The Big Thanksgiving Feast is over, and at this point, the pie should all have been joyfully consumed. I know that I am thankful for every delicious bite.
In this post-holiday lull, before we start ramping up for the next one, it’s time to keep it simple. Cooking with elemental foods and eating lighter, simpler food feels right to me.
This is the time when an earthy, grainy bowl of food will fill you up and energize you, without all the heaviness. Rich foods will be coming soon enough, might as well set yourself up to make some lean and customizable dinners in the mean time.
That’s what I love about a Buddha Bowl. It’s basically a pile of your favorite grain, with some veggies and beans or tofu, or whatever you want arranged on top. A really tasty sauce or dressing ties it all together. If you really get into it, you can fill your fridge with pickles, like the beets in this recipe, or kimchi and kraut, and add them as you see fit. Share it with kids, and sub their fave veggies or toppings, right there at the table.
One big bowl of food is dinner. How simple is that?
Quinoa Buddha Bowl with Sweet Sriracha Drizzle
Serves 4
1 1/2 cups quinoa
2 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces baby kale, chopped
1 cup pickled beets, slivered
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup microgreens, washed and dried
Bring the water to a boil in a 2 quart pot, and add the quinoa. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover tightly for 15 minutes. Take off the heat and let stand.
In a medium bowl or pyrex cup, stir the jam, tamari, sriracha, cinder vinegar and garlic. Reserve.
On four wide pasta bowls, place 3/4 cup of quinoa, and arrange 1/2 cup of beans, and 1/4 of all the reamaining ingredients on top. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
