Hormone Balancing Super Bowl
A recipe by Lexi Monzeglio, South Africa
About Chef Lexi Monzeglio
Lexi Monzeglio is a plant-based chef and food creative from Johannesburg, South Africa. She started out in advertising, but through her food blog (@plantlifeblog), food styling and recipe development, she made her way into a kitchen over the years. Lexi qualified through Matthew Kenney’s plant-based culinary course and now works as a chef, stylist and consultant full time.
When she’s not in the kitchen, Lexi loves to be outdoors — rock climbing, cycling, trail running or even just lying on the grass soaking up the sun. She believes in balance, making the best choices you can (for yourself & the environment) and being kind to yourself when it comes to food and diet.
What inspires you to eat less meat?
I choose to follow a plant-based lifestyle because I believe it is truly the least harmful way of living for both myself and the environment. Highly processed foods (including farmed animals) are filled with all kinds of hormones, antibiotics and other junk you don’t want in your body, but more than that, the process of animal agriculture has a massive damaging effect on our planet. I am trying to nourish my body the best way I can and, at the same time, leave the smallest footprint possible on Earth.
This recipe is all about balancing your body. Besides being a fantastic hormone balancer for women — which means improving PMS symptoms, supposedly increases libido, balances estrogen — Maca also improves energy levels and is said to improve your mood too, it’s an antioxidant and it’s packed with B vitamins, C, and E… Plenty of calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and amino acids. So boys, don’t write this one off — it’s good for you too! Most recipes use Maca in smoothies or breakfasts, so I wanted to introduce it in a savoury way that you can throw on top of bowls, salads or even sarmies (sandwiches) to get that goodness in!
Hormone Balancing Super Bowl
Ingredients
1 bunch kale, chopped
1 cup quinoa
3–4 radishes
¼ cup pomegranate rubies
2 tsp turmeric
2 -3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup walnuts
1–2 tbsp Maca powder
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2–3 tbsp tahini
2–3 tbsp lemon juice (the juice of one fresh lemon)
2–4 tbsp water
1 tbsp olive oil
Some spring onion, to serve
Method
Toast the walnuts in a frying pan with the turmeric and a very light splash of oil (olive or coconut). Once the walnuts are coated in turmeric and starting to brown, take them off the heat.
Chop up the kale and pan fry in some coconut or olive oil with the minced garlic. Fry for about 10 minutes or until the kale is thoroughly wilted and soft — but not soggy and losing colour.
Boil the quinoa in 3 cups of salted water (add more garlic to the water if you are a garlic nutso like me).
Make your dressing by whisking together the Maca, apple cider vinegar, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and water.
Slice up the radishes and chop the spring onion.
Construct your bowl by adding the warm quinoa, spinach and walnuts and tossing together.
Then add the radishes, pomegranate rubies and a generous amount of dressing and eat!
For more about Chef Lexi Monzeglio, follow and connect with her on:
Instagram: @leximonzeglio & https://www.instagram.com/plantlifeblog/
Blog: http://plantlifeblog.co.za/
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/PlantLifeBlog
