I don’t remember exactly where I found this recipe from, but I adapted it and had no idea how much Katelyn would love it. “Mom, can you made that again all week for lunch?”
At first, I had to read the recipe, and continuously review each step before moving to the next. By the third time I made this lunch, I did not need to look at the recipe at all. It really is very easy, bursting with flavor and the almond butter gives it a unique twist.
A couple of side bars: The recipe calls for steamed veggies and listed carrots, peppers, mushrooms, celery, bok choy and spinach. I put in whatever veggies I had in the fridge at that moment and it always turned out amazing. The recipe also calls for tempeh-a vegetarian soy item-but I substituted with left over chicken. You can add shrimp or left over beef if you have that on hand. As a last side bar, the recipe calls for 4 cups of veggies and 16 ounces of protein but I really just eye-balled it. I put in enough veggies and chicken for the number of people eating the meal, so feel free to add lib as I am not adding veggie measurements on this recipe.
Katelyn came home from a grocery shopping excursion with Rick with sesame seeds. Now, sesame seeds are something I thought were not really necessary, just something you sprinkle to make a dish look pretty. But now….I am a committed sesame seed user! Yes, it does look pretty, but it also adds a crunch that I had no idea I was missing. Topping this noodle dish with a couple dashes of sesame seeds is a requirement!
This is perfect for lunch, particularly now that we are all in lockdown-at least in Ontario. It takes the amount of time to boil water (about 5 minutes) and cook the Udon noodles (3 minutes).
Stay sassy friends.
Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 cups Steamed veggies: You can include broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, celery, bok choy or spinach. Whatever you have on hand. Base the amount of veggies to how many you are serving.
- 1 tbsp Oil-can use coconut oil or vegetable oil.
- 2 cups Protein-tempeh, pre cooked chicken, beef or shrimp.
- 2 tbsp Tamari (if gluten free) or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 tbsp Mirin (if gluten free) or rice vinegar
- 1 tsp Fresh Ginger Grated
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes-optional
- 1 8-oz Package of Udon Noodles
- 2 tbsp Almond Butter-or other nut butter
Optional
- 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds Topping
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro Chopped
- 2 Green Onions Chopped
Instructions
- Steam your veggies if you have not already done so and set aside.
- Boil water for noodles.
- Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add your protein + 1 tbsp of soy sauce/tamari. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium and warm through, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Make sauce while protein is cooking-1 tbsp soy/tamari, sesame oil, mirin/vinegar, garlic, pepper flakes if using. Stir in a bowl and set aside.
- Instead of cooking the Udon noodles for 3 minutes, cook for 2. Once done, put noodles in the skillet that you cooked your protein in and add sauce, stir to combine.
- Add the almond butter to the noodles and stir to combine.
- Put the protein back in the skillet with the noodles and sauce.
To Serve
- Divide protein + noodles among the number of bowls you are serving. Add steamed veggies on top of the noodles.
- Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top, then cilantro, then chopped green onions