I’m always on the hunt for delicious, nutrient-rich, vegetarian dishes. Who doesn’t need to add more veggies into their daily eating routine?  I do especially since I’m currently tracking my daily blood sugar levels per doctor’s orders. I love nothing more than when a chef can change my mind about eating vegetarian dishes because the dish is beyond “lick the bowl/plate” good.  The last place I expected to stumble across such a find was in a photography workshop with Helene Dujardin at the Mediavine Publishers Conference, which took place in Charleston, SC a little over a week ago. I pride myself on doing all my food styling and food photography here on Blinded by the Bite!, as these are two parts of writing about food I love.  I get to tell a story through the styling and photographs, enticing you in to try a recipe.  So any opportunity I get to hone my craft I welcome it with open arms!  That such opportunity knocked loudly on my door with Helene and bonus I learned about “Buddha Bowls” (yes I’m late to the game).

I’ve seen hundreds of photographs of Buddha Bowls on Instagram – who hasn’t?  They always look so delicious and healthy.  At first glance, I knew they would be easy to put together.  But to be honest with my schedule, every time I went shopping for the ingredients all I could think about was having to cut up all those veggies.  Well, that’s just nonsense really!  There are many stores that “pre-cut” veggies, ready for customers to pick-up and take home.  And honestly, when it comes to healthy eating, I just have to make the time.  My busy schedule can no longer be an excuse for poor eating habits.  I’ve allowed stress and a crappy, unhealthy relationship to rule my life the last two years since moving to Seattle, which has resulted in a massive weight gain.  I’ve been miserable physically, emotionally and have known for some time now I needed to make a change; I needed to come clean with myself, my eating and put myself first!

So back to the Buddha Bowls.  Helene had all these gorgeous ingredients laid out on the table and effortlessly put together a bowl for the photo shoot.  She talked us through how she styled the shot, adjusting the stand-in to get the capture the lighting just so.  She talked about where and why she placed radishes and micro greens.  She clicked off a few shots and realized there was an area in the dish she wasn’t happy with so she went back and added a few more beans, radishes and tomatoes to fill in the blank space that caught her eye through the lens.

Why am I obsessed with these bowls suddenly?  Well just look at it!  It’s really an endless choice of options and flavor profiles you can combine and it’s healthy.  It’s a great Meatless Monday option and perfect for lunch or dinner.  It’s really up to your imagination what to fill your bowl with, you can even make this a totally vegan dish.  I have to thank Helene for a wonderful workshop and introducing me to Buddha Bowls!

Here is the ingredients list/recipe for the Buddha Bowl I created: