Vegetarian in 30 Minutes

Some days life has too many demands and dinner cannot take an hour to make. Last Tuesday was one of those days. I finished up late at work, was working on a Pampered Chef fundraiser, needed to make some phone calls and the bathroom was in dire need of cleaning. 

Now that Spring has arrived I want to spend time outside - on the deck, in the garden and walking in the neighborhood. Last week started a wonderful spate of beautiful weather; warm, sunny and pleasant. So when Tuesday rolled around I was searching for something healthy and fast - and this Buddha bowl was the ticket. 

The recipe serves 2 but you can easily double it and have leftovers for later in the week. This was so delicious, it will definitely go into the rotation and when the broccoli and spinach ripen in the garden - well let’s just say I can’t wait. 

Ingredients

Quinoa

1 Cup Quinoa rinsed

2 Cups Water

Roasted Chickpeas

1 can chickpeas

Drizzle Olive Oil or other neutral oil

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika

1 Tsp Adobo Chili Powder

1/8 Tsp Turmeric

1/2 Tsp Oregano

Red Pepper Sauce

1 Red Bell Pepper ribs and seeds removed

2 Tbs Olive Oil or other neutral oil

Juice from 1 Lemon

1/2 Tsp Pepper

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Paprika

1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro 

Add In’s

Steamed broccoli - I used one crown

Fresh spinach - Dan added spinach to his but I opted out 

Avocado - 1/2 avocado per person

Sesame seed (black or white)

Instructions

Prepare the quinoa by bring 2 cups water to a boil, then add quinoa. Simmer for about 15 minutes until all water is absorbed. When done, remove from heat and keep covered for about 10 minutes so quinoa can absorb any excess water.

Preheat oven to 425. In a bowl, toss chickpeas, oil, and spices until chickpeas are evenly coated. Roast on a stoneware baking sheet for 15 minutes. When done, remove from oven and let cool.

To make red pepper sauce, add all dressing ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth. 

Assemble the buddha bowls. 

In two bowls, divide quinoa, steamed broccoli, spinach, avocados and chickpeas. Drizzle everything with red pepper sauce, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

To be honest we should have made a double batch of the red pepper sauce - It was so delicious and I wanted to lick the bowl (Ok the roasted chick peas were pretty awesome too!).