Roasted Chickpea Salad Bowl

Chickpeas are such a versatile little legume and very underrated! It is rich in soluble fibre (7.8g per 100g) for a healthy gut and digestive system and to help lower cholesterol. It is also a wonderful source of low glycaemic slow-release carbohydrates and contains 7.5g protein per 100g to keep you full until your next meal and avoid those afternoon sugar cravings. Chickpeas are also extremely cheap (especially if you buy dried and cook them yourself) and they have a long shelf life - perfect to have on hand to throw into salads for lunch! Just like this favourite lunchtime salad:

Ingredients:

Salad: 2 cups dark green lettuce 1 carrot, 1 celery and ¼ fresh beetroot peeled into "ribbons" with a vegetable peeler ½ pear thinly sliced ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes

Chickpeas: ¾ cup chickpeas 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon sumac ½ teaspoon paprika ¼ teaspoon chilli powder salt to taste

Dressing: 2 tablespoons plain Greek yoghurt 1 teaspoon tahini paste juice from ½ lemon sprinkle of black sesame seeds

Method: Arrange salad ingredients in a bowl. To make the chickpeas combine with spices and coat evenly. Arrange on an oven tray and bake for 20 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius or until crispy * Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a small jar and shake vigorously until well-combined and smooth. Top salad with chickpeas, spoon over dressing and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.

* a little hint: if you want your chickpeas to be extra crunchy and delicious, peel the skin off each chickpea before roasting (labour intensive but worth it!)

Ricotta Fritters with Mango & Beetroot Marinated Zoodles

I don't know about you but my appetite is hugely affected by the temperature outside. When it's hot I love light, fresh meals that don't take too long to prepare and that can be enjoyed outside under a tree on a blanket or on the side of the pool, or even at the beach. I take any opportunity to include summery flavours like mango, coconut, pineapple, watermelon, basil, coconut...oh wait I already said coconut. Yep I love coconut. I sneakily incorporated it into this dish, along with mango and a few other unusual ingredients. The combination might sound a bit strange, but this one is a winner! We had this on a balmy summers evening last month when there was no breeze when I quite frankly would've been quite happy to eat a bowl of watermelon (if I lived by myself). This was the next best thing...

Ingredients (makes 2 to 3 large serves):

2 zucchinis 1 fresh ripe mango 1 fresh whole beetroot 3 tablespoons shredded coconut 1 bunch fresh basil (roughly chopped) 400g form ricotta (IMPORTANT: ricotta must be firm otherwise the fritters won't hold shape) 1 egg Half a cup of flour (I used oat flour) 40g grated parmesan cheese Zest from one lemon

Method:

Marinated Zoodles - Using a julienne vegetable peeler, make "noodles" or "pasta" from the zucchini. If you are unsure of how to do this, here is a helpful video to help you and link of where you can buy the vegetable peeler:

Video - how to make zucchini noodles

Buy the vegetable peeler here

Combine fresh mango, whole beetroot, and coconut in a high speed blender until smooth. Cover the zoodles in the marinade, stir through half the basil and set aside.

Fritters - Combine the ricotta, egg, flour, parmesan, lemon zest, and the rest of the basil in a mixing bowl. Form into tablespoon sizes fritters and roll in extra flour if desired. Heat non-stick pan on medium heat and add a small amount of oil. Add the fritters to the pan and fry for 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp.

Arrange the marinated zoodles in the centre of a pasta bowl and top with the ricotta fritters. Enjoy!

Going nuts for nuts!

Nuts,  the perennial of life for any vegetarian, has now been proven above its other feats to have life prolonging capacity.

Having long been known as nutritious (and by many health conscious as a “superfood”) these little guys were previously known to lower cholesterol and diminish insulin resistance.

Most of these claims were met with scepticism, with the most common question being – ‘how does lowering cholesterol or improving insulin function really even help me?’.

Published last month in The New England Journal of Medicine, was  the largest prospective study to date on nut consumption. With 76 464 women and 42 498 men, the authors concluded that those who ate nuts less than once per week had a 7% decrease in mortality and those who ate nuts up to 7 times per week had a 20% reduction!! And that goes for any type of nut too.

Good news right? Great news you say ……especially for those of you aiming to push past 95 and spend every last waking hour squeezing a bit more out of life. But what about those who are more stuck in the reality of the next few years rather than the twilight of time? Maybe you hate the though of living out your life in a hospital bed or rattling with pills into old age? There's more good news!

The study also showed associations with lower rates of cancer, respiratory ailments and heart disease.  And possibly the best part …increased nut intake was associated with less weight gain (contrary to popular belief). LESS weight gain! Yes you did read that right. Reduced waist circumference, and reduced risk of obesity.

So ready set go. To your pantry scrabbling for that packet of almonds bought last year and inhale your 28 grams for the day. Alternatively you could always click on the links below and creatively consume your portion.

The Perfect Protein Bar	Cashew & Fig Cream	Creamy Almond Milkshake
The Life-changing Loaf  of Bread	Crunchy Choc Almond Butter Cups	Easy Homemade Almond Butter

Sweet sweet potato bites

I don't like to eat the same thing for lunch everyday. Salads can be nice - but not if it is the same day in day out. Also, why would you have the same thing everyday if there are a bizillion combinations out there for yummy lunches!? I don't. That is why when I opened the fridge today, I looked at my leftovers for inspiration. I dreamed up a rather satifying and absolutely delicious feast from some left-over baked sweet potato I had in the fridge! And then I made it...

 

Are you drooling yet?

These are so visually appetizing and filling that you can have it for lunch, dinner or even appetizers for your next dinner party.

The best part about these guys...they're 100% healthy! They are also vegan, dairy free, soy free, nut free and gluten free!

This is how you make them:

Sweet Sweet Potato Bites

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato 1/2 mashed avocado seasoned with salt & pepper Mustard Caramelised Onions Sundried tomato Hommus Lemon

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celcuis. Wash the sweet potato and place whole onto baking tray and bake for around 30-40mins depending on the size of your sweet potato. Before you take it out you can prick with a scure/fork to feel if the inside is completely soft. Allow to cool.

Cut sweet potato into slices an top with these combinations:

1. Mashed avocado, mustard and sundried tomato 2. Mashed avocado and caramelised onion 3. Mashed avocado and hommus

Finish with a squeeze of lemon and garnish with greens. Voilla!

You're ready to gobble up a delicious meal or entertain your guests!

Question:

What is your favourite dish to entertain guests with?