Warming Pesto Bowl
No joke, we make this every luteal phase - it is one of our favorites. The vegetables are exactly what your body craves, and needs, in this phase!
In my recipes, you will notice that I don’t provide super explicit measurement guidance. I am a big believer in portioning based on what feels right for you, and learning to experiment with your cooking. I don’t measure out spices for example - I season and taste as I go. It has helped me build my cooking confidence, and it will for you too!
Serving Size: 2+
Total Cook Time: 40 min
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: ~30 min
Ingredients
Brown rice
Bundle of kale, torn into small pieces and massaged
1 sweet potato, diced
1 cauliflower, cut into florets
1 broccoli, cut into florets
Trader Joe’s vegan kale, cashew, and basil pesto
Garlic
Pinch of salt & pepper
Olive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
This meal is almost entirely about vegetable preparation, so it is about cooking each vegetable separately and then assembling.
Start with the brown rice, as it usually takes about 40 minutes to cook. You choose how much brown rice you want to cook - we make way more than we need so that we have leftovers prepared for the week.
Prepare the sweet potato - dice the sweet potato into cubes, toss in olive oil and garlic, and back in the oven. We love using our air-fryer for the sweet potato, but the oven will work great too! In the oven, this usually takes 20-30 minutes.
Then prepare & cook your broccoli and cauliflower. Cut the head of broccoli and cauliflower into florets, toss in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. These will usually cook for about 20 or so minutes. Notice when the broccoli and cauliflower start to brown and remove from the oven.
While the vegetables are cooking, thoroughly wash the kale, tear the leaves into tiny pieces, and then massage the torn bits. Note: Basically, you continually scrunch up the kale leaves to soften & loosen them up. It makes it easier to digest and I think tastes better!
Once the vegetables and brown rice are ready, it is time to assemble your bowl! Place the brown rice down first, top with massaged kale, and then your desired portioning of broccoli, cauliflower, and sweet potato. Warm up the Trader Joe’s pesto in the microwave and then put on top of the bowl. Mix thoroughly and enjoy!
Eating with your cycle is an empowering way to reclaim your health and food freedom, and I hope this recipe takes you one step farther on that journey.
