The other night was the first official 'deck' night of the 2018 summer season. Our little yard is a space we cherish come the warmer months, and we welcome friends and neighbours, new and old, and folks of all kinds to chill with us and enjoy a meal and a drink or two. Since my eldest left home in April, I (quite honestly) haven't had much of a chance to miss her, with life continuing in its usual fast-paced way and the new space in the house with one less person offering a pleasant sense of openness we've all frankly been really enjoying. I'm slowly adjusting to the new grocery shopping protocol, with one less mouth to feed, and as a result am finding old favourite ways to use up ripe bananas (these cookies are a new family fave re-discovered right now), and realizing that 12 eggs take a lot longer to go through if I am the only one eating them (and I certainly no longer need to buy two dozen at one time!). The other night, relaxing on the deck with a glass of wine in hand, was the first time I felt a somewhat tangible pang of loss, as the family gathered I couldn't help but feel a sense that someone was missing in action. It is in those times I think we'll be thankful for new friends that will fill space in new ways, people to share food with, to drink and celebrate with, and to exchange stories with. It's all good, but boy is this an interesting process as the family grows up and our world shifts just a little.

This recipe is a guideline for an easy grain bowl, with a new Maple Mustard Dressing that I think I've made at least ten times since. It's super easy to pull together, and you'll be able to enjoy this one on as many delicious combos as you can think of. It's also especially good with lentils. And other beans. Heck, it's amazing with everything!

Here are a few other things I've been enjoying of late, in no particular order.

Very excited to be going to this show in October! I snagged tickets online the minute they went up, and am excited to head back to Los Angeles this year. I've been itching to go for a while now, and can't wait to hit up a few foodie spots while I'm there. We're planning our trip to Ireland in June, and heavily researching the Dingle Peninsula. Any of you who have Ireland recommendations, I'd love to hear them! We have 4 nights in the country, and 4 nights in Dublin. We are also in Milan for 3 nights too, my first time in Italy. We are there to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday ..... I know, right?! Hit me up! I'm back on the bulletproof coffee in the morning and loving it with added Ashwagandha, Mushrooms, and Maca.

I'm doing all I can to resist buying these shoes.

I'm super excited to team up with one of my favourite blogging friends Gena soon, for GRAIN. Stay tuned for that! Her recent cookbook is so inspiring, proven by the completely vegan dinner I made for my Whistler family recently to RAVE reviews.

Wheat Berry Chickpea Bowl with Maple Mustard Dressing:

• 1 tsp cooking oil (my current faves are avocado, grapeseed, or ghee)
• 1/3 cup white onion
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (I use GRAIN Kabuli Chickpeas)
• 1 cup cooked Wheat Berries (I use GRAIN Wheat Berries)
• 1 cup roasted cauliflower
• 1-2 handfuls of fresh arugula
• toasted pumpkin seeds, to taste
• chopped fresh Roma tomatoes
• ripe avocado chunks
• 1/4- tsp salt, or to taste

Maple Mustard Dressing:

• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil

This recipe is so easy, it's one of those recipes I almost shy away from sharing. But if Instagram is any indication, the food world might just need a little less sizzle and whole lot more steak, meaning more easy to execute ideas that people will actually make. To start, I recommend roasting the cauliflower beforehand. Cut the cauliflower into florets, and toss with a little bit of olive oil and lay on a piece of parchment paper on a baking tray. Roast at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until turning brown. I usually roast and entire cauliflower at one time and store in the fridge to be used for recipes like this. To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a clean jar.

When ready to eat, heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan or shallow braiser. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring here and there, until the onion is soft. Add the chickpeas, wheat berries, and roasted cauliflower and cook until heated through ~ about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste while still the pan.

To build your bowl, arrange the chickpea, wheat berry and cauliflower mixture in a bowl, using your eyes to tell you how much you want to eat (depending on your appetite and quantities of other ingredients, this could be enough for one or two servings). Add arugula, chopped fresh tomatoes, ripe avocado chunks, and top with toasted pumpkin seeds and Maple Mustard Dressing to taste. You could even add some crumbled feta cheese if you like too.

Store any leftovers in the fridge to reheat for another meal, it will come together even faster the second time around.

Full disclosure: I rely heavily on quality grains, beans, and freshly milled flour throughout my recipes, and I use and recommend the products from the company I co-founded, GRAIN throughout my posts.

This recipe first appeared on inpursuitofmore.com.