Roasted Root Vegetable Buddha Bowl with Ginger Tahini Sauce

I ought to admit from the start that this is a no-recipe kinda recipe. The art of the buddha bowl is more of a basic technique rather than an exact science, giving you the freedom to experiment + use whatever ingredients you have on hand. The key is taking an hour or two each week to prep these components: roast up some spiced veggies while making a big pot of brown rice, have some greens and beans at the ready, whip up a quick sauce, and voila! You’ve got the makings of a gosh darn good meal. While there’s no official definition of a buddha bowl, in our kitchen they typically consist of a few key components, which can all be prepped ahead of time and assembled on the fly:

  1. Dark leafy greens

  2. Healthy whole grains (such as brown rice)

  3. Cooked pulses/legumes (lentils, chickpeas, black beans)

  4. Assorted roasted and/or raw vegetables

  5. A delicious sauce

  6. Some crunchy seeds + fresh herbs

Today I’m sharing a basic buddha bowl “recipe” featuring roasted root veggies and a fabulous ginger-tahini sauce – keep scrolling for the low-down on how it’s done!

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Roasted Root Vegetable Buddha Bowl with Ginger Tahini Sauce

ingredients

For the Buddha Bowl
  • 3 lbs root vegetables (ex: carrots, sweet potatoes, beets), chopped to 1/2” dice
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2-3 cups assorted greens (ex: spinach, kale, arugula)
  • 2-3 cups cooked whole grain (ex: rice, quinoa, barley, millet)
  • 2-3 cups cooked pulse (ex: lentils, black beans, chickpeas, lentils)
  • Ginger Tahini Sauce (see recipe below)
  • Handful pumpkin seeds/pepitas
  • Fresh chopped herbs (ex: parsley, mint, basil)
Ginger Tahini Sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup peanut or almond butter
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons white miso (can omit if needed)
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon gluten free liquid aminos
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup water + additional to thin if necessary

instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
  2. Toss the chopped root vegetables in a large bowl with a few tablespoons of olive oil, a splash of apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon garam masala (or any spice combo of your choice).
  3. Pour the vegetables out onto a baking sheet in a single layer (use two trays if needed). Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until tender and beginning to brown. Turn the vegetables over halfway through to prevent burning. 
  4. While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the Tahini Sauce: Simply add all the sauce ingredients to a small food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If the sauce is too thick, simply add a bit more water. 
  5. To prepare the buddha bowls: In each person's bowl (or in one big bowl) start with a base of mixed greens. Add a scoop of your cooked whole grain and pulse/beans to each bowl, and top everything with a generous scoop of roasted vegetables. Drizzle with the Tahini Sauce and finish with a flourish of seeds (I love pumpkin seeds/pepitas) and chopped fresh herbs.
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Roasted Delicata Squash with Moroccan Quinoa

Every year I’m a bit reluctant to say goodbye to summer and all its abundance - tomatoes! corn! zucchini! basil! - but once October rolls around, I’m finally ready to embrace all the winter squash, root vegetables, and warming spices that arrive each autumn. This recipe makes a truly beautiful fall side dish or vegetarian entree, featuring roasted winter squash stuffed with bright flavors thanks to heaps of citrus, fresh, herbs, and plump pomegranates. While I hesitate to play favorites, delicata squash miiiight just be my favorite variety of winter squash, because of its super sweet flesh and (bonus!) edible outer skin. If you don’t have access to delicata squash, acorn or kabocha squash make great substitutes.

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Delicata Squash with Moroccan Quinoa

prep time: 25 minscook time: 45 minstotal time: 70 mins

ingredients

2 delicata squash (or substitute with acorn squash)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 cup quinoa

1 yellow onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 bunch lacinato kale, de-stemmed and chopped

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

½ cup diced feta cheese, plus more for garnish

½ cup pomegranate seeds, plus more for garnish

instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Cut the delicata squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the cut sides of the squash and season with salt + pepper.
  3. Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Flip the squash over and continue cooking, cut side up, until you can easily pierce the flesh with a knife,  about 10 to 15 minutes longer (timing will depend on the size of your squash). Remove the squash from the oven and let cool slightly.
  4. While the squash roasts, in a medium saucepan bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 cup of quinoa, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and steam quinoa for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and transfer to a wide bowl.
  5. While the squash and quinoa are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide saute pan. When the oil is hot, add the diced onion and saute until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Lower the heat slightly and add the minced garlic, cumin, paprika, coriander, and cinnamon. Saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped kale and juice of 1 lemon, and saute until the leaves collapse, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove this mixture from the heat and add it to the bowl of cooked quinoa.
  6. Add the chopped mint, cilantro, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, feta, and pomegranates to the bowl of quinoa and toss until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  7. Divide the quinoa mixture among the cavities of the roasted squash. (You will likely have extra quinoa leftover... it makes a great salad the next day). Garnish with an extra sprinkle of feta and pomegranates. Serve and enjoy!
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Baked Sea Bass with Chimichurri Sauce

One secret to cooking seriously good food is having a killer sauce on hand at all times. My go-to summer-time sauce is Chimichurri, a traditional Argentinean condiment with countless variations, but pretty much always involves fresh parsley, garlic olive oil, vinegar, and some red pepper flakes or chili powder. I like to describe this sauce as PUNCHY - ie you should really taste the vinegar / garlic / fresh herbs in every bite. I like to spoon this glorious green goodness over grilled meats, potatoes, or (as in this case) seafood - and I've learned to always make extra, as it tends to be the sauce that everyone reaches for at dinner parties. 

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BAKED SEA BASS WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

SEABASS WITH CHIMICHURRI

PREP + COOK TIME:

Ingredients:
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 small shallot, coarsely chopped
  • 1 packed cup parsley leaves
  • 1/2 packed cup cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning fish

  • 1.5-2 lbs sea bass (or halibut or similar mild white, flakey fish), cut into 4 portions

    • Instructions:
    1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
    2. To make the chimichurri sauce: Combine all the chimichurri ingredients in a small food processor and pulse until well chopped, but not pureed. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed - keep in mind you want the sauce to be pretty punchy from the vinegar, garlic, fresh herbs, etc!
    3. Lightly season the fish with kosher salt. Rub each portion of fish with a generous spoonful of the chimichurri and place on a foil-lined baking tray. Reserve remaining sauce for serving.
    4. Bake for 15-18 minutes — depending on the thickness of the fish — or until fish is firm and almost opaque all the way through (and reads 135F on an instant thermometer). Serve with the reserved chimichurri sauce. I love serving this dish with creamy polenta and slow roasted tomatoes.

Summer Tomato, Zucchini & Corn Galette

As a recovering perfectionist, I’ve come to realize that galettes (aka rustic tarts) are good for me. They teach me to embrace the the imperfect, and they’re a reminder that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. A galette is just a fancy name for a simple pastry dough that wraps up a delicious filling - whether sweet or savory. At peak summer, I love whipping up a filling full of summer veggies and fresh herbs, wrapped up in golden, crispy pastry. For my most recent galette creation, I was inspired by this stellar recipe from Deb Perlman, of the blog Smitten Kitchen. Deb is my go-to girl for dishes that are crowd-friendly and turn out EVERY TIME, so make sure you check out her blog and cookbooks. Inside this humble galette, we've got ripe summer tomatoes, tender zucchini, juicy corn, and fresh basil + salty parmesan cheese. I highly encourage you to use this recipe as a jumping off point - feel free to mix up the filling with whatever produce and flavors you have on hand. 

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SUMMER TOMATO, ZUCCHINI, AND CORN GALETTE

Serves: 4-6

Summer Galette

Prep time:

Ingredients:
    FOR THE PASTRY
  • 1 1/4 cups (160 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 8 tablespoons (4 ounces or 113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup (60 grams) plain yogurt or sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) ice water

    • FOR THE FILLING
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (or 1 can chopped tomatoes)
  • 1 ear corn, cut from the cob (about 1 cup)
  • 1 zucchini or summer squash, diced
  • Kosher salt and freskly ground pepper to taste
  • Splash of balsamic vinegar
  • Handful fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg yolk + splash of water (for pastry glaze)

Instructions:
  1. MAKE THE DOUGH: Whisk stir the flour and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter over dough and using a fork or your fingertips, work it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add this to the butter-flour mixture. With your fingertips or a wooden spoon, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 2 days.

  2. MAKE THE FILLING: In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil and add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Cover your saute pan with a lid and heat over high heat. Roll the tomatoes around to make sure they cook evenly. (If using canned tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes, cook tomatoes with the cover off to evaporate as much liquid as possible.) When most of the cherry tomatoes have burst, remove lid, turn heat down to medium and add the corn kernels and diced zucchini, sauteing until the corn and zucchini soften, 3-4 minutes. Stir in a splash of balsamic vinegar and the chopped fresh basil, just stirring them in, then turn off heat. Adjust seasonings if needed. Transfer mixture to a large plate and spread it out, so that it will cool faster. You want it cooled to at least lukewarm before assembling the galette.

  3. ASSEMBLE GALETTE: Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured sheet of parchment, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round (it doesn’t need to be perfectly shaped - remember, we're embracing imperfection)! Gently transfer the parchment with the rolled-out dough onto a baking sheet. Scoop the tomato-zucchini-corn mixture with half of parmesan and spoon the mixture into the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Sprinkle with almost all of remaining parmesan, leaving a pinch or two behind for the crust. Fold the dough over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush crust with egg yolk glaze (1 egg yoke beaten with slash of water) and sprinkle glaze with last pinches of parmesan.

  4. BAKE THE GALETTE: For 35 to 40 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.