Nourish to Flourish | Plant 30 >
Quinoa Bibimbap

Quinoa Bibimbap

Ingredients

90g/3¼oz/½ cup quinoa

240ml/9fl oz/1 cup vegetable stock

1tbsp olive oil

½ onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

100g/3½oz baby spinach leaves

30g/1oz/heaping 1/4 cup bean sprouts

3 tbsp tamari soy sauce

2 tsp sugar or xylitol

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

5mm/1/4in piece of root ginger, peeled and grated

Chinese leaves, separated

2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled, or poached eggs

½ ripe avocado, pitted, skinned and sliced or diced

1 sheet nori, crumbled

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Boost your brain health with this Korean dish, made with a twist!

Bibimbap, is a Korean rice dish – this version uses quinoa, a nutritious grain high protein and brain healthy minerals like magnesium. The addition of egg provides plenty of choline – a nutrient important for the production of the memory neurotransmitter acetylcholine.  

Preparation time:

15 minutes

Cooking time:

20 minutes, plus 5 minutes resting

Directions:

1. Rinse the quinoa well, then put it in a saucepan over a high heat and pour over the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Turn off the heat and leave to steam for a further 5 minutes. Tip on to a plate lined with paper towels and pat dry.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Tip in the quinoa and fry for 1–2 minutes until the grains are slightly crisp and smell nutty.
3. Add a little more oil, if needed, and add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, bean sprouts, tamari, sugar, vinegar and ginger. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until the spinach has wilted.
4. If spooning into Chinese leaves, chop the hard-boiled eggs, and stir into the mixture followed by the avocado and nori. Spoon the mixture into the Chinese leaves and scatter with sesame seeds. Alternatively, divide the quinoa mixture between two bowls. Top with the eggs, avocado, nori and sesame seeds.) Serve with kimchi.