Herb is the Word: Oregano {Buddha Bowl with Sun-Dried Tomato & Oregano Lady Pea Hummus}

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(Edited)

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Hey everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! I very much enjoyed my kitchen organizing adventures, especially when I reaped the benefits while doing my usual weekly meal prep today. It's so much easier to get creative in a tidy space, whether in the kitchen or elsewhere! Your mind can go right to the task at hand as opposed to spending time hunting for what you need or having to clear things off of your workspace. I especially wanted a clean slate to be able to whip up something to jump in on the latest @naturalmedicine challenge--herbs!

Of course there are so many wonderful herbs to choose from. Plenty that we grow in our own backyard garden. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to use for my post until I stepped outside to see what is looking good right now. I have to be honest, it's been so hot outside lately that I have hardly stepped foot in the garden lately. Kudos to @dksart for keeping up with it and harvesting anything I need! We finally have some of the purple basil growing from seeds I bought a few months ago, but it's not quite ready to start plucking just yet. Lots of mint and lemon balm as usual, but they weren't quite speaking to me today. However, despite culling it back quite aggressively just a little while ago and drying some for later use, the oregano has exploded yet again!

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Oh boy, with that much beautiful greenery available, my decision was made. Besides just tasting delicious, this herb is just as healthy as so many of the other plants in the same category. I actually first remember hearing about some of these health benefits years ago when I first started working as a trainer. I had a fabulous husband and wife duo from Ireland who came in to workout at the studio where I was employed at the time. Those two were avid world travelers and were a wealth of knowledge in so many areas of life. I believe I was starting to get a little sniffle one time and the wife recommended I get some oil of oregano--specifically labelled P73 to ensure it was in fact from origanum vlugare--to help boost my immune system. Upon further research, I found there was evidence that the extracted oil was especially good for bacterial and viral infections, fungal overgrowth, and general inflammation. I believe it is often used to treat animals like chickens, as well, for a more natural option than antibiotics. Though the oil is much more potent than the fresh herb, you can't go wrong consuming it in your daily meals, as well, since you still get plenty of the good antioxidants and polyphenols. Every bite adds up!

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Speaking of meals, I ended up using the bit I snipped off today in a delicious Buddha Bowl! My farmers market run yesterday restocked my fresh produce with plenty of goodies to enjoy a nutrient-packed bowl. These tend not to get super fancy in my house, but they always hit the spot. You can sub in whatever vegetables are in season at your market or even better, from the garden!

This time around I sliced up fresh tomatoes and bell peppers, blanched organic green beans, and cooked beets in the pressure cooker for the colorful variety to please my eyes and my belly. The red oak lettuce underneath made a lovely base (props to my hydroponic guys and all their stunning greens). I love using hummus or other dip instead of traditional salad dressing in my bowls, plus if you use a big scoop it will add some plant-based protein and fiber to boot! It's also an excellent place to toss in a bunch of fresh herbs like my oregano. The lady peas and other beans are fresh out of the pods right now here in the South, so I opted to use those instead of chickpeas. I know I've probably shared similar recipes before, but I'll do the quick rundown again just in case someone would like to replicate it.

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Sun-Dried Tomato & Oregano Lady Pea Hummus

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked lady peas (can sub chickpeas or navy beans)
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 small lemon, juice & zest
  • sea salt & pepper to taste (optional)

Place everything in a food processor. Blend together until smooth. Use a bit of water* to thin out the mixture as needed, but only add about a tablespoon at a time so that your mixture doesn't get too runny. I like my dips with some good texture, but you can make yours just how you like it with more liquids if you prefer it smoother!

*I tend not to use much oil in my cooking, but you could also add a few tablespoons of good quality oil if you like.

The really great thing? These bowls travel well for lunch on the go! I went ahead and made extra bowls for the next few days as a great recovery meal after my lunch time runs. Between the herbs, greens, and all those veggies my body is going to be happy soaking it all up! I might even add some pumpkin seeds tomorrow for some extra crunch and a bit extra healthy fat to make sure I absorb all those nutrients even more.

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There really is no wrong way to add herbs to your meals! They make such a fresh pop of flavor that can enhance even the most simple dishes. I know my fellow #fruitsandveggiesmonday folks are all about the herbs, so hopefully we'll see a few of you enter this latest fun contest, too! Thank you as always to @riverflows and the @naturalmedicine crew for hosting and making me think of even more ways to add those natural healing plants to my daily and weekly routine!

Raise your forks to a delicious and healthy week!

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59 comments
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Delicious!!! You cant beat a buddha bowl with hummus. I love the name too... how funny we have called it that when for years its just been 'a bowl of salad or veg with stuff on it'. There is infinite ways to prep and make... yum! I have TONS of oregano in garden and in late spring/summer I make a oregano pesto (you can use nutritional yeast, coconut oil, oregano and choice of nuts) that's great on grilled zucchini or zoodles. Thanks for entering! I can see lots of herb food posts in next two weeks from us vegie and herb enthusiasts!

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Haha, I know right? I guess it sounds way fancier than a salad, so I dig it. ;)

I love a good oregano pesto, too! I think I do oregano more than I do basil, but that's probably because the oregano always produces more prolifically. Though I have high hopes for my purple basil.

I've got the Fruits and Veggies post ready to go in just a few hours with a link to the contest. Hoping to see some of the regular Monday folks jump right on this one!

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Yes, I hope so too!!! Mine's ready to post in the morning, so tomorrow I'll be checking in on that tag for sure!!

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That looks delicious. Mych better than my boring apple and cherry tomatoes I ate for breakfast.

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Haha, well if the apples and tomatoes are fresh and full of flavor, they are still pretty darn delicious and nutritious. :)

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That looks so colorful and good, so cool you have many of the herbs you need growing in your garden

Thanks for being an Active Member of SteemUSA !tip

Have a great week ahead :)

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If we can't grow anything else, at least we always have herbs! As long as the winters are mild, we can even usually continue to grow a few things outside most of the year. I think the oregano is one of them that always tends to stick around. :)

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Thats great herbs are the base for many meals so having your own is cool and thats great that even over winter some of them last

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Looks like my kind of lunch - I lowe those bowls of love - they look always so colorful and so delish - simply yummy

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You really have a bounty of herbs and the meal looks delicious Katie. Great hummus recipe! I used black eye beans before for hummus, but never lady pea. I have to try it. And here is Wonkie Award for:
creative recipe.png

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Thank you my friend! You should definitely try it with lady peas if you get your hands on some. They are nice and creamy, with a slightly milder flavor than the black eyed peas. :) But I won't turn down just about any type of bean/pea dip!

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Almost looks too good to eat (nice colors)!

Namaste, JaiChai

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Almost, but luckily not quite! I am always happy when I can get such a nice variety of colors in my fruits and veggies. Makes meals that much more enjoyable. :)

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Looks super delicious! And fresh herbs make everything taste wonderful :)

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You can never get bored with all kinds of fresh herbs around, right? I know you've got plenty to choose from yourself. :)

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My goodness that looks good! And oregano! What an herb, the super herb, actually. The P73 oil is a miracle drug. Beautiful post!

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Yes! I think you had mentioned the oil on a post I did a while back, right? Luckily I haven't had to use it lately for anything, but it's so nice to know it's there if I need a little immune support or to kick some nasty bugs out of my system. :)

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Ooooooo....I LOVE oregano! It's one herb that I've planted all over my garden. We also use the oregano oil when necessary as a natural antibiotic. It is amazing. This hummus looks really yummy. Great recipe, as usual @plantstoplanks

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So cool how prevalent all these wonderful herbs are all across the world! Shows how important they are to our health I would think. :) It's funny because I don't think I would pick oregano out as my favorite herb (I think dill might take top honors), but it's the solid every day choice that I probably use most often since it is quite versatile!

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Those tomatoes look amazing @plantstoplanks :) Oregano is certainly prolific, it likes to be pruned, just keeps on growing! hehe I have to tell you I spent the day cleaning my pantry after I read your post. We arrived home to find ants were trying to invade...oh well a good excuse to clean house. lol I thought about you while I was doing it, always feels good after a spring cleaning.

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They really are lovely little golden gems! I think the yellow tomatoes are my favorite, but then again I won't turn away any freshly-picked ones!

Oh no! That stinks to have some little critters moving in, but as you said it is a nice excuse to do a full clean out! I could probably stand to do a nice scrub off all the surfaces now that all my cabinets and drawers are spic and span, but overall I'm still quite pleased with my weekend efforts, haha!

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Your buddha bowls are the best! I cannot believe how your oregano has exploded!!

This has become a real winner everywhere I look! Keep those recipes coming!

!tip

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I really thought we had just pruned it not too long ago! I think we had finally started getting some rain a few weeks ago, so I supposed I shouldn't be surprised. The lemon balm is starting to get a little wild again, too. A constant battle for sure! :)

Always fun to share the rainbow with you all! Nothing fancy, but the delicious fresh veggies speak for themselves!

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Looks really healthy but there's no sauce

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I mix the hummus around with everything when I eat it. It makes it looks messy, though, so for pictures purposes I keep it all separate. ;)

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Wow that is the closest I have come to a dish in a while, good camera angle. Coincidentally I had cooked beets tonight for dinner.

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Hooray for beets! Though I do sometimes have trouble photographing them well, so I'm glad this dish looks as good as it tasted! Just enjoyed some for lunch a little while ago. :)

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Wow! And here I still sit on my boiled egg and avocado dish.
But in truth it's easy to make as only 8 minutes for the egg and maybe 3 minutes to scoop the avo out of its skin.
Also no pots, pans and other kitchen magafters to wash hahaha.
Your meal as usual looks so great and healthy my friend.
Blessings!

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Easy is never a bad thing! I don't really like doing dishes, so any time I can minimize washing up I'm a happy gal. This wasn't too bad, though the food processor does take a little clean up after making the hummus. The beets cooked fantastically in the pressure cooker, though, so that might be my new favorite way to get those tender and juicy without much trouble or clean up!

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(Edited)

Very clever indeed and I don't think anyone likes doing dishes.
I would blow us up with a pressure cooker, as I like to experiment with no limits.
If something states "Don't operate beyond a temp of 50 degrees" I am sure to push it to beyond 500 degrees just to see what happens hahaha.
See why I am banned from the kitchen?
Blessings!

Ps. now and then I sneak in to borrow a knife if I cannot find a screwdriver Lol.

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Haha, it does still make me a bit nervous using it sometimes, but I'm getting the hang of it. I am actually the complete opposite--quite the stickler for rules and directions! ;)

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My friend, I think it has to do with the seeds that were sown during our childhoods.
Rules have always presented a problem for me.
Blessings!

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Mmmm.... I'm hoping to get some oregano growing when the monsoonal rains stop in October - ever hopeful. Super nice, simple meal and sorta how we often eat here too,

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Oooh, nice! I hope you can get some going. I think I'm going to dry some more of this bunch since I've got so much at the moment! It's great to use come soup season, which isn't too far away here now (I hope). :)

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Wow... Oregano is looking good.... Kinda miss the abundance of fresh herbs like rosemary, oregano, dill, and Italian basil here but then we have so many other wonderful herbs and spice. Hope to find some epare time soon to enter the natural medicine contest.... Crazy busy days right now... Have a beautiful day and enjoy those fresh herbs

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Oh I would love to see what you put in for an entry! Hope you get a little time to whip up a post. :) I'm sure you've got some good herbs that aren't as common here that I would be envious of!

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你好鸭,plantstoplanks!
@dksart赠送1枚SHOP币给你!

目前你总共有: 3枚SHOP币

查看或者交易 SHOP币 请到 steem-engine.com.

无聊吗?跟我猜拳吧! **石头,剪刀,布~**
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Your food always looks so fressssh and nutritious, gorgeous colour scheme as well Katie;) No shortage of oregano in your nick of the woods, I've never seen it grow so lush here! Lovely post as always.

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Thank you my friend! All due to my wonderful farmers! I have such good food to work with that it's hard not to make it look nice. :)

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Hey @plantstoplanks

I am going to be needing your brilliant recipes to help me cook for the family. We are going to adjust things a little and get healthier.

Wish me luck!

Gaz

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That's awesome! You know I'm in your corner and happy to share some inspiration or motivation any time you need! :)

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Thanks Katie. I knew I could count on you. The girls go back to school next week so I'm on it from then on.

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I really like this. It's given me some ideas for Sunday Supper - mini Buddah bowls - as long as they work with the other side bits... Thank you @plantstoplanks

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Excellent! They really are quite versatile. You can make them a different way each time, or even do a build your own if you really wanted. ;)

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Yes they are. I like the idea of BYO, but I'm a little spatially challenged for laying out the potential ingredients. And if it's only one diner, then... But if it's only one diner it can be a quick, easy solution. Thank you! :D

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This looks really great, well I think hummus itself and without any companion would be delicious!

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