Lemony Colorful Carrots and Cauliflower
with Hijiki

Lemony Colorful Carrots and Cauliflower with Hijiki is a delicious, naturally sweet, mildly tangy vegetable dish that nourishes the spleen / stomach / pancreas organs of digestion, or Earth element according to Taoist 5-Elements Theory.  I especially love this dish prepared with a colorful medley of yellow, orange and purple carrots, each with a variety health benefits.  

I love having vegetables, greens, or a Miso Vegetable Soup with our morning porridge for breakfast.  It's a classic macrobiotic breakfast!

This Lemony Colorful Carrots and Cauliflower with Hijiki is a perfect, comforting, naturally sweet and slightly tangy vegetable dish that is great paired with a whole grain porridge for breakfast, such Barley and Oats with Apple, or the Protein Oats, Buckwheat and White Whole Wheat Flakes, shown in the pictures below.  (Recipe at the end.)

As much as I love this naturally sweet, colorful carrot vegetable medley for breakfast, it is great for dinner as well, along with steamed or fresh greens, a whole grain such as brown rice, spelt, farro, barley or quinoa,  and a protein-rich dish such as Marinated and Baked Tofu, Sweet and Sour Tempeh, or Sweet Baked Beans for lunch or dinner.

Look for more recipes on my FREE Macrobiotic E-Books.

Macrobiotic Breakfast with Porridge, and Lemony Colorful Carrots and Cauliflower with Hijiki

Super Simple Lemony Colorful Carrots and Cauliflower

For a very simple blend of colorful carrots and cauliflower, simply steam them together, and toss with lemon, lemon pepper or cracked black pepper, and optional teaspoon of high lignan flax oil, and/or nutritional yeast.

Lemon, flax oil, and nutritional yeast is my favorite, fast go-to way to dress broccoli, kale, and other greens.  According to Dr. Neal Barnard, lemon magically counters the bitter taste of broccoli for those predisposed to pick up the bitter flavor more than others.  Apparently, there's a bitter tasting gene.

If you want to boost the nutrients by adding mineral-rich hijiki seaweed, and make really help the colorful carrots and cauliflower pop with a nicely balanced sweet and tangy flavor, do try the full Lemony Colorful Carrots and Cauliflower with Hijiki Recipe.

Use whatever colored carrots you have on hand, however, if heading out to the market, grab a bag of organic multicolored carrots.  The different colors makes this dish extra special, and the deeper colored carrots are higher in phytonutrients, while the orange and yellow carrots are a great source of carotenoids, each with differing health benefits.

I like adding a little oil to this dish because it improves absorption of fat soluble vitamins and minerals, which is important to get the maximum health benefits of carrots.

Lemony Colorful Carrots and Cauliflower with Hijiki Recipe

Lemony Colorful Carrots and Cauliflower with Hijiki Ingredients

Make extra to reheat at your next meal, or add leftovers to a vegetable Miso Soup.

• 1/2 - 1 medium to large red onion, chopped in medium-sized chunks
• 1 - 2 each of orange, yellow and purple carrots
• 1 - 2 tsp. optional oil, like High Oleic Sunflower Oil 
• Main Seasonings: coriander, black pepper, lemon peel (like Frontier) or zest of lemon
• 1/2 small to medium sized head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped (woody core removed), optional
• Around 2 - 3 Tbsp. hijiki seaweed, rinsed
• 1 inch piece of ginger, grated or minced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup filtered water
• 1 heaping tsp. kudzu root, or sub with arrowroot powder or tapioca powder, or 1 level tsp. cornstarch combined with about 2 tablespoons of cool water
• 2 tsp. white or sweet miso (South River Miso is our favorite)
• About 2 tsp. (+/-) brown rice syrup
• Pinch or two each of cayenne and nutmeg

*Note:  If purchasing Frontier Lemon Peel, or other brand, be sure to add to soups, stir fries or other vegetable dishes.  The citrus peel adds a nice brightness; having the already dried citrus peel can be added to green or herbal tea infusions as well.  See also My Healthy Tea, using citrus peel.

Lemony Colorful Carrots and Cauliflower with Hijiki - Steps

1. Heat a large stainless steel pan on medium heat, and add onion.  (If the pan is hot enough, it should sizzle when you add the onion.  You can stir with a wooden spatula to prevent sticking.)  Let cook a couple minutes to begin to soften.  Alternatively, add a few tablespoons of water first, then add onion.
2. Add carrots, and oil, if using, then add coriander, pepper, and lemon peel (if store bought. If using lemon zest, add at the end.)  Let cook a couple minutes before adding cauliflower, optional parsnip, hijiki seaweed, ginger, lemon and 1/4 cup of water.  Cover, and let steam cook on medium, about 5 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, combine cool water with kudzu root (or alternative thickener).  When dissolved, stir in miso and brown rice syrup.  Add to Colorful Carrots and Cauliflower.  Add a pinch or two each of cayenne and nutmeg.  (The lemon zest can be added now too.) Add enough extra water as needed to create a light broth.
4. Let simmer a minute or two longer, until vegetables have softened, and the sauce has thickened. 
5. Serve as is, or garnish with chopped fresh parsley, basil or mint.  Also good with QB Kale.

Lemony Colorful Carrots and Cauliflower with Hijiki taken to-go with Marinated Baked Tofu & Brown Rice

Lemony Colorful Carrots & Cauliflower brighten up a meal with sweet nourishing, grounding carrots

Super simple Steamed Carrots and Cauliflower with Homemade Falafel in Whole Wheat Pita with QB Red & Green Cabbage

Protein Oats, Buckwheat & White Whole Wheat Flakes Porridge

To make the porridge shown in the pictures, I combined 3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Protein Oats with 1/2 cup each raw white buckwheat and rolled white whole wheat flakes in just shy of 5 cups of water.  

Add all ingredients to a pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered on low.  It helps to set the pot on a flame tamer after it has come to a boil to prevent scorching any grain on the bottom.

To scale the recipe, use 3-4 times as much water as grain.  Use water and/or part water, part soy milk or other nondairy milk.

Add a pinch of sea salt before cooking if desired.  Add cinnamon, or fresh or dried fruit as desired, such as diced apple or pear, raisins, chopped dates, etc.

Buckwheat is a warming grain, ideal for winter.  The Protein Oats have a slightly thicker, chewier, creamier bite.  And the white whole wheat flakes add a nice sweet balance to the oats.  Bulk buckwheat and rolled oats or wheat flakes are available at Nuts.com.  Bob's Red Mill Protein Oats may be available at a better price on Vitacost.com.

You may also like my Rolled Barley and Oats with Apple Porridge, or any of the variations listed.

For more recipes, check out my FREE Macrobiotic Ebooks.  

How To Feel Great & Improve Your Health with a Macrobiotic Diet, now available, with more to come!

• >>>Return to Home Page   
• >>>Health Benefits of Carrots   >>>Carrot Salad Recipes
• >>>Rolled Barley and Oats Porridge + Variations
• >>>Quick Blanched (QB) Kale and other Greens & Vegetable Medley Recipes
• >>>How To Craft a Healthy, Balanced Diet with Universal Principles

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