(This Roasted Veggie Buddha Bowl with Quinoa recipe can be found on the site Well Plated here.)
Step by Step Instructions:
Get ready to eat seriously healthy and delicious food with this Roasted Veggie Buddha Bowl with Quinoa recipe! Here’s what you’ll need: Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, 8-12 ounces of Cauliflower florets, 8-12 ounces of Broccoli florets, Salt & Pepper, 3/4 cup of uncooked Quinoa, 1 medium Red Onion cut in thick slices, block of extra firm Tofu (you’ll notice mine is sliced in 1 inch slices and is frozen), and a Cucumber, Avocado, and sliced Almonds for topping.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While it heats, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, and red onions on the baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of EVOO over the veggies and add salt and pepper to taste.
Stir the veggies around so they’re coated in the oil and seasonings and place them in a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes stirring halfway through.
I did a “fried” method with my tofu, so that it had a bit more texture. I placed the frozen block of tofu in a small saucepan of boiling water. You’ll remove it from the pan when the tofu starts to float.
Time to get the quinoa going. Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan.
Then add the quinoa and a pinch of salt to the boiling water. Stir it and once it’s boiling again, cover and reduce the heat and cook per your quinoa’s package instructions.
While everything is cooking away, now is the perfect time to make the tahini mint dressing for your Roasted Veggie Buddha Bowl with Quinoa. You’ll need: 1 1/2 cups of lightly packed Fresh Mint (I ran out of mint and used fresh basil in addition to the mint and it worked great), Salt and Pepper, Tahini, 2 Lemons, and 1/2 cup of lightly packed fresh Parsley leaves.
At this point, it’s time to stir the veggies halfway through their cooking time and then pop them back in the oven.
In a small food processor you’ll mix the dressing with 1/2 cup of Tahini, 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice, the fresh mint and parsley, 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Process the dressing until it’s smooth. Then set it aside until you’re ready for it.
When the tofu is finished boiling, transfer it to a paper towel lined plate and pat the strips dry.
Here are the veggies all roasted up and seriously delicious. If you aren’t quite ready for them, just turn off the oven and pop them back in the oven until you’re ready.
Once the tofu is able to be handled, slice it into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch pieces.
Then heat a non-stick pan (I used the same one my quinoa had cooked in to save me some dishwashing) and add 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil to the pan.
Once the oil is hot, carefully add the tofu to the pan. Cook it so that it’s crispy and golden on each side.
When the tofu is nice and crispy, transfer it to a plate.
In a separate bowl, add the tofu and a few spoonfuls of dressing and stir so the tofu is coated. I would only do this with the tofu you’ll be eating right away. (That way you can store all of the ingredients separately so that the leftovers taste just as great and the tofu doesn’t get soggy.)
Now the Roasted Veggie Buddha Bowl with Quinoa gets put together. Each person gets their own bowl. In it you’ll put about 1/4 cup or so of quinoa.
Then add a healthy serving of roasted veggies.
Finally add your tofu (about 5-7 pieces per bowl) to the Roasted Veggie Buddha Bowl with Quinoa. The final step is to serve with your favorite fixings. I add half an avocado sliced, a few slices of cucumbers, some sliced almonds, and a few drizzles of dressing. And that’s it, my friend! Time to dive in and enjoy right away! Happy Buddha Bowl-ing!
- For the Buddha Bowl:
- ¾ cup uncooked Quinoa
- 1 medium Red Onion, cut into ½-inch rings, rings mostly separated but still left "chunky" (no need to split every layer)
- ¾ pound cut Broccoli Florets
- ¾ pound cut Cauliflower Florets (about ½ medium-sized head), cut into slightly smaller pieces than the broccoli
- 2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, plus additional for cooking the quinoa
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 (12 to 14-ounce) block Extra Firm Tofu (do not use firm or silken), removed from packaged and pressed dry
- 2 small, ripe Avocados
- Optional for serving: Sliced cucumbers, toasted almonds or pistachios, additional fresh mint and parsley
- For the Tahini dressing:
- ½ cup Tahini, well stirred
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed Lemon Juice (about 2 large lemons)
- 1½ cups lightly packed fresh Mint Leaves (about 1 of the herb packs)
- ½ cup lightly packed fresh Parsley Leaves
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Start off by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Then line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, and red onions to the baking sheet. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over the veggies and season with salt and pepper. Toss, spread into a single layer, and bake for 25 minutes, stirring the veggies halfway through.
- While the veggies cook, bring 1½ cups of water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, add ¾ cup of uncooked quinoa and a pinch of salt. Cook the quinoa according to your package instructions.
- I also started working on my tofu while the veggies roasted. You can use whatever method you’d like. I went with this method where you freeze a block of tofu that you’ve sliced lengthwise for at least 3 hours. Then add it to a small pot of boiling water and cook until it floats. Remove the tofu from the water at that point, and pat it dry with a paper towel and cut into ½-inch cubes. Then you’ll “fry” each side of the tofu in about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil until each side is crispy.
- Also as the veggies roast, the tahini dressing can be made. Add ½ cup of tahini, ½ cup of water, ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice, 1½ cups of lightly packed mint leaves, ½ cup of lightly packed fresh parsley leaves, and ¾ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper to a food processor and combine until the dressing is smooth.
- Then it’s time to put together the salad. Toss the tofu with a couple of spoonfuls of dressing. In individual bowls, put together your Buddha Bowl. Add about ¼-1/3 cup of quinoa, plenty of roasted veggies, and the dressing coated tofu to a bowl. Then top with your favorite toppings like sliced cucumbers, avocado slices, and sliced almonds. Enjoy!
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