Buddha Bowls

Buddha bowls are by far my favorite meals. You may not have heard the term "Buddha bowl," but I'm sure you know the concept: it's an entire meal in a rice-based bowl. I have a ton of different ways to make these bowls, but the basic ingredients are the same: brown rice, roasted veggies, roasted protein (I usually use tofu, but chickpeas, tempeh, or beans would work as well), and a well-crafted sauce (my favorite is a homemade spicy peanut butter sauce, but I also like goddess dressing - this is my favorite brand - or a teriyaki-based sauce). Let's jump into the recipe to make your own Buddha bowl.

Black Bean Raspberry Dip

I grew up close to Manhattan, Kansas (The Little Apple!). Tucked away in Aggieville is this unassuming restaurant called So Long Saloon and they make this killer black bean dip. It has a layer of spicy raspberry preserves and a layer of savory cream cheese. I've been thinking about this dip for many years (I haven't lived there since 2007, to give you an idea). A few months ago, I figured I'd search online to see if anyone else had experienced this magic appetizer and, to my surprise, one of my favorite food bloggers has, and wrote a recipe up for it. My recipe below is an adaption of hers (the main difference is that I've written out how I create the raspberry layer, because I couldn't find the store-bought version she uses). I also apparently didn't take any photos of my process (which is very unlike me), so I guess I have an excuse to make this again (& then update this post). I hope you enjoy this dip as much as I have!