Salad and quinoa

Hey Everyone, I hope your day has been well.

Today is a nice and simple recipe. Not to heavy and perfect for after work when I want to be healthy but not too much effort! A lovely combination of salad and flavoured grains. I soak the lentils and quinoa for a couple hours before cooking, just to reduce the overall cooking time.

Ingredients list is estimated as nothing was measured

Ingredients
Handful of quinoa
Handful of red lentils
Pinch of stock cube
Sprinkle of chilli powder
1 tsp tomato ketchup
Sprinkle of turmeric
2 inch spring onion, finely sliced
1/2 tub watercress
1 inch cucumber, finely sliced
1 small carrot, grated
2 radish, grated

Method
1. Place the quinoa, lentils, stock, chilli powder, ketchup, turmeric and spring onion into a pot with enough water for cooking.
2. Put on a low to medium heat to gently cook.
3. In the meantime, prepare the salad and set aside.
4. Once the quinoa and lentils are done, drain off any excess liquid and mix well with a fork.
5. Place the salad and quinoa on a plate and enjoy.

Do you like quinoa, if so what’s your favourite way to cook it?

Thanks for reading, A.

Quick couscous salad

Hey Everyone! Happy new year and hope 2024 is great for you all.

This is something I eat at least once a week for my lunch at work. It’s quick, simple and tastes good! Having couscous makes a nice change from sandwiches and you can always switch up the flavours with chilli powder, garlic powder, lemon zest, herbs and many others.

Cooking time approx: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients

Couscous

Vegetable stock

Lettuce, shredded

Red bell pepper, diced

Cucumber, diced

Pumpkin seeds

Sesame seeds

Method

• Prepare all of the salads and set aside.
• Place the couscous in a bowl along with some vegetable stock and boiled water leaving for 5 minutes.
• When the couscous is ready, fluff up with a form and then mix in the salads and sprinkle over the seeds.
• Enjoy warm.

What’s your favourite work lunch?

Thanks for reading, A

Couscous salad

Hey Everyone, I hope your day has been well and your December is off to a great start.

Today I have another couscous salad recipe. Perfect when you fancy something light to eat and filled with a range of tasty ingredients! Even though winter is in full effect, I still fancy a salad every now and then, making sure I eat it straight away whilst its warm. It also makes me feel slightly balanced with my overall intake as in December, there’s always so much more chocolate treats around that I can never resist.

Cooking time approx: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

Couscous

Vegetable stock

Cayenne pepper

Lettuce, shredded

Red bell pepper, diced

Cucumber, diced

Sweetcorn

Sesame seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower seeds

Pine nuts

Method

• Prepare all of the salad ingredients and set aside.
• Place the couscous in a bowl with the vegetable stock and a pinch of pepper. Add hot water and cover for 5 minutes.
• Once the couscous is done, fluff up with a fork and mix in the salad.
• Sprinkle over with seeds and nuts and enjoy.

What ingredients do you like in your couscous?

Thanks for reading, A

Quinoa and prawn salad

Hey Everyone, I hope your day has been well.

Today I’m sharing one of my favourite meals… Quinoa and Prawns. This was so delicious and the range of colours are amazing. I really believe we eat with our eyes and for me this dish is the perfect example of that. There’s red, orange, yellow and green just like the rainbow, plus, having a range of colours ensures a variety of nutrients which is a bonus!

Ingredients list is a rough guide as nothing was measured

Cooking time approx: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Quinoa

Turmeric

Vegetable stock

Tomato puree

Sweetcorn

Spinach, shredded

Oil

Prawns

Sprinkle of salt and pepper

Brussels sprouts, shredded

Red bell pepper, diced

Carrot, sliced

Spring onion, finely sliced

Pumpkin seeds

Desiccated coconut

Method

• Cook the quinoa according to packet instructions with the addition of turmeric, vegetable stock, tomato puree, sweetcorn and spinach.
• When the quinoa is almost done, heat the oil in a pan and once hot add the prawns with some salt and pepper. After a few minutes stir in the sprouts, pepper, carrot, spring onion, pumpkin seeds and coconut cooking for a further 2-3 minutes.
• Combine both pans together and mix well.
• Serve in your favourite bowl and enjoy.

What’s your favourite quinoa recipe?

Thanks for reading, A

Homemade chips and salad

Hey Everyone, I hope your day has been well.

Ever since I got this air fryer, I can’t get enough of homemade chips. They use way less oil and still taste really good. This is a nice meal perfect for lunch or dinner when you just want something quick and simple. I always enjoy making salads, it was like a Sunday tradition in my house growing up and now I like experimenting with different preparation style so it never gets boring. I don’t tend to use salad dressings but a squirt or tomato, barbecue sauce on the chips was enough for me.

For a similar chip, you can boil for a few minutes and finishing cooking in the oven with a little oil. Also, you can use any of your preferred salads and add more if you want to get your full portion sizes in.

Makes 1 portion

Cooking time approx: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 large potato, peeled, washed and cut into chips

Spray oil

Sprinkle of salt and black pepper

3 radishes, washed and sliced

1/2 carrot, washed and peeled

3 lettuce leaves, washed and chopped

Sauce

Method

• Peel, wash and chop the potatoes into chip shapes then leave to air dry on kitchen paper.
• Spray the potatoes with a little oil and sprinkle over some salt and pepper.
• Place the chips into the air fryer and cook according to the preferred instructions.
• In the meantime prepare the salad and set aside.
• Once the chips are done, place on a plate along with the salad and a dollop of your favourite sauce and enjoy.

Thanks for reading, A

What’s your go to sauce with chips?