Herb-Crusted Quinoa Bowl With Pumpkin Seed Chimichurri and Wild-Caught Mahi

Organic Meal Prep, Mediterranean Style

The gut-health research this month kept circling the same short list: wild-caught fish, fiber-rich vegetables, and real herbs eaten in quantity. This bowl puts all three on one plate. Pan-seared wild-caught mahi over quinoa with charred broccolini and zucchini, finished with a chimichurri built on pumpkin seeds and three fresh herbs instead of the usual one. Most herb sauces get treated as an afterthought, spooned thin over the top, and this one gets blended thick enough to pour, so it works like a dressing across every bite. Seed-oil-free, high-protein, and on the table in under 40 minutes.

Ingredients

• 4.5 oz wild-caught mahi
• 3.6 oz quinoa, cooked
• 2 oz broccolini
• 1.75 oz zucchini
• 1 lemon wedge
• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Mint
• Pumpkin seeds
• Minced garlic
• Shallot
• Red wine vinegar
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt

Instructions

1. Rinse quinoa under cold water. Combine with water at a 1:2 ratio, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes until the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and season with sea salt.
2. Pat the mahi dry, season both sides, and sear over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes per side until cooked through.
3. Sear broccolini over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender and charred. Sear zucchini 2 to 3 minutes per side. Season both with sea salt and black pepper.
4. Pulse pumpkin seeds in a food processor 3 to 4 times to roughly chop. Add cilantro, parsley, mint, garlic, and shallot, and pulse until finely chopped. Add red wine vinegar, water, sea salt, and black pepper, and pulse to combine. With the processor running, stream in olive oil until fully incorporated. Add a splash of water if it needs to loosen.
5. Layer quinoa, broccolini, and zucchini in the bowl. Top with the mahi, add a lemon wedge, and pack the chimichurri separately to pour on right before eating.

A chimichurri built on real herbs and pumpkin seeds is about as old as the coastline it's named for, and wild-caught fish over quinoa and vegetables is the kind of plate the Mediterranean has run on for generations. The same fiber-rich vegetables and wild-caught fish the research keeps circling are what goes into our organic meal delivery across San Diego every Tuesday, and the gut's connection to the brain is the whole idea behind our KetoFLEX and brain health meals. This is what Food is Medicine looks like on a plate. See what's on this week's menu.