A Macrobiotic, Superfood Super Bowl

Super Bowl Sunday is nearly upon us, and rather than posting recipes for chili or healthy alternatives to traditional Super Bowl snacks as I’ve done in the past, I decided to share a recipe for a super-powered, macrobiotic superfood bowl!

But what the heck is “macrobiotic” anyway?  The word comes from Greek roots and basically translates to “long life”, though the philosophy was developed by a Japanese philosopher named George Oshawa back in the 1930's.  A macrobiotic diet consists of eating whole, unprocessed, mostly plant based foods in a balanced way with a focus on local and seasonal ingredients.  This lifestyle has been said to prevent and help treat cancer and other diseases, as well as promoting overall health and vitality.  Plus, macrobiotic meals require simple ingredients and simple preparation: way to go macro!

While I don’t personally follow a macrobiotic diet to the letter, I love to incorporate its principals, as well as a few macrobiotic meals into my weekly routine.  This macrobiotic bowl is inspired by those served at one of my fave macro restaurants in NYC, Souen.  It's simple, tasty, and requires very little prep.  Feel free to experiment with swapping out the elements in various combinations – as long as you stick to the basic formula. 

Whether you’re rooting for the Patriots or the Seahawks this Sunday, this superfood packed bowl is sure to keep you satisfied through game time.

MACROBIOTIC SUPERFOOD SUPER BOWL [V] [VV] [DF] [GF] [P]

INGREDIENTS

·      1 c Quinoa

·      3/4 c Sweet potato, diced

·      ½ c Black beans

·      1 c Snap peas

·      ½ of 1 red bell pepper, sliced

·      2 c Collard greens, chopped

·      2 tbsp Fresh ginger, minced

·      2 cloves Garlic, minced

·      Coconut oil for cooking

·      4 sheets dried nori seaweed snacks

·      2 tbsp Kimchi (two of my fave brands are Hawthorn Valley and Macro Mamma's)

·      1 tsp Sesame oil

·      1 tbsp Soy sauce

·      1 tbsp Black sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1.     Cook quinoa according to package directions, set aside.

2.     Steam sweet potato until it can be pierced through.  Cook time depends on the size of your cubes, approximately 10 minutes for diced pieces.

3.     Steam collard greens until lightly cooked and bright, approximately 10 minutes. 

4.     Steam snap peas until bright green, about 5 minutes.  (Combine steps 2 and 3 and 4 in one pot to save time by cooking sweet potato and greens together, then adding snap peas half way through.)

5.     Coat a pan with coconut oil and heat to medium-low.  Sautee garlic and ginger until fragrant and set aside. 

6.     Add a bit more oil if needed, and heat to high.  Stir-fry bell pepper until bright red and just cooked through, approx 3-4 minutes.

7.     Combine all ingredients into one bowl, and sprinkle nori and kimchee on top.  Drizzle with soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds.

KEY:

[V] Vegetarian

[VV] Vegan

[DF] Dairy Free

[GF] Gluten Free

[P] Paleo