This incredibly tasty Superfood Nourish Bowl contains alkalising red cabbage, spring onions plus antioxidant-rich black beans and quinoa.
We love this recipe as everyone can enjoy it, including family members who are not on our skin-friendly diet.
Health Benefits
Butternut pumpkins are moderate in salicylates and low in amines and are a part of the Eczema diet programs, however, other types of pumpkins are high in salicylates not a part of the Eczema Diet programs. Pumpkins are a rich source of skin-loving beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A and helps to protect your skin from dehydration and sun damage. Pumpkins are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, copper, vitamin B2, manganese, vitamin B5 and dietary fibre.
Black beans are a protein-rich superfood that contains a potent group of antioxidants called anthocyanins which help to protect skin cells from UV sun damage.
Quinoa is a gluten free whole food, rich in skin-loving protein, omega 3 fats and dietary fibre, and a variety of phytonutrients which are recognised for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Quinoa also boasts a variety of micronutrients including folate, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc, making this a fantastic source of skin-supporting nutrients to help promote proper skin barrier function and collagen production.
Notes:
This dish is not suitable for those following FID (the Food intolerance Diagnosis program).
The ingredients can also be used in a burrito wrap, by using our Oat Flatbread recipe.
This recipe is vegan friendly. However, shredded chicken, beef or chicken mince can be added if you’d prefer.
Red or tri-colour quinoa contains more antioxidants than white quinoa. Do not use black quinoa as it cooks differently than the other types and it tends to stay hard. We recommend using a pressure cooker to cook quinoa as it helps to deactivate the lectins making it easy to digest with more nutrient availability.
Serves: 4 people
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup of raw cashews (or 1 serving of Cashew Cream)
700g of butternut pumpkin, skin removed and cubed
1 whole bulb of garlic, cloves separated (keep the peel on)
1-2 teaspoons of high oleic sunflower oil, rice bran oil or high oleic sunflower oil
1 cup of quinoa, rinsed (red or tricolour contain more antioxidants)
¾ teaspoon of quality sea salt (such as iodised sea salt, not table salt)
¾ cup of filtered water
1 ¼ teaspoons of garlic powder
2 cups of iceberg lettuce, cos lettuce or butter lettuce (we used butter lettuce)
2 cups of red cabbage (or other cabbage of choice), finely sliced
½ cup spring onions (shallots, scallions), finely sliced
2 x 400g (14oz) cans of organic black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup of black bean liquid or filtered water
Optional: 1 teaspoon of 100% pure maple syrup or brown rice syrup, for sweetness
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F).
Line a large baking tray with baking (parchment) paper.
To make the cashew cream, place 1 cup of raw cashews into a bowl with boiling hot water and soak them for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the skin off 700g of pumpkin and chop it into large 2cm by 2cm (1 inch x 1 inch) cubes. Place them onto the baking tray.
Separate the cloves from the bulb of garlic. Keep the peel on and place them on the tray with the pumpkin pieces.
Place a teaspoon of high oleic sunflower oil, rice bran oil or high oleic sunflower oil into your hands and rub the pumpkin pieces and garlic cloves with it. Use extra oil if needed.
Bake the pumpkin pieces and garlic cloves in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the pumpkin cubes and the type of oven being used. We used a fan forced oven.
Turn the pumpkin pieces half-way through cooking.
While your pumpkin is cooking, rinse 1 cup of quinoa and cook it in a pressure cooker (find instructions here). Alternatively, add the rinsed quinoa to a pot with 2 cups of water. Bring it to the boil then simmer it on low for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the stove to rest and sprinkle it with ¼ teaspoon of quality sea salt. Then fluff it with a fork, cover with a lid and set aside whilst you prepare your other ingredients.
While the quinoa and pumpkin are cooking, prepare your cashew cream and vegetables.
Cashew cream
Drain the cashews and rinse them with fresh water. Place them into a high-speed blender or NutriBullet along with ¾ cup of filtered water, ¼ teaspoon of quality sea salt and optional ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder. Blend the ingredients on high until they are smooth. Set it aside.
Vegetables
Prepare the 2 cups of lettuce by washing the leaves and drying them in a salad spinner or gently pat them dry with paper towel. Then slice the leaves up thinly or tear them apart if you prefer. Set the chopped lettuce leaves aside on a large serving plate or in a large bowl.
Next, thinly slice the red cabbage (or other cabbage of your choice) until you have about 2 cups of sliced cabbage. Add it to the serving plate next to the lettuce.
Finely slice the spring onions (shallots, scallions) and when you have ½ cup, add them to the large serving plate next to the other vegetables in a small pile.
When the pumpkin is about 10 minutes from cooking, prepare the 2 x 400g (14oz) cans of black beans. As you drain them, pour out ½ cup of the liquid into a measuring cup and set it aside. Then tip out the rest of the liquid and rinse all of the black beans.
Place a medium pan on moderate heat and add the black beans to the pan. Stir the black beans for a few minutes to heat them up.
Then stir in ¼ teaspoon of quality sea salt and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Keep stirring. After a minute, add ½ cup of black bean liquid or filtered water and continue stirring to make a slightly wet, thick black bean mixture. For a little optional sweetness, add 1 teaspoon of 100% pure maple syrup or brown rice syrup to the mixture. When your black bean mixture has thickened, add it to the large serving plate.
When the pumpkin pieces are lightly browned on all sides and the garlic cloves are nicely roasted (this will be at about the 30-minute mark), remove them from the oven.
Peel the roasted garlic cloves but be careful as they will be hot!
Pop the pumpkin pieces and peeled garlic cloves onto the large serving plate next to the other ingredients.
Finally, drizzle the cashew cream over all the ingredients on the serving bowl. You can use a spoon or to create a nice drizzle, put your cashew cream into a used (and clean!) sauce bottle.
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