Purple Buddha Bowl with Avocado Caesar Dressing

This recipe is a great one to make ahead as there are several components - which might seem a little daunting - but they all come together to make the effort worth it in the end. With the deep colors of the black rice, purple kale, and purple potatoes, you can see the antioxidants right there on the plate.

Purple Buddha Bowl

Ingredients:

2 cups black rice and 1 cup brown rice (or do 3 cups black rice)
6 1/2 cups water

3 carrots, diced
1 large purple potato, peeled and diced
1/2 kabocha squash, seeded, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper

1 head purple kale
Freshly squeezed lemon
Salt and pepper

Baked tofu (you can buy tofu seasoned and baked, or you can bake your own with a recipe like this one - which has been a long-standing favorite of mine).

Avocado Caesar Dressing:

1/3 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp capers
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 ripe avocado

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and cook the carrots, purple potato, and squash in a baking dish sprayed with cooking oil. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the veggies before you put them in to bake. Stir the veggies every 20 minutes and cook until they are fork tender. It can take quite a while depending on how large the pieces are. Plan for them to cook for around an hour.

Bake the tofu if you are making your own.

Wash the kale and rip or cut it into bite-sized pieces. Place the kale in a steamer basket fitted in a pan with some water on the bottom. Bring the water to a boil and steam the kale for 7-10 minutes. Once the kale is tender, toss it with freshly squeezed lemon juice and sprinkle on some salt and pepper.

Avocado Caesar Dressing Directions:

Place all of the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Buddha Bowl Directions:

Place a serving of the rice in a bowl and add some roasted veggies, steamed kale, and tofu. Top with avocado caesar dressing and some diced veggies (red onion and cucumber are nice), pickles, or sauerkraut. Enjoy!