Vegan Buddha Bowl with Spicy Peanut Dressing - a great healthy take to work lunch or one bowl one fork Netflix marathon evening meal! Roasted cauliflower, herby cashews, crisp baked tofu, roasted mushrooms, spicy quinoa all vegan and gluten free | thecookandhim.com

Posted in Recipes on 14.03.2018

Vegan Buddha Bowl with Spicy Peanut Dressing

prep: 60 mins / cook: 60 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 2 hours 0 mins / quantity: 4 servings Print recipe?

egan Buddha Bowl with Spicy Peanut Dressing - a great healthy take to work lunch or one bowl one fork Netflix marathon evening meal! Roasted cauliflower, herby cashews, crisp baked tofu, roasted mushrooms, spicy quinoa all vegan and gluten free | thecookandhim.com

Am I a little too late to the buddha bowl party?  It’s still a thing right?  I mean I’ve been seeing them all over Instagram and Pinterest for months and they’ve always looked SO delicious.  But one thing led to another and I’m only just now FINALLY getting round to making one.

But boy oh boy oh boy was it worth it worth the wait!  I think buddha bowl is code for how to cram as many deliciously healthy things into one bowl then sit on a cloud of virtue armed with just a fork and nom away to your heart’s content.  And I actually said to Phil that it was one of THE tastiest things I’d ever eaten.

Do you make buddha bowls?  Drop me a comment with other awesome flavour combinations I can try!

Vegan Buddha Bowl with Spicy Peanut Dressing - a great healthy take to work lunch or one bowl one fork Netflix marathon evening meal! Roasted cauliflower, herby cashews, crisp baked tofu, roasted mushrooms, spicy quinoa all vegan and gluten free | thecookandhim.com

I love cooking for other people – having a houseful of chatter, laughter and food and more often than not plenty of guitar playing!  But LEFTOVERS!  Rummaging through all the containers in the fridge the next day and just chucking things together on a plate or in a bowl.  Buddha bowls feel exactly like that!

To be honest, you can put practically anything you want into a buddha bowl so I went with all my current favourite flavours …

Roasted cauliflower.  This barely made it to the bowl because I will literally eat it straight out of the oven, straight off the tray

Vegan Buddha Bowl with Spicy Peanut Dressing - a great healthy take to work lunch or one bowl one fork Netflix marathon evening meal! Roasted cauliflower, herby cashews, crisp baked tofu, roasted mushrooms, spicy quinoa all vegan and gluten free | thecookandhim.com
Vegan Buddha Bowl with Spicy Peanut Dressing - a great healthy take to work lunch or one bowl one fork Netflix marathon evening meal! Roasted cauliflower, herby cashews, crisp baked tofu, roasted mushrooms, spicy quinoa all vegan and gluten free | thecookandhim.com

Marinated and baked tofu – as tofu absorbs all the flavours round it you can make this as salty/spicy/downright delicious as you like!  I used soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic powder but you can use all manner of herbs and spices for your own taste!

Vegan Buddha Bowl with Spicy Peanut Dressing - a great healthy take to work lunch or one bowl one fork Netflix marathon evening meal! Roasted cauliflower, herby cashews, crisp baked tofu, roasted mushrooms, spicy quinoa all vegan and gluten free | thecookandhim.com

Fresh and colourful veggies and herbs – because we eat with our eyes first.  And these colours just draw you and your fork in!

Vegan Buddha Bowl with Spicy Peanut Dressing - a great healthy take to work lunch or one bowl one fork Netflix marathon evening meal! Roasted cauliflower, herby cashews, crisp baked tofu, roasted mushrooms, spicy quinoa all vegan and gluten free | thecookandhim.com

The other ‘ingredients’ are cooked quinoa (handy cooking guide here), these herby cashew nuts, and mushrooms roasted with camelina seeds.

Now don’t panic – it seems like there’s a heck of a lot going on in one bowl.  But if you’re into your healthy eating you’ll know all about food prepping for the week.  And because there’s an absolute plethora of flavours going on in this bowl it’s impossible to get bored so make everything in one day and have the whole lot ready and waiting in your fridge!

Let’s talk about the thing that is Jackpot Peanut Butter.  Salty, decadent, rich and wholesome.  THIS is what peanut butter for adults should taste like.  We consume a LOT of peanut butter in this house.  I’m ALWAYS using it in recipes.  Phil’s always spreading it on apples.  But Jackpot is sublimely crunchy and SO full of flavour.  Just ask Kieran ?  And makes the whole buddha bowl come together in an Asian inspired fusion of flavour and colour.

Vegan Buddha Bowl with Spicy Peanut Dressing - a great healthy take to work lunch or one bowl one fork Netflix marathon evening meal! Roasted cauliflower, herby cashews, crisp baked tofu, roasted mushrooms, spicy quinoa all vegan and gluten free | thecookandhim.com

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Vegan Buddha Bowl with Spicy Peanut Dressing

prep: 60 mins / cook: 60 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 2 hours 0 mins / quantity: 4 servings

Ingredients

Marinated Tofu

  • 400g tofu
  • 1 tblsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tblsp olive oil
  • 1 tblsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup water

Roasted Cauliflower

  • 1 large cauliflower
  • few sprigs fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • few sprigs fresh rosemary needles or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tblsp olive oil

Roasted Mushrooms

  • 150g baby chestnut mushrooms
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tblsp camelina seeds
  • drizzle of olive oil

Dressing

  • 2 tblsp jackpot peanut butter
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tblsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp tahini
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 3 cups cooked quinoa
  • Herb roasted cashew nuts
  • Plenty of salt and pepper
  • Fresh vegetables and herbs – I’ve used cherry tomatoes and diced pepper simply mixed with some fresh shredded basil

Optional

  • avocado (see note)

Instructions

  1. Start by marinating the tofu - in a shallow dish put the soy sauce, both oils, garlic powder and water and whisk together.  Open the pack of tofu and drain off the liquid then cut the tofu into bite sized chunks and lay in the dish with the marinade.  Set aside (you can do this for anything from an hour to overnight)
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 Fan / 200 C / 400 F / Gas 6 and line 1 medium and 1 small tray with greaseproof or a silicon mat
  3. Break the cauliflower into florets and put into a large bowl with the herbs, oil and and a good pinch of seasoning and toss all together.  Put onto a tray and roast in the oven for 25 minutes
  4. While they're roasting you can make these herby cashew nuts - use the same bowl as the cauliflower for mixing together to save on washing up ? and cook alongside the cauliflower
  5. Last thing to go in the oven is the tofu - remove from the marinade and place onto a baking tray lined with parchment or a silicon mat.  This needs to cook for around 45 minutes until golden
  6. While all that's going on in the oven cook the mushrooms - heat a drizzle of oil in a small frying pan, add the mushrooms and cook over a gentle heat till they start to soften.  Add the balsamic vinegar and camelina seeds as well as a good pinch of salt and pepper and continue to cook until the mushrooms are cooked and golden
  7. Chop and mix together whatever fresh veggies/herbs you're using
  8. Whisk together the dressing ingredients or put everything into a lidded jar and shake shake shake!
  9. Once you have everything cooked you can assemble a bowl straight away or portion it up and use it throughout the week for a quick and hearty meal

Notes

  • Avocado needs to be added just before you eat it or it oxidises and goes black unless rubbed with lemon and/or tightly wrapped in cling film.  I mostly faffed with it for decorative purposes here but it was still delicious ?
Vegan Buddha Bowl with Spicy Peanut Dressing

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Hello there!  I’m Sam, former Michelin star pastry chef and now your go-to vegan foodie on a mission to make plant-based eating a deliciously easy adventure!  From cozy comfort foods to vibrant salads and decadent desserts, there’s something for everyone in my kitchen.

Whether you’re cooking for one or for a houseful I believe food doesn’t have to be complicated to be full of FLAVOUR and I want to show you how.  I’ve been a rigorous meal planner for over a decade whilst embracing seasonal ingredients (because that’s where the real flavour is!)

I’m also a dedicated dog mum to Nooch and Baxter and enjoy cooking them homemade treats (many of which are posted here) when I’m not screaming at the tennis or devouring fantasy fiction.

All things autumn - warming soups, savoury bakes and delicious sweet treats!

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