Vegan Chickpea Bowl | AKA The Post I Realised I Could Never Be A Food Blogger

Does me saying 'screw it' and just using an exceptionally mediocre photo after what feels like a million and one attempts make this post ironic or an ode to the majesty that is true food bloggers, or just a slightly rambling, self-detracting post with average, seemingly iPhone standard photography?

Before I started writing this post, I never truly realised just how impossibly difficult food photography really is. What I think looks all instagrammable on my plate suddenly looks like my cat vommed on my plate on my camera. Texture and colours may as well not be a thing, and I should probs kiss goodbye to the notion that I have some semblance of presentation skills.

I think the main issue is that rather than wanting to photograph it, I kinda want to inhale it when it's all hot and smelling awesome. Soz, I'm sacrificing lots of nice pictures for my tummy.

But this taste pretty awesome, work for a student budget, and are super healthy in my humble 'I study history not nutrition but I like food bloggers' opinion.

This food creation is a chickpea/cous cous/kale/spinach concoction. I'm not entirely sure what to call it, since it changes every time I make it, but it's just a big yummy dreamy bowl of nutrient packed ingredients.

It takes hardly any time to make, so is the perfect thing to whip up after a long day when you're craving something quick, easy but still totally delicious.

It came about when I came back from the gym late in the afternoon, hadn't had lunch yet and wanted something with lots of protein and healthiness, just from ingredients in my cupboard. It's so easily adapted according to the ingredients you have on hand, for example quinoa rather than cous cous, and can be served in multiple ways. 

Like today I forgot to buy kale, so there was none of that... But on the plus side I had half an avocado to use up, and that's never a bad thing.

Ingredients (makes 2 servings)

Tin of chickpeas

Small bag of spinach

Half a bag of kale

2 garlic cloves

1 onion

Spiced cous cous packet

Paprika, salt and pepper

1. Steam or fry your kale (I personally like it lightly fried with a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper)

2. Gently fry the garlic and onion in a small amount of olive or coconut oil

3. Boil the kettle and mix the water with the cous cous

4. Add the chickpeas and some paprika to the pan with the garlic and onion

5. When it's almost ready, add the spinach and stir constantly

6. Season and serve with the cous cous and kale

Thanks to getting creative in the kitchen and trying out a load of different recipes, I'm finding adopting a mostly vegan/plant-based diet really quite straightforward. It's nice to make something you haven't had before, and to challenge yourself by trying new ingredients. Plus it's cheaper (very essential for a student), better for you than always picking something up out and about, and satisfying when you make something good!

Honor xxx