Mediterranean Inspired Buddha Bowl

I had lunch late today when Jeff was already home.
He was telling me a story and he stopped in mid-sentence.

“… did you just lick the bowl?”

“…yes.” Why lie?

I’ve been having a variation of these bowls every day for lunch. They’re healthy, but super satisfying and the only reason I haven’t been eating them for both lunch and dinner is that my children will have no part of them.

Also, I can cook it without even having a kitchen. A must these days.

I originally got the idea for this bowl from CAVA Mezze Grill.  At CAVA you can build your own grain bowl, pita or salad with a range of mediterranean flavors (think mediterranean Chipotle). Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for my wallet) they don’t have a location in Richmond, which is a shame because I think it would do great here (hint, hint).

Now, at CAVA they have a dip they call Crazy Feta, which is a combination of jalapenos and feta cheese whipped into a mousse. It’s delicious. I’ve seen a few copycat recipes which I’ve tried, but not loved, and even found the real stuff at a local market but couldn’t quite justify the $10 price tag for something that I will consume so quickly; I’ve been substituting a jalapeno dip in lieu of Crazy Feta. I’ll probably cave and get the real stuff, but if I find a good recipe I’ll be sure to share it.

The beauty behind these bowls is that they are endlessly tweakable. Each bowl I’ve made tastes a little different and they’ve all been good.

Here’s a recipe to get your started and can tweak to your taste:

 

Start with some greens 
I have spinach and baby kale on hand, next time I’ll pick up a spring mix and arugula.

Add warm quinoa*
It really is better when the grains are warm. It wilts the greens just a little, melds the flavors a little bit more, and makes the whole thing more satisfying.

Tabbouleh
This can usually be found in stores, but a basic parsley salad is very easy to make at home. (Basically, finely chopped parsley, bulgar or quinoa, some red onion, salt and pepper, olive oil and lemon juice).

Veggies
Red cabbage  -shredded carrots  -garbanzo beans  -fresh tomatoes  -cucumbers – red onion -kalamata olives.

Add some delicious dips
On this bowl I have hummus, tzatziki sauce and jalapeno dip. You could also use baba ganoush, or a kalamata spread.

Top it off with dressing (maybe)
I’ve had this bowl with and without dressing; both were good.  Lemon + olive oil, a tahini based dressing, or a classic greek dressing all work well.

Then don’t forget to lick the bowl.

*I found that Kroger carries frozen cooked quinoa in the organic foods section and this has been great for my no kitchen situation. I’ve tried the plain white quinoa, tri color and mediterranean blend, and they’ve all been good.