What does it mean when they say “eat the rainbow”? I’ve heard it many times from home cooks, chefs, and wellness influencers. Does it really stand for anything, or is it just another fad concept and buzzword?
The idea of “eating the rainbow” is that people should try to incorporate a little bit of each color into their daily diets. It’s not just sticking to a favorite color either—it’s more geared towards keeping everything balanced. It can be quite easy to fall into the trap of sticking to browns and whites—that is, meats and rice—especially in the Philippines, but this concept is a fantastic step towards changing our habits slowly. When the rainbow is painted in your mind constantly, you start thinking about fresh produce and thus start changing how you eat.
I personally struggle sometimes, especially when there’s a lot of good desserts and pastries around, so when Breville Philippines challenged me to create a recipe using one of the rainbow colors, I immediately dived in. The task: make a dish showcasing the freshness and nutritional value of my assigned color. The tool: Breville’s newest product, the Fresh & Furious blender.
Opportunely, I got red—one of my favorite colors and for me, the most appetizing food color. I couldn’t have gotten a better color; chilies, curries, tomatoes, beets, peppers, strawberries—all my favorites are red!
Mediterranean goodness using my Breville Fresh & Furious. Left: Beetroot Hummus; right: a whole roasted aubergine paired with lemon garlic tahini sauce whipped up using Breville.
I have no words for my tool either—the Breville Fresh & Furious is a powerful and fantastic blender. I swear, I have used others before this and I couldn’t always get the results I wanted.
Breville Fresh & Furious has 9 controls designed for every possible task you want your blender to do for you. Whether it’s crushing ice as fine as snow, making a creamy smoothie bowl, or whipping up smooth, delicious sauces—this blender is ready for the job!
Its blade system creates amazingly smooth and uniform mixtures, and is designed to have some food processor capability as well. I love that there's a timer too so some tasks can be left on their own and you get consistent results.
I’m amazed at the Green Smoothie mode. Apparently, there’s a certain speed that’s optimal to keep the freshness of your ingredients. So as someone who enjoys mixing leafy greens (like kale) with fruits, I am dying to use this option!
When I tried the Smoothie mode, I noticed that the blender seems to be constantly pushing ingredients to the top and center so that no ingredient or tidbit is left behind. It also aerates the mixture and thus produces a very creamy, thick, and smooth output! My fruits are no longer sinking into my smoothie bowls! Hahaha!
Left: Raspberry Smoothie Bowl using frozen raspberries; right: used the tomato and pepper base of the Salsa Veracruzana for my Vegetarian Jambalaya Fried Rice.
Left: Pureed some cherries to make a Cherry Barbecue Sauce; right: Mixed Berry Smoothie Bowl
In the recipe below, I have chosen to highlight two of my favorite ingredients: tomatoes and red bell peppers. I love tomatoes because it is so versatile, and I love how it provides both tartness and sweetness, depending on the kind of tomato and how you use it. Not to mention that it’s rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that reduce the risk of cancer and heart diseases. Bell peppers, on the other hand, is super rich in Vitamin C (even more than orange!) plus it’s delicious everywhere—I can even just gnaw at it raw!
And since I love Mexican food, I’m sharing a salsa recipe today. Not just the ordinary salsa fresca, but a special kind. Something you can impress your family or even guests with. It’s called Salsa Veracruzana, a classic type of salsa that is influenced by Mediterranean and Spanish flavors. It’s typically paired with fish, but believe me when I say that it’s incredibly delicious with anything—chicken, nachos, pita, everything! I wouldn’t blame you if you just scoop it straight into your mouth!
So enough with the talking! Check out the recipe below and make sure you tag me on Instagram (@pepesamson) if you make it!
Salsa Veracruzana
Ingredients:
Salsa:
0.5kg tomatoes, halved
2 red bell peppers
1 yellow bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 bayleaves
1/8 cup vinegar
2 tsp oregano powder, divided
1 tsp salt + more to taste
flat-leaf parsley
cilantro
chipotle powder
green olives, sliced
juice of 1 lime
Fish:
Fish of choice (swai, dory, sole, cod, or halibut works)
salt and pepper
Garnish (optional):
pickled jalapeños
flat-leaf parsley
cilantro
Instructions:
1.) Preheat oven to 200C.
2.) Season fish with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3.) In an oven-safe container, place tomatoes and red bell peppers. Drizzle some olive oil, and add 1 tsp each of salt and oregano. Add in yellow bell pepper and roast everything for 20 minutes.
4.) Once done, let the tomatoes and peppers cool. Meanwhile, cook your fish. On medium-high heat, pan-fry fish (I used swai) for 2-3 minutes per side.
5.) When tomatoes and peppers have cooled, halve the red peppers. Slice the yellow one into thin strips. This gives a chunky texture to the salsa, as well as an added layer of flavor.
6.) Place tomatoes, red peppers, a tsp of oregano, vinegar, and more whole parsley and cilantro (optional) in the blender. Using my Breville Fresh & Furious, I opted for the Chop Mode. Blend for 15 seconds.
6.) On a pan, sauté garlic and onions. Add the tomato and pepper salsa.
7.) Add in bayleaves, yellow bell pepper, olives, chipotle powder, and more herbs. Put the lime juice in and remove from heat.
8.) To serve, put the Salsa Veracruzana on top of the fish generously. Top with more herbs and pickled jalapeños (optional).
Do you like Mexican flavors? What do you think of this recipe? What do you think of the Breville Fresh & Furious?
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