Sometimes I have a hard time coming up with recipe ideas during the summer, which is weird, because my site is a about vegan food, and vegan food involves lots of vegetables, and hello: veggies are super abundant during the summer growing season. But if this site has a theme, or at least one that’s more specific than just vegan food, I think it would have to be vegan comfort food. I seem to have settled into this at some point over the past two years, and when I post comfort food recipes, you guys seem to notice. So therein lies the problem: meatloaf, beef stew and mac & cheese can be a tough sell when it’s eight hundred degrees outside. And salads just don’t get the kind of response all those hearty, wintry dishes do. So I spend a lot of time brainstorming on hearty, comforting vegan food that works in the summer. I think I’ve got it. I think the Buddha bowl might just be the ultimate vegan summer comfort food meal. At least this one is. This bowl is hearty, delicious, and generally results in a feeling of intense bliss. Seriously, an hour after polishing them off my husband and I sat on the couch watching a movie, every so often telling each other how happy and content we were at having eaten this meal. The flavors are inspired by this satay recipe I came up with a few years ago. I loved it, and the combination of lemongrass with peanut sauce will forever be a favorite. A bunch of people told me I needed to try my satay sauce with coconut milk, so I did that here. It’s awesome, but if you don’t feel like cracking open a can for just a few tablespoons, I’m sure water would be fine as a substitute. Another thing about these bowls: they’ve got the whole summer produce thing going on. Were just hitting prime cucumber and pepper season, and here they are. You could substitute whatever veggies you’ve got on hand though — even throw in some greens for more of a (dare I say) salady bowl. Whatever floats your boat! I had a ton of fresh cilantro lying around, and mint is once again taking over my garden, so I threw a bit of both in there. The herbs really make the dish, so don’t skimp!
