Welcome to week 4 of the Cooking Up Kindness Project. Check out my introduction to Cooking Up Kindness to discover what this project is about. This week’s meal is:
Fajita Veggie Bowls
This meal includes a base of quinoa topped with mixed greens, corn, spicy black beans, and a variety of vegetables sauteed in a fajita spice blend. It’s served with salsa and guacamole on the side. The meal is vegan but can be served with a side of shredded cheddar cheese to make it just vegetarian instead. Using a variety of colorful vegetables provides not only a range of flavors, but also a broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients including those antioxidant powerhouses – anthocyanins. These nutrients promote cellular health, support a range of cellular functions and ensure a healthy gut microbiome. The beans and the quinoa are great plant sources of protein. In fact, quinoa is one of a few plant foods that contains all nine essential amino acids. In addition, although it is similar to grains, it is considered a pseudo grain and is gluten free.
The shopping list for this week’s meal can be found here.
Start this meal by making the fajita veggies using the recipe found here. Next make the guacamole using the recipe found here. Finally make the spicy black beans and the quinoa. While the beans and quinoa cook, prepare the remaining components of the meal. Recipes for the spicy black beans and quinoa are included in the Fajita Veggie Bowl recipe found here.
Assembling the meal to gift
Put the greens in a large reusable container, aluminum pan, or even a plastic bag. Put the fajita veggies, corn, shredded cheddar if using, and guacamole and salsa in medium and small sized glass jars or other repurposed containers. Put all of the meal components in a bag or box. Attach a note telling the recipient the meal contents and how to heat and serve it. My note will look something like this:
Fajita Veggie Bowls
This meal includes quinoa, greens, spicy black beans, corn, fajita veggies, guacamole and salsa. If you would like warm veggies in your bowl, heat the veggies in a skillet over medium heat or spread them out on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 375 F for a few minutes. To assemble the fajita veggie bowls, place a large scoop of quinoa in a shallow bowl. Place a large handful of lettuce on top of the quinoa. Place a generous serving of the fajita veggies in the center of the lettuce and surround it by scoops of black beans and corn. Place dollops of guacamole and salsa on each side of the dish. Enjoy!
Notes and suggestions:
- Use frozen organic corn to avoid GMOs (almost all corn is genetically modified) and because corn is out of season the frozen version will generally have more nutrients.
- Cook the veggies on a moderate heat to avoid heating the olive oil beyond its smoke point.
- Frozen organic sliced peppers are a good alternative if you don’t have access to fresh organic peppers or to save a bit of time. Peppers are on the EWG Dirty Dozen list, so it is important to use organic if at all possible.
- Select avocados that yield slightly to gentle pressure – similar to ripe peaches. If the avocados are firm you will have to let them sit at room temperature for a few days.
Now for Gifting the meal:
When I am ready to post the meal, my message on Buy Nothing looks something like this accompanied by a photo of the meal:
Hey Buy Nothing Community, once again for Lent this year I would like to offer one healthy nutritious meal each week to someone who could use it. I was hoping you could help me find some hungry takers. If you or someone you know could use a meal, pm me. I would be happy to deliver it. I’ll try to have it made by the middle of each week.
This week I am offering Fajita Veggie Bowls. The meal includes all the fixings to assemble your own bowls: quinoa, mixed greens, spicy black beans, fajita veggies, corn, salsa, and guacamole. This nutrient-packed meal is vegan and gluten free. It is made with all natural ingredients, most of which are organic. I do not have a strictly gluten free kitchen but I am really careful about cross contamination.
Feel free to use the photos from my recipe if needed.
Thank you for joining me in this endeavor to spread a little kindness in our world.
I hope you enjoy making and gifting this meal. Please share any positive feedback you get when you gift your meal. I would love to hear it! Also, reach out with any questions or comments.
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