Black Bean & Lentil Pasta

I love those pastas, Black bean or lentils are the only ingredient in them! My favorite is the lentil pasta but i like to mix both sometimes. You can find them in Sultan Center sometimes here in Oman, at health stores such as the bio organic store in Dubai and almost any health store around the world! They are becoming very popular because they taste so good, are so filling and you feel like you are eating "real" pasta!

You boil the Pasta as it says in the package (around 6-8 minutes), drain it and then add whatever sauce you like. The AvoPesto sauce will be yummy with this dish (check out my AvoPesto sauce on my previous post).

Today I felt like having it with homemade marinara sauce with steamed vegetables and spiraled zucchini. It is a simple dish that takes a few minutes to put together, tastes good and will keep you full from all the fiber in the black bean and lentils!

For the marinara sauce, I just blended tomatoes in the blender and then added it to sauteed onions and garlic on a pan, I also added 1tsp of tomato paste, some seasonings and a few basil leaves.

That's it :)

Note: For my kids, i like to add lentil pasta to their brown rice pasta to make it more colorful and nutritious.

Oatmeal

You probably have noticed that many of my breakfasts include Oatmeal! 

Oatmeal is a great carbohydrate and protein source that could provide you the calories and energy that you need to go throughout your busy mornings. It is also full of fiber which will keep you full for long. It is the perfect way to start your day because it maintains your insulin level, stabilizes your blood sugar so it does not spike up.  Because of its low glycemic index, it prevents diabetes. it also lowers cholesterol and blood sugar. Oatmeal contains lignans which protects against heart diseases and cancers. It also enhances immune responses to diseases and promotes antioxidant activity. Oatmeal also reduces appetite which helps weight control. Could I say anything more?!

I love how Oatmeal is so versatile! If you know you will have an early and busy morning you can always prepare it the night before (check out my overnight oats post if you haven't already). There are so many ways to eat your oatmeal! You can change the consistency by adding more or less milk or/and water and changing the type of milk (oats, rice or any nut milk). The best part is that you can always change the taste by the way you top it (fruits, dried fruits, nuts, sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup, granola, nut butters, coconut shreds, cacao nibs, chocolate chips, coconut chips.. etc,)!

You can even add it to soups to thicken it. You can make healthy cupcakes, energy bars/balls, cookies, pancakes (check out my pancake post if you haven't already) and smoothies with it! It enhances the flavor of anything you add it to and also increases its nutritional values :) Oatmeal recipe's are endless! 

How do you like to have your oatmeal in the morning?

Quinoa, Tofu & Avocado Veggie Bowl with Tahini Dressing

Quinoa is considered a super food for all of its amazing benefits. It is one of the few plant foods that contain all nine amino acids. It is also high in many nutrients and vitamins that are important to the human body. It is gluten free which makes it perfect for people with intolerances.

Tofu is high in protein containing all the amino acids that our body needs. It is also packed with essential minerals and vitamins. It does not really have a taste but it takes the taste of whatever you add it to!  I personally like to use it in salads but I usually saute it first and add some seasonings to give it some flavor. You can add it to your curry or whatever you want.

I have spoken about Avocado's benefits before in my AvoPesto Zoodles post so if you haven't read that before check it out :)

Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It is packed with essential nutrients. It helps in liver detoxification, helps promote healthy cell growth and prevents anemia. It is high in calcium, has more proteins than nuts and has the good fats that our body needs. Tahini is highly alkaline which makes it very easy for the body to digest which aids in weight loss. It is an essential ingredient in hummus and mutabal. I also like to use it in some of my dressings (which is what I did for this recipe).

So putting all of this together is some nutritious goodness!! It is easy to make, does not require much time, so filling and yummy!

Here is how I did it:

I cooked the quinoa as per box directions.

I chopped some vegetables (sweet potato, pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower and onion) drizzled them with some olive oil and seasoned them with mixed seasonings then roasted them in the oven.

I sliced an avocado.

For the Tahini Dressing:
2 limes 
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup mint
¼ cup parsley
salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup water or a bit more to reach the consistency that you like.
Blend all in the food processor.

On a pan i heated coconut oil and sauteed half a cup of cubed firm tofu then transferred to a small bowl. Then i poured some of the dressing over the tofu and kept aside.

Now it is time to assemble everything on your plate!

Put the quinoa first then the vegetables, the dressed tofu, avocados and finally more dressing on top!

You can store the remaining dressing for some other day it should last a few days to a week in the fridge!

Homemade Granola

Nuts are a great source of healthy fat, vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. A handful of nuts a day has been proven to have many health benefits.

I always store homemade Granola in a jar in the fridge for snacking or to top off yogurts, oatmeal or really for anything! 

You will need:
-1 cup of mixed nuts of choice
-2 blocks of 85% or more dark melted chocolate
-2TBSP honey
-¼ cup unsweetened coconut shreds

On a baking a tray you spread all your nuts.
Add the coconut shreds and drizzle the honey on top.
Roast in the oven for 5 minutes, then flip the nuts over and roast them for another 5 minutes.
Drizzle the melted dark chocolate
Keep it in the fridge for a few hours before breaking them up.
Store in an air tight container so it can last a long time.

Fish with Coconut Curry

I love making this meal on weekends for my family. It is so easy to make, super fast, of course healthy and requires just a few ingredients. It is so delicious and a definite must try. It is a meal to impress :)

Recipe (3 – 4 persons)
6 pieces of king fish (or any fish you prefer)

2 limes

1 small chopped onion

1 clove of garlic minced

¼ of a tamarind pack (mash it in a bowl with boiling water for a few minutes then strain it so you are left with a cup of strained tamarind water)

1 can of coconut milk

A bunch of spring onions

2 green chilies (whole)

2TBSP chopped parsley

Fish masala powder

Turmeric powder

Black pepper & salt

-Add 1TBSP of fish masala powder, 1tsp of turmeric powder and the juice of 2 lemons to your fish. Use gloves to marinate well.

-Place the fish in the oven at 190*C for 15/20 minutes (it shouldn’t be fully cooked) while you prepare the rest of this dish.

-Meanwhile on medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic in some coconut oil. Add the strained tamarind water and mix.

-Add 1tsp of fish masala powder, ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, salt & pepper to taste.

-Add parsley and the coconut milk.

-After it all boils add the spring onions and the whole green chilies.

-After five minutes lower the heat to low and add the fish (it should be ready) and let it stay for 10 minutes before you turn the heat off.

Enjoy with some rice :)

*Don't cover the pan at all!