Buddha Bowls with Beet Hummus or Creamy Balsamic Dressing

 Buddha Bowls are popular in many restaurants and are fairly easy to make at home.  They are a great make-ahead, which I love, and they also have another feature that I think is great:  you can make your own, just the way you like it.  Having options for everyone makes it so much easier, especially when people have different tastes and also have food allergies.  The photo above features a Buddha Bowl I made this week, with a homemade Beet Hummus, which was delicious!  I was inspired by an entree I had at a restaurant last weekend. The recipe for the Beet Hummus follows.

 This Buddha Bowl was one I made a few months ago, with a creamy balsamic dressing.  It too was delicious!  See below for the dressing recipe, as well as another topping idea.

 The original recipe comes from Greta Podleski's Yum & Yummer cookbook.  

Ingredients:

2 cups peeled, cubed beets (I peeled them the first time I made them, but forgot the second time.  We didn't notice any difference).

3 tsp. olive oil, divided

2 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes

1 small red onion, cut into wedges

2 cups coarsely chopped kale (ribs removed)

2 cups hot cooked quinoa or brown rice (for make-ahead, it does not need to be warm)

1/2 cup crumbled light or regular feta cheese (I did not add the feta when using the hummus)

*I tend to double this recipe to have even more leftovers.  The original recipe serves 2.  Adapt as 

needed. (The amounts are not as critical with this recipe.  You just want to make sure you have enough of the main things: veggies, quinoa or rice, and dressing).

**I added a can of black beans (no need to cook)

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In medium bowl, toss beets with 1 tsp. oil.  Spread on prepared pan and roast for 15 minutes.  Remove beets from oven and move them to one side of the pan.

Toss sweet potatoes and onions with 1 tsp. oil and add to beets in a single layer on pan.  (You can see that I used more sweet potatoes, so had another full pan).  Roast for 15 minutes.  (Note: you may need to roast longer; you want the vegetables to be cooked through and fork-tender).

 Remove pan from oven and slide the potatoes and onions over next to the beets.  Toss kale with remaining 1 tsp. oil and add to veggies in a single layer on pan.  Roast for 5 more minutes.  (It's a good idea to give the veggies a toss to allow for even cooking and browning).

 The above was my first batch

 The time above I doubled this, and added two beets (not diced) for the Beet Hummus

 This kind of a meal is great to have on hand.  It's ready when you are.

 Creamy Balsamic Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tb. balsamic vinegar

2 Tb. mayonnaise

1 Tb. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tsp. pure maple syrup or liquid honey

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 tsp each sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Make ahead Buddha Bowls are so great!  You can warm them in the microwave and then add your dressing, or you can eat them cold or at room temperature.

Beet Hummus

This recipe comes from Julie Van Rosendaal, who co-wrote the cookbook, Spilling the Beans: cooking and baking with beans and grains every day.

 Ingredients

2 cups rinsed and drained canned chickpeas (19-oz/540ml can)

1 large garlic clove, peeled

1/4 cup thick plain yogurt, optional

juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tb.)

2 Tb tahini (sesame seed paste)

1/2 - 1 tsp. ground cumin (optional)

1/4 tsp. salt (or to taste)

2-4 Tb. olive oil

2 Beets, baked, cooled, peeled, and sliced into chunks.

Start by wrapping 2 medium beets in tin foil and roast for an hour at 425 degrees F, or until tender.  Cool, peel, and slice into chunks; add to the hummus mixture as you puree it.

 Put everything into the bowl of a food processor and puree, until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasoning (salt, lemon juice, cumin) as needed.  If it's too think, add more olive oil, yogurt, or water.  I found that with the addition of beets, it was just fine with 2 Tb. of olive oil, tahini, and 1/4 cup yogurt.

 It really is quite the color!

 You can serve this anyway you like.  I happen to like it on a plate, so I can see everything.

 You can see the addition of black beans, which I quite liked.

 Some people like to mix it.  If you don't mind your food being pink, go for it :)

And if you have all of those lovely ingredients and someone isn't into creamy balsamic dressing or hummus, what about salsa and some cheese?  Choose your own adventure.