Foodie Tuesday – Gado Gado, a Colorful Recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook

This delicious and colorful recipe comes from the Moosewood Cookbook. Artist Clara Cheeves recommends it her favorite way to Eat Right, With Color! Enjoy Gado-Gado as the perfect springtime meal!

From the Moosewood Cookbook: “An Indonesian extravaganza: Yellow rice on a bed of spinach, covered with vegetables, tofu, and hardboild eggs. A gingery peanut sauce gets drizzled over the top, and crunchy flavorful ‘final toppings’ add a delightful finishing touch…”

Gado-Gado:

1) A bed of fresh spinach goes on the bottom.

2) Yellow rice goes on the spinach. (To make yellow rice, cook 2 cups rice in 3 cups simmering water with 1/2 tsp. turmeric. Add a little extra water toward the end of cooking if needed until tender.)

3) An assortment of vegetables goes on the rice. Such as:

• A small bunch of broccoli, cut into small spears and steamed
• Fresh green beans, lightly steamed
• Red and green cabbage, very finely shredded
• Thin slices of carrot, lightly steamed or raw
• Mung bean sprouts

4) Tofu and hardboiled eggs (sliced or chopped) go on the vegetables.

Makes approx. 6 servings

Eat Right, With Color! – Healthy Women Bio with Bianca Ana Chavez

March is National Nutrition Month and Go Folic! is participating in the American Dietetic Association’s campaign to “Eat Right With Color”! Says registered dietitian and ADA Spokesperson Karen Ansel, “Adding a splash of colorful seasonal foods to your plate makes for more than just a festive meal. A rainbow of foods creates a palette of nutrients, each with a different bundle of potential benefits for a healthful eating plan,”

Of course, no one knows how to use color better than artists, so we thought it was a perfect opportunity to ask few to share their thoughts on color and the benefits of a colorful diet.

Bianca Ana Chavez, Painter

What is your favorite color and why?
Black. It feels like you can disappear inside its vastness.

How do you use color in your art?
When I begin a painting I ink the lines with a really heavy black. Then I gradually build up the color, using mostly earth tones.

What does “Eat Right With Color” mean to you?
It means eating foods that reflect all the colors of the garden, and
of the season. Fresh, organic vegetables also have more vibrant color,
which reflects their bursting flavor.

Why do you think it is important to incorporate fruits and vegetables into
your diet?
Fruits and vegetables contain vital energy and eating them reminds us
of all the beautiful colors and shapes in nature. It makes you happy,
you think, “wow! this world is abundant with beautiful things… that
I can eat!”

What is your most colorful recipe?
Roasted acorn squash, baby red potatoes, and fennel with garlic,
rosemarry, sea salt, and cracked pepper.