Try this Turmeric Chicken and Red Cabbage recipe!
Last night's dinner turned out to be so colourful that I couldn't resist snapping a photo and sharing it on my blog. This is a great example of how beautiful real food is!
I wanted to experiment with red cabbage for a change from "cauliflower-rice" (picture of this on my Instagram page and below).
Not only does red cabbage add a lovely colour to the dish (especially paired with greens), but it also provides important nutrients. Red cabbage - and other purple and blue food such as eggplants, beets and blueberries - contain phytonutrients called anthocyanins. These help lower blood pressure and improve eyesight in addition to being powerful anti-oxidants.
Speaking of anti-oxidants, turmeric (the spice I used for the chicken) contains an active ingredient called curcumin, which has superb anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
To round out a plate chockful of nutrients, I added some broccoli that I simply steamed for 10 minutes and dressed with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil.
I strongly believe in consuming food that provide our bodies with nutrients to stay healthy and balanced.
But as we say in Italian, sometimes "the eye wants its part". So go ahead and experiment with different-colour veggies and spices - not just to enhance the taste and nutritional intake of your food, but also to make your food even more appealing and appetising to the senses!
Here's the recipe: Red Cabbage "cauli-rice" and turmeric chicken
1 small head of red cabbage (this will yield a few portions, so put what you don't need in the fridge and cook it another time)
1-2 tbsp of coconut oil (or more if you prefer)
1/2 tsp thyme powder (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Chop the cabbage in large chunks and place them in a food processor. Pulse a few times till the cabbage resembles the size of rice. Do this in small batches so you don't force the blades of the food processor.
Place the chopped cabbage in a non-stick skillet, add the coconut oil, salt, pepper and thyme and stir fry for about 5-8 minutes or until the cabbage is soft.
Turmeric chicken (yields 2 portions)
2 chicken breasts, diced
1 tomato or 1/4 cup of tomato paste
1/2 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp turmeric
1-2 tbsp coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the tomato, onion and garlic and place in a skillet with coconut oil.
Allow the tomato to heat up and stir for 2-3 minutes till the onion starts to soften. Add the chicken, turmeric, salt, pepper and stir. Cover and let it cook on low heat for about 15 minutes or till the chicken is fully cooked, stirring occasionally.
If you see a lot of water coming from the tomato or chicken during cooking, remove the lid and let it cook until the chicken is ready. You can also raise the heat to speed up the evaporation of the excess water.
