Wildly Delicious Spring Buddha Bowl

I think this year, more than ever, I was anticipating the arrival of spring the most. I had a pretty rough winter season behind me, that felt like never ending. I spend most of my time in the forest, so the sight of the first buds on the branches and then the blossoming fruit trees made me almost literally jump out of my skin.

I’ve been looking forward to make these spring inspired recipe post for a very long time now. Since I wrote about eating intuitively and not trying to impress everyone all the time (especially after being a recipe developer for peacefuldumpling.com for so many years), the idea of Buddha Bowls or Abundance Bowls has really got me jazzed. And you too, as I take it from the many likes and comments the post got on our social media accounts. It seems like we are all hungry for realistic eating these days (well, aren’t we the wild women after all?), and to me that means the 3 Fs- fast, fresh, and flexible. This Buddha Bowl, like the last one we posted, is just that, taking advantage of seasonal produce and the fresh flavours of now. Living in the moment, and eating in the moment go hand in hand.

I think it’s essential to have an acidic hit in all sublime springtime bowls, whether it’s a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, pickled radishes or a handful of brine-y capers, so these zesty pink medallions definitely fit the bill.

1 cup quinoa, soaked if possible

1 tsp. sea salt

1 bunch asparagus (approx. 20 spears)

2 cups fresh, shelled peas (frozen or canned is fine if it’s what is available to you)

1 ripe avocado

1 lemon

a handful of radish or pickled radish

1 batch Yogurt-Dill Dressing (recipe below)
salad mix or microgreens of your choice

1. Rinse the quinoa, drain and add to a pot with 1 ¾ cup salted water (2 cups if not soaked). Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer until water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Zest 1 lemon into the pot, fluff with a fork and set it aside.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare your vegetables. Grill or steam the asparagus, slice your radish, shell the peas and steam them if you’re using fresh peas. Slice or cream the avocado.
3. Make dressing. (below)
4. To serve, place ¼ of the cooked quinoa in a large bowl, add all veggies as desired, drizzle with dressing and a squeeze lemon juice over the top. Adjust seasoning to your taste.
5. Enjoy.

150ml soy yogurt or best with goat or sheep yogurt, in my opinion

1 clove garlic, finely minced

3 tbsp. chopped fresh dill (or 1 Tbsp. dried)

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. honey or maple syrup

sea salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste

water to thin as necessary

1. Whisk all ingredients together or shake them well in a closed jar, and add water to thin to desired consistency.
2. Season to taste.
3. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.