Crunchy Almond Buddha Bowl

Last week I was ‘glutened’ after trying out a new restaurant in Edinburgh, and by day 3 of feeling absolutely horrendous I was in dire need of some healthy plant based food. My body was craving fresh ingredients with lots of nutrients and when I need something like this my go to meal is a Buddha bowl.

Some people call them Buddha bowls and some call them power bowls but either way they are absolutely delicious and full of flavour! When it comes to making bowls there aren’t really any rules, you can use any ingredients, any flavours and choose any cuisine. So whether you are into Mexican, Thai, Indian or Mediterranean you can make one to suit your palette.

Generally bowls include proteins, grains, raw vegetables, cooked vegetables and vegetable fats. They are perfect for all dietary requirements and quick and easy to make. I will often throw one together from what I have in the house or use left over vegetables and salad from the night before.

Here are a few ideas of what to put in one…

GRAINS

Quinoa, rice (brown, black or red), buckwheat, millet.

RAW VEGGIES

Cabbage, carrots, spring onion, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn.

COOKED VEGETABLES

Butternut squash, sweet potato, pumpkin, cauliflower.

PROTEIN

Meat, fish, tofu, eggs or legumes such as beans, chickpeas and lentils.

VEGETABLE FATS

Avocado, olive oil, tahini.

Crunchy Quinoa Buddha Bowl with Almond Ginger Dressing

Gluten free and vegan power bowl with an almond ginger dressing.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: serves 6
Tags: gluten free, dairy free, vegan option

Ingredients

• 1/2 head white cabbage, shredded (approx. 3 cups)
• 1/2 head red cabbage, shredded (approx. 3 cups)
• 2 carrots, julienned either with a peeler or knife
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander, chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped almonds
• Half a butternut squash or 2 medium-size sweet potatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• fine sea salt

Almond Butter Dressing

• 1/3 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic (approx. 1 tablespoon)
• 3 inches peeled fresh ginger (approx. 1-2 tablespoons)
• juice of 3 limes (approx. 1/3 cup)
• water to thin as needed

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 220°C or fan 200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Put the diced butternut squash or sweet potato into a bowl and add the olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss until covered and spread the cubes out on the parchment paper. Bake on the top shelf for 20 minutes or until crispy.
   

3. Add the quinoa to the pan with double the amount of water and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and leave in the sieve to allow any excess water to drain off.

4. To make the dressing, put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If it is too thick, you can thin the dressing down with water.

5. In a large bowl add the cabbage, carrots and drained quinoa. Add the dressing and toss together so all the ingredients are well coated.

6. Once the butternut squash or sweet potato is cooked, leave to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Then add it to the bowl along with the spring onion, coriander, and chopped almonds and toss together

 

To see the original recipe from Making Thyme for Health here

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