Hello from Steamboat Springs, Colorado! Sara and I arrived last week after driving her car up here from Ft. Worth, seeing family in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado along the way. I love the nostalgia of this familiar route, and even more, spending time with loved ones whom I don’t see often enough.
Now that we’re here, I feel like summer has truly ARRIVED!!! We’re enjoying cool, crisp mornings and long, lazy, sunny afternoons. We don’t have air-conditioning up here in the mountains, so we’re at the whim of the weather as to how hot the house becomes by 5 or 6pm. I do have my “heat-management” tactics, but sometimes even those aren’t enough to keep the house cool enough throughout those warm afternoon hours. So when it’s HOT, I want something quick, easy, and COOL for dinner. Maximum stove time 15 minutes or less. And healthy, of course!
Enter these summer buddha bowls with cilantro chili sauce. Made with quick-cooking grains, canned chickpeas, and a massive amount of veggies, these bowls are not only nourishing and delicious, but won’t heat up your kitchen. The only things that need cooking are the quinoa, which takes only 15 minutes, and fresh corn, which you can pop in the microwave. Easy!
Did I mention how healthy these giant bowls of goodness are?? The combo of quinoa, chickpeas, and corn provides a complete plant-based protein, so if you’re wanting to experiment with a vegetarian dish while still maintaining a high protein intake, this recipe is for you. The tomatoes, red bell pepper, and spinach are chock full of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and potassium, as well as anti-oxidants that can help reduce your risk of chronic disease. The feta cheese adds even more protein, plus calcium, not to mention fantastic savory flavor.
And let’s talk about the sauce for a minute, because it really elevates these buddha bowls to the next level. It’s a blended sauce made with raw cashews, an entire bundle of fresh cilantro, green chili, garlic, lemon juice, and a touch of honey. I’ve been making it for years now, and my kids started calling it “green sauce” somewhere along the way. This recipe makes more than you will use on the buddha bowls, and that’s a good thing… because it’s excellent on everything from salmon burgers to roasted veggies to grilled shrimp to steak.
Making these buddha bowls couldn’t be easier… First, soak your cashews for a few minutes to soften them up for better blending. Then get your quinoa going and cook your corn. Meanwhile, chop up your veggies and avocado. When the corn and quinoa are done, set them aside to cool a bit, then make your sauce. By the time you do this, your corn will be cool enough to slice off the cobs.
Now you’re ready to assemble your bowls: just divide everything up according to everybody’s personal preference, and go crazy with the sauce on top. Feel free to add anything additional that strikes your fancy- I think pumpkin or sunflower seeds would be amazing. Maybe even dried cranberries!
I hope you love this easy summer dinner as much as we do. Here’s to those long, lazy days ahead!!
Summer Buddha Bowls with Cilantro Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- For the bowls:
- ¾ cup dry quinoa, cooked according to package directions
- 2 cobs fresh corn, cooked and kernels sliced from cob
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- For the sauce:
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water and drained
- 1 green chili, seeded
- 1 bunch cilantro, including stems
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic
- 1-2 T. honey
- ½ t. salt
Instructions
- To make sauce, combine all ingredients in a blender, preferably high-speed. Blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside while you assemble the bowls.
- To assemble the bowls, divide all ingredients equally among 4 bowls. Drizzle with sauce and mix to combine. Makes 4 servings.