Food fads come and go, but the Bijouxs remain. Back to where health food and hippies took root, Los Angeles California. ‘Back to the basics’ that’s what the movement was all about. Clean eating back then is much the same as now. And back to my roots with the Full O’Life Bowl with Tahini Dressing, another little jewel from the Bijouxs Kitchen.
THE FULL O’LIFE BOWL
This healthy bowl has been on my menu since the 70’s, LA really got into the health food movement. But before all that there was a iconic health food store, Full O’Life, in Burbank that opened it’s doors in 1959 and just closed up for good in 2018. I was sorry that I did not get to take one last visit to the place that spurred my interest in healthy eating.
The store was located right by the ‘studios’ and a just a few blocks from my house. This store was the home to the healthy hip. Smoothies, sprouts, wheatgrass and veggies burgers dominated the in-store cafe menu. I loved the brown rice bowls topped with lots of goodies like avocado, fresh veggies dried fruits and nuts. So, now these bowls are everywhere in food land, known by a plethora of different names. I am naming my bowl the Full O’Life Bowl to honor this ground breaking store.
BIJOUXS SIMPLE BOWL RECIPE
Simple, easy and fresh food does not have to be time consuming. I have been making these bowls forever and thought I’d share my version (who knew they would come back in food vogue?) Sometimes we just need a reminder how easy a meal like this can be.
The bowl basics are flexible, bending to suit individual tastes. The basic recipe is a cooked grain, thinly sliced raw veggies, such as carrots, radishes, etc., nuts, dried fruit, and the California ‘must’ avocado. Fresh herbs are a nice addition, I chose cilantro which I had on hand.
Hardly a recipe, but the one of the simplest, freshest meal you can throw together. The dressing is important. This bowl was my also my introduction to tahini, the lovely smooth sesame seed spread. Also on my learning curve was organic apple cider vinegar and nutritional yeast flakes (kind of cheese like flavor). The tahini creates a creamy texture to the dressing and now I do my own sweet-hot version adding Sirachaca sauce to this classic tahini dressing. This will make more dressing than you need for one salad, keep the rest for another bowl, or a veggie or cracker dip.
A simple little jewel from the Bijouxs Kitchen.
As always, enjoy. B
