I've done a few of these "trendy" Buddha Bowl dishes, I've always done the same thing though or I've had something prepared for me in one of the Deliciously Ella Deli's. Tonight I decided that I wanted a few different things but couldn't make it into what I consider a traditional meal. After seeing so many posts about health bowls, nutrition bowls and Buddha bowls a thought popped into my head. Why not make your own? I had leftovers again so that always helps when you need to throw things together. I find that these bowls are also a good way to get the different vitamins and nutrients you need.
Today, I'll share a few of the "Buddha Bowls" I've had. I've put it in Quotation Marks because what I had tonight doesn't actually count as a Buddha Bowl. After googling the definition (therefore becoming a genius in the subject within a few minutes) I now understand what they truly are. A Buddha Bowl is a bowl full of raw or roasted Vegetables, a variety of Greens, some Beans thrown in with a base consisting of a healthy grain which is usually Quinoa or Brown Rice. Usually so overstuffed is the bowl that it resembles Buddha's belly!
Actually all the ones I share will be Buddha Bowls apart from tonights dinner, I guess that counts as irony as it is this dinner that gave me the blog idea!
Rewind the clock to 2016, myself and my friends decided to try one of these Buddha Bowls. They have been a trend for a little while now, I wonder what all the fuss is about, as to me it is just a bunch of vegetables cooked and thrown together in a bowl with some rice. Really not a big deal when that is practically all you can eat anyway.
To my surprise combining them to make this bowl of goodness actually is a work of genius! The different hot and cold Vegetables with their independent flavours and textures makes them come alive. The base of the brown rice is filling and goes well with each ingredient on an individual level. Plus who doesn't love a fibrous bean.
The first one I had contained Sweetcorn, Plum Tomatoes, sautéed Mushrooms & Peppers, boiled Brown Rice, microwaved Black Beans and some homemade Guacamole. I served it with a side of Gluten Free Corn Chips and oh my goodness was I full. I couldn't move! Yet what I couldn't understand was that every single bit of it was good for me!
Another bonus is that when cooking a meal like this, everyone can take what they like. You don't have to all have the same diets. For my friends this meant they could have some Meat and Halloumi with it, while I just enjoyed the different types of Vegetables available. Definitely a great idea for batch cooking for a dinner with friends or when you aren't sure what to cook people like me! We from then on would host a lot more of our Buddha Bowl nights with mostly the same ingredients, don't fix it if it ain't broke!
The next time I encountered something similar was when myself and Chris took our first trip to The Mae Deli. I remember being blown away by the choice with the added bonus of being able to have a combination of the differently prepared dishes. I was totally spoilt and a little stuck on what to choose.
In the end this is what I went for, now the issue being we went about a year or so ago. My apologies to Ella for how badly I get this wrong. I had the spicy Beans in a Tomatoey sauce; Quinoa mix with Edamame Beans, Spring Onions and Sweetcorn; a not-sure-what-it-is Vegetable mix with Cashews; Broccoli cooked in a fancy way; and Sweet Potato Falafel bites. Definitely sure that is not the way they were sold or named, though that is how I remember them. Not bad I hope, shows they were tasty as I still remember the meal pretty well today!
Again I was needing to basically be rolled out of the Deli and back on the train home from London. Having not learnt from the first time that Buddha Bowls, my eyes and my belly are all very different sizes. I couldn't possibly think my small frame could handle such an amount of food, be it delectable or not! Yet still I managed to eat the entirety of the bowl. There is just something about them, they make you want to savour every bite. Most likely due to each mouthful being a little different to the last and not wanting to waste any of the good stuff. After all, my body is in dire need of the good stuff!
This brings me nicely back to tonights dinner. A non Buddha Bowl although definitely up there with the greats anyway, if not purely for the fact I made it all myself without any recipes or help! I'm always happy when I can do that.
It consisted of the remnants of my tin of Tomatoes and Tin of Cannelini Beans from my Pasty the other day, made into a mildly spiced Tomatoey Bean concoction. A mix of grated Carrot and Potato seasoned with Salt, Pepper and Basil, fried to create a thin Potato Rosti in my frying pan. Steamed Popeye Spinach with sea salt although this Spinach had such a knock out flavour I needn't season it! Supersweet tinned Sweetcorn plated as it is, I find Sweetcorn has enough flavour without the need to mess around. I could literally eat a whole tin with a spoon, not that I have... Then last but never least, a beautifully soft ripe Avocado cut into strips.
Each bit went together gracefully, my favourite mix from the dish had to be the Spinach with the Rosti and a generous coating of Beans. The subtle spices with the very hard to describe flavour of the wonderfully wilted Spinach and slightly burnt Rosti was just, YUM! So much so, I had leftover grated Carrot and Potato which obviously had to be made into another Rosti and accompanied by the leftover Bean mix. Third bowl of the blog and yes I can confirm I am totally stuffed... Again.
Although I don't usually like to conform to the trends, even though sometimes I accidentally do. (I was Vegan before it was cool.) This trend is definitely one of my favourites after tonight. It's brilliant to be able to make a simple bowl of food in just half an hour which completely fills you up. Not only that but it also has the good vitamins and nutrients that are always needed when living this lifestyle, in a way that doesn't make it boring.
Let's take my meal tonight.
- Containing Avocado which has more potassium in it than a Banana whilst also having good levels of Vitamins C and E which help the immune system, skin health and work as natural antioxidants.
- Spinach where you can't go wrong with the levels of Iron and Vitamin K, Iron being the biggest factor for me as I am naturally a little deficient.
- Cannelini Beans that until today I had no idea were so good for you. They present an excellent level of Protein with good amounts of Iron, Antioxidants and Fibre whilst also giving more Calcium, Potassium etc.
- Now Carrots are always good for you as they help eyesight (actually true) but they also aid digestion and a lot more.
- Potatoes are similar to others listed here and well we all know Sweetcorn is there just for the taste.
Sorry to drone on there. It is good to recognise that although I am on a restricted diet, I do get a lot of vitamins and nutrients naturally through the foods I eat. I actually don't need to try that hard and arugably I get more of the "good stuff" because I eat more Fruits and Vegetables than the regular person.
I guess I am saying, Gluten Free, Vegan or not, Buddha Bowls are a great meal. Not only for taste and to mix up your weekday dinners, but also for your body! You never know for sure what your body is crying out for, I had an inkling that mine needed some Iron today as my mind kept drifting to the Spinach in the fridge. Nevertheless without constantly testing our blood we don't know 100%, making it important to mix it up a bit every now and then!
Happy Veganuary Day 18 everyone! Share with me some of your Buddha Bowl ideas, I'd love to try them!