Power bowls a nutrient-dense healthy meal, writes Andrew Coppolino

Power bowls are hitting menus everywhere, from Taco Bell to upscale bistros. 

Also known as Buddha bowls, they combine several ingredients in one bowl and strive to be balanced and healthy, and as such they can be gluten-free and vegan, too.  

Often a nutrient-dense concoction of protein (animal or not), vegetables, a grain and a sauce of some sort, power bowls are composed in their presentation and often artful in their design.

A scan across the culinary landscape will reveal bowls of food that might have been the inspiration for the popular dish: Korean bibimbap; Andalucian salmorejo of ham, tomato, garlic and egg; Portuguese arroz de marisco seafood rice; Hawaiian poke or a Vietnamese bun cha gio noodle bowl.

The bowls can be for breakfast, lunch or dinner; they can be served as appetizers, salads or main courses. They often have a terrific blend of textures and colours, and when you make them at home, leftovers can play a key role.

Range of ingredients in one dish

One of the great things about such bowls is their multicultural inclusivity: a range of ingredients from around the world can be brought together, sometimes six or seven different ones.

There can be grilled pork, poached salmon, barbecued beef or duck confit. To that, lettuce, nuts, raisins and noodles might be added before a drizzling of sesame oil or a reduction of balsamic vinegar. There can be both enchilada bowls and bowls with raw fish.

When they move into the realm of the Buddha bowl — sometimes even called "hippie bowls" — they become part and parcel of a plant-based diet. While there might be a myth of Buddha walking around and carrying his bowl of food, the term may also refer to the wide bowl and mound of ingredients that make up a Buddha bowl, and an apparent mimicking of his chubby belly.

Power bowls can help people become familiar with lesser known ingredients such as quinoa, freekeh (roasted green wheat), buckwheat and spices such as cardamom, za'atar and sumac.

No matter how you combine the ingredients, there's a number of power bowls on the menu in and around Waterloo Region and Perth and Wellington counties. Here are just a few (please check with the individual restaurants for hours of opening and dish availability):

The Bauer Kitchen, Waterloo: Szechuan Seared Ahi Tuna Bowl has quinoa, avocado, ripe mango, carrot, cilantro, tamari dressing. 

Copper Branch, Waterloo: Aztec Power Bowl has sweet potato, corn, black beans, guac, veg, pumpkin seeds, blue corn chips.

The Pulp Fresh Bar, Stratford: California Bowl has marinated tofu, cucumber, seaweed, avocado, pickled ginger, sriracha mayo. 

Lucky Belly Food Co., Guelph: Beet Box has shredded kale, pears, roasted beets, feta, carrots, honey-roasted peanuts, arugula, pesto. 

The Poke Box, Waterloo: Lava Run Sushi Burrito has salmon, edamame, corn, jalapeno, tempura, tamari glaze and crispy onions.

The Busy Locavore, Kitchener: Kalbi Rice Bowl has sweet garlic-marinated tofu, cabbages, sautéed onion, sesame seeds, scallions.

Freshii, Waterloo: Buddha Satay has rice noodles, broccoli, cabbage, crispy wontons, green onions, spicy peanut sauce. 

Recipe: Citrus and grain power bowl

Ingredients

1 orange, blood orange, or grapefruit

1 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons pistachios or walnuts or pumpkin seeds

¼ cup chopped radicchio or endive

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar reduction

1 egg, poached or fried sunny-side up

¾ cup cooked farro, quinoa or other grain

2 teaspoons ricotta cheese

salt and pepper to season

Method

In a frying pan, toast the pistachios gently and carefully so as not to burn them. Allow them to cool and give them a rough chop.

Wash your citrus thoroughly and zest about ¼ of it. Segment half of it neatly, removing pith, and juice the remaining half. Reserve. In a mixing bowl, combine the honey, olive oil, and citrus juice. Slice radicchio into pieces. 

Poach an egg for about 3 minutes. Make sure the yolk is runny.

Place the grain into a bowl. Drizzle a bit of the olive oil mixture over top.

Arrange the other ingredients artfully on top of the grain and carefully add the poached egg and a dollop of ricotta. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil mixture and a jot of balsamic reduction. Season with salt and pepper and serve.