Buddha Bowls

A Healthy Customizable Dinner for Everyone!

Buddha bowls are one of my favorite plant-based meals that my omnivore friends and family enjoy. Bowls are a great way to use all the extra fresh vegetables in the fridge, and each person can easily make it to their taste. Substitute the cashew sauce for your favorite dressing if you have nut allergies. If you want a lower-calorie version, use a low-calorie dressing instead of the cashew sauce. I like to use Bragg Oil-Free Vinaigrette. You can customize your Buddha bowl ingredients by adding/substituting vegetables or plant-based protein sources. Experiment with different spices, sauces, or herbs to enhance the flavors.

Bowl Ingredients:

Long-grain jasmine rice (or pad thai noodles)
Tofu, extra firm
Carrots, julienned
Bell peppers, julienned (any color)
Cucumber, sliced
Cherry tomatoes, sliced
Watermelon radish, sliced and pickled (not always available locally)
Avocado, sliced

Cilantro, chopped

Cabbage, chopped

Jalapeno, sliced

Black olives, sliced

Jícama, cubed

Alfalfa sprouts

Cashew Sauce Ingredients:

2 cup raw cashews

3/4 cup water

¼ cup Sky Valley Sriracha Sauce (plant-based)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (omit for low purine diet)
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp pink Pink Himalayan salt (or your favorite salt)

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions:

Chop the tofu block into ½” to 1” cubes. (no need to press the tofu) Place in a large bowl. Drizzle sriracha from the bottle on the cubes and sprinkle in some of your favorite southwest seasoning. Toss the cubes until evenly coated. Place the cubes on a cookie sheet or air fryer tray and cook until the cubes are crisp.
1. If using an air fryer, cook at 395 for 25-35 minutes, flip every 5 minutes.
2. For the oven, cook at 375 for 45-60 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes.
Rinse the jasmine rice under cold water to remove excess starch. In a medium-sized saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the rinsed rice and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
While the rice and tofu are cooking, prepare the cashew sauce. Rinse the cashews. Soaking the cashews for a couple of hours will create a creamier sauce. Combine the cashews, water, sriracha sauce, nutritional yeast, and all spices in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust the consistency by adding more water if necessary. Taste and add more spices if necessary. Set aside.
Assemble the Buddha bowl by dividing the cooked jasmine rice into serving bowls. Arrange the vegetables and tofu on the rice.
Drizzle the cashew sauce generously over the tofu and vegetables. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Serve and enjoy!

Brian has enjoyed cooking since childhood and was a line cook at a steak house in high school. While in his 30s, he developed an allergy to gluten and dairy, which prompted him to learn how to adapt recipes and substitute ingredients. In his early 40’s, he experienced a chronic neck injury, high blood pressure, frequent headaches, and unhealthy weight gain. To help reduce inflammation and improve his overall health, he adopted a 100% plant-based diet. Brian spent some time learning about nutrition and how to prepare some of his favorite meals without using animal products. Within weeks, the benefits were apparent. His headaches diminished, pain levels dropped, and health markers all improved. He was quickly able to wean off of all prescribed medications and began a journey to a healthier weight. Brian has been on a plant-based diet for over four years and never plans to return to an omnivore lifestyle. His plant-based diet improves his quality of life, and improving animals' lives is a great bonus.

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