Buddha Bowl

This one dish meal hits all nutritional punch points: vegetables,
grains, and protein.  (I am so sorry for the dreary colors!  This
dish was exciting with it's rainbow of fresh foods.)

 "Buddha Bowl" seems to be the token name these days for "throw together" vegan meals with delicious flavors.  Some call it the fast-food of healthful eating.  My family is not vegan, but I do go through common phases where all I crave are vegan meals.  My meat-eater men have to suck it up and go along with what is presented at the dinner table.  And, luckily, they don't seem to mind.  We call it a cleansing meal or week.  No one feels guilty or bloated after these meals.  (Well okay, sometimes I get a whiner who wants meat.  I will cook something small for them on the side.)

The Buddha Bowl mix above is suggested by a favorite blog "Oh She Glows", written by Angela Liddon.  I swapped a few ingredients from the original but that is what is great about these recipes.  Use what is in season or what you have in the pantry.  This wonderful medley of farro, roasted broccoli and cauliflower, roasted garbanzo beans, and tofu, was dressed with a cashew nut sauce.  It made my family happy,  If you need to limit gluten, swap out the farro for quinoa, rice, or other grain or seed.  Just remember to keep it balanced.

We will revisit Buddha Bowls because I think they are the next generation of "pull-together" dinners for families on the go.  The idea that one can pull a can of beans out, line a bowl with lettuce, add different vegetable toppings, and whether it is vegetable only meal or animal protein included, this is a really healthy family meal concept.  My family really likes a lemony tahini salad dressing, but a basic vinaigrette works as well.

serves:  5
prep time:  30 minutes

Mixed lettuces
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and dried on a towel
1 block firm tofu, about 14  ounces, cubed*
2 Tblsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Cooked Farro, 5 servings worth

Cashew Sauce

1/2 C. raw cashews, soaked overnight, drained
2 Tblsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tblsp tahini
1 large garlic clove
1/4 C. nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
6 Tblsp water, or as needed to thin out

*You can either serve the tofu raw, or roasted.  For roasted, place on a pan and toss with a little Tamari and oil.  Roast as you would the garbanzos.  They can even cook on the same pan.  They become chewy and my boys eat them as snack food.

After the cashews have been soaked, add all ingredients to a blender and whir on high speed until smooth.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place garbanzo beans on a baking sheet.  Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Stir garbanzos, then cook for another 15 minutes until golden and slightly crisp.

Start by roasting the garbanzo beans.

Roast broccoli and cauliflower the same way as the garbanzos.  Place on baking sheet, toss with olive oil, and season lightly.  Bake 15 minutes, turn veggies, and bake another 15 minutes or until they are roasted to your satisfaction.

In the same 400 degree oven, roast the cauliflower and broccoli.

Build your Buddha Bowl by lining a serving bowl with lettuces.  Then top with your choice of vegetables, in this case roasted broccoli and cauliflower.  Add a quarter cup of farro and a quarter cup of garbanzos.  Add a half cup of cubed tofu (this may be roasted or served fresh), then top with cashew nut dressing.

This is a simple side salad of avocado and tomato.  You may add this to the bowl,
or not.

  

Another side salad, this one fresh fruit.

For information on Oh She Glows Buddha Bowls, here is a link.... http://ohsheglows.com/2013/03/05/roasted-buddha-bowl

- Kim Fielding

Roasted Brocollette, Cauliflower, and Onion

Slow roasting carmelizes and sweetens these veggies.  We like them crunchy roasted,

but it is your choice how long you cook them.

We all lead busy lives.  Period.  And we often struggle to get food on the table in a timely fashion.  

Of course we want our meals to be healthy and tasty but think we don't have time for that.  In the Alpha Plan, or for anyone's eating plan for that matter, there is a quick way to think about your meals. Divide your dining plate into quarters: one quarter for salad, one quarter for vegetable (as shown here), one quarter for starch, and one quarter for protein.

One quarter starch is 1/2 cup rice, potato, or noodles; one quarter protein is 3-4 ounces meat or tofu; the other half is vegetable to include a salad and vegetables separate from a salad.  Vegetable portions are generally not limited.

For working parents or for anyone with young children who have "no time", crockpots work wonders.  Place your veggies and protein into the slow-cooker and off you go.  Much later, make a quick green salad to accompany your crockpot meal.  If needed, pick up a baguette and slice it to accompany the meal.  Think about this... your starch (baguette). protein and veggies in the crockpot, and a salad on the side.  Perfect.

Our family is on the move constantly and I am so thankful for the pre-packaged salad mixes on our grocery shelves these days.

Three vegetables for this roasted side dish.  Prepare the veggies for roasting and toss
with oil.  Season with salt, pepper, and whatever else you like and toss again.
Bake at 325 until tender.

When I prepare meals, I think about what would take the most time to cook and start with that.  If we are preparing a quick saute or poached protein that takes minutes to cook, I will start cooking the longer cook-time grain or starch first.   This  may be rice or potatoes, or whatever starch you choose and may take 30-45 minutes to cook.  Next, roast your veggies or prepare them for steaming.  Prep your salad and set on the table with the dressing on the side. 

Ready to cook.  These cruciferous vegetables are abundant in winter.
 Each offers their own unique health benefits, one being fiber.

On a baking sheet, toss your cleaned and cut vegetables into even-sized pieces.  Drizzle olive oil, a little salt and pepper over, and toss with your hands.  Place in a 325 degree oven and cook for about 15 minutes.  Pull the sheet of veggies out and toss them.  Put back in the oven and cook another 15 or so minutes until the veggies are cooked/soft.

Each one cup serving of roasted broccolette, cauliflower, and onion offers less than 160 calories, a full daily compliment of vitamin C, and 6 grams fiber(!).

- Kim Fielding