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Black Bean Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl with Caramelized Onion Tahini Dressing

May 9, 2020 by Lauren Waterman 2 Comments

When you’re craving protein and vitamins, dive into a healthy southwest Buddha bowl like this one.


Sweet Potatoes (Copy)

Who doesn’t love Buddha Bowls, or Nourish Bowls as some folks call them? I mean, come on. They’re super simple, easy to customize, packed with flavor, and good for the soul. I’ve never gotten that overstuffed bloated feeling after eating a Buddha Bowl – I reserve that happy discomfort for laying on my couch after a hearty bowl of vegan Fettucine Alfredo with absolutely no shame. If Alfredo is the saucy Devil on my shoulder, then Buddha Bowls are the angel, telling me I can feel full and content with out pasta. I can? Maybe sometimes.

This is a pretty simple dish with even simpler instructions. I used my air fryer for a good portion of it, but a toaster oven or conventional oven will do just fine as well. I also really love this dish because you can make substitutions depending on what’s in your fridge.

Substitutions:

  • Replace sweet potatoes for regular potatoes if you prefer. Trust me, regular potatoes can still get down South West style.

  • Instead of carrots, you can sub in turnips, golden beets, or even butternut squash for a fall feast with some heat.

  • Instead of canned black beans, you can use black beans cooked in the slow cooker, pressure cooker, or on the stove. If you need a step by step you can check out my how to prepare beans article here.

  • Roast veggies in an oven or toaster oven if you do not have an air fryer. Mist with olive oil, add spices, and roast at 400° for bout 35 minutes.

  • Sub collard greens for kale if you want to heat it up, or add in raw spinach, arugula, or spring mix for a fresh crunch.

Method:


IMG_0761.jpg

Chop carrots and sweet potatoes into 1/2″ size pieces. I don’t peel my sweet potatoes because the skins are loaded with tons of fiber and minerals that you’re missing out on if you toss in the compost. You can remove the skin if you prefer though, I won’t be mad. Once your carrots and sweet potatoes are diced up, place into a large glass bow. Drizzle in some oil and your spices, and then toss so they’re evenly coated. If you’re oil free, you can wet first with water and then toss in the spices so they stick. Air fry for about 22 minutes. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can put your veggies on a silicone baking mat (because we don’t use tinfoil, amirite?) and roast at 400° for bout 35 minutes until fork tender.

While your sweet potatoes and carrots are in the air fryer, caramelize the onions in a pan. I used red onions for this because they have a little pep, but any kind will do, really. Vidalia and Spanish onions are sweeter, which could pair nicely with this dish. Slice red onions, then cook over medium heat with olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper until they start to brown. This takes about 7-10 minutes depending on your burner and pans. When the onions are done cooking, add them to the food processor with water, nondairy milk, tahini, lime juice, and spices and blend until smooth. Set aside, and begin chopping your kale and heating the beans.

The stems of kale are pretty tough, so I usually remove the leaves and add the stems to my compost. After about 20 minutes, add the kale leave atop the veggies in the air fryer to crisp in the last 3 minutes or so, so it is cooked thoroughly. You can alternatively heat in a sauce pan with a few tablespoons of water or olive oil or pop into the toaster oven for about 3-4 minutes. I find that adding to the air fryer or toaster oven crisps the kale up a bit and doesn’t add oil, but the sauce pan works just fine here too!

Open one can of beans, rinse, and drain, then add to frying pan with a dash of oil and spices just to warm. You can add frozen corn and fresh tomatoes at this point to the pan if you want them heated, or simply add to your bowl when you plate everything together. The heat from the beans will warm the corn enough to eat.

When the veggies are done in the air fryer, add to the serving bowl and drizzle with tahini dressing.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl with Caramelized Onion Tahini Dressing

Yield: 2

Author: Lauren Waterman, Chickpea & Herb
Prep time: 5 MCook time: 22 MTotal time: 27 M
A simple nourishing bowl of Mexican flavors and healthy goodness

Ingredients:

Veggies
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 2 cups kale
  • 1 cup sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup carrots
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
Caramelized Onion Tahini Sauce
  • 3/4 cup red onion
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 lime, juiced
Black Beans
  • 1 can beans 
  • 1/4 tsp salt 
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp olive oil (I used chili infused, you can sub in 1/2 tsp chili powder if you desire)

Instructions:

  1. Chop carrots and sweet potatoes into 1/2″ size pieces.
  2. Toss  in salt, pepper, garlic, and chili olive oil , then air fry for 22 min. 
  3. After 19-20 minutes, add chopped kale on top to crisp in the last 3 min so it is cooked thoroughly.
  4. While the veggies are in the air fryer, caramelize onions in a pan. Slice red onions, then cook over medium heat with olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper until they start to brown, about 7 minutes.
  5. Add onions to food processor with water, nondairy milk, tahini, lime juice, and spices and blend until smooth. Set aside.
  6. Open one can of beans, rinse, and drain, then add to frying pan with a dash of oil and spices just to warm. You can add frozen corn and tomatoes at this point to the pan if you prefer, or simply add to the bowl during plating. The heat from the beans will warm the corn enough to eat. 
  7. When the veggies are done in the air fryer, add to the serving bowl and drizzle with tahini dressing.

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Vegan brown butter sage garlic cream fusilli pasta || I’ve been seeing a lot of pasta Sundays going around the Internet lately, so I decided to join in! we spent the day working on house projects and gardening, then finished with some yummy food on the grill, which I will add to my stories now. I’m going to leave you with this 🔥 pasta from earlier in the week that was a total hit in my house. 
Here is an easy dinner that is a sure fire way to get in all of your veggies, and takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. I’ve included the recipe below in case you want to hit save so you have it on hand for later.
1/2 cup onion, diced
6 to 10 clothes of garlic, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil (read below for oil free option)
1 tbsp dried sage
2 tablespoons vegan butter (I used @earthbalance)
1/2 cup red bell peppers, diced finally
3/4 cup baby button mushrooms, have
1/2 cup broccoli, diced finally
1 cup kale, shredded
1/4 cup frozen peas 
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced finally
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup nutritional yeast or vegan mozzarella
🔷 Begin boiling water in large pot. Be sure to add a pinch of salt to the water- this is for flavor and also keeps your pasta from sticking together.
🔷Once water reaches a boil, add pasta. Dice onions, garlic, and sauté with sage over medium heat in a large pan for 5 minutes. If you are oil free, you can sauté in veggie stock or aquafaba. 🔷 Add in butter at this stage, and diced mushrooms and peppers.
🔷 Add and sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, kale, and peas, as well as spices.
🔷When pasta is finished cooking, drain all of the water except for 1/2 cup.
🔷Add 1/2 cup starchy water along with pasta to the large pan with veggies in it. 🔷Add in nutritional yeast or mozzarella at this point and stir until the sauce thickens. 🔷 I topped mine with hot pepper flakes and parsley, but you can also top with more cheese, pinenuts, fresh tomatoes, etc. We also used beyond sausage or protein, but this pasta would be awesome with white beans, chickpeas, or tempeh. Simply cook them in the pot along with all of the veggies to absorb that flavor. Let me know if you try this!

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▫️2 cups roasted sweet potatoes
▫️1 1/4 cup cooked rice
▫️1/2 cup black beans, drained
▫️1 cup roasted cauliflower
▫️1 cup roasted eggplant
▫️1/2 cup peas
▫️1/2 cups corn kernels
▫️1 cup walnuts
▫️1 teaspoon liquid aminos or soy sauce
▫️3/4 teaspoon salt
▫️1/3 teaspoon pepper
▫️1 teaspoon paprika
▫️1 tablespoon flax seeds
▫️1 tablespoon garlic powder
roast the eggplant, cauliflower, chopped sweet potatoes on a baking sheet at 400° for 30 minutes. I used leftover rice from takeout, but you can boil rice and use that if you’d like. Toss all ingredients into a food processor or blender, then form into patties and bake at 350° for 25 minutes in the oven or on the grill. 
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▫️2 teaspoons olive oil
▫️1/2 teaspoon salt
▫️1/2 teaspoon pepper
▫️1/4 teaspoon crushed red peppers
▫️1/4 teaspoon oregano
▫️1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
▫️1 teaspoon onion powder
▫️1 teaspoon brown sugar
Toss in olive oil and spices, then pan crisp or roast in the oven for 20 minutes at 400°.

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2 cups cooked Farro (or rice, orzo, quinoa, couscous, etc.)
2 cups cooked white beans
1 cup artichoke hearts, halved
1/3 cup onion, diced
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
2 cups cucumbers, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup spinach, chopped
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
I will have more step-by-step directions up on the blog tomorrow! Does this salad seem like something you would be interested in? What kinds of summer barbecue foods would you like recipes for? Enjoy your grilling!

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Skinny sip tea with forget-me-not, hibiscus, Jasmine, rose, rosemary, and lemon|| Are you guys team tea? I remember having tea at my grandma’s house throughout my childhood, iced in the summer and hot in the winter, so it always carries a special memory for me. I love perusing tea shops on vacations and bringing home exotic flavors of loose leaf to remember the trip. @essencesiptea was so kind to let me try their incredible teas. This Skinny Sip tea clears toxins, reduces fluid retention, alleviates indigestion, reduces bloating, and targets existing fats. It uses traditional Chinese medicine principles and balances with natural herbs to nourish and cleanse your digestive system. Plus it is gorgeous to look at, which you know I’m all about. It tastes floral and delicate, and I am in love. If you’d like to try this tea, you can use my code chickpea_and_herb10 for 10% off your first order. #takeasip

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Filed Under: Air Fryer, Meals, Week Night Meals Tagged With: beans, buddha bowl, dinner, easy dinner, healthy, healthy dinner, kale, tahini

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Comments

  1. Mallory

    May 14, 2020 at 12:51 am

    This looks delicious! I have to ask, how are you carmelizing onions in 7 minutes? Or are you just cooking them until they turn translucent and a bit brown?

    Reply
    • Lauren Waterman

      July 2, 2020 at 6:01 pm

      Just until they’re brown for the quick weeknight dinner version, but definitely take my time and caramelize them when I have time!

      Reply

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