Give Peas a Chance…Buddha Bowls and Trying New Foods In Midlife

“We’re having Buddha Bowls for supper,” said my normally understandable daughter. “Sound’s crunchy,” I thought. “I wonder if the bowls will be a tasty porcelain or a more filling Zen-like ceramic?” Oblivious to my snarky musings, she disappeared into the kitchen humming a riff of Blondie’s Call Me. Within minutes a sweet, spicy, aroma had me salivating, and Call Me was thoroughly stuck in my head.

As it turns out a Buddha Bowl is a whole freak’n lot of good eating. I’m not a vegan by any stretch of the imagination, but this meal-in-a-bowl was so good I didn’t miss a meat source. At all. I’m not sure this is the same recipe she used, but it seems close. (http://minimalistbaker.com/sweet-potato-chickpea-buddha-bowl/)

Finding a new way to appreciate veggies? The best part of my day.

5.0 from 40 reviews

SWEET POTATO CHICKPEA BUDDHA BOWL

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 30 mins

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.