Buddha bowls have been the rage in healthy living in the past year or two. I never knew what I had been eating actually had a name to it. I like to think of it as a gratitude bowl. Now, I'm not trying to get hippy-dippy on you, but it is a bowl of goodness for your health, mind, and body so we should be grateful for what we have on this earth and for what Mother Nature gives to us.

Brown rice and quinoa mix topped with hijiki tofu patties, beetroot, cucumber wakame sunomono, red cabbage, spinach, crushed avocado with yuzu and poppy seeds, and carrot ginger dressing.

This is a one meal bowl with an emphasis on plant based foods. There are 4 basic components to it: grains and/or nuts and seeds, protein veggies, starchy vegetables, and a dazzling dressing or sauce.

You can use plant based proteins such as avocado, beans, nuts, seeds, and tofu. Other protein substitutes may be egg, sustainable fish and lean meats (for those who need a little more). Play around with the textures of your veggies which can easily be achieved by the way you cook them (boiled, steamed, sautéed, raw, roasted) or cut them (diced, cubed, sliced, julienned).

The combination between texture and taste is something you can be mindful to while eating. A mix of raw vegetables and lightly cooked, steamed, or roasted vegetables add different dimensions to a bowl. Be generous to yourself and be abundant in your veggie servings.

What's great about it is that you can reincarnate any leftovers and recreate new bowls.

Buddha Bowl #1

INGREDIENTS// 1 meal bowl

• brown rice and quinoa mix
• hijiki tofu patties
• beetroot, raw and grated
• cucumber wakame sunomono
• red cabbage, marinated
• spinach or chard
• crushed avocado with yuzu and poppy seeds
• carrot ginger dressing

INSTRUCTIONS

Choose a special bowl and assemble all your elements of goodness on top and around your grains.

Top it off with your special dressing or sauce.

Eat bold and bloom.