BUDDHA BOWL TO-GO
Eat the rainbow with this delicious buddha bowl to go! With roasted butternut squash, quinoa and a pea and tahini dip, this makes the perfect weekday lunch. Simply batch prep the ingredients at the weekend, so you are ready for the week ahead. Your body will thank you for it!
Servings: 3
Time to create: 40 minutes (trust me, it’s worth putting in the time at the weekend to batch cook - you’ll save time in the week and reduce the chance of reaching for convenience food (that isn’t always the healthiest option)).
Ingredients
1/2 large butternut squash (peeled and chopped into cubes)
1 tin chickpeas (drained)
100g dried quinoa
100g frozen peas
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp tahini
Pinch of garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Your choice of salad leaves
6 cherry tomatoes (cut into quarters)
A sprinkle of sesame seeds (could use any seeds - toasted pumpkin or sunflower would work nicely)
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180c. Scatter the butternut squash chunks onto a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tsp of oil. Place the tray into the oven for 30 minutes (tossing halfway through).
Place the chickpeas on a separate baking tray and sprinkle over the cayenne pepper and dried oregano. Shake the tray until the chickpeas are evenly coated. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes (tossing halfway through).
Cover the quinoa with water in a pan and cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes. You will need to stir the quinoa every few minutes to prevent it sticking to the pan.
Pop the peas in a pan with a pinch of salt. Add boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Take the pan off the boil and drain. Rinse the peas in cold water to keep their freshness.
Place the peas in a blender. Add 1/2 tbsp olive oil, the tahini and salt and pepper to taste. Use the pulse setting - you want it to maintain some of the pea texture.
Prepare the salad leaves.
Once the butternut squash, chickpeas and quinoa has cooked. Allowed to cool slightly before assembling your buddha bowl.
Top Tip: This would also make a delicious midweek meal warm. The remaining left overs can then be popped in your lunchbox ready for the next day.
