Buddha bowls: the ultimate one-bowl meal
Before I looked up the reason for the name, I believed Buddha Bowls were so-called because they were healthy in a new-age-spiritual-sort-of-way. As it turns out, the name comes from the abundantly-filled bowls, which are rounded like Buddha’s belly.
Buddha bowls are one of my favorite ways to make various veggies into a flavorful, substantial meal. Many versions rely on grains for a base, but I use paleo-friendly cauliflower rice here.
About the ingredients in Paleo Buddha Bowls
Roasted sweet potatoes add healthy carbs and balance the dish with sweetness. If you prefer a lower-carb option, you can use cubed and roasted butternut squash. There’s no need to peel the sweet potatoes before roasting, but do peel the squash!
Cauliflower rice provides the base of these bowls. Sautéed shallots add a depth of flavor, because I find straight-up cauliflower rice tends toward the bland side.
Lamb seasoned with curry powder provides protein. If you wish, you can use ground sausage instead and omit the curry powder.
You’ll want to eat the tahini sauce with a spoon, so you may consider making a double batch. I love drizzling it over roasted vegetables, or using it as a dip for sweet potato fries.
- 2 large or 3 small sweet potatoes
- 1 Tbs. avocado oil or melted coconut oil
- 3-4 cups riced cauliflower
- 1 Tbs. coconut oil
- 2 medium shallots, minced
- 3 Tbs. chicken broth
- 1 lb. ground lamb
- 1 Tbs. curry powder
- Salt
- ½ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- Big pinch of salt, to taste
- 3-4 Tbs. water
- Preheat the oven to 400 and line a baking sheet withunbleached parchment paper.
- Dice the sweet potatoes and place on the baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and add a pinch of salt. Toss to coat the sweet potatoes and roast, stirring halfway through, until tender -- about 30 minutes.
- To make the cauliflower rice, heat the coconut oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallot and cook briefly, until softened. Add the cauliflower rice and the chicken broth. Cover the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes, until the rice is softened. Remove the cover and let the extra liquid cook off.
- Set the cauliflower rice aside. In the same pan, brown the lamb with the curry powder until the lamb is cooked through. Add salt, to taste.
- To make the tahini sauce, blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender or with an immersion blender until creamy.
- To assemble the bowls, start with a base of cauliflower rice and sweet potatoes. Add some lamb and drizzle with the tahini sauce.
beautiful, at least to me, sweet potato, cauliflower rice and lamb, great combination and covered in tahini sauce a thing of beauty, so thank you since I love all of these flavors (some more than others separately) and together a very nice balance
The cakes look beautiful and very tasty