Buddha Bowl

You need something easy. You need something quick. You need something healthy.

Well then, I have something for you – a Buddha Bowl. Some brown rice, chickpeas, add whatever veggies are in  your fridge along with some garlic, spices, flaxseeds and tamari sauce – BOOM – insta-greatness.

This easy meal really does have it all. You have your whole grains, protein from the chickpeas, fiber and vitamins from the veggies and a bowl full of taste!

I used some veggies that I received in my most recent CSA farm share – cute lil’ baby carrots and broccoli.

carrots

First things first, get the brown rice going. Notice I didn’t say white rice. Yeah, that stuff is just no good for you. Make a smart decision and go with the brown. Lots of protein and fiber! Now brown rice can be a little time consuming to cook, so if you know you will be in a hurry, try making this ahead of time so you can just pull it out of the fridge the next day and heat it up.

All you do is take 1 cup brown rice and combine it with 2 1/2 cups water in a pot. Salt it. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for about 45-55 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it stand covered for about 5 minutes.

For your veggies: you can use about any veggie that your heart desires. I just kept it simple broccoli and carrots this time. Chop up your veggies, dice 1-2 cloves of garlic and drain and wash your chickpeas.

buddha bowl veggies

Add some olive oil to the pan along with the garlic and saute it for a minute or so, then add the carrots and broccoli. Let those cook for about 2 minutes and then you can throw in the chickpeas. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you want, add a dash of cayenne pepper to spice things up a little :) Cook all the ingredients for a few more minutes. After they are all done cooking, add in about a tablespoon of flaxseeds.

Put the rice in your bowl, add some of the veggies toppings and pour a little tamari sauce over the top. I really like adding avocados to the top! I really brings it to a whole new level! This dish makes great leftovers too so be sure to make enough to bring for lunch the next day!

buddha bowl

If you notice, I said “about” a lot in these directions. That is because this recipe is so versatile and really depends on how you want it! Feel free to experiment with it! Add whatever veggies or spices you like and see what makes your taste buds smile!

CSA 2012: Week 2

It is already week 2 of our CSA share and we definitely got our money’s worth!

CSA share

Look at all the GREEEEEENNNN! This is the perfect CSA share for me right now, because JJ and I have decided to do another juice cleanse. Just a mini-one, but it is definitely needed. I’ll share more about this later with you.

So let’s see what I got:

  • 1 pint of Jones Family Farms strawberries (Yay! More strawberries!)
  • 1 head of red deer tongue lettuce
  • 1 head buttercrunch lettuce
  • 1 head of green leaf lettuce
  • 1 bok choy
  • 1 kohlrabi
  • 1 head of escarole
  • 1 bunch of Toscano kale
  • 1 bunch of swiss chard
  • 1 bunch of radishes
  •  1 bunch of hakuei salad turnips
  •  1 Sage herb 2 inch pot
CSA share, strawberries, kale, lettuce, sage

Can you say juicer’s delight? I mean come on, almost everything in here is perfect for juicing! Especially the kale. And you all know I just adore that leafy green and all the good things it has to offer my body.

While I won’t have any cool recipes to share with you from this share, I will have some awesome juicing ideas so be sure to stay tuned for those!

Eat, juice and be merry,

CSA: Week 1

Today is the big day. A day I have been waiting for (and you know how impatient I am.) The day where I finally picked-up my first CSA share from Stone Gardens Farm.

First off, if you aren’t familiar with what a CSA is, I’ll fill ya in. CSA, or community support agriculture, is a program where community members can buy “shares” of the farm in advance for the season and in return  they are given a weekly box of fresh produce. You can think of it like buying a subscription to a magazine. You pay for the subscription up front and in return, you get a magazine each week for your reading pleasure. But in my opinion, CSA is way way cooler. The CSA helps to cover the farm operations in advance so there is more cash flow throughout the year, which in turn, allows for better crops. It is a win-win situation.

So what was in my crop share this week? Let’s take a peek!

Community Supported Agriculture

This week, I received:

  • 1/2lb Asian/Braising Mix
  • 1 bunch of radishes
  • 1 bunch of salad turnips
  • 1 head of lettuce
  • 1 bunch of broccoli rabe
  • 1 large bok choy
  • 1 kohlrabi
  • 1 ear of popcorn
  • 1 herb pot of oregano

Community supported agriculture

You may be thinking: “Bok choy? Broccoli rabe? Kohlrabi?” Don’t worry. This is completely normal. While I have heard of bok choy, I don’t think I have ever consumed it, let alone cooked it. The broccoli rabe and kohlrabi? Well, these things we will learn how to cook together! The awesome thing about Stone Gardens Farm, is that they send you an email about a week in advance telling you what is in your share this week. Along with it, they give you recipes! Thank goodness. So hopefully in the next week or so, I can share some of those with you. And, if worse comes to worst, let’s be honest. I’ll probably just juice it.

Support your local farmers,

The Turning of the Wedding Jar

It is June 1. I always love when I can flip my calendar. It is such a clean and welcoming feeling to only have a few events marked down, which currently include:

  • June 9th – My CSA with Stone Garden Farms starts
  • June 26th – Our 2-year anniversary
  • June 28th – My older sister and one of my very bestest friends comes to visit for a week

So since it is our anniversary month something else has happened. Something huge. Something I have never ever done before and it is monumental. It is the first time I have ever turned the wedding jar.

Now before you go to Google “wedding jar” let me give you a little background. When I first received this gift from my parents it also came with a explanation:

This jar was commissioned by family and friends. It was presented filled with buttons, small gifts, sewing implements, ribbon and lace and on rare occasions, a little money. The couple’s name and date of the wedding were on the front. The decorations on the jar symbolized the union of the couple; the double tulip on the front and the heart of tulips on the back. Eleven months of the year, the jar was displayed with the back facing out. The month of the anniversary, the wife would turn the jar around reminding her husband of the coming anniversary. After he made arrangements for the day, he turned the jar around to let her know he had not forgotten.”

So fun right? We received this as a gift from my parents last year for our 1st anniversary, so this is the first time I have turned it and am (im)patiently waiting to see when it will be turned back around which will mean Mr. B has something awesome planned for us! This jar may seem a little different to you all, but to me it symbolizes so many things:

  1. Obviously, our anniversary.
  2. Charleston, SC – since this is where my mom first found it and ordered it for us and it was our first home.
  3. The knowledge that our parents wish  for our marriage to be successful.
  4. The knowledge that my dad has probably once or twice forgotten about their anniversary and does not wish the same wrath upon Andy.
The Wedding Jar has officially been turned for our anniversary!

So there you have it folks! Jar Watch 2012 has officially begun! I’ll keep you posted with updates.

Jar Watch 2012 Commissioner,

L signature

UPDATE: I had a few people interested in where the wedding jar came from: Jim Phillips at PBJ Originals. He sells most of his pieces at the Charleston City Market but can be reach via his Facebook page or at jimthepotter@hotmail.com