This recipe has two make-ahead components: the black rice and the sauce, which combine to create this delicious and healthy bowl.

Make ahead

Have the cooked black rice on hand and ready to assemble in the bowl. Since this bowl can be warm, room temperature, or chilled, so long as the rice is cooked and not frozen, you're good.

Have either the vegan peanut sauce or sunflower butter sauce on hand. The irresistible peanut sauce is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. Alternatively, the sunflower butter sauce is sweet and tangy and an allergen-friendly substitute for our vegan peanut sauce.

Cook the butternut squash, kale and tempeh

Butternut squash

Preheat your oven to 425 F (or 218 C).

Arrange butternut squash cubes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. See *Pro Tip for peeling and chopping a whole butternut squash. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from oven and set aside.

Kale

Add 3 tablespoons of water to a nonstick skillet. Heat the skillet to medium heat. When the water starts to bubble, add chopped kale and put the lid on. Steam for about 2 minutes so the kale is bright green, but still has some crunch. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Wipe down the skillet.

Tempeh

Add the cubed tempeh in coconut aminos to a mixing bowl and let it sit or marinate for at least three minutes to absorb the aminos. Preheat the same nonstick skillet used to steam the kale over medium heat and add the marinated tempeh. Saute for 4 to 6 minutes or until it starts to brown and the coconut aminos begin to caramelize. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Assemble the bowls

Add steamed kale to the bottom of the individual bowls, then add the tempeh, black rice, butternut squash, chopped red bell pepper, shredded purple cabbage, chopped onion, and fresh cilantro. Drizzle with the peanut sauce (or sunflower butter sauce). Enjoy immediately!

If you're meal-prepping this bowl, assemble it with all the toppings in an airtight container. Keep the sauce separate until you're ready to enjoy. Leftovers keep well in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to four days.

*Pro Tip for preparing the butternut squash

Hold one end of the butternut squash. Carefully peel the outer skin using a sharp vegetable peeler. You'll need to press into it a bit for the peeler to catch the skin. Again, be careful not to have your fingers in the way of the direction you're peeling.

After you've peeled it clean, use a sharp knife to trim both ends and then cut it in half. When you get a flat surface, remove any seeds and carefully continue to slice and chop the butternut squash flesh to the desired size.