One of our favourite and healthiest go to lunch recipes is ironically named after a spiritual man with a large belly: Buddha! The Buddha bowl, or hippie bowl, is a combination of flavours, textures, and consists of basically anything you want - literally anything. Ever heard the expression everything but the kitchen sink? Well, the rules of making your own buddha bowl is basically as follows:
No. 1 | Choose your Greens: bok choy, kale, chinese broccoli, spinach, cabbage, arugula, herbs
No. 2 | Choose your Grains: quinoa, wild rice, brown rice, oats, couscous, corn chips, pasta
No. 3 | Choose your Veggies: peppers, zucchini, beets, sweet potatoes, cucumber, tomatoes
No. 4 | Choose your Protein: beef, chicken, tuna, turkey, tempeh, tofu, eggs, chickpeas, beans
No. 5 | Choose your Sauce: caesar, balsamic, hummus, salsa, ginger-garlic, goulash, bbq sauce
Another way to perfect the bowl and round out your buddha experience is by choosing a culinary inspiration. For example, a Mexican Fiesta Bowl would include greens: cilantro or iceberg lettuce, grains: jasmine or wild rice, veggies: tomatoes, corn and green peppers, proteins: seasoned chicken or pulled pork, and sauce: homemade guacamole, pico de gallo, or a jalapeno lime sauce.
Here’s one of our favourite buddha combos:
INGREDIENTS | 4 Servings
- ½ cup of crushed peanuts
- 1 cup of mixed quinoa
- ½ cup water or ½ cup broth (optional)
- 1 lime
- Cilantro
- 2 beets, peeled
- 2 carrots
- 1 whole cucumber
- ¼ head of red cabbage
- Extra firm tofu
Jalapeno Lime Sauce
- ⅓ cup of mayo (preferably homemade mayo)
- 1 clove of garlic
- Juice of 1-2 limes
- 3 whole jalapenos
- Handful of cilantro
Hummus
- 1 can of chickpeas, drained
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp of tahini
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
METHOD
No. 1 | Rinse quinoa in a strainer. Add to large saucepan with the water or bone broth. Bring to a boil, cover and turn the stove down to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with a fork and let cool. Set aside.
No. 2 | Preheat your frying pan or grill pan. Slice tofu into 1 inch squares, approximately ½ inch thick. Brush with your favourite marinade or olive oil and fry/grill until light brown for approximately 3 mins per side. Set aside.
No. 3 | Add strained chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice and salt in a blender. Begin blending on medium speed, slowly drizzle in olive oil and gradually increase speed to high, for one minute, until smooth. Place in fridge to cool.
No. 4 | Using a handheld or stand alone blender, combine all sauce ingredients on high speed until smooth. Pour into a squeeze bottle and store for up to 1 week.
No. 5 | Grate, chop or spiralize vegetables of your choice and assemble your bowl.
The nutrient packed punch and versatility of the Buddha Bowl makes it a no fuss lunch choice - go ahead, grab everything in your kitchen - except the sink, of course.
Bon Appetit xo
Chef | Sous Chef
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