Recipe: One Pot Bean Bowl

It's been over a year since I started doing Meatless Mondays and I've really enjoyed the challenge of cooking veggie meals that don't involve the Holy Trinity (Pizza, Pasta and Potatoes!) Sometimes I spend hours making homemade falafels and hummus, and some days I just need a quick, easy meal after a long day at work. This is one of those recipes. I literally chucked some tins and spice in a pot and called it dinner. 

One Pot Bean Bowl

Tomato & Bean Sauce:

• 1 tin chopped tomato 
• 1 tin black beans
•  5 sundried tomatoes, chopped
•  1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
•  1 fresh chili, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp sugar 
• handful of fresh basil and coriander, chopped

Method:

• Put all the ingredients in a small pot and bring to the boil. 
• Once boiling, turn down the heat and simmer for 15mins, stirring occasionally. 
• That's it! Serve with brown rice, lettuce and avocado.
  

Eat More Food

Can you believe that two years ago I didn't like avo? Now I literally can't live without it. If there was an apocalypse that wiped out all the avocados on earth... and I was forced to have dry avo-less toast in the mornings... I would probably give up my body to science rather than live an existence without that green goodness. Probably.

My point is... I gave avo another shot. When I was younger I think I didn't like the texture of it - I found it a little slimy. Now I try new produce all the time, and I try preparing foods I don't like in a different way. If you restrict your diet and eat the same thing all the time, you stand the risk of getting bored and eventually giving up. By eating a variety of different foods and experimenting with them, you have a higher chance of successfully changing your lifestyle and eating habits :)

The Best Breakfast Toasts

As I said in 5 tips to stick to your eating plan, my ideal breakfast is low GI seed bread with some form of delicious topping. Check out these tried-and-tested yummy combinations :)

PS: How to make basil mayo? Mix up mayo with strips of fresh basil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. For a lighter version, swap out half the mayo for yogurt.

Midweek Lunchbox

I saw this on Pinterest and just had to make my own version. I used a fresh sourdough loaf for the base of this delicious sandwich.

Side 1: Pesto Hummus, Baby Spinach, Watercress, Mozzarella

Side 2: Cucumber, Avocado, Green Chilli

Monday Lunchbox: Tuna with Green Salad

This salad is my new obsession. There's something about the bitter greens combined with the sweet dressing that makes me drool as we speak. 

Ingredients:

- 1 cup mixed salad leaves, shredded

- 1/4 cup watercress

- 1/4 cup cucumber, chopped

- 1/4 avo, sliced

- a few slivers of onion, finely sliced

- a chunk of feta, chopped

Layer all the ingredients, keeping the avo on top so it doesn't get pulverised under the salad. The magic ingredient is this beautiful Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette from food.com. Keep the dressing in a separate container to pour on at work - this will prevent the leaves from getting soggy and wilting. Enjoy! :)

Green Goddess Chicken Salad

Salad Challenge Day 5: 

Green Goddess Chicken Salad

For the salad:

- 1 piece of chicken (any chicken will do, I had a schnitzel at home so I used that) 

- 3/4 cup lettuce, shredded

- 1/4 cucumber, chopped

- 1/4 avo, chopped

- 1/2 carrot, grated

- a chunk of feta

For the dressing:

I used this amazing recipe for the creamy basil avocado dressing. I just added a pinch of sugar to cut the sharpness of the lime.

Method:

You know the deal with my salad recipes - just mix all the ingredients.