#Plantbased Recipes: My Little Hong Kong Kitchen’s Rainbow Veggie Bowl W/ Cauli Rice & Homemade Falafels

It’s no secret that we love bowl meals over here at Green Queen, so we are thrilled to share this veggie recipe from My Little Hong Kong Kitchen. While it may look a little involved, it’s all about the prep. The falafels can be made ahead of time, as can the roasted pepper, beet hummus, and even the cauliflower rice. Basically, if you can spend an hour or two on a Sunday sorting these out, you can enjoy a healthy lunch bowl the rest of the week. Just double the recipe quantities and then rotate the toppings: instead of avocado and olives, try sauerkraut and toasted cashews. If you switch out the wholewheat flour for almond flour, this recipe is also totally gluten-free. And if you are wondering why veggie bowls are all the rage, it’s their range of ingredients. The sheer number of different foods in this recipe means your body gets many different kinds of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants- and a colorful, balanced, plant-based diet is key to long-lasting health.

Ingredients

For the Falafel:

• 330g/1 can Cooked Chickpeas (Drained)
• 1 Handful Chopped Herbs (Like Flat Leaf Parsley, Mint, Coriander)
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 2 Tbsp Toasted Pinenuts
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1-2 Tbsp Wholewheat Flour (Can Use Almond Flour for Gluten-Free Version)
• 1/2 Tsp Cumin
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper to Taste
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Salad:

• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Avocado, Halved & Sliced Lengthways
• 100g Kalamata Olives (Pitted)
• 1 Head Cauliflower
• Handful Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley & Mint
• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Beetroot Hummus and Tahini Dressing:

• 330g/1 Can Cooked Chickpeas (drained)
• 1/2 Clove Garlic
• 100g/2/3 Cup Cooked Beetroot
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil to Loosen
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper to Taste
• 2 Tbsp Tahini
• 3 Tbsp Greek Yoghurt
• Juice of 1 Lemon

Directions

For the Falafel:

1. Preheat your oven to 200 C.
2. Throw all the falafel ingredients into your food processor and blitz into a thick chickpea dough.
3. Shape the falafel into bite-sized ball and place on a lined baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden and crisp. Set aside.

For the Beetroot Hummus and Tahini Dressing:

1. To make the hummus, place the chickpeas, garlic, beetroot and salt and pepper into a food processor and blitz. Add a little olive oil to loosen and process until smooth. Set aside.
2. Combine the tahini, yoghurt and lemon juice together in another bowl and set aside.

For the Salad & Final Assembly:

1. Rub the bell pepper with a little oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and place in a 200 C pre-heated oven (you can do this at the same time as you are baking the falafel) and roast for 30 minutes until it has softened and the skin has darkened.
2. Once the pepper is cooked, remove the inner seeds (optional: peel off the skin) and slice into strips.
3. To make the cauliflower rice, cut the cauliflower into florets and place into a food processor. Blitz until you have a rice-like consistency and empty into a frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Fry the cauliflower rice over a medium heat for a few minutes and then place into a bowl. Mix in the juice of one lemon and the chopped herbs and combine.
4. To assemble the salad, add a few spoonfuls of the herby cauliflower rice to your plate and top with 3 to 4 falafel balls. Place a quarter of the avocado, a few halved olives, some red pepper strips and finish off with a large spoonful of the beet hummus and a drizzle of the lemon tahini dressing.

Laura Williams is a Hong Kong expat and part time Native English Teacher, food blogger and photographer. She created My Little Hong Kong Kitchen 18 months ago to share her passion for good food and great produce. Her mission is to create delicious recipes that are easy to follow, healthy and practical to make at home whether cooking for yourself or your whole family. Follow her and her incredible food photography on Instagram and make sure to like her Facebook page. 

Photo by Laura Williams.