Quinoa Nourish Bowl
This skin-friendly, gut-healthy meal offers a powerhouse of nutrients, fiber, and protein—and it tastes great too.
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What you put on your fork not only improves your gut microbiome (and thereby, your gut issues), but it also makes your skin more radiant. So says Australian nutritionist Karen Fischer, author of The Healthy Skin Diet. “This skin-friendly meal offers a powerhouse of nutrients, fiber, and protein—and it tastes great too,” she says. Cooking and assembling the individual portions also helps you slow down and enjoy your food.
Quinoa Nourish Bowl recipe
Recipe excerpted from The Healthy Skin Diet by Karen Fischer, BHSc, Dip. Nut.
Ingredients
- 2–4 baby beets
- 1 can (14 oz.) organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp. quality sea salt to taste
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled and sliced into round discs
- ½ cup uncooked red or white quinoa
- 1 cup filtered or spring water
- 2 chicken thigh fillets, sliced (sub vegan mozzarella for a no-meat version)
- 1 medium zucchini
- ½ cup finely sliced red cabbage
- 2 Tbs. fresh chives, finely chopped to garnish
- 2 Tbs. salad dressing of your choice*
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking tray with silicon mat or parchment paper, and set aside.
- Wash and scrub beets. Place beets onto tray and cover with 1 tsp. olive oil. Cook 45 minutes or until soft.
- Place chickpeas into pot or container with lid, coat with 1 tsp. olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, close lid, and shake lightly to evenly coat. Place chickpeas and sweet potato onto the baking tray with beets—these ingredients will take 30 minutes to cook, so add them to beet tray 15 minutes after beets have been placed in oven.
- To cook quinoa, rinse with water in fine sieve, and place into pot with 1 cup water. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Remove lid, and turn heat to low, which allows for a light simmer. Once water has reduced and the quinoa is cooked, turn off heat, cover with lid, and set aside 5 minutes to continue steaming.
- Salt chicken and pan fry on medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked and nicely browned.
- Rinse and cut off zucchini ends. Use spiralizer to make “noodles.” (If using vegan cheese, cut into 1/3-inch slices.) Thinly slice red cabbage and chop fresh chives.
- Remove vegetables from oven and peel beets. Assemble all ingredients into two large, wide bowls. Top with chives and serve with dressing of your choice.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 820
- Carbohydrate Content 96 g
- Cholesterol Content 140 mg
- Fat Content 25 g
- Fiber Content 20 g
- Protein Content 53 g
- Saturated Fat Content 4 g
- Sodium Content 1890 mg
- Sugar Content 19 g