Turkish-Inspired Leek

This recipe is very easy to make and can be eaten as a warm side-dish or room temperature salad-type dish.

An easy way to enjoy leeks

Usually, this leek dish will be prepared a couple of hours in advanced and left on the countertop until dinner time. It can be stored up to 4 days in the fridge and is really convenient as a meze-like, ready-to-go dish, which accompanies the meals of the following days. Nothing against making mealtime more time-saving, right!?

Leeks belong to the Allium vegetable family like garlic and onions. Since leeks are related to garlic and onions, they contain many of the same beneficial compounds found in these well-researched, health-promoting vegetables.

Leeks and its Health Benefits

Leeks contain a good amount of vitamin K which is important for calcium metabolism. It basically shows calcium where to go in the body. It is also important for blood coagulation.

Amongst minerals like iron and manganese, it contains folate in its bioactive form, vitamin C, vitamin A, and antioxidants.

One thing what I really like about leeks, besides being an easy to use vegetable, is the fact that it offers the very same health benefits as onions while being milder in taste (and aftertaste).

Many children have a problem with onions. The taste, the consistency, the smell, or etc….

My daughter said, “leeks are not too bad”. That’s good!

Another big bonus with leeks is that its fiber is prebiotic, meaning, the fiber does feed our good gut bacteria. Eating prebiotic foods will support our gut microbiome to stay balanced.

Prebiotic Fiber and Gut Health

Kids often eat too many sugary foods, imbalanced gut health in favor of the bad guys can be the consequence. It is a good start to increase consumption of prebiotic vegetables like asparagus, onions, garlic, artichokes, and cabbage to support good gut bacteria.

Gut dysbiosis (bacterial imbalance) doesn’t just cause belly symptoms, it can also cause brain symptoms and thus influence mood. Common problems include symptoms like chronic headaches and anxiety, as well as specific conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.

So as you can see there are good reasons to eat more prebiotic foods such as leek.

Turkish-Inspired Leek

Serves: 4-6

Cooking Time: 10 min preparation / 20 minutes cooking

Ingredients

• 6 medium thick fresh leeks, washed and sliced diagonally into bite-size pieces
• 1-2 big carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1-2 tbsp ghee or avocado oil
• 1 tbsp quinoa or rice
• 1 cup of water
• salt and pepper to taste
• chopped parsley
• lemon juice
• olive oil

Instructions

1

In a wide pan, heat ghee or avocado oil and sauté the carrots for 5 minutes.

2

Add the leeks and stir occasionally, taking care so they don’t scorch.

3

When the vegetables start to soften, add the rice, hot water, and spices.

4

Cover and cook gently over low heat for about 20 minutes or until the rice and vegetables are tender and the cooking liquid is absorbed.

5

Remove from the heat, cover with an absorbent kitchen cloth or paper towel and replace the lid. This will help to absorb any excess moisture. Set aside to cool.

6

Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle over some fresh lemon juice and olive oil before serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

7

Enjoy!

Notes

The original recipe is made with white rice. I personally like to substitute white rice with quinoa. This dish can be made without rice or quinoa as well. Simply reduce liquid to 1/2 cup.