What is a Buddha Bowl & how do I make it? (FREE GIVEAWAY)

I get tired thinking about what to eat for every meal. I usually try to keep cooked elements of a good meal in the fridge, ready to mix with something that I can call "dinner." Thanks to the rise of "buddha bowls," or grain bowls or veggie bowls, I can arrange it in a bowl, drizzle a dressing, & I have a beautiful, irresistible meal. I feel especially successful when my anti-leftover husband asks for it again. 

Buddha bowl gets its name from the buddha belly - it's the first image you saw in your mind, right? A buddha bowl is so full of goodness, it's like a buddha's belly. The key to a really great bowl, is the perfect combination of flavors, texture, & fullness. You want all the ingredients to complement each other, even balancing extremes of the flavor spectrum. You want a range of textures - not too chewy, not too soft, not too crunchy, not too creamy. And you want to feel full, but not tired. 

Any restaurant that serves a bowl meal has created a combination of ingredients advised by a legit recipe developer, or even a food scientist. They'll have ingredients that aren't realistic for you to keep on hand regularly. And who knows how they formulated their dressing. So, it's not realistic to expect that your homemade bowl meals will rival what you can buy for $11+. 

Except, you can get close enough. 

The average formula for a buddha bowl is 

grain base + 1-2 vegetables + dressing + optional protein + optional topping

Your biggest challenge with creating a crave-worthy bowl is pairing flavors & textures. Your second challenge is learning how much is too much/not enough. The third challenge is recipes. They're out there alright. Can you trust the recipe creator? Do they share your same tastes? Will they throw in that one rare ingredient that's essential to it all coming together just right? 

And THEN, if you're new to cooking, you don't have the self-confidence to pair ingredients together. It's one thing to throw a few things into a bowl - it's another to make it cohesive. 

I have a solution for you. 

A manual for matching ingredients to mimic restaurant-quality bowls. For making REALLY good dressings - the kind that make you keep coming back for another bite - that don't overwhelm other ingredients - that enhance the other natural flavors. 

A manual for which grains go with which dressing. For which vegetables pair well together & how to prep/cook each vegetable for endless variety. And which proteins & toppings take it, well, over the top. 

The ebook manual "Bowled Over" gives you 7 dressing recipes, 4 starter grain recipes, and 9 pages of vegetable treatments to get started on crafting your own delightful buddha bowls. 

The manual is designed to give you enough structure to create irresistible meals, with enough freedom to decide which combinations are best for your diet/moment/resources/cravings. Because it's an ebook, it will be updated with additional recipes & user testimonials for in-depth suggestions & you'll get each update once you join the registration list. As a Cooking Club member, you'll also receive emails every other week announcing my latest video releases so you continuously receive guidance on cooking & new ingredients. 

I created "Bowled Over" because I found a dressing I really liked... started pouring it on everything... realized I loved it but it didn't work every time... & experienced other dressings I wanted in my kitchen in regular rotation. So I started exploring meals in bowls & which ingredients were most commonly paired with each other... and which dressings worked with which vegetables... and which grains... 

I realized that meals in bowls are a missed opportunity for so many of us trying to take care of ourselves while navigating all the food & health options. Because there are so many options, it's overwhelming. 

I hope to remove the overwhelm at attempting your own buddha bowl menu.

I've even figured out a cooking plan for ensuring a variety of meals throughout the week without cooking every night. If you have one afternoon to cook for the week, how can you best use that time to set yourself up for energizing, satisfying meals? "Bowled Over" is my first attempt to guide you through cooking & using flavorful & nutritious ingredients. The only thing you'll miss is the obligation to "eat healthy." 

My first priority is the joy of flavor. 

Each recipe is chosen because it tastes REALLY good. If you want inspiration for how to use the suggested ingredients, follow my instagram account. I'll post each rendition to support your growth in navigating the dozens of options. If you have a question, Instagram is probably the quickest place to reach me - or comment on the appropriate YouTube video. Otherwise, email me via your ebook registration. 

Enjoy "Bowled Over" as a solution to both new cooking experiences & a need for meals that satisfy both tongue & tummy.