Vegetarian Cuisine: Quinoa with Roasted Veggies

Vegetarian Cuisine: Quinoa with Roasted Veggies

4 servings of roasted garlic & butternut squash

200 Kcal per serving

1 cup tricolor quinoa (168g)
1 cup water
3 cups butternut squash (350g)

1 avocado (120g)
1 purple onion (250g)

2 cups cauliflower (200g)

1 Tbsp cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
0.5 tsp salt
1 tsp peppercorns

Preheat oven to 400⁰F,

Roast Veggies for 30 minutes
Steam Quinoa using rice cooker

Quinoa is nutritious seed of the Chenopodium although tastes like a grain when cooked.  Quinoa contains high dietary fiber (100g, 7g fiber) and essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid.  In addition to vitamin B complex and minerals iron, copper, calcium, potassium, quinoa also supplies high quantities of antioxidants, such as hydroxybenzoic acids, quercetin, and kaempferol.   Because quinoa tastes like grains when cooked, it became a popular healthy ingredient for gluten-free recipe.

Cauliflowers are another highly used ingredient for vegetarian cuisine nowadays.  High in fiber and low in calories, cauliflower contains several clinically proven anti-cancer phytochemicals, such as sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol, and Di-indolyl-methane.  In addition, flavorless cauliflower in fact can become any attractive flavor of your own by adding your favorite spice.  

Butternut squash has pretty orange hue with ample polyphenolic flavonoids ( such as beta-carotenes, lutein, and zea-xanthin),  are anti-inflammatory.  Roasted in extra virgin olive oil certainly can help absorption of beta- carotenes that are rich in butternut squash.  Piperine-containing peppercorns, on the other hand, further add taste and increase beta-carotenes absorption.  

Onions not only offer tangy sweet taste but also provide great health benefits.  Quercetin in onions can help us reducing inflammation and healing infections.  Low-glycemic-indexed onions have chromium that can assist us regulating blood sugar level, thus is a great choice for diabetes.
Creamy textured, buttery avocado has high levels of MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids) that can help us to reduce inflammation and fight some types of cancer.  In addition, avocado can help us lowering cholesterol level which preventing cardiovascular diseases.  

This is for sure a vegetarian cuisine full of health benefits.

Vegetarian Cuisine: Buddha'sDelight

Vegetarian Cuisine: Buddha’s Delight

 4 servings of Buddha’s Delight

75 Kcal per serving

2 cups butternut squash (300g)

2 cups broccoli (200g)

3 Shiitake mushrooms (60g)

¼ cup ginkgo nuts (30g)

2 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
4 cups veggie broth (960 ml)

This is a five-color veggie dish.  Full of phyto-nutrients, antioxidants, flavonoids, and anthocyanidins, this dish provides tremendous anti-inflammatory compounds and health benefit.  Each different color vegetables contains unique phyto-chemicals that help us fight against stress, infection, and prevent metabolic disorders.  For example, orange butternut squash has beta-carotenes that can reduce the risk of getting age-related macula degeneration.  Green broccoli is full of folate, one of the key nutrients for pregnant women to prevent newborns with neural tube defects.  Red pomegranate seeds contain ellagic acid that plays a role in cancer prevention.  Shiitake mushrooms have high amounts of beta-glucans that can boost immune system to prevent microbial infections.  Yellow ginkgo nuts, so called smart anti-aging herb, are ancient Chinese medicine that often eaten for Chinese New Year, have powerful antioxidants that can sharpen memory and fight against aging.  Truly, this is a delightful dish for everyone!

Vegetarian Cuisine: Roasted Garlic & Butternut Squash

4 servings of Roasted Garlic & Butternut Squash

120 Kcal per Serving
2 cups Butternut squash dices, about 400g

16 cloves of peeled garlic

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper powder

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (E.V.O.O.)

Roast for 30 minutes

It’s time of the year to consume a lot of butternut squash!  Not only because their pretty orange hue can boost your appetite but also their ample polyphenolic flavonoids ( such as beta-carotenes, lutein, and zea-xanthin),  are anti-inflammatory.  Low fat and high dietary fibers butternut squash is absolutely lovely side dish, or can be a great substitute for a carbohydrate-rich main dish.  

Roasted in extra virgin olive oil certainly can help absorption of water-insoluble vitamins that are rich in butternut squash.  Piperine-containing peppercorns, on the other hand, further add taste and increase beta-carotenes absorption.

In addition, garlic adds aroma, taste, and nutrition to this dish. The sulfur-containing allicin in garlic has ability to inhibit cholesterol synthesis, and has anti-microbial activities.

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