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

1. Combine all the sauce ingredients into your food processor or blender and blend till creamy and smooth. Adjust liquid and taste as needed.
2. 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)
3.  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.
4. Remove from the heat cover and set aside for at least 5 minutes.
5. 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.
6. Warm the sauce. Remove the pomegranate seeds, or use goji berries and toss some of the quinoa with the vegetables.
7. 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.
8. Spoon sauce around or on the mixture, sprinkle the pomegranate seeds, chopped nuts or seeds spring onions, and sauerkraut and enjoy!