I don’t know about you, but I hate wasting food. Wasting food is even more painful when it is expensive. Since produce makes up more than half of my weekly grocery haul, I often have leftover fruit and vegetables from the meals and snacks that I prepare each week. This is especially true when it comes to vegetables like peppers, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. When I buy these produce items they often produce enough for four to six servings, when a recipe that I am making may only call for one to two servings. When it gets down to the end of the week and I open my refrigerator to find half of a bell pepper or part of a head of cabbage, there is one fantastic solution to prevent me from wasting these items: the Buddha Bowl.
Buddha Bowls are one of the easiest things to make in the kitchen. They are very quick and easy to make, and could absolutely be considered a “no-brainer” type of dish. You really cannot mess this one up. In fact, the idea of even writing a “recipe” for a Buddha Bowl seems a bit silly to me, but I know that I am not the only one with this “leftover produce problem.” Hopefully my solution for using up leftover veggies will provide you with some ideas for avoiding food waste, too!
Spicy Bean Buddha Bowl
Adapted from Danielle’s recipe for Spicy Black Bean Sweet Potato Medley
Servings: 2
Ingredients
EVOO cooking spray
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
water, for cooking
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 zucchini, chopped into quarters
2 cups green cabbage, chopped
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed (or use cooked black beans, if desired)
juice from 1/2 a lime
2 TB salsa (I used green salsa verde)
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
sriracha sauce, optional
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with EVOO cooking spray.
2. Spread diced sweet potatoes and cauliflower onto baking sheet in an even layer. Spray generously with cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Roast for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and the potatoes have softened.
3. Meanwhile, line a large skillet with a thin layer of water. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Once hot, lower the heat to medium and add garlic, peppers, zucchini, and cabbage. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Add additional water, as necessary, to prevent sticking and burning.
4. Add beans, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, lime juice, salsa, and spices to the pan. Stir until well-combined.
5. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, or until the beans are warm.
This is likely once of the easiest “recipes” that I will ever post. If you have leftover roasted vegetables, leftover fresh produce (you can really use any veggies that you have on hand), canned beans, and some basic spices, then you can cook up this simple, yet delicious meal for lunch or dinner.
I will warn you that when I call this bowl “spicy,” I do mean that it is spicy! If you are not a fan of the heat, you may want to leave out the red pepper flakes and/or decrease the amount of chili powder and paprika that is used. If you like your food really spicy, then the addition of sriracha sauce on top would be fantastic. The Buddha Bowl really is a very easily customized dish. You pick the vegetables that you like or have on hand. You select your favorite beans. And you control the seasonings and spiciness of the dish. This bowl really gets your creativity going in the kitchen!
I can pretty much guarantee that the Spicy Bean Buddha Bowl will be delicious. Unfortunately, I offer no guarantees as to whether or not the Buddha Bowl will bring you luck! 😉
