrees Celsius until hot. Line a tray with some baking paper. Cut your pumpkin into cm thickish pieces. Slice the capsicum as you like, you can’t really go wrong here but should remove the seeds, pithy white bit and stalk.
- Place the pumpkin in first as this will take the longest (around 25-30 minutes) with the capsicum on the same tray. The capsicum will be removed after 10 minutes. While this is cooking, line a second tray with baking paper and spread the tin of black beans evenly on the tray. Dust with the smoked paprika, cumin, coriander and oregano. Place them in the oven next for 10-15 minutes, tossing half way through.
3. While this is all happening, add all the sauce ingredients to a blender and whiz until nice and smooth.
4. Next, with due care, slice the tomato, avocado, and spring onion into fairly chunky pieces and pop them into a big salad bowl. Once the capsicum has cooked off for 10 minutes, remove and let cool before slicing and adding to the bowl. Do the same with the pumpkin once it has also cooked and cooled. Add the juice of one lemon and mix together.
5. Now all we have to do is put in together, line your bowl with spinach, shovel the mixed bowl of vegetables onto the spinach, top with the roasted black beans and then drizzle delicious salsa de queso.
Top tips
- In a rush? Swop the pumpkin for canned corn and the grilled capsicum for fresh capsicum. Similarly, the beans don’t need to be baked. This just brought your total prep time down to 10 minutes.
- The queso sauce is delicious and keeps for week, I’ll often make extra to turn into “cheese” toasties or be poured over my lasagna.
- Add boiled eggs or some roast chicken for extra protein and to turn it into a more substantial meal
The above makes 2 serves. The following macros are per serve:
Per serve: 267cal 31gC 11gF 11gP
This is a bowl that nourishes and loves you back with it’s bounty of anti-inflammatory nutrients and fibre. So have fun creating and feel the balance of colours balance your hormones and restore your energy!
If you need a nutritionist who understands and can work with your hormones then reach out to christina@saeyond.com or follow the link below. I can get you feeling your best, as you should be to get the most out of your days!
SaeYond Health 
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