Sweet, Spicy, Simple Fall Buddha Bowl with Maple Chicken or Tofu & Roasted Fall Veggies

Instructions

1. Begin by cooking your quinoa and marinating your protein. Start your quinoa according to package directions or in a rice pot. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together maple syrup, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper until well combined.
2. Chicken: If using chicken, chop and add cutlets to marinade and stir until all pieces are completely covered. Set bowl in refrigerator.
3. Tofu: If using tofu, chop and thinly coat tofu cubes in in tapioca starch/flour. Be gentle, and coat with tapioca sparingly. Place tofu cubes in marinade, and gently stir until all pieces of tofu are covered in liquid. Set bowl in refrigerator.
4. Preheat oven to 350 (F). Line 2 large and 1 small baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Wash and chop sweet potato and broccoli into bite-sized sized (medium sized) chunks, and spread onto the large baking sheets. Leave about half (or a bit more) of one pan clear for acorn squash.
6. Cut squash in half. Hold squash with facing stem to the side, and cut straight through. Using a spoon, scrape the seedy center away from the squash, discard. (If desired, you can save the centers to roast the seeds or add to vegetable broth.)
7. Cut cleaned squash into rings, then cut the rings in half. Lay on remaining parchment lined baking sheet.
8. Check your pans. Make sure your veggies are evenly spaced for the best results. Do your best to spread them into a single layer across the parchment paper with a little space between them. All vegetables should be touching the paper/pan.
9. Mist vegetables with olive oil (we use this mister), and sprinkle with salt and pepper - we use this mister. (If you don't have an oil mister, do your best to lightly drizzle a tablespoon (or less) of olive oil evenly across vegetables.) Optional: Sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste.
10. Using tongs or a fork, place your marinated protein on the small, parchment lined baking sheet. (If this doesn't work for you, you can always cook them on the stovetop instead.) Drizzle remaining marinade across protein cutlets.
11. Place all three pans in the oven, and set a timer for 15 minutes. When timer goes off, flip and stir your veggies and protein, and return to oven for another 10-15 minutes, or until all vegetables and proteins are cooked through. Check them often after flipping, as chicken may be cooked through before veggies or tofu.
12. While the chicken/tofu and veggies are roasting, prepare your dressing. In a small bowl, add all dressing ingredients: tahini, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and water. Whisk until evenly combined and smooth. Set in refrigerator.
13. Remove all food from the oven, and allow to cool for about 3-5 minutes. Once cooled to touch, remove cooked peel from acorn squash rings, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
14. Serve by plating quinoa, roasted veggies, and chicken or tofu. Drizzle with dressing to taste. Optional: Sprinkle with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.