Call for Recipe: A Compassionate Plate …

In December 2023, TILife’s copy editor, Elspeth Naismith, presented "Call for Recipes!" The article showed a tea towel that hangs proudly in her kitchen and provides the ingredients for a "Traditional 1000 Islands Shore Dinner," written by the late Les Cook, renowned Canadian fishing guide. Elspeth suggested that our River communities have many farmers, restaurants, storekeepers, and yes, both year-round and summer residents who have favourite recipes that all have special River meanings.

Elspeth wrote: . . . "'Thousand Islands Life' is asking our readers to share their favourite River recipe with us. Tell us about the recipe, why it’s special, and why it reminds you of the River. Is it something that you only make at a specific time of the year? Is it a dish that you only make when you’re on the River?"

A Compassionate Plate …

“Many years ago, I was fishing, and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realized, ‘I am killing him – all for the passing pleasure it brings me.’ And something inside me clicked. I realized as I watched him fight for breath, that his life was as important to him as mine is to me.” — Sir Paul McCartney

I love this quote not only for its explicit statement but also for its inherent result. Often, we justify our actions and inactions in the belief that we cannot make a difference. This is wrong – not eating the ribs at a Ribfest or the fish at a fish fry matters – it matters to that pig and that fish. That is reason enough for many of us.

So, I offer this recipe for a Buddha Bowl, which is satisfying, filling, and full of colour and texture. It’s rather easy and provides lots of energy for cottage chores and recreation. Plus, no sentient creatures were harmed – one more step toward a kinder, more compassionate world!

What is a Buddha Bowl?

A Buddha bowl is a one-bowl meal, often vegetarian or vegan, which combines whole grains, plant proteins, vegetables, and a flavorful sauce or dressing. It's a way to create a balanced and customizable meal in a single dish. The name “Buddha bowl” can also refer to the bowl's appearance, with the mound of ingredients resembling the belly of a Buddha statue.

Cumin Chickpea and Lentil Buddha Bowl

Inspired by, and modified from, recipes at LazyCat Kitchen
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 – 3 cups cooked chickpeas (1 cup dry) (Note 1)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder
salt to taste

 For the Bowls

50g (2 ounces) baby spinach
1 medium beetroot, coarsely grated (Note 2)
1 cup lentils (drained, from a can – optional)
1 small grated jackfruit (optional – Note 3)
1/2 avocado, peeled and sliced
6 black olives, pitted and halved
baby zucchini, shredded
1 Tablespoon pumpkin seeds

For the Dressing

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.5 Tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
garlic to taste (1/2 – 1 tsp powder or 1 pressed clove) (optional)

Preparation:

1. Place the cooked chickpeas in a colander for a few minutes to drain them well. In a small bowl, mix all the spices together with a few pinches of salt and set aside.
2. Heat a heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into the hot pan and wait a few seconds for the oil to heat up. Chuck the drained chickpeas into the hot oil. Sprinkle the chickpeas with the spices and stir to mix well. Keep roasting the chickpeas until they are evenly coated in spices but stir them frequently because ground spices burn easily. Taste the chickpeas and adjust with more salt if necessary.
3. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Make the dressing by mixing the oil and lemon juice, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Divide the ingredients for the bowls evenly between two individual serving bowls, then add the roasted chickpeas to each bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.

Notes

1 Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are cooked from dried beans. You’ll need to soak them before cooking, usually overnight, then cook for 1 – 2 hours on the stove. Follow package instructions. 1 cup of dried will give you 2 – 3 cups cooked. Or, you could use a 540 ml (19 oz) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed.

2 You can use raw beets or canned/pre-cooked beets. If you have trouble grating the cooked beets, just try finely slivering them, so they’re the same size as grated.

3 The jackfruit is optional but great to add either sweetness or a meaty taste. Use a ripe yellow jackfruit for sweetness to mimic a combination of banana, apple, and mango. Or use a young green jackfruit for a flavour similar to shredded meat.

By Rob Bickerton

Rob grew up in the Islands and has fond memories of waterskiing and family boat excursions.

Illustration by Marie-Anne Erki

Marie-Anne Erki is a Kingston artist and emeritus professor of civil engineering at the Royal Military College. Marie-Anne initially considered a career in architecture, but her love of mathematics led her to become a structural engineer. She says, "At a time before computer assisted drawing (CAD), both disciplines required a huge amount of freehand and mechanical drawing. After a quarter of a century of great fun as a structural engineer, I decided to pursue painting full time." We at TI Life are fortunate that Marie-Anne has agreed to be our Official Illustrator and you will find her work in many of our articles. You can also see her works at marieanneerkipaintings.blogspot.com/