Quinoa Kale Kidney Bean Salad

This nutritious salad is perfect to eat on the go as there's no oily/vinegary dressing. The quinoa, kale and kidney beans are mixed with yogurt and a little mustard. I also added in some chopped onion and sweet corn.

Traditionally used in chili con carne dishes (like my Turkey Chili recipe), kidney beans are named for their resemblance to the shape of our organs. As highlighted by TIME's 31 Healthy Foods You Should Be Eating Now, the red colour is indicative of their high concentration of disease-fighting antioxidants. They are also loaded with potassium and magnesium, which help keep blood pressure in check, while their high fiber content helps reduce bad LDL cholesterol, fighting off heart disease. Kidney beans are also rich in iron and protein, making them a great meat substitute for vegetarians.

Quinoa Kale Kidney Bean Salad
Makes 4 (245g serving)
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 170g / 6oz quinoa
- 85g / 3oz onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 85 / 3oz sweet corn
- 440g / 15.5oz / 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1tsp cumin
- 40g / 1.4oz kale
- 112g / 4oz non-fat Greek yogurt
- 10g / 2tsp mustard, whole grain or Dijon

Method:
Cook quinoa for approx. 15-20 minutes in a 2:1 water:quinoa ratio.
In a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes.
Add the sweet corn, kidney beans and cumin and cook for another few minutes.

Chop any large kale leaves and add to pan. Cover with lid, on a low heat, to allow leaves to soften.

Transfer cooked quinoa and bean/kale mix to a bowl and combine. Allow to cool.

Stir in the yogurt and mustard. Chill in the fridge until ready to eat. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Apricot Oat Slice

These apricot oat slices are a combination of moist soft fruit and crunchy dense oats and nuts. The large slices are very filling (350 calories each) and provide a good source of fats (12g)  from the nuts, sesame seeds and flaxseed, as well as carbohydrates (54g) from the oats and fruit.

There are no added sugars in this recipe, no eggs, dairy or flour so it's a good healthy alternative to store bought, traditional snacks.

Apricot Oat Slice
Makes 8 slices
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 120g / 4oz dates, dried and pitted
- 240ml / 8floz warm water
- 56g / 2oz almonds
- 240g / 8.6oz old fashioned oats (also called rolled oats)
- 120g / 4oz flour
- 36g / 4tbsp sesame seeds
- 1tsp ginger powder (optional)
- 56g / 2oz cashews
- 30ml / 2tbsp water
- 26g / 4tbsp flaxseed
- 90ml / 6tbsp water
- 650g / 23.5oz apricots (in natural juice), not dried

Method:
First add 240ml warm water to the dates. Let them soak for a few minutes and then blend to form a purée.

Using a food processor, blend the almonds so they are lightly ground.

In a bowl add the old fashioned/rolled oats, flour, sesame seeds and ginger powder to the ground almonds. Stir to combine.

Blend together the cashews with 2tbsp water to form a nutty paste.

Add the cashew paste and date purée to the bowl. Mix together.
In a separate bowl, mix 6tbsp water with the flaxseed.

Add the flax mixture to the large bowl and mix. Use hands to combine if desired.

Press half of the mixture into a 9x6inch baking tray.

Drain the apricots and then lightly blend them to form a purée. 

Spread the apricots on top of the oat base.

Sprinkle the remaining oat mix on top of the apricots and press down lightly. Spray with cooking oil too help prevent burning. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 175C / 350F degrees.

Cool and then cut into slices. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Butter Chicken Tofu Curry

Whilst the name of this recipe suggests a buttery chicken curry dish, it's actually made without chicken, butter or red-colouring usually found in traditional Indian recipes. I know Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani is a popular and classic Indian dish. A search on Google gives 69,700,000 results for 'butter chicken'!

It still contains the classic spices including garam masala, ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric and chili) and even some yogurt, but it's a healthy alternative that doesn't include colouring, butter or heavy cream. It's hard to make a curry that's under 300 calories as they tend to contain a lot of dairy (cream, butter) as well as sugar and salt. This recipe is only 224 calories. Other recent curries featured in my blog also have less than 300 calories: Lentil, Tofu, Kale Curry (198 calories); Mushroom Lentil Bhaji (177 calories); Pumpkin, Kale, Ginger, Tofu Curry (270 calories).

I replaced the chicken with tofu as I wanted to try out a method for turning tofu into chicken! I drained firm tofu, froze it for a couple of days, and then sliced the defrosted tofu into cubes. By draining the excess water stored in tofu and then freezing it, the defrosted version has a similar texture to chicken.

   

Of course, regular chicken can be used in this recipe (for non-vegetarians). Also, blended cashews can be added to form a thicker paste. I served the curry with brown rice and some green peas. Delicious!

Butter Chicken Tofu Curry
Makes 4
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:

- 460g / 16.5oz firm tofu, cubed
- 15ml / 1tbsp oil

- 110g / 4oz onion, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 5g / 1tbsp ginger, chopped
- 210g / 7.5oz carrots, grated

- 1tsp cumin

- 1tsp turmeric

- 1tsp coriander 

- 1tsp garam masala

- 1/4tsp chili powder

- 800g / 28.5oz / 1 can diced tomatoes (no added salt), blended in a food processor

- 110g / 4oz no-fat Greek yogurt 

Method:

Ahead of time, drain the tofu, freeze it for at least two days. Defrost and chop into cubes.

Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and grated carrot for 5 minutes. 

Add the spices and mix well.

Add the blended tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes or until bubbling.

Slowly stir in the tofu and yogurt and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with brown rice and a serving of green veg. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Tuna, Chickpea and Broccoli Salad

This light tasty salad has great flavour and colour. It is best eaten immediately but can be stored in the fridge if the dressing is kept separate and poured over the tuna, broccoli and chickpeas just before serving. The broccoli will retain its fresh green colour if it doesn't come into contact with the acid from the dressing.

Tuna, Chickpea and Broccoli Salad
Makes 2
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 85g / 3oz tuna, canned in water
- 140g / 5oz chickpeas
- 110g / 4oz / 2 stalks celery
- 85g / 3oz pepper
- 2tsp parsley, dried
- 200g / 7oz broccoli florets, steamed for 4-5 minutes
Dressing
- 22ml / 1.5tbsp lemon juice
- 7.5ml / 1/2tbsp vinegar (white wine, sherry, apple cider)
- 5g / 1tsp mustard
- 15ml / 1tbsp olive oil
- 56g / 2oz Greek yogurt, nonfat plain

Method:
In a medium bowl, mix together the tuna, chickpeas, celery, pepper, parsley and broccoli.

In a separate bowl, mix together the lemon juice, vinegar and mustard. Whisk in the olive oil and yogurt. Or use a salad dressing mixer to combine all the ingredients.

Add the dressing to the salad and mix together. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Sunshine Muffins

These muffins are made with oats and grated carrots. They don't contain flour, dairy or added sugars. Instead, I used avocado as a butter substitute and dried cranberries instead of sugar or honey. I stirred in chopped/grounded almonds with the oats and used an egg and some almond milk to bind the mixture together. An egg-free version of this recipe can easily be made using flaxseed and water.

One muffin only has 116 calories so they are a perfect snack. A couple will make an ideal breakfast on the go. Alternatively, if eaten in the evening, before bed, they may help with a better night's sleep as oats and almonds contain magnesium which has been found to be associated with deeper, less-interrupted sleep. Avocados are a good source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, making them a great substitute for foods high in saturated fat. They also contain magnesium which is good for bone health and muscle and nerve function, in addition to assisting with sleep. Vitamin A deficiencies can also cause sleep problems, but eggs are high in vitamin A, as are carrots!

Sunshine Muffins
Makes 12
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 28g / 1oz almonds
- 200g / 7oz old fashioned oats
- 40g / 1.4oz cranberries, dried
- 180g / 6.4oz carrot, grated
- 1tsp baking powder
- 120g / 4oz / 1 medium avocado
- 1 egg
- 60ml / 2floz unsweetened almond milk

Method:
First using a food processor grind the almonds, or you can finely chop them.

Add to a mixing bowl along with the oats, cranberries, grated carrot and baking powder.

Using a food processor or hand-held blender, mix the avocado, egg and milk.

Add to the bowl and stir to combine all ingredients.

Spoon into cake cases and bake for 20 minutes at 195C / 375F degrees.

Allow to cool on a wire rack. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information: