Buddha bowl with roasted vegetables, quinoa, chickpeas

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Vegan, gluten free buddha bowl recipe with roasted vegetables, quinoa and chickpeas

Vegan Buddha bowl with roasted vegetables, quinoa and chickpeas

Buddha bowls are so good. They can be customized in so many different ways. They are not difficult to prep, which makes me wonder why I don’t make them more often. And since 2017 is the year of Buddha bowl, its only fair now when half the year is over, I share my first buddha bowl recipe today. I am sharing the recipe for this vegan and gluten free buddha bowl with roasted vegetables, quinoa and chickpeas and a cashew cream sauce.

I have always wondered, how the Buddha bowl got its name. This article on Epicurious  is a great read to know more about the history behind buddha bowls.

The article in Epicurious explains the origins in the following excerpt:

Buddha woke up before dawn every morning and carried his bowl through the roads or paths wherever he was staying. Local people would place food in the bowl as a donation, and at the end he would eat whatever he had been given,” explains Zigmond. “So that was the original Buddha Bowl: a big bowl of whatever food villagers had available and could afford to share. It was probably pretty healthy, since Buddha lived before the age of cheap processed food, but it was also probably pretty simple, maybe rice and a simple curry.

Since most buddha bowls are bowls overflowing with vibrant food, some also say the reason why its called a Buddha bowl, since it resembles Buddha’s belly. Whatever the origin, buddha bowls are nourishing meals with little bites of everything, arranged in a pretty and artful way- making them an instant instagram success.

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Grilled Chicken Zucchini Salad

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Light and easy gluten-free grilled chicken zucchini salad recipe that is perfect for a summer weeknight meal.

Grilled chicken Zucchini Salad

In summer, you need meals that are light, fresh and do not require too much time in the kitchen. This grilled chicken zucchini feta salad is all of that and yet so flavorful and filling.

A few days back, I shared the nutella mug cake recipe on my Facebook page from the blog archives. So today I thought I will redeem myself for all the calorie increase I resulted in, by sharing this healthy meal option.

The recipe for this grilled chicken zucchini salad is so easy and perfect to make on a weeknight. Its also great way to welcome Monday after bingeing during the weekend.

The feta lends the creaminess in this salad, the zucchini and almonds give crunch, the cranberries give a blend of sweetness and tartness, and the grilled chicken adds more flavor and makes the dish filling.

Grilled chicken Zucchini Salad

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Herbs infused Olive Oil

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Herb infused olive oil

Today I am sharing this easy recipe for Herb infused Olive Oil.

I remember a few years back I went to this restaurant in Delhi. I can not recollect the name of the place (I am growing old), but what I remember is the big basket of assorted bread and the bottle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar that they kept before our meal was served. That moment is when my love affair with dipping bread in olive oil started.

When I was in the US, the days when I wanted a quick snack, I would take a nice crusty loaf of bread and serve it with some herb oil. This herb oil recipe that I first used to make focaccia has been a favorite in my kitchen. Its a great way to use up all the fresh herbs that are growing in the garden or when you have extra from the store after using it in a particular recipe, which I always did.

Don’t have fresh herbs? You can use dried and still get great results.

Use this herb oil recipe to make focaccia; or as a dipping oil for your baguette. The herb infused olive oil also does well as a salad dressing or  you can use it to drizzle over your pasta. Looking for favor ideas for your wedding? Herb infused olive oil bottles are an elegant gift to give your guests.

Since there are not too many ingredients- make sure you use the best. You want the herb flavor to be more pronounced, so there is no need to use extra virgin olive oil. Make sure to wash all the herbs going into your oil and let them dry as much as possible, preferably overnight. This will decrease the risk of bacteria growth.

There are two ways to go about infusing the olive oil. You could go the slow way and cover all your herbs with olive oil in a sealed bottle and let sit in a dark place for 1-2 weeks. Or you could heat your olive oil to 100 F and then add all your ingredients to let infuse. This makes the oil infuse more quickly and you can enjoy the benefits of this simple yet flavorful recipe.

This recipe is adapted from the gorgeous  Bread Baker’s Apprentice cookbook by Peter Reinhart .

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