Buddha bowls are simply amazing. They look pretty, they are super healthy, they fill you up, and they are easy to prepare. My son Jack, who lives in LA came home at Thanksgiving and requested Buddha bowls for dinner one night. I have never made one, so I did some research. A Buddha bowl is typically a vegetarian meal served in a wide brimmed bowl (like Buddha's belly) with a healthy grain, several vegetables, fresh greens, topped with avocado, hummus or tahini sauce. The great thing about these bowls is you can create endless combinations and they all will be super hearty and satisfying. Jack works long hours at Space X and does not have a lot of time to cook. So I tried to create a Buddha bowl recipe that was easy to prep and cook. All the ingredients came from Trader Joe's, and many are precooked and pre cut, so all you have to do is to roast the cauliflower and the butternut squash. When I made Buddha bowls for the first time last month I was hooked. You will be too!!!
You can purchase all the ingredients from Trader Joe's. I added turmeric to the list to add some flavor and color to the otherwise bland cauliflower. Turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a strong antioxidant. Once you purchase turmeric you can add it to your salad dressings, or sprinkle on vegetables or chicken. It has a unique flavor, which I love.
If you prefer brown rice over quinoa than Trader Joe's has precooked brown rice in the freezer section.
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Cut the core and leaves from the head of cauliflower. Then cut off branches from the core. Then break up or cut into bit size pieces.
Spread on a cooking sheet and sprinkle with one tablespoon olive oil. Then toss to distribute the oil. Sprinkle with the turmeric, salt and pepper and toss once more. You will roast the cauliflower for 20 minutes.
Open up both bags of butternut squash and place on a cooking sheet. Sprinkle with one tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper and toss again. You will roast the butternut squash for 20-25 minutes.
Arrange the arugula around the edge of the bowl. You do not really need to fill the bowl with arugula, you just want a fresh taste with your veggies. If you are making the Buddha bowl "to go" for your lunch and you need to microwave it, I might leave off the arugula.
We like to drizzle our Buddha bowls with my green sauce. I make green sauce (tomatillo salsa) (recipe on my blog) every weekend so we always have it in our fridge. If you want the easy button Trader Joe's makes a cilantro dressing that you can find in the produce isle.
My Buddha bowl with my tomatillo salsa and fresh cilantro. My husband will add fresh serrano peppers to his as well. Everything consumed by my husband has to have a spicy element!
BUDDHA BOWL RECIPE
Serves: 4 people (or 2 people twice)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
All from Trader Joe's
- 1 head of cauliflower
- Two twelve-ounce packages of cut butternut squash (produce isle)
- 17.6 ounce package of precooked lentils (produce isle)
- 7 ounce bag of arugula
- 1 avocado
- 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 16 ounce box fully cooked quinoa (frozen isle)
- 8 ounce container of tahini sauce
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
- My tomatillo salsa (green sauce)
- Cilantro dressing (produce isle)...in place of my green sauce
- Fresh cilantro, chopped finely for garnish
PREPARATION
- Preheat oven to 400° F
- Cut the leaves and the center core out of the cauliflower. Begin cutting branches off the main core of the cauliflower. Then break up the branches into bite size pieces.
- Place the cauliflower on a cooking tray and sprinkle with one tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with the turmeric, salt and pepper.
- Open up both bags of butternut squash and spread on another cooking sheet. ( You may want to use parchment paper for easy clean up.) Sprinkle with one tablespoon olive oil. Toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the larger pieces of squash in the corners since they will cook the quickest.
- Place the butternut squash and cauliflower in the oven. Set timer for 10 minutes.
- After timer goes off, stir both the butternut squash and the cauliflower and return to oven. Set timer for another 10 minutes.
- Place your arugula around the edge of your bowls
- While the butternut squash and cauliflower are roasting, begin microwaving your quinoa according to the package directions. The box contains 2 packages of quinoa; each package serves 2 people.
- You will also microwave your lentils according to the package directions.
- After the second 10 minute timer has gone off, remove the cauliflower and check to see if the butternut squash is cooked enough. Sometimes the squash takes 20 minutes and sometimes 25 depending on the size of the cubes.
- Slice your avocado.
- To assemble your Buddha bowl, place your vegetables in the bowl in a circular pattern, add the avocado, and place the tahini sauce in the middle. You can also add my green sauce for an extra kick, or Trader Joe's cilantro dressing for the easy button. You can also sprinkle on fresh herbs, like cilantro if you have any.
Note: Since the lentil package serves 5 you will probably have some leftover lentils. They are great to throw in soup or add to a salad.