This is a salad that can eaten warm or cold, packed with protein it is very filling and works great as a lunch box meal.
Ingredients: Serves 2 people and it is 5 of your 10 a day per person
50g mixed quinoa
200g sweet potatoes chopped into chunks
1 x sweet pointed red pepper thinly sliced
1 x yellow pepper thinly sliced lengthways then halved
1 x 200g can organic green lentils rinsed and drained
180g aspaergus tips
180g tenderstem broccoli
Pinch of fresh chives then chopped
Pinch of fresh thyme stripped and chopped
Pinch cracked black pepper
10 sprays of coconut spray oil (or another spray oil)
Garnish
Chive flowers (if you are growing your own) optional
Method
1 Cook the mixed quinoa according to the packet instructions, when cooked set aside.
2 Place the sweet potato in a microwaveable bowl, cover and steam for 2 mins on high.
3 Spray the oil in a wok and place the wok on a high heat. When the wok is hot add the tenderstem broccoli and the asparagus, stir and cook for 1 minute.
4 Then add the red and yellows peppers continuously stirring cook for 2 minutes.
5 Then add the sweet potatoes and keep stirring. Let it cook for 3 minutes.
6 After 3 minutes add the lentils and the quinoa, then stir and cook for 1 minute.
7 Add the chives, thyme and cracked black pepper. Stir and remove from the heat.
8 Leave to stand for one minute then it is ready to serve and enjoy.
Foodie Facts
Quinoa is a seed but eaten like a grain which is gluten free, high in protein, essential amino acids, iron, magnesium, fibre and anti-oxidants. It contains vitamin-E, copper, calcium and potassium.
Sweet potatoes contains no cholesterol and it is rich in dietary fibre, anti-oxidants, beta-carotene and vitamin-A, which helps you protect form lung and oral cancers. It has many essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin B-5, vitamin B-6, iron and calcium
Asparagus contains moderate levels of dietary-fibre which can help with lowering bad cholesterol levels, IBS and colon cancers. It is also rich anti-oxidants, folic acid and contains vitamin-A, vitamin-C, vitamin-E, vitamin-B6 and other B-complex, iron, calcium, potassium which helps control heart rate and copper for producing red blood cells.
Tenderstem broccoli not only tastes better and cooks quicker, but it has a higher concentration of vitamin-C which is great for fighting cancer, vitamin-A, vitamin-K, calcium, fibre and also folic acid to standard broccoli.
Lentils help lower cholesterol and clean your arteries they are also a great source of folate and magnesium, which reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke. Stabilising blood sugar, a good source of energy and they also packed with protein, potassium, fibre iron and vitamin-K.
Red Pepper is rich in anti-oxidants, vitamin-A, vitamin-B, vitamin-C, vitamin-E, potassium and zinc.
Yellow Pepper helps slow down aging, boosts cardiovascular health, enhances your immune system and lowers cholesterol. It contains fibre, beta-carotene, vitamin-C, vitamin-A and Lycopene which gives it the colour and helps prevent prostate cancer and heart disease.
Thyme Herb has one of the highest antioxidant levels among herbs, contains thymol an important essential oil with antiseptic and anti-fungal properties. It is packed with essential vitamins and minerals like potassium, iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, selenium and beta carotene along with vitamin-A, vitamin B-6, vitamin-E, vitamin-C helps which your body resist infectious agents and vitamin K.
Chives are of the same family as the onion and have an onion flavour and contain lots of anti-oxidants, antibacterial, anti-fungal properties, as well as it decreases risk of having a blood clot. There contain more dietary fibre, vitamin-A and Vitamin-C than other veg of the same family, and are one of the richest source of vitamin-K which is important for bone and brain health. They also contain folic acid, B-complex vitamins, copper, iron, manganese, zinc and calcium.
Black pepper helps to absorb selenium, B-complex vitamins, beta-carotene from foods. It is an anti-inflammatory and it contains potassium, calcium, zinc, manganese, iron, B-complex vitamins, vitamin-A and vitamin-C.
Coconut oil can make you reduce your hunger, make you eat less and burn more fat, and lose harmful abdominal fat. It also helps you reduce blood cholesterol levels and boost brain function and strengthens the immune system.
