Meal Prep Winter Grain Bowl

{Makes around 4 Servings}

This warm & cozy plant-based bowl has been a favorite of mine for meal prep and is perfect for getting in your veggies this winter! This recipe is 100% vegan, plant-based and delicious, hope you enjoy :)

Ingredients:

-1 block extra-firm tofu

-15.5oz. can chickpeas

-1 acorn squash

-1/4 cup roasted pepitas

-16oz. bag curly kale

-8 oz. baby bella mushrooms

-1.5 cups dry quinoa

-1/4 onion

-1 garlic clove

-1/3 cup tahini

-2 tbsp. + 1 tsp. maple syrup

-1 tbsp. lemon juice

-1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

-1 tbsp. soy sauce

-1 tbsp. cornstarch

-1/2 cup vegetable broth

-garlic powder, salt, oil for seasoning

- optional Trader Joe's Whole Grain Crispbread & Treeline Goat Cheese

1.Roast the squash. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cut your squash into pieces (around 1-inch squares). Then mix the squash with 1 tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. maple syrup and a sprinkle of salt. Cook for around 30 minutes until it begins to brown on the bottom.

2.Make your tofu. Begin by slicing the tofu in half and pressing. After 10 minutes, cut into strips and add 1 tbsp. of soy sauce, mix and then add the 1 tbsp. cornstarch and mix. In a preheated pan add a little bit of oil and cook the tofu for a few minutes on each side until it starts to brown.

3.Cook the quinoa according to package instructions. I cook in my Instapot for 5 min on high pressure. Once it's done cooking, strain the can of chickpeas and mix in.

4. Make your mushrooms. In a preheated pan place the mushrooms and leave them until they begin to release their liquids and brown, then stir and condiment as desired. You could add a little bit of oil, salt and pepper to keep it simple or I like to add around 1 tbsp each of soy sauce, oil, maple syrup and a few drops of liquid smoke to give it some extra flavor.

5. Make the sauteed kale. Start by dicing the 1/4 onion, mincing the garlic clove and de-stemming and chopping your kale. Then in a preheated pan add around 1 tbsp. oil, onion and garlic and let cook for a few minutes until translucent. Then add chopped kale and vegetable broth and cover with a lid. The vegetable broth will be absorbed by the kale and give it some extra flavor. Stir the kale every minute or two until it wilts, and the veggie broth is fully absorbed.

6. Make the maple tahini sauce. Mix 1/3 cup tahini, 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp. maple syrup, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt and pepper and around 1/3 cup water in a mason jar. Adjust the water amount to make the sauce thinner based on your taste preference

7. Assemble the bowl with around 1/4 of each mix, then top with pepitas and maple tahini sauce. I like to serve with a crostini of trader joe's crispbread with Treeline Vegan Goat Cheese!