Red Lentils and quinoa are both great choices if you want to make a quick meal.  They cook in less than 15 minutes so are easy to make if you don't have a lot of time.  If you can, try to soak them in water for at least 2 hours before.  Grains contain phytic acid in their covering which can inhibit mineral absorption.  This exists as a protective measure in nature but soaking them in water can release this. 

You can use any vegetables you like or have on hand to mix with this dish.  In this case, I used broccoli, sweet potato, red pepper and onion.  If you want to make a curry, use spices like cumin, coriander, mustard seeds and curry powder.  If you prefer more of a Thai flavour, use coconut milk as the sauce.  I decided to go for a neutral flavour and just used garlic, basil, oregano and lemon. 

Red Lentil Quinoa Blend
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 cup cooked quinoa
3/4 cup cooked red lentils
3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped 
Sea salt and cracked pepper

Cook onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes then add sweet potato.  Cook until the sweet potato softens.  Add the red pepper and broccoli and cook for a few more minutes.  Mix the dried herbs into the vegetables then add the quinoa and lentils. Stir for a few minutes until everything is warmed.  Add in the fresh basil and top with cracked pepper and sea salt.  Enjoy!

If you're in the mood for a Mexican style meal or just feel like making a different kind of salad, give this one a try.  It's very simple and doesn't take much time to prepare.  Salads without lettuce are often ideal because they keep much longer and you can use them for lunch or a side dish the following day.  It tastes very fresh and doesn't contain gluten or dairy products which can often leave us feeling lethargic. 

While I'm on Mexican fare, here's a great salsa listed below.  It's nice to accompany grilled fish or chicken.  It can also be used when having wraps or fish tacos.  This is a delicious to have when dining outside in the summer months.  It can also be used as a dip along with fresh vegetables or tortilla chips. 

Mexican Salad
1 avocado, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 can black beans
1 can corn (optional)
1 red pepper
1/2 orange pepper

Dressing
1 fresh lime
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp chili flakes (optional)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped

Mexican Salsa
1 green onion, chopped
1 mango, chopped
1 red onion, diced finely
Handful of fresh cilantro (coriander)
2 tomatoes (insides removed), chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped

Top with a few spoons of olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lime, and some salt and pepper. 

This dish was made because I had a few leftovers vegetables that needed to be used up.  I always keep things in the cupboard that can be used as staples in dishes - items like quinoa, brown rice and lentils.  If you have vegetables that are about to go off, just toss them with the staples listed above and you'll have a meal!

This dish can be enjoyed hot as a main course and can also be eaten as a salad when it has been chilled.  Add it to a bed of mixed greens and this will give you a nutrient power packed salad.  Depending on the season, choose what you like.  Generally, it's nice to eat cooled food in the summer.  The body naturally craves raw foods during spring and summer as a cleansing process, so add as many raw vegetables and mixed lettuce as possible. 

Spinach Lentil Blend
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 package/head of spinach, steamed
3/4 cup cooked brown lentils
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese (optional)

Dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp tamari (organic soy sauce)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 fresh squeezed lemon

If you're having this in its cooled version, cook the lentils and lightly steam the spinach.  Allow both to cool then mix all ingredients together.  Toss with dressing and serve.  In the cooked version, simply heat the ingredients in olive oil then have on its own or as a side dish with a main course.

When you're making a new dish, it's best to do all of the prep work first.  Take out your knife and chopping board, so you can get all of the vegetables sliced before you begin cooking.  Use this time as a chance to practise remaining present.  Try to stop your mind from wandering and be completely there as you chop away.  This is a form of active meditation. 

Once the vegetables are chopped, it's time to make a sauce.  This time I used a basil, lemon and olive oil sauce.  It isn't too overpowering and tastes fresh amongst the vegetables.  It's nice to keep sauces simple so that the vegetables can stand out. 

Basil Lemon Vegetables
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup snow peas, chopped
1 cup snap peas, chopped
1/2 cup green beans, chopped
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 cups brown rice

Sauce
3/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh basil
1 fresh squeezed lemon

Cook the garlic and onion in olive oil over medium heat then add remaining vegetables.  Cook until the vegetables turn a deeper colour but still remain crisp.  If they are cooked too long, they lose their enzymes.  Add in the cooked brown rice and stir in the sauce.  Serve with a side salad.  Enjoy!

When people try to cut down their meat intake, they often assume that a life of stir-fries will lie ahead of them.  This is definitely not the case!  One of the main things that changes a vegetarian meal is the sauce.  Pesto is a great sauce option that adds taste and nutrients to your meal.  The traditional pesto includes parmesan, basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive and salt.  The last three ingredients are staples but the cheese isn't always necessary.  As long as you have a nut or a seed and a fresh herb, you're set!

In this dish I cooked onions, red peppers, mushrooms and broccoli then mixed it with brown rice and fresh pesto.  It's a very simple meal but it tastes delicious.  It's also dairy and gluten free so will be easy on your digestive system.  Personally, I love almonds as the nut base in my pesto.  They are high in calcium, protein and healthy fats.  Make sure to soak them for a few hours before to increase nutrient absorption in the body. 

When making a dish, it's a good idea to make extra so you'll have leftovers the next day.  This will make it easier to eat healthy meals, as preparation is key.  The salad dressing that I posted in the last blog makes enough to last for a few weeks.  I mixed it with a simple salad - mixed greens, avocado, carrots, beets and sunflower seeds.  It was easy to make but very tasty and refreshing!

Beet and Avocado Salad
2 cups mixed greens
1 beet, grated
1 carrot, grated
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 avocado, chopped

Sesame Ginger Dressing
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
2 tbsp red wine  vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Black pepper to taste

Mix salad with 3-6 tbsp of dressing.  Enjoy!

If you're used to eating sandwiches for lunch but are trying to stay away from wheat or gluten, a good idea is to add brown rice your salads.  This will add bulk to your meal and prevent you from getting hungry soon after you eat.  Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate and helps to stabilize blood sugar levels.  This will prevent cravings later in the day.  As opposed to gluten based meals, this dish will prevent symptoms like bloating, gas and indigestion that are common with bread and pasta. 

A homemade salad dressing can also work for you, rather than against you.  If you're using bottled dressings, check the ingredient list as they can often include sugar, additives and other chemicals.  The body will have to waste energy detoxing these items rather than assimilating nutrients.  This can cause you to feel lethargic after eating rather than energized. 

A creamy salad dressing can also add bulk to your meal.  Tahini is a blend of sesame seeds that is high in healthy fats, protein and calcium.  Blend it with lemon juice (great for the liver), ginger (digestive aid), garlic (anti-oxidant) and other natural items to create an overall balanced meal.

Mixed Greens and Brown Rice Salad
2 cups mixed greens
1 cup brown rice (cooked and cooled)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 avocado, chopped

Sesame Ginger Dressing
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
2 tbsp red wine  vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Black pepper to taste

Drizzle 3-5 tbsp over the salad and mix together.  Store the rest in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks. 

An easy way to eat a tasty and nutritious meal is to make a vegetable brown rice pasta dish.  Although we tend to think of pasta as "full of carbs" or a "starchy" meal that leaves us feeling heavy, it can actually be a healthy alternative.  I make these kind of dishes a lot in the winter but in this case, I made it in the summer.  I usually make extra portions so that I can have it as a cold pasta salad the following day. 

Simply grill or roast your favourite vegetables with garlic and herbs.  Mix the cooked pasta together with the cooked vegetables and sprinkle with fresh herbs.  If you would like to add some cheese, sprinkle the dish with goat or feta cheese.  It keeps the dish light, yet flavourable. 

Quinoa salads are a great way to maintain a healthy diet.  They help to avoid harmful ingredients that are usually contained in packaged foods.  Quinoa is also high in protein, fibre and other nutrients.  I usually cook a batch of quinoa and then use half of it to prepare a meal. This way, the remainder can be used for a different dish. 

The last blog post included a Black Bean Quinoa recipe.  With the remainder of the quinoa, I made two other salads.  One salad included a balsamic vinaigrette with fresh vegetables and the other was a tahini flavoured dish.  They are great to have on their own or on a bed of mixed greens. 

Balsamic Quinoa
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
2 carrots, grated
1 red pepper, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped
1 green onion, chopped

Balsamic Vinaigrette
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 fresh squeezed lemon
Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together then drizzle with Balsamic Vinaigrette. 

Tahini Quinoa
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup lightly cooked broccoli
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup snow peas
2 celery stalks, chopped

Tahini Dressing
1/2 cup tahini
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp tamari (organic soy sauce)
2 tbsp fresh parsley

Mix together the Tahini Dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender.  Toss with the Tahini Quinoa ingredients. 

Store both salads in an air tight container for up to 5 days. 

This is a very simple salad that takes only about 10 minutes to make once the quinoa is cooked.  Quinoa is an excellent grain that is high in fibre, protein and minerals.  It only takes 15 minutes to cook so make sure to have a batch in your fridge whenver you can.  You can add it to soups, stews and salads for extra nutrients.  This complex carbohydrate is a great way to stabilize your blood sugar naturally and prevent cravings later on in the day.  This is a great example of a salad to take to work, bring on a picnic, or have as a side dish to a larger meal. 

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 orange pepper
1/2 cup corn
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese

Dressing
4 tbsp olive oil
1 fresh squeezed lemon
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped