Sometimes all Monday needs is a splash of color. This Thai Rainbow Quinoa Bowl was just the spritz of color I needed to put an extra pep in my step for the last working Monday of the year! Let that sink in for a second. Last Monday in the office. Now go ahead and give into that mental “raise the roof”. You know you wanna. In this week’s meal prep, a bed of quinoa gets a burst of color from rainbow carrots, red cabbage, curly kale and spring peas, plus a snap of satay-inspired flavor with a creamy peanut sauce. Get the lowdown on why eating the rainbow matters and sashay to that recipe below.

Take a gander at those technicolor veggies! Pretty trippy, right? Veggies are having a renaissance and now you can find carrots, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower in an array of colors that are pleasing to both the eyes and taste buds. And, it’s not just specialty stores or farmer’s markets that sell these pretty jewels. Just last week I discovered these purple Brussel sprouts at Whole Foods, the rainbow carrots at Trader Joe’s and Broccoflower (or green cauliflower) at Cermak, my (traditionally Hispanic) neighborhood grocery store.

So the question is, are these just pretty on the eyes, or is there something more to eating colorful veggies? Unlike those technicolor poinsettias this time of year, these veggies are not dyed these pretty hues. According to WebMD, they get their vivid array of coloring from phytonutrients that protect the plants, which then offer a multitude of benefits when you consume these vegetables. And according to America’s PhytoNutrient Report, 8 out of 10 Americans are falling short of almost every color in their daily diet. Wondering the benefits from each color group? Check out this blog post I wrote a few weeks ago.

Now that I’ve hopefully satisfied your visual curiosity, let’s get to tantalizing your taste buds. You’ll want to lick the spoon with this creamy peanut buttery sauce that has a hint of spice and just the right touch of sweet. It comes together in 10 minutes or less and only requires 5 simple ingredients – natural creamy peanut butter, coconut milk, coconut sugar, red curry paste and apple cider vinegar. A couple of tips: make sure to get natural peanut butter without any added emulsifiers (the kind where there is a layer of oil on the top) to get the right texture and also pick up full fat, unsweetened coconut milk in a can. Remember that your body needs a little bit of fat to digest the nutrients in these vegetables, so don’t skimp on the good stuff and watch out for added sugars that aren’t necessary.

The beauty of this recipe is that 1.) the most complex part is the sauce 2.) it will make tons of this delicious sauce, which can be used in a variety of other recipes (best dipping sauce for skewers, just sayin’) and 3.) the sauce can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks. While the sauce is simmering, you can get the quinoa going on the stove top. Make sure to always rinse the quinoa beforehand, which removes its natural coating, called saponin. This coating can otherwise taste bitter or soapy. While a lot of packaged quinoa is pre-rinsed, it doesn’t to double down. With the sauce simmering and the quinoa cooking on the stove top, you can multi-task and chop up the veggies for this fresh salad!

Thai Rainbow Quinoa Bowl
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
Quinoa
– 1 cup of quinoa like Bob’s Red Mill
– 2 cups of vegetable broth like Pacific Foods Organic (or water)
Thai Peanut Sauce
– One 13.5 oz can of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk like Thai Kitchen
– 1/4 C of red curry paste like Thai Kitchen
– 3/4 C natural, creamy and unsweetened peanut butter like 365 Everyday
– 3/4 C coconut sugar (or white refined sugar)
– 2 T apple cider vinegar
– 1/2 T salt
– 1/2 C water
Salad
– 1 bag of Mann’s Kale Beet Blend (or chop your own kale, red cabbage and golden beets)
– 1 bag of fresh snow peas, cut in half
– 1 bunch of rainbow carrots, cut into thin medallions
– 1/3 C of roasted, salted peanuts, chopped
– optional cilantro garnish

Directions:
Step 1: Start the quinoa by adding the vegetable broth to a small sauce pan over medium heat on the stove top. After rinsing the quinoa under water, add it to the sauce pan of vegetable broth. Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy.
Step 2: Make the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to another small sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk until it comes to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for another 3-5 minutes whisking sporadically to ensure the bottom does not burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Step 3: Assuming you chopped the vegetables while the quinoa was cooking, it’s time to assemble everything! Once the quinoa is cooked, put it in a medium bowl and add as much of the kale beet blend, snow peas and carrot medallions as you’d like. Divide into 3-4 portions, then garnish with the chopped nuts and as much of the sauce as you’d like.

Stay tuned for another recipe using this sauce because you will have leftovers!

The post Life {and Food} in Technicolor appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Happy Earth Day y’all! This salad is brought to you by Mother Earth and all her magical vegetable glory. Made this colorful rainbow kale bowl / salad from my delivery of @imperfectproduce. Hard to believe, right? Jam-packed with goodness and my fav southwestern sweet potatoes, I can’t wait to eat this salad all week long. See below for the dEATs!

One of the healthy rules that I live by is counting colors, not calories. Eating a diverse palette of colorful food is an easy way to ensure you’re getting a well-rounded base of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Phyto-what? Phytochemicals are compounds produced by plants to thwart predators and diseases. There’s evidence that these compounds can help humans fend off disease as well. It’s phytochemicals that give produce the array of hues that span the rainbow.

Here’s a quick guide to the rainbow of nutrients you can expect from each color group:

• Red: lycopene gives these veggies their bright pigment. Lycopene is an antioxidant associated with heart heath and cancer prevention.
• Orange: fruits and veggies are rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, which is converted by the body into Vitamin A. There’s a reason you’re told to eat carrots for vision health!
• Yellow: these veggies are rich in lutein, which is also good for eye health. Get some vitamin C from these fruits & veggies too!
• Green: chlorophyll gives these veggies their vibrant color. Green veggies are an excellent source of acid, vitamin K, carotenoids, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
• Blue/Purple: this hue comes from anthocyanins, an antioxidant that is good for the heart and supports healthy blood pressure.

For more info on @imperfectproduce, check out my blog post or my unboxing video. Less waste, more good-for-you veggies and all at a reduced cost. Give it a whirl here.

Now, what you’ve been waiting for – the recipe!

Rainbow Kale Bowl
Servings: 2-3

– 1 bunch of Tuscan kale
– 1 bunch of rainbow carrots, thinly sliced
– 1 can of low-sodium black beans, rinsed
– 1 sweet potato, diced
– 1 tsp cumin
– 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
– 1 avocado*
– 1 lime
– 1 cup cooked red quinoa
– 1 can of vegetable broth (optional, can sub 2 cups of water)
– Olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Quinoa: Bowl 2 C of vegetable broth in a 2 quart pot. Rinse the quinoa and add to the pot of boiling broth. Cook for 15 minutes or until light and fluffy and the liquid has cooked off. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Southwestern Sweet Potatoes: Prep the sweet potato by peeling and then dicing. Heat a skillet to medium high, add a bit of olive oil. Place the sweet potatoes in the skillet with the cumin, paprika and a touch of salt and pepper. Cook for roughly 10 minutes, or until the pieces can be easily pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool.

Kale Bowl:

Step 1: Remove the ribs of the Tuscan kale and roughly tear. Place in large bowl. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and the juice of 1/2 the lime. Massage.

Step 2: Mash the avocado with the juice of 1/2 the lime along with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Assemble the by placing the kale in two individual bowls. Top with the quinoa, black beans, sweet potatoes, carrots and avocado mash.

*Shortcut: Sub the avocado for Wholly Guacamole.

Enjoy!

The post Eat the Rainbow appeared first on The Shooks Life.