Gluten Free Buddha Bowls

Ingredients

As the story goes Buddha accepted food from locals as he walked the paths wherever he went. At the end of each day he would eat whatever foods people put in his bowl. Use this idea and try different combinations of what you have on hand and what you like, aiming for at least five different vegetables.

• Cooked brown rice - Use any gluten free grain including leftover rice.

• Cucumber & red pepper - Two vegetables I usually have on hand.

• Spinach & cabbage or coleslaw mix - If you're looking for easy include these two, right out of the bag.

• Bean sprouts - I don't always want to buy a bag of bean sprouts but if I do, I'll use them here and often make Shrimp Pad Thai the same week.

• Mango - Fresh or frozen I would never skip the mango. It brings a fresh taste to this bowl and everyone loves it!

• Peanuts, green onion and/or cilantro - I usually have two of these three ingredients on hand and am happy enough with that.

• Gluten free soy sauce - I recommend you stock only a gluten free version of this kitchen staple. It's not worth saving a few pennies by keeping by keeping gluten-free and gluten-filled. It increases the chance of a mistake and it's always sad for the gluten free eaters. Only the gluten free eaters. No one needs this at home.

• Peanut butter, lime juice & sesame oil - Together these make the stand out dressing for this bowl.

• Honey or maple syrup - Just the right touch for this dressing.

• Optional Protein: Cubed cooked chicken, marinated or smoked tofu.

See recipe card for complete ingredient list and exact amounts.

Instructions

Name Your Bowl - Eating gluten free away from home is tough so at home is where you want to have some fun in the kitchen. I encourage young people (and the rest of you) to create your signature bowl and name it. Anything you want!

Buffet Style Bowls - For picky eaters or large crowds serve Bowl Meals buffet style. Whether you make them simple or a little fancy, this is a healthy meal that introduces people to new ingredients that they might try one little piece at a time.

Substitutions & Variations

Use this list as a guide. Keep it simple enough that the individual items shine, yet enough variety that it isn't boring. Follow the seasons and you'll have even more variations to enjoy.

Base – Start with rice noodles, gluten free soba noodles or grains such as brown rice, quinoa, millet or cooked sweet potato.

Plant-Based Proteins – Make a nutritious, protein rich bowl by adding tofu or legumes like chick peas, kidney beans, edamame beans, lentils or split peas.

Animal Proteins – For meat eaters a small amount of sliced beef, pork, chicken, fish or seafood and hard-boiled eggs are all options. Canned and leftover foods work well here.

Leafy Greens – Choose spinach, kale or other greens in smaller amounts than you would use in a salad.

Raw veggies – red pepper, cabbage, cucumber, radishes, snow peas or bean sprouts.

Cooked veggies – steamed, roasted or grilled veggies could be carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans or sweet potatoes.

Fruit – For something sweet and juicy add a handful of berries, any chopped fruit like mango (a must in my bowls) or apple. Avocado is also a popular choice and technically it is a berry.

Garnish and Crunch – Finish off your artful presentation with fresh herbs, nuts or seeds.

Dressing/Finishing – I love the Asian inspired peanut dressing here but you've got options. Top with a drizzle of plain tahini or hummus thinned to a pourable consistency or make the tahini pomegranate dressing from my falafel bowl recipe.

Listen & Learn: Gluten Free Podcasts

Podcasts are the best way to keep up on changes in the gluten free space. Subscribe and listen weekly. This Buddha Bowl recipe was inspired by my interview with Sue Jennett of A Canadian Celiac Podcast. Sue had lots of questions and we covered them all in Episode 101: What's A Food Bowl.

More Healthy Food Bowls

If you love bowls as much as I do, they're a great way to feed a picky crowd and get more vegetables on your plate each week. These are some of my favourites.