Feeling under the weather? Here's how to munch your way through the rainbow to heavenly health.
Orange/yellow
Fantastic foods: Carrot, pineapple, sweet potato, pumpkin, orange
Magic ingredient: Alpha and beta carotene, beta cryptohanxin
Health benefits: Prevents skin damage, protects eyes, repairs DNA
Rainbow recipe: Spicy sweet potato soup
1. Fry ½ chopped onion in knob of butter until soft
2. Add 1 crushed clove of garlic, 2 chopped green chillies, a pinch of salt, 1tsp ground cumin, 1tsp garam masala and 1tsp ground coriander and stir
3. Add 500ml stock, 300g chopped sweet potato and 200g potato
4. Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes
5. Set aside to cool and then blend until smooth
6. Return to pan, add 100ml coconut milk and the juice of 1 lime and heat through
7. Serve garnished with lime zest and fresh chopped coriander
Red
Fantastic foods: Strawberry, tomato, capsicum, raspberry, radish
Magic ingredient: Lycopene
Health benefits: Reduces risk of cancer
Rainbow recipe: Boozy baked strawberries
1. Take a punnet of strawberries and cut the tops off the strawberries
2. After washing, lay strawberries upside down in a baking dish
3. In a bowl, mix ½ cup sugar, a few slices of fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, 4tbsp water and 4tbsp Grand Marnier liqueur
4. Pour over the strawberries and bake at 180C for 30 mins, basting with juices every 10 minutes
5. Serve with vanilla ice cream
Green
Fantastic foods: Asparagus, kiwi, bean, broccoli, apple
Magic ingredient: Lutein, zeaxanthin
Health benefits: Fights cancer-causing carcinogens, prevents eye cataracts
Rainbow recipe: Asparagus risotto
1. Fry 1 onion in a dash of olive oil until soft
2. In another pan, gently warm 700ml vegetable stock
3. Add 1 crushed clove of garlic and 250g Arborio risotto rice and cook for 3 minutes, stirring thoroughly
4. Meanwhile, steam 500g roughly chopped asparagus for a couple of minutes
5. Add the juice of half a lemon and one ladle of stock to the rice and keep stirring over the heat until all liquid has been absorbed. Keep repeating until all the stock has been added
6. Stir in the asparagus, a large handful of grated parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for a further minute
7. Serve with parmesan shavings
Blue/purple
Fantastic foods: Plum, blueberry, eggplant, cabbage, fig
Magic ingredient: Anthocyanins
Health benefits: Reduces risk of strokes, improves memory
Rainbow recipe: Blueberry fool
1. Put 500g blueberries, 100g sugar, ¼ cup water, 1tsp lemon juice and 1tsp vanilla extract
2. Simmer over gentle heat for 10 mins
3. Mash mixture and leave in fridge to cool for an hour
4. Whisk in 200ml thickened cream and 200ml mascarpone
5. Garnish with whole blueberries and mint leaves and serve with amaretto biscuits
YOUR SAY: Which colourful vegetables are your favourite — and in which dishes do you use them? Tell us below!
