New Year, More Plants

With a new year, often comes a renewed outlook on health. We are all about fresh ingredients and local flavors that make health taste delicious. So whether you already love to cook and need to change up your recipes, or it’s your New year’s resolution to do so, we have just the recipe for you to make healthy eating sustainable and scrumptious. And the more plants the better.

The recipe below was provided by Chef Fernando Cruz, from Plnthouse at 1 Hotel South Beach. Plnthouse, by Matthew Kenney, offers plant based cuisine that keeps you eating and feeling good. This recipe is from his newest cookbook, Plntlab.

Try this Plant Bowl for a wintry treat with quinoa and kabocha squash to provides a balance of nutrients for the new year including protein, Vitamin A, amino acids, beta-carotene and more.

PLANT BOWL.

Quinoa. Preserved Lemon Tahini. Piquillo Romesco. Sprouted Lentils. Roasted Kabocha Squash. Kale.

SERVES 4–6

2 cups white quinoa, rinsed

4 cups filtered water

4 bay leaves

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 cup tahini

½ cup cold water

¼ cup lemon juice

1 preserved lemon skin

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 fresno pepper

1 cup piquillo peppers, coarsely chopped, from jar or can,

reserving the liquid

½ cup almonds, toasted

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ cup sherry vinegar

1 garlic cloves, chopped

1 serrano chile

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 cups black lentils

Filtered water

1 large kabocha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2 inch pieces

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large pinch sea salt

1 bunch Tuscan kale, de-stemmed and ripped into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 avocado

1/4 cup mustard frill

edible flowers


 

QUINOA

Place all ingredients in a saucepot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves.
 

PRESERVED LEMON TAHINI

Whisk together all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
 

PIQUILLO ROMESCO

Remove the stems and seeds from the fresno pepper. Blend the peppers, almonds, olive oil, smoked paprika, vinegar, serrano, and salt until smooth. If the mixture needs liquid to loosen, use the reserved bell pepper liquid.
 

SPROUTED LENTILS

Place the lentils in a strainer, rinse well, and drain. Place the lentils in a bowl and cover with filtered water by a couple inches. Let stand overnight, or at least 12 hours. Drain lentils in a strainer or colander. Rinse well and drain. Place the grains in a large glass jar. Cover the jar with a sprouting lid/screen or a double layer of cheesecloth secured with twine or a rubber band. Turn the jar upside down and at an angle so that excess water can drain and air can circulate. Place the jar in a bowl to catch the water. Keep it out of direct light and ideally at a temperature between 68°F and 75°F.

Rinse and drain twice a day. Every 12 hours or so, pour filtered water into the jar and swirl it to evenly rinse all the grains. Pour off the water and invert the jar again. The lentils should sprout in 1 to 3 days. You will know they are ready when they have little tails.

Refrigerate the sprouted lentils. Rinse and drain the sprouted grains and store them in the refrigerator for a few days to a week. If at any point they smell bad or look slimy, discard them.
 

ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Steam squash for 5 minutes. Remove from the steamer and transfer to a large bowl. Toss lightly in olive oil and a large pinch of salt. Spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes.
 

KALE

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, and salt in a bowl. Add the kale and massage with hands for at least 1 minute.
 

ASSEMBLY

Spoon romesco into the bottom of a bowl and, with the back of a spoon, push the sauce up and around side of the bowl. Place 1 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of sprouted lentils next to each other on the bottom of the bowl. Place 5 pieces kabocha squash on top, and add kale and and sliced avocado. Garnish with mustard frill and flowers. Serve tahini on the side.