Buddha Bowl

Buddha Bowls.

Because I can't exist solely on vegan green tea cookies, ice cream, and veggie pizza. I think this goes without saying but I've had a pretty great couple of days off. I introduced a new friend to the world of Baptiste power vinyasa yoga at Shakti, down in Ballard. Prior to this, there were macchiatos and baked goods at Vivace. Because what fuels you better for yoga than a macchiato and a vegan mint chocolate chip cookie? And after a hot sweaty vinyasa practice, gelato at Fainting Goat seemed appropriate.

The next day, I went out for lunch in La Conner. On the way home I just so happened to drive past Snow Goose Produce, famous for their 'immodest ice cream cones'. Immodest indeed.

A cone from my last trip to Snow Goose last year

For the record, I loved every minute of this weekend. Indulgence is something I learned to give myself in moderation. After my weight loss five years ago, I went through a year or two where I was still very restrictive in the foods I would eat. I ate very strictly clean, every 3 hours. It was what I needed to give myself the peace of mind that I could maintain my new weight. But it was too far for me. It began to drive me crazy, it isolated me; I remember it was my best friend's graduation night and I went out to dinner with her family and our friends and I literally didn't eat a thing because there wasn't anything on the menu that I felt I could eat. I sat and talked with everyone, drinking my water the whole night. By the end of it I started to get a little loopy, 6 hours later without any nourishment.. too much.

A confrontation from a dear friend finally made me see the bigger picture. I was staying in my size 4 jeans, but at what cost? It cost me my happiness, my relationships, I put up walls with people and would say, "they don't understand". I didn't understand, I didn't see that this wasn't a sustainable way of living.

I started slowly adding things back into my diet that I loved. A little goat cheese in my omelette, sprouted whole grain bread, a teaspoon of ghee on my porridge, spelt flour pancakes. My focus was, and remains, to eat whole foods, as close to their natural form as possible. For me, that looks like a mostly plant based diet, though I do eat meat on occasion, dairy, and whole grain breads. It is in this way that I don't have to think too hard about my eating choices. I stay within the loose boundaries of my whole foods diet, and I vary the things that I eat. I'm not having pancakes every day, and I'm also not eating steamed vegetables and lean protein for every meal. Every single day is a balance, as is every week. A balance that takes into account my physical activity, my work schedule (if I'm working crazy hours, sometimes it's easiest to cook up a pot of chickpeas at the beginning of the week and toss them into salads with an assortment of vegetables, avocado, seeds and some kind of homemade dressing--because that's what's fast and nourishing in the moment), and my cravings.

Cravings are an interesting thing. I believe that our cravings are rooted from a deeper need in our body. Say you're craving pizza, perhaps what your body really wants is fast energy, like the quick digesting carbohydrates found in pizza. I think it's important when we have a craving, not to ignore it-- in my experience, that leads to binging-- but rather to get to the root of it and give your body what it truly wants and needs to thrive. Then when you do indulge in something like pizza, you're doing it mindfully, it's not a reckless impulse decision, it's a choice that you make, and you're going to love every minute of it!

This new way of being means that I get to enjoy an evening out and not have to spend 20 minutes figuring out what the 'safest' low-calorie option on the menu is. This means that when my awesome co-worker brings in homemade lemon cupcakes with frosting I can enjoy one with everyone else. What's even cooler, is that this has expanded my culinary appreciation too. My traditional macchiatos are best with whole milk. The house dressing made with creme fraiche truly is out of this world, can I get that recipe?! I have such a deep appreciation for the art of good food, and I love trying new things, whether I know the chef's ingredient list for the special sauce or not!

 Why Buddha Bowl? It's great food like this that keeps me feeling nourished, energized, and fueled for my wildest adventures (like my 200-hr yoga teacher training that starts Sept. 6!!) This is easiest to make if you have leftover quinoa and cooked chickpeas on hand. I personally love and can taste the difference between fresh cooked chickpeas and canned, but in a pinch, feel free to substitute with canned legumes.

There are are four elements in this Buddha Bowl; grilled asparagus, and chickpeas sit atop a bed of quinoa, and are then drizzled with a tahini dressing and toasted seeds. B-b-b-bomb. That's right, complex carbohydrates, complete protein from quinoa and chickpeas, a serving a greens (thanks asparagus) and healthy fats from toasted seeds and tahini. Got all your bases covered with this one!

Buddha Bowl serves 1

quinoa, chickpeas, grilled asparagus, tahini dressing

• 1 Tbsp tahini
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• pinch each chili powder and sea salt
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1 Tbsp seeds such as sesame, sunflower, pumpkin or slivered almonds
• 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
• 5 spears asparagus
• 2/3 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
• Optional: additional chili powder for serving

Method

In a small bowl, whisk tahini, water, lemon juice, chili powder, sea salt and honey. Set aside.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add seeds, stirring frequently so as not to burn, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Roughly chop asparagus and add to the pan along with cooking oil. Cook, stirring every once in a while until cooked through and beginning to crisp on the outside. Remove from heat and set aside.

Layer into a bowl, quinoa, chickpeas and asparagus. Drizzle with dressing, top with toasted seeds and additional chili powder.

Enjoy this good mood food! I'd love to hear what foods keep you feeling balanced and energized.

Until next time,

Eat well!