Buddha bowl

Can I just say, Buddha bowls are THE BEST?!  What's a Buddha bowl you ask?  Well, its essentially a bowl full (like a Buddha belly) of veggies, greens, beans, and grains.  It is a delicious  single bowl balanced meal, full of color and flavor.  All you need mixed together in a beautiful melody of food.

If you were very lazy you could throw in some chopped raw veggies, but I like to roast as much as possible to bring out flavor and texture.

Even if you are being lazy, this recipe is so simple a monkey could make it.  Really.  Cut up some veggies, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and throw them in the oven.  That's the most difficult part of this whole recipe.  Seriously.

The combination shown here is my favorite, but you could easily prep tons of veggies, grains, and beans and mix n' match a week's worth of meals, easy.

Buddha bowls are great because you can make them with whatever you have on hand.  No rice?  Use quinoa, couscous, barley, etc.  So many possibilities!

There are many options for protein too.  Buddha bowls are generally plant based, so I use beans mostly.  Garbanzos, white beans, lentils.... I could go on and on.

Last on the list are the greens.  I like lettuce.  Something fresh with a nice crunch.  Broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, etc.  all good options too.

Roast some veggies.  I like to make plenty for us.  Leftovers are my friend. :)  Cauliflower is always my go-to roasted veggie.  It is so versatile and can blend in with any seasoning you choose.

Sweet potatoes, red onion, and red bell peppers.  Yum.

A batch of roasted BBQ garbanzo beans fits right in with the bowl.  A bit of heat, sweetness, and a touch of savory flavor too.

 This bowl is so chock full of yum you can't even see the rice or the red onion.

Some Buddha bowls have a gentle sauce drizzled over top.  It isn't necessary, and with all the seasonings in the garbanzos I didn't see the need for one.  A lack of sauce saves calories, and prevents everything from getting too goop-y.  IT's also tidier for kids to eat.  They make enough of a mess on their own!  :)

 Buddha bowl
serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown rice, cooked
• 1 head of cauliflower, in florets
• 1/3 red onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, chopped
• 1/2 small head of butter lettuce, chopped
• salt
• black pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 batch roasted BBQ garbanzo beans

Directions:

1. Make a batch of roasted BBQ garbanzo beans.  Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Cut up the cauliflower, red onion, bell pepper, and sweet potato and place on parchment covered baking sheets.  Sprinkle lightly with salt, black pepper, and olive oil.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through for even cooking.
3. Meanwhile, make a batch of brown rice, set aside. 
4. Chop the lettuce and set aside.
5. When all pieces are ready, fill the bowls evenly with a little of everything.  Dig in and enjoy!

note:  If you have any leftovers, place everything but the lettuce in tupperware together and refrigerate.  Reheats really well in the microwave.

roasted BBQ garbanzo beans

These BBQ garbanzos are a great easy way for kids (large and small) to eat healthy.  They don't last long here (read: less than a day always).  Jeff in particular eats them like popcorn.  I like to sprinkle a few onto soups and other dishes as yummy garnish.

This last batch in particular lasted about 2 hours.  Often when I make these, I don't even bother to plate them nicely.  I just leave them in the pan on the counter and everyone knows to just come and grab handfuls.

Besides the ease of making this dish, its a great way to eat healthy and feel good.  Garbanzo beans are a great protein happy snack.

Add all the seasonings into a freezer bag and shake.  Add in two cans of garbanzo beans (rinsed and dried) and shake again.

Pour the bag contents out onto a parchment lined lipped baking sheet.  Try to get the beans into a single layer, they won't get crispy if they're all cramped and crowded!

I like to do a quick check before I bake these to make sure they are evenly coated.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes, pull the baking sheet out to stir and mix, then bake again for 15 minutes.  IF you like them to be EXTRA crunchy add 5 minutes on top of that.  Remove from the oven and let cool at least five minutes before you start munching!

These are best eaten fresh for the crispiness, but will keep for at least a week.  If they last that long bake them again for just a few minute to bring back the crunch.  Store leftovers in an airtight container in a dry cool place.

roasted BBQ garbanzo beans
Ingredients:

• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp BBQ sauce (pick your favorite)
• 2 15 oz. cans of garbanzo beans (I prefer low-sodium)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Add all ingredients except the garbanzo beans into a freezer bag and toss.
3. Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans and add to the bag.  Seal the bag and toss thoroughly to combine.  
4. Spread mixture thinly on a parchment lined lipped baking sheet and slide into the oven.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, then stir and bake 15 more minutes.
6. remove from the oven and allow the garbanzo beans to cool.
7. Eat warm or cooled completely.  Beans are better (crispier) when fresh. Store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool dry place.

BBQ chicken pizza

I never buy pizza anymore.  Why bother when the pizza I make at home is way cheaper, tastes better, and is super easy.  Unless I desperately need pizza in under an hour, I make it.

The secret is good crust.  Pizza needs a solid foundation.  If the dough sucks, the pizza can only be OK, not awesome.  You can make whatever thickness you want, but I personally like my crust to be thick enough to support my massive amount of toppings, while still being crispy and chewy.

My favorite pizza dough recipe isn't actually mine.  It belongs to The Pioneer Woman.  BTW, she and her recipes are amazing.  I have 2 of her cookbooks.
Check her out at the pioneer woman.

Also, as you might have noticed, I'm a bit of a novice at taking pictures of food.  I'll figure it out eventually.  I hope.  :)

 Bake chicken breasts and dice to put on pizza

All the ingredients you'll need: dough ball, BBQ sauce, mozzarella, gouda, chicken

When the crust has browned and the cheese has melted your pizza is done.  Let it sit on the counter for a few minutes so the cheese can firm up a bit.  This will make cutting into the pizza much easier.  Don't worry, pizza retains its heat quite well.  It will still be hot.


pizza dough
ingredients:
1 1/2 C warm water
1 tsp dry yeast
4 C AP flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 C extra virgin olive oil

directions:
1. combine water and yeast to combine.  Let sit about 10 minutes, until bubbly.
2. in a stand mixer combine flour and salt.  Slowly add in olive oil, then yeast mixture.  Mix on low until the dough forms a ball.
3. Cover mixing bowl and let the dough sit 1-2 hours, or until doubled.  If you want to make the dough ahead of time it can really sit out all day.
4. preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Divide the dough in half and using your hands or a rolling pin roll the dough out onto a baking sheet covered in non-stick spray.  Each pizza will be about the size of a commercial large unless you want really thick crust.
5. add toppings and bake for 12 minutes.  Enjoy.  Makes for great leftovers eaten cold, if any leftovers exist. They might not.  Wouldn't surprise me.


BBQ chicken pizza

ingredients:
chicken breasts (I use 2 small breasts for each pizza)
2 C mozzarella
1 C gouda
1 C BBQ sauce, divided

directions:
1. defrost chicken breasts if necessary.  Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes with 1/4 cup BBQ sauce brushed over them.
2.  Let chicken cool and dice.  Mix the pieces with an additional 1/4 cup BBQ sauce.
3.  after rolling out dough stab all with a fork to keep the dough from rising and puffing up too much.  Spread the last 1/2 cup BBQ sauce over dough.  Cover in both cheeses.  Spread chicken on top.  Bake at 500 degrees for 12-15 minutes until the edges of the crust are very lightly golden.
4. if you can, wait a minute or so for the cheese to firm up before cutting.  Then enjoy!

My pizzas normally aren't pretty because I'm never able to roll them out perfectly round, but really, who cares?  Besides, the finished product tastes so yummy that the pizza disappears in about a minute anyway.