Bowls Are Better Than Plates

Who doesn't love protein, grains, veggies, and sauce layered in a bowl? The same meal on a plate just isn't the same. Maybe that's a vegan thing. I don't know. But vegans love bowls.

There are endless combination possibilities — black beans and rice, tofu and quinoa, tempeh and farro. You can totally go crazy! Since I tend to hoard dry beans and grains, bowls are perfect for those nights when I really need to save some money and use up the food in my overflowing pantry. That's how I dreamed up this Chickpea-Amaranth-Squash Bowl with Tahini Sauce and Avocado:

I had some dried chickpeas in the pantry, so I soaked and cooked those. I had a brand new bag of Bob's Red Mill Amaranth that came in my swag bag at Vida Vegan Con. I found the summer squash and 8-ball zucchini at the Memphis Farmers Market. And my pantry is never without tahini, so I made the Creamy Tahini Sauce from Cookin' Crunk (the recipe for that is at the end of this post in case you don't have my book).

Here's the recipe!

Chickpea-Amaranth-Squash Bowl with Tahini Sauce and Avocado
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1/2 cup cooked amaranth (cooked according to package instructions)
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1 cup steamed summer squash or zucchini
2 Tbsp. Creamy Tahini Sauce from Cookin' Crunk (recipe below)
Soy sauce, to taste
1/2 avocado, sliced
Sriracha, to taste

In a deep bowl, layer the amaranth, chickpeas, and squash. Top with tahini sauce and as much soy sauce as desired. Top with avocado slices. Season liberally with sriracha.



Creamy Tahini Sauce (from Cookin' Crunk)
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1/3 cup roasted sesame tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Water, to thin

Place the tahini, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, sesame oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, and garlic powder into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir well to incorporate. If the tahini seems too thick, you might want to mix the ingredients in a food processor or blender. If using this as a creamy topping, you may want to thin it out with a little water. Add a few tablespoons at a time to the blender or bowl and incorporate until desired consistency is reached.