zero waste Buddha bowl — Natalie Yonan

Funny enough, this super trendy clean-eating-health-bowl is named after a man often depicted as having a big, round belly. Buddha!

*Okay, I have come to know that it's not entirely true that Buddha had a big belly... He was actually very skinny. You can read all about it here if you're interested. :P

Today’s recipe is a vegan Zero waste Buddha bowl made from all kinds of leftovers that I had in the fridge. The Buddha bowl got it's name because the food in the bowl was piling up to look like Buddhas big belly!

Having an abundance of colorful food like this doesn't only make my mouth water but also really makes me so grateful to have food! I feel so blessed for these foods that I've come to learn to eat and love! I haven't always been super healthy and I do make exceptions still. But there's something in the vibrations of healthy food! It just makes you so darn happy!

Buddha bowls are meant to be hearty, filling bowls made of various greens, raw or roasted veggies, beans and sometimes healthy grains like quinoa or brown rice.

Sometimes there's toppings like nuts or seeds and dressings for added texture and flavor. My Bowl is made of 100% leftovers. This is a beautiful and modern dish to make whenever you need to make a fridge cleaning or if you're just too lazy too cook the day after you've had a big dinner or party!

(Scroll down to see how I made my Buddha bowl)

This is just an example of what you can do to create a beautifully abundant Buddha bowl. Feel free to incorporate any leftovers that you have in you fridge!

INGREDIENTS

szechuan citrus green beans (get the recipe here)
oven roasted cauliflowers and sweet potatoes (unscented coconut oil + salt)
1/3 cucumber
2 tbsp kimchi
2-3 radishes
1/2 avocado
steamed kale
1/2 cup chickpeas
pea sprouts

Vegan citrus yogurt

1 cup vegan yogurt (oat/soy/coconut or your choice of plant yogurt)
zest from 1 lemon
1/2 garlic clove
pinch salt and pepper
pinch olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Wash cauliflower and sweet potatoes and cut the sweet potatoes in slightly smaller size than the cauliflowers (to make sure the cauliflowers don't get over cooked) drizzle a generous amount of coconut oil on top of the veggies and sprinkle some salt
Roast in the oven on 200°C for 20-25 minutes
Prepare the szechuan citrus green beans
De-stem 3-4 leafs of kale and steam for 3-5 minutes
Use spiralizer for the cucumber
Use a mandolin for the radishes
Prepare the yogurt by combining all ingredients in a bowl.

Sometimes the simplest things become the biggest successes! I always try to think of the rainbow when I make bowls! The more the better (color-wise) try not to over season in any way, most veggies taste wonderfully in it's raw form of with a quick steam. Buddha bowls are meant to be simple to make and jam-packed with filling nutrients and vitamins that aid overall health.

Finally I'd like to mention the superhero of this dish (or any dish for that matter). Her name is Kim-SHE! Kimchi is a great thing to always have in the fridge! Kimchi is super flavorful, gives moisture and texture to any dull dish and are great for you gut health!