Fruits and vegetables on the same plate: antioxidant recipes that are real delightsantioxidant recipesFruits and vegetables on the same plate: antioxidant recipes that are real delights

Combining vegetables and fruits of varied colors, whole grains and abundant aromatic herbs and spices, very appetizing dishes of great antioxidant power that revitalize and protect our cells are achieved.

• Avocado, spinach and red bean salad
• Bulgur with vegetables from the multicolored garden
• Buckwheat crepes with red cabbage and apple and cranberry sauce
• Steamed spring vegetables with red pepper sauce
• Oat flake timbale with vegetables

A diet dominated by fruits and vegetables, including algae, should ensure sufficient antioxidants to fight free radicals that accelerate the aging of our cells. However, the way you choose and prepare food can significantly increase its presence on the plate.

HOW TO INCREASE THE PRESENCE OF ANTIOXIDANTS

The color of vegetables and fruits, in addition to making recipes more attractive and appetizing, is an indicator of their content in certain antioxidants: the orange of the carrot and pumpkin or the red of the tomato and pepper reveal that they are rich in carotenoids; the purple of black grapes, blueberries or blackberries indicates the presence of anthocyanins or resveratrol; and the yellow of corn or the green of spinach enrich the dishes with lutein. Combining all these colors in recipes ensures a varied contribution of these substances.

Condiments offer another valuable opportunity to provide antioxidants, such as when we make a stir-fry with garlic. Here, a good extra virgin olive oil will multiply its effect. Most aromatic herbs, and especially oregano, thyme and rosemary, are powerful anti-radicals. Also spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, pepper or cloves.

On the other hand, some antioxidants are sensitive to heat and are easily damaged with poor preservation. That is why it is advisable to use fresh food and plan the purchase well, so as not to have to store them for a long time.

5 RECIPES WITH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FULL OF ANTIOXIDANTS

Salads, well stocked with raw and, above all, if they contain sprouts, are an excellent source of antioxidants. Steaming is the most respectful way to prepare these dishes and, as a general rule, we will try not to lengthen the cooking times too much. Here are 5 recipes rich in antioxidants that are also delicious:

AVOCADO, SPINACH AND BEAN SALAD

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

• 90 g red beans
• 2 avocados
• 75 g fresh spinach leaves
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 yellow pepper
• 2 celery stalks
• 6 spring onions
• 4 radishes
• 40 g alfalfa sprouts
• the juice of half a lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp. of chia seeds
• extra virgin olive oil

For the dressing:

• 150 g soy yogurt
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. of virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. cumin
• freshly ground white pepper and sea salt

PREPARATION (20 MINUTES):

1. Soak the beans a few hours before using them (3 or 5 hours) with cold water. Drain them, put them on the fire in a saucepan with cold water and bring them to a boil.
2. When they boil, remove the water and cover again with cold water along with the garlic, bay leaf and a splash of oil. Let them cook over medium heat until tender. Drain with, cool with cold water and set aside.
3. Cut the avocados in half, pit and peel. Cut the pulp into slices and spread it with lemon. Cut the spring onions in half, the tomatoes in 8 wedges, the pepper and celery into strips and the radishes into quarters. Remove the stem from the spinach and, in a bowl, mix them with the vegetables, beans and alfalfa.
4. For the dressing, add the soy yogurt, crushed garlic, lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl and, with a few rods, mix well. Add a little cumin, white pepper and salt and stir again.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad at the time of serving and sprinkle with a little chia.

BULGUR WITH VEGETABLES FROM THE MULTICOLORED GARDEN

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

• 175 g bulgur
• 300 ml vegetable broth
• 2 zucchinis
• 1 eggplant
• 400 g ripe red tomatoes
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 medium leek
• 150 g parsnip
• 1 small green pepper
• 2 red onions
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. Turmeric powder
• a pinch of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. of cumin seeds
• 3 cloves ground
• 20 g fresh cilantro
• curly parsley
• grated fresh ginger
• freshly ground white pepper and sea salt

PREPARATION (50 MINUTES):

1. In a thick-bottomed steel casserole, heat a splash of oil. Once hot, add the onions, well chopped, along with cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, cloves and ginger. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes.
2. Clean the vegetables and peel the parsnip. Cut everything but tomatoes into large tacos of the same size. Place the vegetables already cut in the casserole along with the spiced onion that you have sautéed, cover with a lid, and let them cook, over medium heat.
3. After 20 minutes, add the fresh cilantro, season to taste and add the chopped tomatoes. Cover the vegetables with water or broth, bring them to a boil and lower the flame of the fire. Let them cook for a few more minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the bulgur by covering it with the boiling broth. Cover it well and let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes or until you see that it has absorbed the liquid. Separate the beans with a fork.
5. To serve it, place a bulgur base on the plate, cover it with the spicy vegetables and crown the recipe with the curly parsley.

BUCKWHEAT CROMES WITH RED CABBAGE AND APPLE AND CRANBERRY SAUCE

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

• 200 g buckwheat
• 400 ml water
• Half cabbage red cabbage
• 1 red onion
• 1 apple
• Gomasio
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil
• 50 g peeled walnuts

For the sauce:

• 200 g cranberry
• 80 g unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

PREPARATION (40 MINUTES):

1. Soak buckwheat for at least 24 hours with 400 ml of water. Then beat it in an electric mixer and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
2. In a pan painted in hot oil add a little dough and spread it well on the bottom. Cook it, over low heat, until holes form and it peels off well. Flip and do it on the other side. Make the rest of the crepes and reserve them in a container that keeps them warm.
3. Put the blueberries, compote and cinnamon in a saucepan on the fire and, as soon as it boils, lower the flame well and cook 5 minutes. Reserve this sauce.
4. Julienne the cabbage, wash and dry well. Peel and chop the onion. Cut the apple into cubes (if you leave it unpeeled you will take advantage of its antioxidants, especially if it is eco).
5. Heat a splash of oil in a large skillet, add the onion and make until transparent. Add the cabbage and leave it for a few minutes, over medium heat, until reduced a little. Season with gomasio, cumin powder and cider vinegar, and cook everything over medium heat about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the apple and walnuts and leave 10 more minutes.
6. Divide the cabbage with apple into the crepes and roll them on themselves. Top with cranberry sauce and serve hot.

STEAMED SPRING VEGETABLES WITH RED PEPPER SAUCE

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

• 150 g wild green asparagus
• 200 g bobby beans
• Skin of a lemon
• 4 red peppers
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. Turmeric
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 20 g fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 125 ml virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• sea salt

PREPARATION (35 MINUTES):

1. Wash and clean the vegetables thoroughly. Peel the lower third of the asparagus and chop it. Remove the tips from the slingshots and beans and place the vegetables in a bamboo basket.
2. Fill the bottom of a wok or casserole with a few fingers of water and add half a teaspoon of salt and lemon peel. Place the bamboo basket with the vegetables on the wok and cover it with a lid. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 15 minutes over moderate heat.
3. To make the sauce, put the peppers, painted in oil, on a refractory tray, and roast them in the preheated oven at 180º C for about 20 minutes. Once done, let them cool, peel them and remove seeds. Chop the pulp.
4. Put in the glass of an electric mixer the pulp of the pepper along with the olive oil, and crush it. Add the garlic, vinegar, turmeric and continue beating. Add the basil and crush again, but only just enough to make the leaves chop a little. Add the cumin powder and stir.
5. Serve the vegetables dipped in this sauce. Another option that is very decorative is to put the sauce at the bottom of the plate and place the vegetables on top, making a little mountain. Sprinkle poppy seeds over vegetables.

OAT FLAKE TIMPANI WITH VEGETABLES

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE

• 150 g broken oat flakes
• 125 ml water or broth
• A strip of wakame seaweed
• 2 medium-sized white turnips
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 parsnips
• Gomasio
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tsp. of fresh rosemary
• virgin olive oil
• 8 cherry tomatoes
• 25 g radish sprouts

PREPARATION (45 MINUTES):

1. Place the oat flakes in a large bowl. Pour the broth into a saucepan and put it on the fire. When the broth is about to boil, pour it over the oat flakes and let them sit until inflated.
2. Soak the wakame seaweed for 5 minutes and cut them into small pieces.
3. Turn on the oven so that it heats up to 200º C. Meanwhile, peel the vegetables, cut them into medium but uniform pieces and put them on a refractory tray.
4. On top of the vegetables pour a little gomasio, freshly ground black pepper, a good splash of virgin olive oil, honey and rosemary. Then stir the vegetables so that the seasonings are well distributed.
5. Place the tray in the preheated oven and let everything cook for about 35 minutes, turning the vegetables from time to time.
6. To serve the recipe, place a metal ring in the center of the plate. Fill halfway with the oat flakes compressing them a little. Fill the rest with the baked vegetables along with the seaweed, and carefully remove the ring. Top with cherry tomatoes split in half and radish sprouts.