An Onion Exposed: Oven Roasted Buddha Bowl

Until a few months ago, I had never heard of a buddha bowl. I wasn't even really sure why it was called that until I looked it up. Basically, what I found was a compilation of opinions on what a buddha bowl is. What it boils down to is that a buddha bowl is meant to cleanse your mind and body. It is generally whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, etc.) and fresh vegetables (cooked or raw). A yummy pile of good-for-you deliciousness.

Since there are so many variations, there are no wrong vegetables to use. This is a very basic recipe so go ahead and add any veggies or fresh herbs you get the hankering to toss in there. If you aren't sure about the garbanzo beans, please just try it! My husband and I both agree that they add so much to this dish. If you decide you don't like them, they are very easy to pick out. :)

We've made buddha bowls so many times since we found the first recipe. They also never taste the same for us! We have a tendency to mix it up and never really quite follow a recipe for cooking. Baking is another story, but when we cook, a recipe always tastes similar, but never the exact same. The recipe below is the base of what we generally make. The best part is that no matter how we make it, we both always enjoy it. It's a great go-to meal that is easy and you feel good about eating. Which is good, cuz I think that's the whole point. :)

*If you don't like the dressing, or don't have nutritional yeast, feel free to use your dressing of choice. However, I strongly suggest giving this dressing a shot. Just remember, a little goes a long way. :)

Ingredients

1 small head cauliflower

1 small head broccoli

1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas or garbanzo beans

olive oil

salt & pepper

brown rice or quinoa, cooked

Dressing

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice

1/2 tsp. garlic paste

1/4 c. nutritional yeast flakes

1/3-1/2 c. water

salt & pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Clean and chop the broccoli and cauliflower into florets.

Dab dry with paper towels, if needed.

Rinse and drain chickpeas.

Place on paper towels and pat dry.

Combine broccoli, cauliflower, and chickpeas in a large bowl.

Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top.

Gently stir, adding a little more oil if needed to coat it all evenly.

Add salt and pepper and gently stir again.

Spread on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

(If you have more veggies than me, it will be pretty full. You may need to use 2 sheet pans.)

Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes without touching them.

Gently shake pan to move the chickpeas around and return to the oven.

Bake another 15-20 minutes or until veggies are tender and edges are crispy.

While the veggies are roasting, go ahead and make your dressing.

Add all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Set the dressing aside. (It will be pretty runny.)

When veggies and chickpeas are done, remove from the oven.

Scoop onto a bed of quinoa or brown rice and toss.

Serve immediately with dressing drizzled over the top.

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(Directions with Photos)