I’m a huge fan of eating out of a bowl. It’s my favorite. Obviously soups, stews, and curries, but also I love eating All the Veggies Fried Rice out of a bowl. It kind of feels like I’m eating out of a Chinese take out box which is prime comfort food to me. Pinterest and Instagram started showing me images of a new kind of meal that also must be eaten out of a bowl and it was love at first sight. I think it’s because you just pile on the goodness in layers and every bite is a surprise and no two bites taste the same. They call it a Buddha or Power Bowl. Basically you take your favorite veggies (I like to roast mine), throw in a protein, possibly a grain, put them in a bowl together with a super yummy dressing. The end result is a completely satisfying, delicious, and healthy meal that you will think about for hours afterward. I’m not even kidding.
This week I had leftover roasted cauliflower and chickpeas (from my Greek Taco recipe) and leftover wild rice in my fridge. This alone would have made a fabulous Buddha bowl, but I wanted the extra veggies so I roasted a sweet potato and cut up an avocado for extra credit. I dressed it with a tahini dressing and absolutely devoured it. Last night I used this Whole 30 Power Bowl recipe and roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, red onion, and kale. I then made a couple quick over easy eggs and drizzled my tahini dressing from lunch. Another successful and divine Buddha bowl! (For the record, my kids had orthodontist appointments yesterday so they picked mac and cheese for their tender mouths and I made these bowls for Bobby and myself).
I hope I’m making your mouth water, but more than that, I’m hoping to show you how easy it is to throw together these bowls with what’s already in your fridge and a little creativity. The reason I love them so much (besides the fact that they make my taste buds dance) is that I get SO MANY VEGETABLES in just one meal! They are a nutritional powerhouse! When there is so much conversation in our world about staying healthy and immunity, now is an awesome time to make sure you are taking care of your body! It does not need to be hard. It just takes some intentionality. Try making these in advance so you can have several lunches prepped and ready for your entire work week.
Here is a little frame work for you to come up with your own Buddha bowl. These are the basic components but you can stray as far from them as you want and you will still come up with a fantastic recipe. If you fall into the Pinterest rabbit hole of Buddha bowls you will see that the combinations are endless and you can’t go wrong. Just pick your favorite ingredients and go from there. You can get more adventurous later!
Buddha Bowl
- Starch– rice, quinoa, barley, sweet potatoes
- Vegetables– I like to roast mine, but nothing says you have to. My favorites are broccoli, cauliflower, kale, peppers, and cucumbers (not roasted)
- Protein– beans, egg, chicken, tofu, nuts
- Dressing– you could use your favorite oil and vinegar salad dressing, but I LOVE a tahini sauce.
TAHINI DRESSING
3 Tbsp Almond Butter
3 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp cumin
Mix all ingredients together with enough warm water to make the sauce smooth. Perfection!
I’d love to hear from you? Have you experimented with Buddha or Power Bowls before? If you try a recipe that you love, please share it with our community in the comments!
