Lunch to Go: This buddha bowl with air fried chickpeas is a winner

You don't need to batch cook, just put aside some of your favourite ingredients and assemble your office lunch according to how you feel on the day  

'Picky bits' are the key to a varied and delicious lunch every day.

I am not part of the #mealprep tribe. It may be convenient, but it does not work for me. But I see the merit in preparing food in advance of a busy week, and that's where ‘picky bits’ come in for me.

On a Sunday evening, I cook and cool one grain – right now it's bulghur wheat – and roast a tray of roasted vegetables and put aside some sort of protein. That way, I can assemble a nutritionally balanced bowl to take to work every day, which can vary based on how I’m feeling. 

I might add a dollop of hummus on top of my bowl one day or a drizzle of pesto another day. I may whizz an avocado with lime juice, jalapenos, fresh herbs and some garlic for a Mexican-style Green Goddess for days that demand extra spice.

No matter what kind of flavour I’m craving, with these bedrock ingredients, I am all set for a delicious lunch. This week, I air-fried some crispy chickpeas for my Buddha bowls. They add texture and protein to my lunch and also act as a snack when siphoned into a small tub in my lunch box.

Buddha Bowl with Air Fryer Chickpeas

Make the best out of some bedrock ingredients!

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 40 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 60 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 European

Ingredients

• For the roasted vegetables:

• 1 tbsp olive or coconut oil

• 1 sweet potato or butternut squash, cubed

• 2 beetroot, cubed

• 2 red onions, cut into eighths

• For the air fryer chickpeas:

• 1 tin chickpeas, drained

• 1 tsp olive or coconut oil

• ½ tsp cumin

• ¼ tsp paprika

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• Salt and pepper

• For the tahini dressing:

• 2 tbsp tahini

• Juice of half a lemon

• ½ tsp maple syrup

• ½ clove garlic, crushed

• Hot water

• To serve:

• Cooked and cooled bulghur wheat, Feta cheese, olives, salad leaves and cucumber and onion

Method

1. In an air fryer, tumble in the vegetables with the oil, set the air fryer to 190°C and cook for fifteen minutes, shaking once in the middle. If using a conventional oven, scatter the vegetables on an oven tray and cook at 180°C for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.

2. To cook the chickpeas, set the air fryer to 190°C and pour in the chickpeas, spices and oil, giving it a good shake to make sure that they are well covered in the spice mixture. Cook for ten minutes. If cooking in a conventional oven, lay flat on a baking sheet, combine with the spices and oil and cook at 180°C for 25-30 minutes or until crispy.

3. Cool the vegetables and chickpeas and store in covered containers in the fridge for up to five days. To make the tahini dressing, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup and garlic, thinning with hot water to reach a pouring consistency. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over your salad when ready to assemble. Store in a jar in the fridge.

Aldi's One Pot meals

Shelf Life

When short on time and in need of proper nourishment, I look for microwavable stews and casseroles that are rich in veggies and low in saturated fat. That’s where the One Pot range from Aldi comes in handy. 

Priced at a wallet-friendly €2.99, the range has three flavours: Thai Red Vegetable Curry with Brown Rice; Brazillian Black Bean Stew with Tomato, Cashew & Quinoa and One Pot West African Peanut & Chickpea with Red Rice. 

I team with a little salad of leaves, pickled onions and cucumber and squeeze some lime juice over the meal when heated, which vastly improves its flavour. A fantastic option in a pinch.