I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for recipes I can use to improve my health and especially my gut health. Things got serious with my gut health two years ago. Age, irreverent eating, and lifestyle had sucker punched me. I had to start implementing my background in Chinese Nutrition on myself.
I’m not a great chief or even a mediocre chef. But, I do have great taste buds and love a creative flair to food. So, I cruise the web, restaurants, and cookbooks for recipes that knock it out of the park from a Chinese Nutrition perspective, try them out, and make them low effort and tasty.
I want to share this recipe because it hit it out of the ballpark on all three categories. I found this on Youtube, and I wish I could remember the channel and the person because she knocked it out of the park when it came to developing healthy recipes. Maybe I’ll find that channel again someday.
I made a couple of modifications to make the recipe even more gut-friendly. I enjoy eating this once or twice a week.
When I first saw this recipe, I thought it was going to have a horrible taste. I made the dish, and it is delicious. If you like a splashy, haute cusine taste sensation, this is going to be right up your alley.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup cooked Basmati Rice
- 1 tablespoon Kimchi
- 2 oz of Natto
- 1 egg poached
- 1-2 teaspoon of Ponzu
- 2 teaspoons of chives or scallions
To plate this dish, put the warm rice in the bowl first. Place the Natto and Kimchi on top of the rice. Spread the Ponzu over the ingredients. Top it off with the egg and sprinkle with chives or chopped scallions.
I’m not a big fan of Kimchi, but I was in Victoria B.C. They have taken vegan cuisine to a whole new level, and I ran across how this aged food choice is getting a facelift in the vegan cuisine isle. Brand new dishes topped with Kimchi were showing up. These were some of the most exciting, tastiest dishes I ate.
Kimchi is a fermented food and loaded with healthy bacteria for the gut. If you’ve taken probiotics before, this food is loaded with them. It’s thought to lower cholesterol, slow aging, reduce weight, and repair the digestion. Ever wake up with that sluggish feeling? This food will help lift your energy.
Besides Kimchi, this dish has Basmati rice. Rice helps reduce the sensation of nausea or bloating. Rice also helps with gastritis and a poor appetite. For those suffering from fatigued, it delivers a more level and sustained energy boost. I make a big batch of rice with tumeric and some other spices so I don’t have to make it every day.
After the rice comes Natto. Natto is fermented soybean. The soybean has a mild taste. I found two Natto suppliers here in the U.S. Rhapsody Natural Foods in Vermont and NYrture in New York.
You can make your own Natto just like you can make your own Kimchi. If your not into that or don’t have time, order from one of these suppliers.
Like Kimchi, Natto is full of probiotics. Part of Natto’s claim to fame is the fermentation process makes Nattokinase, an expensive enzyme. Nattokinase made a huge splash a few years back with its ability to help dissolve blot clots. The research has Natto consumption linked to a reduction in Cardiovascular Disease including reducing blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, and dissolving blood clots.
The Kimchi, rice, and natto are topped with a poached egg. You can cook the egg any way you want. I like the poached egg because when I break it, the yolk mixes with all the other ingredients. What I like most about eggs is the yolk contains a ton of phosphorus. To learn the benefit of phosphorus check out this article.
Lastly, chives or scallions are spread on top. These two foods are great at helping lift your mood and energy. To find out more about scallions and their function in the body check out this video ! Pour on the ponzu and you have your meal.
There you have it. A great dish that is easy to make. All the ingredients except the egg can be or are pre-made. You just have to warm up the rice, poach the egg and have a quick and easy breakfast that is super healthy for you. This breakfast supports each of the yin organs. Chinese Medicine identifies five organs as the yin organs or the Five Lights of Illumination . Not only does it support each yin organs, but every food used in this breakfast supports gut health.
This little dish is the essence of Chinese Herbal formulations – a super simple recipe that packs a considerable punch to the primary issue of gut health and strengthens each organ that could be weakened by poor gut health. Love it!