I went to Trader Joe’s last weekend which is both amazing and anxiety-filled at the same time. We don’t have a TJ’s right around the corner, so I have to drive into King of Prussia in order to shop there. I LOVE Trader Joe’s for so many reasons, the most important being that they have a ton of interesting, specialty items at a low cost. I love perusing the aisles to see what new, seasonal foods they have available. However, I also hate Trader Joe’s because it is SO crowded and it causes me so much anxiety. This is a snippet of what goes on in my head at Trader Joe’s:
Oh, look! A whole sack of Honeycrisp apples for 2.99! But, wait. How do I get over there? This lady in front of me is inspecting every single avocado and she is blocking my way. What is taking so long? Seriously. They’re all the same. I don’t get it. Still. Waiting. Can’t she see me waiting here? I’ll just go around this way. Okay, just kidding. There’s an employee giving out samples of chips and guac and there’s no way I’m getting my cart through there. WHY would he give out samples in this section of the store where you can’t even move. I kinda want to try that guac…BUT THE APPLES. Forget it, I’m just leaving my cart in the middle of the aisle like everyone else does and reaching over 5 people to get a bag. ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE.
But really, I have such a love/hate relationship with TJ’s. The seasonal ingredients that I found there were my inspiration for these Sweet & Spicy Autumn Buddha Bowls. Brussels sprouts and butternut squash take center stage in this dish. I love buying my butternut squash cut up already because HAVE YOU EVER CUT BUTTERNUT SQUASH? IT IS A NIGHTMARE. I almost lose my fingers every time. I threw the veggies on a baking dish and roasted them to perfection while I looked up some quinoa, spinach, and tofu to add to the bowl. I topped it all off with a Maple Tahini Dressing that ties the whole dish together.
The whole point of me talking about Trader Joe’s is to also mention that I found this Sriracha Flavored Baked Tofu there and I used it in this dish. I’m not in love with tofu, as you know, but this really is pretty good. I like that it’s already pre-cooked so I just threw it in a pan to warm it up. I think it would be delicious sliced on a veggie sandwich. If you DON’T have this tofu available to you, you can try THIS sriracha tofu, or THESE chickpeas instead. I love that Buddha bowls are so customizable and it’s easy to switch up the ingredients to fit your preferences.
These bowls also make good leftovers- so make sure to roast some extra veggies and cook some extra quinoa and you can throw it all together for a delicious and healthy lunch bowl!
Active Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
For the Roasted Veggies: 12 ounces Brussels sprouts 2 cups chopped butternut squash 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or EVOO) ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper
To assemble:1 cup cooked quinoa
8 ounces Trader Joe’s Sriracha Flavored Baked Tofu (or see alternate options), cut into cubes
2 cups chopped sautéed spinach
For the Maple Tahini Dressing:
1 tablespoon tahini 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place the butternut squash and Brussels sprouts on a large baking sheet, drizzle with grapeseed oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes, tossing the veggies half way through.
Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package directions and sauté the spinach in a pan sprayed with cooking spray. Chop the tofu into bite-sized pieces.
Combine all dressing ingredients in small bowl and wisk until smooth.
When the veggies are finished roasting, assemble the Sweet & Spicy Autumn Buddha Bowls. Place ½ cup of quinoa in the bottom of a bowl and top with ½ of the roasted veggies, half of the spinach, and half of the tofu. Drizzle with half of the Maple Tahini Dressing.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 621 Fat: 29g Carbs: 68g Protein: 31g Sodium: 1050mg Sugar: 14g
*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.
