in an effort to save up some cash before going to Europe in a few weeks, i’ve made it my mission to drastically reduce spending money at restaurants and consequently found myself back in the kitchen.

eating as clean and nutritious as possible is a top priority, so coming up with different recipes that don’t break the bank has proven to be a fun challenge. so far i’ve come up with three different “bowl” variations that are both low-maintenance and nourishing.

“PESTO” QUINOA (15 min total cook time)

my favorite budget-friendly way to get nutrients in my diet is by consuming lots and lots of herbs. they never fail to add lots of flavor and brightness to a dish!

nut-free vegan “pesto” ingredients

• 1 bunch of Italian parsley
• as much basil as your heart desires
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1/8 cup of olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons of hemp seeds
• salt to taste

other bowl ingredients (for extra protein & fiber)

• quinoa
• pumpkin seeds
• cannellini beans

prep

• while your quinoa is cooking, add all the “pesto” ingredients into a blender. blend until smooth.
• once your quinoa is finished cooking, add in the “pesto,” beans, and pumpkin seeds to the pot.
• give it a good amount of salt and a stir.

DECONSTRUCTED BUDDHA BOWL (takes 1 hour when baking the potatoes, less than 5 mins to assemble once potatoes are prepped)

ingredients

• potatoes (i opted for mashed sweet potatoes but anything goes here!)
• sauerkraut
• avocado
• seeds for the side
• salt to taste

TOODLE GOODLES (15 min total cook time)

ingredients

• 1 box of Goodles (my favorite right now is Smokey Dokey, but my roomies are on a big Shella Good kick right now)
• 1 standard sized bag of frozen peas

prep

• let the noodles cook in boiling water for 4 minutes
• after stirring the noodles, add in the frozen peas and cook for 5-7 minutes
• reserve about 1/4 a cup of the pasta / pea water before straining the pasta
• once the pasta is strained, add it back into the pot, add in the packet of cheese and reserved pasta water
• stir until combined and add salt to taste

ET VOILÀ!!!

💘, HANNA