A fresh and versatile bowl of greens that can be eaten any time of the day to provide a carotenoid (lutein and zeaxanthin) kick for cognitive function.
Dietary Suitability of Greens and Quinoa Bowl with Egg
Greens Quinoa Bowl with Egg Food as Medicine
Green leafy vegetables contain carotenoids that are compounds found in fruit and vegetables that give them their vibrant colours. You can see the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin when you look at the dark green colour of leafy and cruciferous green vegetables. (1) Consuming lutein and zeaxanthin found in vegetables such as kale and spinach, as well as egg yolk, improves cognitive function and can reduce the risk of age-related disorders. (1, 2) Eating lutein and zeaxanthin rich foods may also be able to boost brain function in older adults. (3)
Leafy green vegetables such as basil, kale and spinach are ranked as some of the top foods to consume as part of a healthy diet for helping prevent and manage depression. They are high in some of the key nutrients that are often deficient with mood disorders such as folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin C and zinc. (4)
Green leafy vegetables also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease with 200g of spinach, about a cup of cooked spinach, improving blood pressure and heart health (5
Green Quinoa Bowl with Egg
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
A fresh and versatile bowl of greens that can be eaten any time of the day to provide a carotenoid (lutein and zeaxanthin) kick for cognitive function.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 2 eggs
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch of asparagus, sliced into quarters
- 1 bunch broccolini, sliced into quarters
- 4 kale leaves, broken into smaller pieces
- 200g baby spinach leaves
- 10 basil leaves, roughly shredded
- ½ avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 lemon, sliced
- Salt and pepper to season
- Pinch of black sesame seeds (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Add rinsed quinoa to a saucepan and cover with two cups of boiling water. Cook for 10-15 minutes until all of the water has been absorbed.
- Remove the quinoa from the heat and place a lid on the saucepan and leave for five minutes to steam. Remove the lid and using a fork lightly whisk the quinoa to to give it a fluffy texture.
- Add eggs to a saucepan of boiling water. Cook for seven minutes before discarding the boiling water. Set the eggs aside in cold water.
- Heat a large saucepan on medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic. Saute the garlic until it becomes brown and fragrant.
- Add in the asparagus, broccolini and kale and stir-fry for about five minutes or until cooked to your liking.
- Add in the spinach and quinoa, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Warm the greens and quinoa until the spinach starts to wilter.
- Remove the greens and quinoa from the heat and divide into two bowls and top with the basil.
- Carefully peel the eggs and add an egg to each bowl. Top with avocado, lemon, black sesame seeds, salt and pepper.
Notes
To save time on this recipe you could make the quinoa in advance and skip the first step.
If you really want to treat your tastebuds you can swap the fresh basil leaves for homemade basil pesto.
You can add additional eggs to this dish to increase your protein intake or alternatively swap the egg out for another protein source such as wild caught salmon. If you are into dairy, the greens in this dish also work really well with feta or topped with haloumi if you can handle the washing up of an extra frying pan.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20