Mexican Buddha Bowl
- ktsveggielife
- Mar 1, 2017
- 3 min read
Alright, time for more Mexican food. I have been holding out on you.
So, if you recall, when we got home from New Zealand, all we wanted were vegetables and Mexican food. You would think a vegan diet would be easy in New Zealand. It is, if you are willing to pay out the nose for it. However, as my mother says, I can make a penny scream because I am overly frugal. She says I have a lot of Grammie in me. Her mother was the most frugal person to ever walk the planet. I have yet to scrape down the sides of the fridge and call it soup, but I have come close...
With that, I was really needing the following:
1. Home cooked meal that was in no way pre-made
2. Lots of veggies
3. Mexican food
Usually, Mexican food doesn't have a ton of vegetables unless you are counting your salsa, maybe some lettuce, unless you get fancy pants. So, I got fancy-pantsy and satisfied our need and desire for a lot of veggies with our desire for Mexican food by flipping the traditional Buddha bowl on its head. I did it by using the traditional staples of a Buddha bowl, but cooking/seasoning them like I was making Mexican food and it was delicious. We were all (little guy included) really excited about this one. Excited enough that my husband actually said to me, "You should open a vegan restaurant." I looked at him in awe and gratitude. Then he said, "No, that's a bad idea. You should sell your recipes to a vegan restaurant." And I agree starting up, owning, and running a restaurant sounds like way too much work for this girl. I don't want to be that tied down. Derek's dad owns a steak house in Arizona and he can never get away from it. Way too much work, I would rather eat good food at home and play lots. Maybe I will do a cookbook one day. But that is still far far away.
Enough about dreams for the future, let's talk dinner. (Writing this post is making me hungry.) When I was planning this meal out in my mind, I had the brilliant thought that I should actually soak my beans prior, that rarely happens. So, the directions will call for dry beans, however, if you are in a pinch, just use one can of black beans. It is the same and you will be fine.
Ingredients
2 c quinoa, uncooked (I like to have left overs for lunches and breakfast)
1 c dry black beans, soaked in 4 c water
1 T + 1.5 tsp cumin, divided
2.5 tsp chili powder, divided
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil
1 large sweet potato, washed and cut into strips
1 zucchini, washed and cut into coins
kale, washed, de-ribbed, and shredded
avocados
1/4 c tahini
1 T maple syrup
1-2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
hot water to thin
Directions
1. Soak 1 c black beans in 4 c water for 3-4 hours. Drain, rinse, and return to pressure cooker with 4- c water. Seal pressure cooker and heat over high heat until a steady stream of steam is coming out and steam 7 minutes. Do a natural pressure release. Drain, season with 1 T cumin, 2 tsp chili powder, garlic powder, and paprika, and set aside.
*If you didn't pre-soak your beans, pressure cook for 30 minutes and do a normal pressure release
**Or just use 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2. Combine quinoa with 4 (plus a little bit) c water in a rice cooker and let it do its thing.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and cut sweet potato in 1x3" strips. Put them in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp chili powder, salt and pepper and stir until evenly coated. Place on a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, wash and chop zucchini, place in bowl, drizzle with oil, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp chili powder, and salt and pepper and stir to coat. Set aside.
5. Once 10 minutes of sweet potato cooking is up, stir sweet potatoes and add zucchini. bake 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, wash, dry, and shred kale. Drizzle with oil and salt and pepper.
7. Once 10 minutes are up, stir sweet potato and zucchini and add kale. Bake 5 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, make tahini sauce by combining tahini, syrup, lime juice, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and hot water (it should be a running consistency.)
9. Build your bowl. Layer everything however you want, top with avocado, and drizzle with tahini and
ENJOY
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