Grapes, Lentil and Feta Salad

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Grape Lentil Salad1This is the kind of salad I’ve been making so many times. Lentils are a staple of my diet and perfect in summer salads, soup, vegetarian burger, curry and spreads. I like them because of their nutty and earthy flavour and creamy texture. Not only that, lentils are a powerhouse of nutrition. They are a good source of potassium, calcium, zinc, niacin and vitamin K, but are particularly rich in dietary fiber (good for digestive system), lean protein (make you full for longer), folate and iron. French lentils are my favorite because they don’t need pre-soaking, don’t get mushy or dry, and retain their shape very well after cooking. They taste so much better when you cook dried lentils at home rather than buy canned lentils, not to mention it is fresher and contains less salt and all that.

A few tips when you cook lentils! Wash and pick any bad ones or debris that might be in dried lentils. Cover with water in a pot and bring them to a rapid simmer, and then reduce the heat to low for the rest of cooking. About 10 minutes, take them off the heat, drain and rinse in cold water. Make sure they are not too mushy, which means overcooked. Add salt or acidic ingredients after cooking them otherwise lentils will get touch and not get cooked properly. Old lentils take longer to cook. So always keep fresh lentils in your pantry.

Grape Lentil SaladIngredients

1/2 cup of french lentils, rinsed and cooked
1/2 cup of diced cucumber
1/2 cup of red grapes, halved
1 cup of green salads
50g crumbled feta cheese
handful of toasted walnuts

For dressing
1 tsp of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp of e.v.o.o
1 tsp of honey
a squeeze of lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, My recipes, salads, Vegetarian

Tomato Soup

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Tomato SoupTomatoes are juicy, sweet and delicious when eaten raw as a snack or in salads and sandwiches. Then when it is cooked with a bit of oil, the cooking process increases Lycopene and thus its antioxidant activity, that helps fight cell damage that can cause cancer, heart disease and other chronic health conditions.. Tomato is a good source of vitamin A, B and C, folate, potassium, beta-carotene and fibre. One tomato contains around 22 calories, 0 grams of fat, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of protein and 6 milligrams of sodium. They are naturally low in fat, sodium, cholesterol and calories, yay! On top of that, one serving (150g) of tomatoes gives you 2 grams of fibre, about 7% of the daily recommended amount. So eat more tomatoes!!!!

Tomatoes are naturally low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories.
Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/9-Surprising-Health-Benefits-of-Tomatoes.aspx?p=2#GuiQRh2z5jCCte9L.99
Tomatoes are naturally low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories.
Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/9-Surprising-Health-Benefits-of-Tomatoes.aspx?p=2#GuiQRh2z5jCCte9L.99
Tomatoes are naturally low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories.
Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/9-Surprising-Health-Benefits-of-Tomatoes.aspx?p=2#GuiQRh2z5jCCte9L.99
Tomatoes are naturally low in sodium, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories.
Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/9-Surprising-Health-Benefits-of-Tomatoes.aspx?p=2#GuiQRh2z5jCCte9L.99

Ingredients

3 tomatoes
1 carrot
1 onion
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of smoked or sweet paprika
1 cup of water or stock
1 tsp of coconut oil
milk or cream and e.v.o.o for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Cook chopped tomatoes, carrot, onion and garlic with coconut oil in a pan. Add spices and season with salt and pepper. Add water or stock and cook for another 10 minutes. Take it off the heat and cook slightly before using a stick blender. Transfer the purée to the pan. Whisk in milk or cream. Serve it warm or cold with a drizzle of e.v.o.o.

Posted in: Breakfast, Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, Vegetarian

Zucchini Noodles with Tahini

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Zucchini NoodlesA few tips when you make zucchini noodles

  • After making noodles using a julienne peeler, you need to allow the liquid to drain because zucchini releases a lot of water. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt and let it sit for 10 minutes. Drain, squeeze and pat dry the noodles. You can use a cheesecloth or kitchen towel to get rid of excess water.
  • Make a good dressing to go with such as tahini, pesto or tomato. Zucchini can be quite bland by itself. So it is crucial to add a flavoursome dressing, other veggies and crunchy toppings to make the noodles interesting.

Zucchini Noodles1
Ingredients

1 zucchini
a bunch of coriander
1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt
1 tablespoon of tahini paste
1 teaspoon of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of coconut vinegar
1 teaspoon of coconut amino sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
50g feta cheese
1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
pepper to taste

Using a julienne peeler or mandoline, slice the zucchini into long strands. Place them in a bowl and toss with a teaspoon of salt.  Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Then drain, gently squeeze and get rid of excess water. To make a tahini dressing, mix tahini paste, coconut oil, vinegar, amino sauce, maple syrup and pepper in a small bowl. Dress the zucchini noodles and coriander with dressing and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with sesame seeds and crumbled feta cheese.

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, My recipes, salads, Vegetarian

Date Power Balls

\ Leave a Comment \ by

Chocolate Date BallsI didn’t know what Medjool dates were until I started making these power snack balls. Maybe I didn’t get my hands on because they didn’t look that attractive at the shops. They are soft, sticky and sweet, great for making healthy raw desserts.

Dates give extra energy to a tired body within half an hour after taking it. So having powder date balls will boost your stamina before exercise and keep your energy levels between meals. They contain minerals and vitamins – oil, calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, copper and magnesium which are advantageous for health. They also help in fighting constipation due to high dietary fibre content, intestinal disorders, heart problems, diarrhea and abdominal cancer. Apparently Muslims break their fast by eating dates and water according to their traditions. Breaking fast with eating dates helps to avoid overeating of the food after the fast because the feeling of hunger gets pacified. So you can see eating dates helps to control your hunger here.

How to use them? Medjool dates taste incredibly sweet and caramel-like. My favorite way of using them is in baking and making sweets. They definitely help to satisfy your sweet tooth without any refined sugar. You can eat them just by itself as a snack on the go. They don’t need refrigeration and stand up well to travel. It is originally grown in Morocco, so goes well with Moroccan spices like cumin, cardamom, turmeric and saffron. Put them in savoury dishes like couscous salads, stuffing, tagine, casserole, etc. It will add a beautiful natural sweetness to the dishes.

Ingredients

50g mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews) – Feel free to use any types of nuts that you have on hand.
8 Medjool dates
50g oats
50g dark chocolate buttons
30g chia seeds
25g maca powder
25g almond meal
1 tsp of cacao powder
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
1 tbsp of coconut oil
a pinch of Himalayan salt

Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until completely combined. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Roll them into balls until all the mixture has been used. Add a bit of water if the mixture is too dry or add more almond meal if too wet. You will need to squish it together so that it sticks. Damp hands can help the rolling process. Refrigerate them in an airtight container until needed.

Posted in: Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

“Cheesy” Popcorn

\ Leave a Comment \ by

PopcornI’ve posted using nutritional yeast on zucchini fries and tofu scramble previously. It’s time to sprinkle on popcorn! The ones from the movies or microwavable packages are horribly salty and oily. Making popcorn at home is super easy. So I definitely recommend it on the movie night or any weekends when you relax with a good movie.

Ingredients

1 tsp of coconut oil
100g popcorn
1 tsp of Himalayan salt
2 tsp of nutritional yeast
1 tsp of curry powder

Drizzle coconut oil in a large pot. Add popcorn kernels and put the lid on. As kernels pop, shake the pot holding the lid on until popping sound stops after about 5 minutes. Transfer popcorn into a serving bowl and sprinkle with salt, curry powder and nutritional yeast. You can add more oil just before sprinkling spices which helps for the spices to stick to popcorn more. That’s it. So easy. Munch away 🙂

Posted in: Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian