Big, Beautiful Buddha Bowl

A “Buddha bowl” is simply a bowl heaped full of good stuff you eat for a meal, usually a grain topped with vegetables.

This is a guaranteed great recipe, because you build this dish yourself using your own choice of tasty morsels.  For a family or group, you can lay the ingredients out buffet style and let everyone load up on their favorites.  I like to use this delicious Easy Peanut Sauce on mine.

EASY PEANUT SAUCE

1/2 cup powdered peanut butter
2 T. soy sauce or tamari
1/2 to 1 tsp. Sriracha or other hot sauce, to taste
2 T. maple syrup
2 T. water

Whisk everything together. Wasn’t that easy?

(Thanks to Sandi Hemming at PlantYourPlate.com for the initial recipe. I only tweaked it a teeny bit!)

First, collect the goods. Here is a picture of what I gathered for my latest dish. I love the ready to eat Seeds of Change quinoa and brown rice from Costco. You can use any rice, hot or cold, or other wholesome grains or beans or noodles. Note: That pickled asparagus in the jar added a touch of tongue tingling tastiness!

A small handheld spiral cutter is good for starters.

For my “noodles,” I peeled most of the skin off a zucchini and twisted it through a spiral cutter.  I left most of the veggies raw, but the baby broccoli was steamed for a few minutes and cooled in ice water.  You can use anything you have on hand‑‑raw or cooked, hot meal or cold.  Do what my grandmother used to do with her salads: “Clean out the refrigerator!”

You can see my chickens thinking, “Boy, those are some long noodles!“
I put the zucchini strips into the bowl first, followed by some carrot ribbons made in the little cutter that I won from Sandi Hemming’s Plant Your Plate contest a few months ago.

Still trying to get the hang of this gadget!

Then I layered in the other ingredients.  I also added a bit of grated raw red beet.  Yes ‑‑ raw, raw, raw!

Powdered peanut butter is a bit pricey, but well worth it for this simple, delicious sauce.

Top everything with this wonderful Easy Peanut Sauce, and you’ll be doing the “Happy Buddha Belly Dance”!

What special toppings do you like?  I’d love to hear!