Coconut Bowls Project - Part 3

Hello hello! Here we are with installment #3 of my Coconut Bowls project! It's hard to believe that we've already gotten this far!

If you're new here, this project is basically my way of cooking my way through an entire cookbook! I am making every recipe in the Coconut Bowls cookbook, “Vegan Bowls for Vegan Souls“. Along the way I may make a few adjustments to the recipes based on my personal preferences, but anytime I do that I am always sure to let you know! If you want to cook along with me you can get your own copy of the book at the Coconut Bowls website, and even use the coupon code joyfulbalance-10 to get 10% off your order!

If you like these recipes, be sure to check out my first and second installments as well!

Without further ado, let's get into it.

Pina Colada Oatmeal

• Recipe # 13/100
• Recipe by @plantbasedali_
• Page 56

This one doesn't need a ton of explanation - Pina colada flavors for breakfast? Sign me up!

The oatmeal itself for this one was essentially coconut flavored, but then it became more Pina colada flavored by topping it with dried pineapple! I also topped mine with slivered almonds for some crunch, and a little more shredded coconut (because why not?). Overall I was happy with it! Definitely have to be in a tropical mood for this one, but if that's your thing this is a great staple breakfast. I didn't make any changes to the recipe itself for this one, and I ended up with enough for 3 small-ish bowls.

Creamy Kale and Pea Risotto

• Recipe # 14/100
• Recipe by @cheekycoconuts
• Page 174

To be honest, I have had very few risottos in my life. So I can't compare this to other risottos. HOWEVER, I was pleasantly surprised with how creamy this came out!

I made one major change to my version - I used brown basmati rice in place of arborio rice. I know that arborio rice is the traditional option for risotto, but I used what I had on hand! Even with the brown basmati rice, this came out creamy. I also used extra water when cooking my rice to accommodate for the type of rice I was using.  I also left out the coconut oil, and added a splash of lemon juice and some garlic salt to taste at the end. I thought that these additions at the end made the flavors pop a little bit more and was very happy with the results! This one made about 3 bowls worth for me.

Chilled Lime, Pea & Spinach Soup

• Recipe # 15/100
• Recipe by @greensmoothiegourmet
• Page 132

This one was a new experience for me because I've had very few cold soups in my lifetime. It tastes super refreshing from the lime, and also has tons of nutrition packed into it because of all the greens!

I liked the flavor of this soup, but it was quite strong - so I used it as a side soup so that it could compliment my main meal. It made enough for 2 side soup servings for me. I didn't make any changes to this recipe, but I think in the future I might add just a little extra water to thin it out a little bit more. I topped mine with sesame seeds and some extra mint!

Ultimate Comfort Macaroni

• Recipe # 16/100
• Recipe by @arabfruitlady
• Page 124

Are you ready for a really strong statement? I think this might be one of my favorite recipes of the Coconut Bowls Project so far. 

The name of this one is right on the dot - this feels like comfort food, but also throws in lots of veggies so that you've got tons of nutrients packed in! I love this one because I think you could EASILY switch out the veggies for whatever you have on hand. It's a great recipe for those days where you just want to use up whatever is in your fridge! It was also relatively easy to throw together.

I used water in place of olive oil when sautéing my veggies. I also used homemade marinara sauce as my pasta sauce, and I used whole wheat fusulini pasta instead of traditional macaroni. I used all the same veggies that the recipe calls for - but like I said, I think you could easily swap these out for whatever you're in the mood for!

Made about 4 bowls worth for me!

 

Super Simple Zoodle Salad with Lime Peanut Sauce

• Recipe # 17/100
• Recipe by @foodbymaria
• Page 114

Quick and easy salad! Depending on what you use to spiralize your zucchini it might take some time to get your spiralizer set up and to clean it after, but if that is an issue you could always just dice up your zucchini instead!

My favorite part of this one was definitely the lime peanut sauce. The flavors went together so well and really popped.

I made a few simple changes to this one. I replaced red cabbage with green cabbage, black sesame seeds with white sesame seeds, and hot sauce with harissa powder. I also left out the oil. I left off the crushed peanuts and sunflower seeds on mine, but only because I was recovering from dental surgery and couldn't eat those! My husband included them on his and said that he loved the extra crunch they provided. I hope to try this one again once I'm able to eat nuts and seeds again!

Made 4 pretty large bowls for me.

Sesame Falafel Bowl with Beet Dressing

• Recipe # 18/100
• Recipe by @healthy_belly
• Page 102

We are big falafel fans in my house, so I'm always excited to try new falafel recipes. My husband declared that these falafels were some of his favorites of all the ones I have made! I personally would add more seasoning to the falafels themselves in the future, and would maybe cook them just a few extra minutes to get them even crispier. But overall I enjoyed them!

The beet dressing was so easy to throw together and would be a great option for any salad or buddha bowl.

I replaced oil with aquafaba, used brown rice flour for my flour, and used coconut yogurt for my yogurt. For my veggies of choice I used green cabbage, carrot, cherry tomatoes, and avocado. We got 2 bowls out of this (5 falafels per bowl), with quite a bit of leftover dressing.

Wrap Up

There's installment #3! I hope you are enjoying following along this journey with me. Don’t forget to use the coupon code joyfulbalance-10 for 10% off your very own copy of the Coconut Bowls cookbook if you decide to cook along withe me!

Until next time, stay well!

Want to pin this post to come back to later?