Oh my, oh my, oh my. If you have not yet jumped aboard the Buddha Bowl Bandwagon, well there is no time like the present! This here is an easy weeknight meal with some kinda fantastical Thai-style coconut cashew sauce that’ll knock your socks (or in my case, slippers) right off!

This bowl is composed of roasted yams, baby spinach, purple cabbage, quinoa, shredded carrot, and toasted cashews, but you can make this bowl of goodness your own by adding in whatever your heart desires (or your fridge seems to be done with!). Or, better yet, just make up a batch of this sauce and eat it on everything, every day, all day! Yessss! 🤣

I absolutely LOVE a versatile weeknight recipe like this one on the weekly rotation. While my family loves roasted yams, yours may not, so feel free to go right ahead and make this bowl suit the needs of your crew. Some Yam Substitution Ideas: Roasted Squash, Roasted Cauliflower, Shredded Chicken, or Baked Tofu.

Roasted Yam Buddha Bowls with Coconut Cashew Sauce

Total Time: 30 - 40 minutes
Serves 4

Roasted Yams - 1 very large
Cooked Quinoa or Brown Rice (soaked 4hrs and rinsed)
Shredded Carrots
Thinly sliced Purple Cabbage
Chopped Baby Spinach or Steamed Swiss Chard/Kale
Thinly sliced Red Pepper
Toasted Cashews Pieces (I just use a dry fry pan for this)
Fresh Lime
Fresh Cilantro
Optional: Hot Sauce
Any other Veggie Add Ins Such as: steamed broccoli, roasted cauliflower, steamed green beans, pea sprouts

Coconut Cashew Sauce:
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup cashew butter
1 Tbsp red Thai curry paste
2 Tbsp tamari
2 Tbsp maple syrup
Juice of 1 lime
Pinch of salt

To roast your yams: Chop yam into half or quarter moon slices about 1/4 inch thick. Lay them in a large glass baking dish or on a parchment lined cookie sheet and drizzle with a little melted coconut oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 375-400F for about 20 mins.
For the sauce: Add all ingredients to your blender and combine until smooth. Adjust seasonings as desired.
Prepare all your Buddha bowl ingredients and layer them into your serving bowls.
Serve bowls warm and drizzled with cashew sauce.

We love this recipe at my house. It’s perfect for that night you forgot to plan for, when the fridge is mostly empty, but you really don’t want to run out to the store. I have often added more veggies to this recipe, when I just have a few things lying about that need using up, but the simplicity of this meal, just the way it is, really does the trick, is flavourful and nourishing, high in plant protein, fiber, and low glycemic-index carbohydrates.

Pro Tips: Red lentils do not need the overnight soaking time like the others, so you can easily get away with soaking them for just a 2-4 hour period. I always recommend soaking your brown rice for a minimum of 6 hours to help breakdown the antinutrients and hard-to-digest components of the grain, while also increasing digestibility and the release of beneficial nutrients. After soaking, always rinse your beans/pulses and grains well, to wash away antinutrients. I also like to add a little piece of kombu seaweed to my rice when cooking, which will increase the mineral content of the rice.

Weeknight Lentil & Spinach Masala

1 large red onion
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp salt
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1.5” fresh ginger, minced/grated
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 - 28oz can diced tomatoes with juices
1 - 14oz can of full fat coconut milk
1 cup red lentils (soaked 2-4 hours & rinsed)
4-5 cups baby spinach, packed
Juice of 1 lime
Cashew Sour Cream (optional)
Fresh Cilantro (optional)
Slices of Avocado
Cooked Brown Rice for Serving (soaked 6 - 12hrs)

In a large wok, heat coconut oil and red onion over medium heat. Cook a few minutes until onions begin to soften and add salt. Stir and cook onions a few more minutes, until softened, then add chopped garlic and ginger, and all other spices.
Add your canned tomatoes, coconut milk, and lentils, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a medium heat and cook for about 20-30 minutes until lentils are cooked through.
Add spinach and stir gently until wilted and incorporated. Season with fresh lime juice and remove from heat.
To serve: serve lentil masala over cooked brown rice with 1-2 Tbsp of cashew sour cream (see below) and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and enjoy!

Quick Cashew Sour Cream

1/2 cup cashew pieces (soaked overnight OR in boiling water for 30 mins)
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder

Place all ingredients in your blender and combine until smooth.