Roasted Veggie Salad with Jess Thomson

We all have different approaches to mindfulness, and ideas about what mindful eating means. I've been chatting with some of my favourite people about how they practise slow living and mindful eating at home. Jessica is a busy Mum with a baby and toddler at home, she understands the value in carving out mindful moments in the day.

Can you tell us some background on who you are, and how you got to be doing what you're doing?

I always find this one so difficult to answer. I'm 27 and a Mum to two, and a fiancé to one. I have lived in Perth my whole life, and I love it. Around 8 years ago, I started creating healthier versions of foods that I loved, reducing the sugar and using natural sweeteners, replacing dairy and eggs etc in an effort to eat healthier and start taking care of myself. I stumbled on a bit of a passion of creating new recipes from there. I went vegan 6 years ago so that was a fun challenge for me, learning how to create vegan food without compromising on taste! I started my Instagram about 3-4 years ago, which really encouraged me to keep creating and sharing!

What does mindful eating mean to you?

To me, mindful eating is about eating with intention and being mindful of my food choices. I like to eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. I like to treat myself often with raw cakes but I do it in a self-love treat kind of way, usually with a cup of tea and a nap break from the baby and toddler! Stopping for a bit. Taking a moment. I am mindful about what I'm eating, and where it comes from. I choose to eat without harm to other beings and that is really important to me. I became mindful and educated on what or who my food choices were, so could never return to eating anything non vegan. I love eating and living this way. I am always on a journey to have more "slowness" in our lives, as a bit of a naturally stressy person but I'm really enjoying where I'm at in just these last few years of intending to live more slowly.

Please share with us the recipe for one of your favourite 'bowl foods'

Roast Veg, Quinoa & Avocado Salad with Tahini Sauce

serves 2-3

Roast Veg

  • 1 sweet potato, peeled
  • 2 white potatoes
  • 1/2 a butternut pumpkin, peeled
  • 1/2 a red onion
  • 1 small paprika or red capsicum
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 sprig of rosemary, chopped
  • good pinch of sea salt
  • 1/2 cup Quinoa, cooked according to packet directions
  • 3-4 handfuls of greens of choice
  • 1/2 an avocado, sliced into chunks

Tahini Sauce

  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2.5 tbsp water
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • Pinch of sea salt

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190C. Chop all of the vegetables into similar sized cubes, to ensure even roasting. Add them all to a baking tray and drizzle over the olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt before giving it a toss until evenly coated. Roast until the veggies are tender and golden. Around 40 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile cook the quinoa and set aside. Let the vegetables and quinoa cool to room temp.
  3. Mix together all the ingredients for the tahini sauce in a small bowl.
  4. Add a handful of greens to your bowl. Pile on some quinoa, roast veg, avocado. Drizzle over the tahini sauce. Savour every mouthful.
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