Embracing a whole food plant-based diet and natural health.
I love lentils. They cook quickly, are inexpensive, fat-free and contain a good serving of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Based on red lentils, this hearty, warming one-pot winter soup is full of nutrition. You can vary the vegetables according to your taste but this combination works really well!
The cauliflower in this recipe is a nice addition to the classic potato and leek soup and the rosemary enhances the flavour. Potatoes are a great source of potassium and surprisingly supply a substantial amount of Vitamin C.
This is my version of the classic hummus. The addition of some soaked cashews gives it an extra creamy touch! Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein (15g / cup) and fibre and contain very high levels of iron, folate and magnesium.
The humble cauliflower seems to be making a bit of a comeback in recent times being transformed into exotic dishes such as “Cauliflower Rice” and this recipe for “Cauliflower Bread” was adapted from a recipe for a raw cauliflower pizza crust found on the inspiring website Rawmazing http://rawmazing.com/recipe/raw-cauliflower-crust-pizza The original recipe was dried in a dehydrator however I chose to make a cooked version of the dish.
This is a very versatile sauce and a good vegan substitute for regular cheese. It is tasty served over steamed vegetables and can also be used to top lasagnes and pizzas.
The traditional Italian basil makes a really nice pesto but unfortunately it is an annual plant. I am excited as I now have a perennial basil bush in my garden so I should be able to make pesto all year round. Basil Pesto can be used in its own right as a dip or it can be used to boost the flavour of other dishes.
There is a lot of debate over the benefits of raw versus cooked foods. Certainly some nutrients are better absorbed after being cooked (eg. lycopene in tomatoes and beta-carotene in carrots) but on the other hand some nutrients and enzymes are destroyed by cooking. While everyone has different nutritional needs I think we can all benefit from including some raw food in our diet each day. There is definitely something fresh and invigorating about eating food just as nature intended it to be! This recipe is an interesting way to add some raw food into your day. I love the fact that it’s so simple to make but very nutrient dense.
Beans are a staple food of many civilisations around the world. Recent research indicates that: not meat, eggs or dairy but “the intake of legumes (beans, chickpeas and lentils) may be the single most important dietary predictor of a long lifespan”. http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/info/articles/diets-foods/Darmadi.pdf What a great incentive to include more beans in your diet!