Dressing shortcuts & a meal-prep, gut loving roasted veg bowl

A food prep plan for when your brain is offline

Hi friends! Welcome back to Little Feast, your weekly nudge out of the food rut.

This issue is coming to you a few days late because I spent the weekend at Horst Festival in Brussels, where the vibes were so good I briefly left my body. My hips stopped belonging to me and became two separate creatures (maybe a duck and a horse) with their own plans. I’m still recovering.

Before descending into that delicious weekend of debauchery, I prepped a big roasted veg grain bowl for the train ride down. A wholesome, healthy meal meant to fill us up with vitamins and fiber for the weekend ahead. The idea was to have it on the train and feel superior while others ate train-bistro curry-wurst.

I forgot it in the fridge.

Laureen, who stayed in my flat (hi Laureen) ate it instead, and told me that it was fantastic. So, here it is. Along with the three dressing shortcuts I lean on when I want something tasty but can’t be bothered to do more than stir a spoon.

✨ The Weekly Zhuzh

Three dressing shortcuts to take your salads & bowls from bland to “oh what’s in that.”

I aspire to be the kind of person who preps dressings ahead of time. Maybe even pours them into little squeezy bottles with perfect masking tape labels like I’m Kim Kardashian’s private chef. But I’m not that person.

I am the person who remembers dressing 24 seconds before eating. At that point, I’m too hungry to emulsify anything, and the idea of pulling out a blender feels like self-sabotage.

So here are three dressing shortcuts I fall back on every week, with things that you probably already have around.

Red pesto, red wine vinegar, sumac, salt, and water

Pesto & Acid

That half-empty jar of pesto in the back of your fridge? That’s 15 seconds away from dressing now.

• 2 tbsp pesto (red or green)

• 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar

• A splash of water

• Salt

Stir it together, and suddenly your grain bowl or pasta salad has personality.

Yogurth & Spices

Dilute some yogurt (how much water depends on what kind you have), add your favourite spices, and you have a healthy creamy dressing ready for most things.

Try:

• Greek / Turkish / Bulgarian yogurt

• Garlic powder, za’atar, smoked paprika, black pepper or chopped fresh herbs

• Salt

• Optional: a splash of olive oil or mayo if you’re feeling luxurious

Dijon + Lemon + Olive Oil = Golden Salad armor

This one never lets me down. I always have Dijon around. I use it on lentils, chickpeas, in salad nicoise, or anything with potatoes.

• 1 tablespoon Dijon (or other mustard)

• 1 squeeze of lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• Salt

Mix it all, and add some water to your desired consistency. Done!

The Nudge 🍽️

The roasted veg + grain bowl that travelled nowhere and still delivered

This is the bowl I made for the train and forgot. It’s easy to prep, holds up well in the fridge, and you can swap in whatever grain you cooked over the weekend (or, let’s be honest, whatever’s left from something else).

Make it once and you’ll want a version of it in your fridge at all times.

Makes 4 portions (or maybe 3 if you are hungry)

You’ll need:

• 1 bell pepper

• 1 zucchini

• 2 red onions

• 1 can chickpeas, drained

• 1 cup cooked grain (I used pearled barley, but any will do)

• A bunch of herbs (parsley, dill, coriander — pick one or mix)

• Olive oil

• Ground cumin, paprika, salt, pepper

Dressing:

• 2 tbsp red pesto

• 2 tbsp wine vinegar (white or red)

• 1 tsp sumac (optional, but good)

• Salt & pepper

Toppings (choose a few):

• Crumbled feta

• Chopped dates, cranberries, or raisins

• Toasted nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios — anything with crunch)

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Do this:

1. Dice the veg, toss with olive oil and spices, spread on a tray.

2. Roast at 220°C for about 20 minutes.

3. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

4. In a big bowl, combine the roasted veg, grains, herbs, and dressing.

5. Add your toppings. Eat right away or portion into containers for later.

Keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. You can eat it cold, room temp, or slightly warmed. You can have it with a boiled egg or something like roasted chicken for extra protein.

That’s it for this weeks Little Feast! I’d love to hear what you think. What did you get up to cooking this weekend? Please, I’m needy and need validation atm.

/Seb