Prep Notes
The Buddha Bowl is like a big salad, but more nourishing as they are filled with the likes of greens, grains, raw and cooked veggies, nuts, seeds…. kind of the whole kitchen. Adding just the right sauce, dip or topping brings the whole bowl to a new level of taste and texture.
I created this particular bowl just in time to use up leftover turkey, but there are not real rules with the buddha bowl. So if you don’t have wild rice use brown rice. If you have green cabbage rather than purple, use it. Just fill it up with as much variety you can and enjoy how nutritious and hearty a big buddha can be.
Cooking Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
2 tbls coconut or olive oil
1/4 head of cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
6-12 brussel sprouts, cut in half
1/4 cup raw almonds, chopped
1/4 cup dried fruit (apricots, figs, etc), chopped
1 cup cooked turkey, shredded or diced
1 cup cooked wild rice
1 cup purple cabbage, thinly sliced
1 radish, sliced thin
1 handful cilantro, chopped
Crispy Chickpeas (optional but adds a great crunch)
Smoky Paprika Tahini Sauce:
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbls tamari (or soy sauce)
3 tbls fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp salt
Directions
Heat the oil in a large fry pan over medium high heat. Add in the chopped onions and cauliflower, cook for 5 minutes tossing often. The goal is to just begin to soften the cauliflower not cook it all the way through. Toss in the garlic, dried fruit and a pinch of salt and pepper, cook for another minute and then pour into a bowl.
In the same pan add the halved brussel sprouts, cut side down. If the pan is really dry you can add another drizzle of oil. Also add in the chopped almonds. Place the pan over the medium high heat and let it cook a few minutes just to sear the sprouts. Toss or flip and cook another couple of minutes. Pour into the bowl with the cauliflower, cover with foil and set aside.
Add the cooked wild rice to the pan, pushing it to one side of the pan. On the other side add in the chopped turkey. Add in a about 1/4 cup water, cover and set over medium heat.
Blend the sauce: Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste, adjust if you like a bit more lemon, salt or paprika or a tad more water for a runnier sauce.
Place the sliced cabbage, radishes and cilantro on a plate. Set out along with the cooked veggies and the pan of rice and turkey. Let everyone build their own bowl by adding a few scoops of each item: the cauliflower/brussel sprout/almonds/dried fruit mixture, a spoon of wild rice and turkey, a bit of purple cabbage, a few radishes and a pinch of cilantro. I like to offer a good coarse salt and extra pepper for guest to add as well as the crispy chickpeas. (Try my recipe for Crispy, Crunchy, Roasted Chickpeas.) Top with a good drizzle of the smokey tahini sauce and enjoy while warm.
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