Who knew that my favorite way of eating these past few years has become a full blown trend. Bowl Eating or in some circles they are called Buddha Bowls. I personally love how all the foods in the bowl combine to make every bite a tasty layered morsel. I started eating this way to add more nutrients to my bowl of salad greens and then began to experiment by adding all kinds of ingredients to make an exciting easy to prepare balanced meal.
The Keys: A mix of healthy dark salad greens, 2 or more kinds of veggies, protein, (fish,meat, nuts, seeds, beans), Good fat and a small amount of starch ( sweet potato, rice, quinoa etc). Now add some sauce, dressing and spices. Mix or Not and eat with chopsticks so you can savor every bite slowly.
My Bowl last night: Kale, mixed dark green, cilantro, grilled brussel sprouts, grilled fish, avocado, red and yellow beets and a little dressing. I like to toss, however I leave the red beets out and layer on top…Haha.
Have Fun experimenting and please enjoy this recipe from The Minimalist Baker
SWEET POTATO CHICKPEA BUDDHA BOWL
Flavorful, filling, 30-minute Buddha Bowl with roasted sweet potatoes, onion, kale, crispy chickpeas and an AMAZING tahini-maple sauce! A healthy, satisfying plant-based meal.
Author: Minimalist Baker
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten Free
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
VEGETABLES
2 Tbsp olive, melted coconut, or grape seed oil
1/2 red onion, sliced in wedges
2 large sweet potatoes, halved
1 bundle (227 g) broccolini, large stems removed, chopped
2 big handfuls kale, larger stems removed
1/4 tsp each salt + pepper
CHICKPEAS
1 15-ounce (425 g) chickpeas, drained, rinsed + patted dry
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp each salt + pepper
1/2 tsp oregano (optional)
1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)
TAHINI SAUCE (OPTIONAL)
1/4 cup (56 g) tahini
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 lemon, juiced
2-4 Tbsp hot water to thin
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and arrange sweet potatoes and onions on a bare baking sheet. Drizzle both with a bit of oil, making sure the flesh of the sweet potatoes are well coated and placed skin side down on the sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven flip sweet potatoes and add broccolini. Drizzle broccolini with a bit of oil and season with a pinch each salt and pepper.
Bake for another 8-10 minutes, then remove from oven and add kale. Drizzle kale with a touch more oil and season with a pinch each salt and pepper. Bake for another 4-5 minutes then set aside.
While vegetables are roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add chickpeas to a mixing bowl and toss with seasonings.
Once hot, add 1 Tbsp oil and chickpeas and sauté, stirring frequently. If they’re browning too quickly, turn down heat. If there isn’t much browning going on, increase heat. I found 10 minutes total at slightly over medium heat was perfect.
Once the chickpeas are browned and fragrant, remove from heat and set aside.
Prepare sauce by adding tahini, maple syrup and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Add hot water until a pourable sauce is formed. Set aside.
To serve: Slice sweet potatoes into bite size pieces. Divide vegetables between 3 serving bowls and top with chickpeas + tahini sauce.
Best when fresh, though leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge.
