Beet & Lentil Salad

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 medium-large beetroots, leave skin on

 1 cup of brown or black lentils

 ½ of a fennel bulb, thinly sliced

Seeds from 1 pomegranate (or thinly sliced pear when pomegranates aren't in season)

2 large handfuls of greens – either rocket, baby spinach, thinly sliced kale or the beetroot greens from the bunch

½ bunch of loosely chopped flat parsley leaves

50g of crumbled feta if desired

Simple dressing

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees (fan forced).

Wrap beet bulbs individually in foil and cook for 45-60 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, cook lentils in enough boiling water for about 20-25 minutes.

Once lentils are cooked and drained, combine with the fennel, pomegranate seeds, greens and parsley.

When the beetroot has cooled, peel skin and chop into chunks and add to the lentil mix.

Make dressing and gently stir through the dish.

Serve in individual bowls or on a large platter and top with feta if using.

A few notes about this beautiful dish:

• This is a great dish to make at the start of the week and enjoy for lunches.
• Lentils are a great vegetarian meat alternative, providing protein and low GI carbs, therefore leaving you full and satisfied!
• This dish is gluten free for those requiring a gluten free diet.
• The plant compounds that make beetroot the beetroot the colour that it is, packs powerful antioxidants.

• The different textures help us slow it down, chew thoroughly and take our time to eat. 

Chilli Con Carne

Chilli Con Carne is a favourite in many households, including my own. I find this is a great recipe to cook at the start of the week with the option to freeze for times of need or to reheat for lunches the next day. A few healthy facts about this recipe:

• I have modified the traditional recipe by including more vegetables. You can include even more by adding grated zucchini to the mix and serving this dish with a side salad. Adding the extra vegetables lowers the total saturated fat and energy content per serve and increases the fibre content.
• This recipe has approximately 25g of protein per serve, which is an excellent amount to consume after exercise or any meal during the day for active people.
• This recipe is great topped with Greek yoghurt instead of the traditional sour cream. Greek yoghurt it much lower in total fat, saturated fat and energy, with the added bonus of some calcium and extra protein.
• This recipe is great served on its own for a light meal or served with rice, spuds or wraps for a more active eat.

Ingredients (serves 8)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

2 red capsicums, diced

1 large carrot, diced

2 tablespoons of cumin

2 tablespoons of ground coriander 

1 tablespoon of paprika

1/2 - 1 tablespoon of chilli powder (depending on your preference)

500g of lean beef mince

800g (2 large tins) of kidney beans

1 large tin (400g) of diced/chopped tomatoes

700g jar of tomato passata

1 cup of mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

To serve

Thick Greek yoghurt

Grated cheddar 

Salad

Rice, baked potatoes or wraps

Method

Heat a large, heavy based pan over medium-high. Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, carrot and capsicum. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent. Add the paprika, cumin, ground coriander and chilli powder and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cooking until fragrant and everything is starting to brown.

Add the mince and brown for a few minutes, stirring and jabbing frequently with a big wooden spoon. Pour in the diced tomatoes, mushrooms, kidney beans and passata. Bring to boil, then reduce and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until sauce reduces, thickens and darkens slightly. Taste the mix to see if you need to add more heat, salt or pepper - you want it to have a bit of heat without too much!

Sprinkle with coriander leaves. Serve accompanied with rice, spuds or wraps and a nice big dollop of Greek yoghurt and a handful of grated cheese.

•  A great recipe to make at the start of the week and reheat for a quick and easy dinner.

•  Keep frozen portions in the freezer.

Nutrition information per serve (for the chilli only) 1332kJ (317 cal), protein 26g, fat 12g, saturated fat 3g, carbohydrate 22g, sugars 9g, fibre 11g, sodium 461mg