Plant-based foods for a healthy immune system
What you can do:
- Incorporate more organic fruit and vegetables
- Increase both soluble and insoluble fibre
The most important role of fibre in the diet is to feed our healthy gut flora. When they consume fibre, they produce a fatty acid by-product known as butyrate, and people that consume fibre are therefore less likely to suffer from inflammatory disorders like Crohn’s disease, colitis, and leaky gut.
Cashew Sauce
- 1/4 cup cashew butter
- or tahini
- or peanut butter
- A few tablespoons of avocado
- 2 tablespoons Kome or Shiro miso
- 3 large Medjool dried dates
- pitted and soaked in hot water till soft (5 min)
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped ginger root
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric or 2 teaspoons grated fresh
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2-1 cup loosely packed coriander leaves and stems
- 1/4- 1/2 cup water as needed
- The rind of 1 lemon or lime
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon tamari to taste
- salt if needed
- 1 pomegranate or 1/2 cup goji berries
For everything else
- 1/2 cup rinsed Quinoa (red or white or mixed)
- 1 cup of water
- 1 Tablespoon olive or unroasted sesame oil
- 1 cup finely sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 2 cups chopped broccoli florets and stems
- 1/ cup chopped cabbage (red or white)
- 1 cup chopped bok choy stem and leaves
For the garnish
- 1/4 cup sauerkraut or another wild ferment
- chopped almonds or seeds
- finely chopped spring onions
- lettuce leaves for serving
Method
- Combine all the sauce ingredients into your food processor or blender and blend till creamy and smooth. Adjust liquid and taste as needed.
- Rinse the Quinoa in a fine colander or sieve under running water or in a bowl. Drain well. This removes the bitterness on the outside of the grain (caused by naturally occurring saponins)
- Combine the rinsed Quinoa and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil lower the heat and simmer until the quinoa has absorbed all the water, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat cover and set aside for at least 5 minutes.
- Heat a skillet or wok add the oil and saute the onions until transparent. Add the carrots, cover, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Then add the broccoli and cook another 2-3 minutes just when cooked add the bok choy stems for a few minutes then the leaves and stir another minute or two.
- Warm the sauce. Remove the pomegranate seeds, or use goji berries and toss some of the quinoa with the vegetables.
- Trim the lettuce leaves so that it forms small lettuce cups. Lay down the lettuce leaves. Press the quinoa vegetable mixture into a cup and flip it into the middle of the leaves and roll it up or serve it as is and let your guests roll their own.
- Spoon sauce around or on the mixture, sprinkle the pomegranate seeds, chopped nuts or seeds spring onions, and sauerkraut and enjoy!