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Blood Orange Sautéed Red Cabbage on Quinoa

blood-orange

Although the British spring has been somewhat of a disappointment so far, I’m optimistic that some great weather is on the way! And with hot weather, we need light lunch and dinner dishes that are still as nourishing as bigger meals.

That’s why this dish is going to feature on my menu at home as soon as the sun decides to come out and stay out!

Quinoa & Red Cabbage

You can’t log on to a health food website at the moment without being presented with reasons why you should make an effort to eat quinoa frequently. However, the health benefits of red cabbage might not be so familiar to you.

This variety of cabbage contains a great deal more phytonutrients than green cabbage and it is thought that the rich concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols plays a preventative role in many diseases. Add to this the massive boost of vitamin C provided by the blood oranges and you’ve got a meal that has an incredible amount of antioxidants and protein. Not to mention the abundance of essential vitamins and minerals amongst many other things!

Unfortunately none of the blood oranges I found were as colourful as they usually are but they still taste fantastic!

Blood Orange Sautéed Red Cabbage on Quinoa

To make enough to feed four people, gather the following ingredients.

Ingredients:

Half a red cabbage

  • Two onions
  • Four cloves of garlic
  • One table spoon of fennel seeds
  • Half a tablespoon of black mustard seeds
  • Half a tablespoon of white mustard seeds
  • 400g of quinoa
  • Two bay leaves
  • Four blood oranges
  • A few stems of parsley

Method:

The first thing you’ll need to do is get the quinoa cooking!  400g will equate to approximately two cups so you will need four cups of water to cook it in. So get the water and the quinoa into a pan and cook for approximately 20 minutes. If you can see that it needs additional water at any point then feel free to include!

In a separate pan, fry the black and white mustard seeds with the fennel seeds in some coconut oil over a medium heat. As this is heating up, slice an onion and two cloves of garlic. After a few moments, add these into the pan and stir for a few moments. Next, slice half a head of cabbage and then place this in the pan too. Pour a splash of apple cider vinegar over the top and continue to fry.

Take your second onion and chop it into small pieces, fry this in a pan with two cloves of garlic and add 400g of quinoa. Give this a quick stir and then if 20 minutes is up since you started cooking the quinoa then chuck this into the pan too.

While your two pans are simmering, juice three of your oranges and segment the other. Sieve the juice to ensure there are no rogue pieces and then pour it into the pan full of cabbage. Stir the contents of this pan for a few moments and then remove the bay leaves from the other. You can then serve the quinoa onto a plate, top with the red cabbage and garnish with a couple of leaves of parsley. You can also add a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste if you desire although this is not essential to make this dish delicious!

This Post Has 10 Comments

  1. Oh man, I just love blood oranges! I haven’t seen any around yet, but this looks delicious and I will definitely try it when I get my hands on some blood oranges 🙂

  2. Looks and sounds amazing! Will have to give it a try. My husband brought home some blood oranges the other day (my first time having one) and I didn’t even think to cook with them. Thanks for the recipe! Hope your weather gets a little more desirable soon!

  3. Hi Julie!
    Here’s a great way to make a very nutritious meal & filling also like rice is. You are such a great mom in knowing how to cook for your little ones. I have so many good things I am doing myself. Where do you find blood oranges if not found in stores?
    Rodney

    1. Hey! Thanks so much for your kind comments! I couldn’t find any in the supermarket so I headed to whole foods and they never let me down 🙂 failing that, you could check out a farmers market! Happy cooking

  4. Its already so hot and humid where I stay! This sounds like the perfect meal, light and healthy. 🙂 can I use couscous as a substitute if I don’t have quinoa?

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