I wanted to have a quick and healthy lunch yesterday, but I did not have any rice ready. So instead I decided to serve my veggies over some delicious steamed yams (sweet potatoes) and Kobocha Squash (Thai/Japanese pumpkin). It’s kind of Macrobiotic, it just doesn’t have rice, beans, or fermented veggies. I guess it’s like a lazy version of a Macrobiotic dish instead.
This is a nutritious and easy way to get a lot of veggies all into one dish. I’ve got broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, yams (sweet potatoes) and squash, topped with a light peanut dressing to give it some nice flavour.
Basically my Rainbow Veggie Bowl is like a vegetable stir fry, but with steamed vegetables and nothing is fried! This is an easy meal idea for you when you’re not sure what to make, but just want something that still tastes good while being healthy at the same time. It’s also really easy to use up extra vegetables in the fridge, or use a whole bag of fresh mixed vegetables like I did and then they’re already washed and chopped for you.
You can also make the peanut dressing in advance and then use it throughout the week if you want to make this even quicker.
This is the steamed yams and squash before I topped it with the veggies.
Veronica’s Easy Rainbow Veggie Bowl
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 large yam/sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 small Kabocha squash, peeled and chopped (Thai/Japanese pumpkin) or 2-3 cups frozen butternut squash cubes
1 12 oz./340 g mixed vegetables (I used broccoli, cauliflower and baby carrots)
1/2 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut in half (or other vegetables as desired)
1/2 recipe of Thin Peanut Dressing (see recipe below)
Directions:
- Steam yams/sweet potatoes and squash in a medium-large pot in a steamer basket (if you have one) just until tender.
- When yams and squash are starting to cook, place other vegetables into another pot with a steamer basket (if you have one) and steam just until cooked. Be sure to check on them so that the broccoli doesn’t fall apart.
- Arrange steamed yams and squash into bowls and top with steamed vegetables. Drizzle with thin peanut dressing and serve!
Variations:
Use any other vegetables you desire instead of the asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower or carrots. You can also use ones like kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, Bok Choy, cabbage, onions, zucchini, etc.
Feel free to top your bowl with other goodies like seasoned tofu, tempeh, or black beans.
Kobacha squash can be substituted with Butternut squash, or even more yams/sweet potatoes if you like.
You can also serve with brown or white rice if you don’t want to use yams or squash.
(Oil-Free) Thin Peanut Dressing For Veggies
Serves 2-4
4 tbsp peanut butter
4 small dates, pitted or 1-2 tbsp of liquid sweetener of choice
1 clove of garlic
2 tsp light tamari or light soy sauce
2/3-3/4 cup water (to thin as desired)
Directions:
- Â Add all ingredients to a blender and combine. Taste test and adjust seasonings if desired. Use as much or as little water as you like depending on how far you want your sauce to go.
- Serve over greens or steamed vegetables.
Additional Tips:
Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days.
Variations:
You can also try almond butter, or tahini if you prefer instead of peanut butter. You can also add fresh ginger or a splash of apple cider vinegar if desired for different flavours.
What do you think of my Easy Rainbow Veggie Bowl with Peanut Sauce?
For the liquid sweetener could you use agave nectar? Would it taste weird?
You can I just cant use agave. It makes me sick and gives me headaches. Its processed very much like high fructose coen syrup and has unfortunatelt been marketed as a health food which it is not.
V: thank you for the interesting link to Gordon Ramsay’s video on pigs. Though i know you’re in hawaii at the moment, thought you might like to see a video of ramsay making a chick pea salad wherein he makes something of an apology to vegetarians & admits its great to cook with local and delicious fresh veggies.
Ohh this looks so good! Soemthing similar is actually my favourite lunch, only I use butternut squash and sometimes a lot of extra carrot.
But I love the peanut dressing; I’ll be trying it out tomorrow on my day off (yay) myself ^_^
Kia ora Veronica,
That’s how we say “hi” in NZ in the Maori language. Great idea which I will try with my granddaughter this weekend. Thanks for the great print feature too – appreciated.
Hi Rob! Yes we learned that when we visited New Zealand last year. We loved our 3 week trip there it was great. Hope to visit again soon.
i like the peanut dressing with the added water, as you have done. never tried it with dates before; & i do like mine with both ginger & garlic; i’m a big fan of raw herbs so then usually i would throw a little cilantro, basil or even scallions on top of cooked veggies & the peanut sauce. but that’s just me. i think the great thing about the noodle/rice/veggie bowl is that people can add raw toppings as they like; an inexpensive way to feed impromptu guests & they’ll all be gushing over your sauces.
there is a thai grocery line that sells peanut sauce with all the additives – very expensive, & not as good as the homemade variety.
Better to make your own so you can add only healthy sugars!!
cheers V.
Yum! This looks delicious – and soo simple.
I love all the little alternatives you give – helps get my own creative juices flowing 🙂
And thanks for putting in the alternative names – I was screwing my mind up a little at yams and squash – even though you’ve explained yams before – but it takes a little to jog the brain into gear 😉 – and squash is something completely different for us here…
Will try the dressing with tahini first (as I have no peanut paste) – it would also be great on a salad!
Btw, Veronica, I’ve noticed that even though I’m on your list, I don’t get all the recipes in my inbox, I get every second or third recipe. I found this out because once I checked with your list on the side here and noticed there were a few there that I’d not received… Is this because you don’t send out all your recipes? Today, for instance, I noticed I didn’t get the Gordon Ramsay and alternative to Special K recipes. Usually, it’s two in a row that I miss. I think on one occasion, I missed three… Anyway, just thought I’d let you know in case it’s a technical glitch on either of our parts… Thanks!
Hi Em,
There are so many different names of these things depending where you live!
I don’t think you are missing recipes. I only email my list twice a week with a cooked and raw recipe or How-To. I also post other articles to fill out the content on my blog, but I do not email it out.
I did not send out the Special K, and I just posted the Gordon Ramsay one right now. I don’t want people to complain if I send more than 2 or 3 emails a week. But I also tweet all the other posts I don’t email about as well on Twitter, so you can always follow me on there as well. 🙂
Oh Ok, thanks for clearing that up then. Glad I’m not missing anythig… 🙂
Aloha Veronica,
I wish you came up with this recipe a year ago! 😉 I definitely would have been able to eat this during my pregnancy! 😀
The recipes you’re coming up with look amazing and are perfect for people who want to eat healthier but are unable (or unwilling) to eat 100% raw.
Keep up the good work! 🙂
Aloha,
Karmyn
Thanks Karmyn! 🙂 Aloha we will be in Oahu next week!