asian buddha bowl + 3 ingredient peanut sauce

I’ve posted about how much I love buddha bowls before, but I need to share this recipe too. Unlike the buddha bowl I posted earlier which used warmer fall ingredients, this one is perfect for summer– it’s light, crisp, packed with nutrition, and you don’t need to turn on your oven in the heat! This peanut sauce is also another great go-to “recipe” to know. It’s perfect for drizzling over cold or warm noodles, salads, tofu, chicken, and rice. It’s also great because it only requires ingredients that you probably have on hand! For only using two ingredients, it’s really rich and flavorful. As for the rest of the bowl, it’s completely customizable. I’m doing my best to eat more seasonally (buying what’s in season means saving money– more on this later) so I used zucchini. Cucumber would also be perfect. I also threw in some carrots and spinach. You could use cabbage, bell pepper, broccoli or any other vegetables you like. I left all the veggies raw instead of roasting or steaming them to keep it quick and easy– all you have to do is chop up all your vegetables and you’re set for the rest of the week. For some protein I quickly pan-fried tofu (using tofu instead of chicken also makes this recipe super fast.) While I prepped all the other components I made some brown rice to make it a balanced meal with protein, healthy complex carbs, and lots of micronutrients. This meal is so easy to throw together when it’s time to eat. Just reheat the rice and tofu in a pan or microwave, add your pre-cut vegetables, and drizzle on that peanut sauce.

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Prep time: 40 minutes
Active: 20 minutes
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:

• brown rice (1 cup dry= around 3 cups cooked)
• extra firm tofu ( 1 package)
• zucchini (2)
• carrot (1 bag)
• soy sauce
• garlic powder

for the sauce

• peanut butter (around 3 tablespoons)
• soy sauce/tamari (tamari= gluten free soy sauce substitute) (around 2 tablespoons)

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Supplies

• small bowl
• pan
• knife and cutting board

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Instructions

1. Start boiling a pot of water for the brown rice (brown rice takes around 40 minutes to cook.) One cup of dry brown rice makes around three cups cooked, so just make however much you want to eat for the week. I find that three cups of cooked brown rice is enough for me. When the water boils, add the rice and lower the heat so that it is simmering. Lightly cover the pot with a lid and let the rice soften.
2. Cut the tofu and place it under a kitchen towel. Place something heavy on top like a frying pan or pot to press out any excess moisture. This step will help the tofu get crispy.
3. While the brown rice is cooking, wash and chop your vegetables.
4. When the vegetables are prepped and while the rice is cooking, prepare the tofu. Heat canola, avocado, or coconut oil in a pan (or any oil with a high smoke point so that you can get the tofu crispy. Olive oil has a low smoke point so it won’t get as hot, which is not ideal for when you want something to get a little bit fried and crispy.)
5. When the pan is hot, add the tofu. Drizzle with soy sauce and garlic powder. Cook on each side for around 2-3 minutes or until crispy and brown.
6. For the sauce, mix together around 3 tablespoons of peanut butter and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce or tamari. Add water to thin it out until it reaches a drizz-able consistency.
7. When the brown rice is done, assemble the bowl, and you’re done!