If you follow me over on Instagram you have seen this recipe at least twice a week for the past two months. We cannot get enough of it! I started making this Rainbow Veggie Breakfast Hash in June when I was doing a lymphatic system cleanse with Lisa Levitt Gainsley. If you are at all interested in learning how to keep your lymphatic system on track I cannot recommend her enough, and her book is a great read too. Back to veggie inspired hash, one of the recipes used in the cleanse was a vegetable stir-fry, and after making making a version of it on repeat, this recipe was born. It is delicious and as well as healthy for you.
I am by no means an expert on the lymphatic system and will not ever claim to be. I am mostly interested in learning how to keep ours healthy as we age since it does help combat illnesses. In a nutshell the lymphatic system is made of millions of little vessels that move plasma around your both. It removes toxins, waste and pathogens, which are the things that get into our bodies from the food we eat all the way to the air we breathe in. A body that is clogged with toxins that cannot be removed, breaks down the cells which makes us more likely to get sick. Think of a cold when your lymph nodes swell? There are many techniques from exercise to massage as well as diet that help keep the system “unclogged and flowing”.
I am a firm believer that we are what we eat, as well that foods can help heal. We usually do a detox cleanse the beginning of the year but the last couple of years we have started doing them every 3 to 4 months and especially after traveling when we really let our guard down with eating. Bottom line, as you can read more about it on her site, a healthy lymphatic systems creates a healthy immune system. Eating the rainbow is a great place to start.
Rainbow Veggie Breakfast Hash came about when I started adding whatever left over vegetables I had in the fridge, it has became a cleaning out of the week to start new. I usually always have all of these ingredients on hand so it is fairly easy to make for breakfast. That being said it is also great as lunch or dinner. The egg addition adds protein and makes if feel more like breakfast. When I make it for lunch or dinner I add grilled salmon another omega 3 fish. Let’t talk about the ingredients and why they are great for your lymphatic system.
Olive Oil – is great for reducing inflammation which helps your system drain properly. Avoid seed oils.
Onion – I use red or yellow depending on what is in the pantry or the fridge. This wonder ingredient is good for circulation as well as breaking up infection such as mucus or congestion when you have a cold.
Peppers – I use all the colors except green, we hate green bell peppers. Usually always have red peppers on hand but if I have yellow or orange I throw those in. As well as either serrano or jalapeño for some spice. The pepper is also an inflammation reducer.
Ginger – I feel like the ginger really makes this recipe sparkle. I just does not taste the same without it, trust me, it goes great with all the veggies and that soft yolky egg. Ginger is great for digestion as well as circulation, both are connected to the lymphatic system.
Purple Cabbage – is a cruciferous vegetable, and all cruciferous vegetables are great for the lymphatic system. Denise cannot eat some of these veggies as they cause her to breakout but not purple cabbage. Cruciferous veggies contain sulforaphane which has anti-inflammatory properties that are great for our immune systems. Some studies show if you eat 1 1/2 – 2 cups a day it decreases the inflammatory markers int he blood.
Spinach – it is like the ginger, you have to add it to this recipe as it is so good. It is a chlorophyll rich leafy green that detoxes and purifies the blood which is a hug support for the lymphatic system. You can also use kale, which we don’t eat much of because it also causes Denise to break out.
Mushrooms – you can use your favorite ones but we tend to grab shiitake, wild ones like chanterelles or lions main when making this recipe. Mushrooms are a great source of ergothioneine which is an amino acid that slows down cellular damage.
Rainbow Veggie Breakfast Hash
This rainbow veggie breakfast hash is loaded with healthy and delicious vegetables that are great for reducing inflammation in our bodies. It can also be enjoyed for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup yellow or red onion, small dice
- 4 ounces mushrooms, any kind you like, thinly sliced
- 1/2 (3.5 ounces) red, orange or yellow pepper - thin strips or small pieces
- .10 ounces serrano or jalapeño pepper, finely minces
- .85 ounces ginger, finely minced
- 8 ounces purple cabbage, thinly sliced
- 4 ounces spinach
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- poached eggs - optional - you can add any sort of egg
Instructions
Place a large deep drying pan onto the stove and heat over medium low heat.
Add the olive oil.
Add the onion, stir and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and red pepper, stir and cook for about 5 minutes until the pepper is slightly soft and the mushrooms are almost cooked.
Add the cabbage, along with the ginger and serrano or jalapeno, stir and cook until the cabbage is wilted but slightly crisp. If you like your cabbage softer than cook a little longer.
Stir in the spinach and cook just until wilted; about 1 - 2 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper. Optional to serve with a poached egg but it is great if you decide to!
Notes
To make this more breakfast we add poached eggs. I also serve this as lunch or a light dinner served with grilled salmon or trout.