Brussels sprouts: love them – hate them? If you don’t like them, have you ever tried roasting them? I did and fell totally in love with these cute greens. I find them especially comforting in winter time, so I decided to create a winter Buddha bowl with brussels sprouts & vegan cheese crumble – or in other words my version of vegan parmesan. With roasted chickpeas, creamy pasta sauce, spicy pumpkin and crispy kale this bowl is full of warming winter flavors. Exactly what is needed in (cold) November, right?
It isn’t freezing cold here now. Winter wonderland has already melted away and the only signs of winter are the dark days (sunrise at 9 am and sunset at 15.30!) and the comfort food I keep craving – all the time. I’ve always loved winter food but I’ve never really been a fan of winter season due to the winter blues (or seasonal affective disorder) creeping in when the days get shorter in November. This blues is especially hitting me now when I have to deal with a mild baby blues too; our sweet little baby girl is a month old now and she sure likes to party at night 😉
I’m taking care of my winter and baby blues with healthy plant-based food like this massive Buddha bowl filled with carbs 🙂 A few years ago when I still ate dairy, meat and a lot of processed food I felt super miserable and extremely lethargic during winter months. Now that I’m eating wholesome vegan food I feel much more in control of my blues and I notice a shift in my energy levels too.
It’s not only healthy eating which is making me feel better, it’s also the creating and cooking…the whole process which helps me cope with all the overwhelming emotions, tiredness and the darkness. And just look at these vibrant green Brussels sprouts – don’t they look like the perfect medicine for a little winter blues? With or without blues, I really recommend this dish for anyone. Even if you don’t like Brussels sprouts 🙂
ps. This recipe is an updated version of my kid-friendly Brussels sprouts & vegan cheese crumble recipe from last August.
- Oven roasted brussels sprouts
- 10 ounces / 300g of brussels sprouts (about 20-25 sprouts)
- 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
- ¼ tsp good quality salt (I use Himalayan salt)
- Vegan cheese crumble with chickpeas
- â…“ cup cashews
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp garlic flakes (or ¼ tsp garlic powder)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup pre-cooked chickpeas
- Pasta sauce
- 2 cups Brussels sprouts with vegan cheese crumble and chickpeas
- ½ cups vegan flavored (savory) cooking cream (I use Onion flavored oat cream from Planti)
- Spicy hokkaido pumpkin wedges
- ½ small hokkaido pumpkin cut into 10 wedges
- Marinade:
- 1,5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cajun seasoning mix (I use a cajun spice mix from Urtekram but you can also make your own mix)
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp coconut sugar
- salt & pepper
- Other Buddha bowl ingredients:
- Yellow bell pepper
- Leafy greens e.g.kale
- Extra virgin olive oil
- lemon juice
- salt & pepper
- Preheat oven to 200C/390F.
- Oven roasted brussels sprouts: Wash brussels sprouts, remove outer leaves and cut the brown stem off. Cut sprouts in half, put in a bowl and mix with coconut oil and salt. Put on a baking sheet cut side down and roast for 15 min. NOTE: remove loose, burnt (black) outer leaves.
- Vegan cheese crumble: Blend all ingredients except chickpeas in a food processor until crumble like consistency reached. Add pre-cooked chickpeas and mix with a spoon, do not blend. Pour crumble and chickpeas on top of brussels sprouts, toss around until thoroughly mixed, and roast for another 10-15 min until brussels sprouts look golden brown.
- Pasta sauce: Cook pasta according to instructions, but leave it al dente. On the stove: Put oven roasted brussels sprouts and crumble into a pan with pasta and add the cooking cream. Cook in medium heat for ~2 minutes stirring gently.
- Oven 200C/390F.
- Spicy hokkaido pumpkin wedges: cut half of a small pumpkin into about 10 wedges (remove the seeds).
- Mix the marinade ingredients. Pour the marinade over the pumpkin wedges and coat the wedges well. Put them onto a baking sheet and bake for about 20 min until soft and roasted.
- Preparing the kale: cut kale into small pieces and massage it with olive oil and lemon juice until it's softer. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Assembling the Buddha bowl: Chop yellow bell pepper or other vegetables of choice. Add kale & vegetables to the bowl, add Brussels sprouts pasta sauce and spicy pumpkin wedges. Enjoy the winter flavors!
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When even your serving spoon is smiling about it, you know it must be a seriously delicious meal!! And makes it much harder to feel blue about winter too 🙂 Although sunset that early!? That’s crazy! Anyways, on to this veggie feast…I love how you made the sprouts the star here and let the pasta and pumpkin play the supporting role. They look cooked to perfection and so mouthwatering. I usually roast my Brussels sprouts and dip them in ketchup (I know, so fancy lol) but I most certainly wouldn’t be needing that with the delicious cheesy crumble to keep them company! I’m very glad the nourishing bowls are keeping you running even with the night time parties–yay for plant based fuel!
Thank you Natalie <3 Brussels sprouts with ketchup 🙂 🙂 How come I never thought of that?! My kids are going to love this combo. They're always asking for ketchup hehe. And yes it really is crazy how short the days are here in winter time. I hope you have warmer and brighter winter days there 🙂 Still remember the gorgeous beach shot you posted on Stories <3