Healthy French Quinoa Bowls

Today is July 14^th or Bastille Day as known in English-speaking countries. Most people would associate French food with croissant, crepes, bread and cheese but we have a lot of other delicious food especially savoury!

For me when I think of French food I also think of “crudites” which is the first course we have during family lunches usually a vegetable or salad served cold with vinaigrette and some cornichons.

Starting a meal with a salad or vegetable like grated carrot salad, radishes, beetroot salad is such a healthy habit the French have! Especially for children as we are all most likely to eat vegetables at the start of the meal when we are the hungriest.

Today I put a little French spin on the old budha bowl by using some more French ingredients like shallots, green beans, French lentils, Maille Dijon Originale Mustard and my favourites Maille Cornichons.

I always add a few cornichons to my salad for a little pickle taste. I can snack on them all day long! But I only like the little French gherkins called Cornichons not the big American ones! And Maille is such an iconic French brand, the only mustard brand my family ever bought!

These Healthy French Bowls are a perfect healthy lunch and are really quick to make if you cook the pumpkin, quinoa and lentils ahead of time as part of your meal prep. And why not try adding cornichons in your own salads next time! Trust me it is a great addition to all salads!

Below is the recipe- I hope you will enjoy it. It was made in collaboration with Maille.

RECIPE:

Healthy French Bowls With Maille Cornichons

Makes 2 bowls.

Ingredients:

• Rocket or greens
• 2 handful of green beans
• 1 cup of roasted pumpkin
• 1 cup of quinoa
• ½ cup of dried French lentils
• 2 shallots
• 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp of Maille Dijon Originale mustard
• handful of Maille Cornichons
• French vinaigrette
• Salt and pepper
  

  

1. Cut and prep your pumpkin and place in your oven on a baking tray to cook for 30 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.
2. In the meantime, cook the quinoa and French lentils in saucepans separately. (Best to create these bowls using already prepared quinoa and lentils).
3. Prep your green beans and lightly boil them in hot water.
4. In a bowl combine the finely sliced shallots and apple cider vinegar to pickle while you assemble your bowls.
5. Assemble your bowls adding the cooled or warm quinoa, green beans, pumpkin, lentils mixed with mustard, pickled shallots, Maille Cornichons, vinaigrette and salt and pepper.

Oh and happy Bastille Day! My day was spent driving home from Sydney so not real celebrations but I wish I was in France on a summer evening eating my healthy French bowl and going to see the fireworks!