Gado-Gado Quinoa Bowl - Fiber Fueled Cookbook

After I heard Dr. Will Bulsiewicz speak at the Lifestyle Medicine conference in November, 2022, I decided to read through his book Fiber Fueled and the related Cookbook.  He is an expert on the microbiome, which is one of the topics in medicine that I find fascinating.  99% of the genes that are in our bodies belong to the bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that live within us, mostly in our gut.  Fiber fuels the good ones, which then go on to form short chain fatty acids that are mostly beneficial to our health.  

He also mentions that after lactose and gluten, another big food intolerance is histamine or foods that cause you to form more histamine.  This recipe is good for those restricting histamine.  If you're not, then you can substitute 1/2 cup of peanut butter for other nut butters and 3 Tbsp of rice vinegar for the apple cider vinegar.  

Today, I tried this recipe and really enjoyed it.  It definite gets high marks on the fiber scale.  Dr. B rates the recipes in plant points, and this one gets 9, which is the highest I've seen in his book.  Gado-gado in Indonesian literally means 'mix-mix'.  In this salad, many raw and steamed veggies are mixed in an almond butter dressing.  Each region in Indonesia has its own unique spin on this dish.

INGREDIENTS: 

2 cups small red potatoes, halved or diced, depending on the size

1 cup uncooked quinoa or other short grain (I used bulgur, which worked well)

2 cups washed and trimmed green beans or pea sprouts

1/2 cup almond butter or sunflower seed butter, stirred well (I used almond butter)

2 garlic cloves grated into a paste or 1 tsp dried garlic powder

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp dried ginger

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (optional)

1/4 tsp salt

1.5 ups shredded red cabbage

2 carrots grated

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium pot, place the potatoes and cover with water.  Cover with a tight lid and bring to a boil.  Allow the potatoes to coo for ~15 minutes, or until a potato flakes easily when pierced by a fork.

2. Rinse the grain and add to a saucepan with 2 cups (or the appropriate amount) of water.  Cover with a tight lid and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and allow to cook covered for 12 minutes, then remove from the heat and let stand for another 3 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and set aside to slightly cool.

3. If using green beans, bring a small pot of water to a boil.  While the water is boiling, make an ice bath in a medium bowl with ice and water to cover.  Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, then immediately drain and place in the prepared ice bath for 3 minutes, then drain and set aside.

4. In a small bowl, prepare the sauce by whisking together the almond butter, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, if using, vinegar, and sesame oil.  If the nut butter is too thick, heat it in a saucepan over low heat or blend it in the base of a small blender or food processor.  Add hot water, 1 Tbsp at a time up to 5 Tbsp until the sauce has a pourable consistency. 

5. To assemble, divide the quinoa month four bowls.  Top with shredded cabbage, green beans, carrots, cooked potatoes, and bell pepper.  Serve with the nut butter sauce.