You have all been asking me for some yummy but easy lentil and bean recipes and so here you have it-3 quick recipes that are high in fibre, low in fat and importantly high in TASTE!
ChickPea, Broccoli and Corn Salad (make 1 portion of salad for 1 person)
Ingredients:
• ½ can of tinned, rinsed & drained chickpeas
• 1 fresh corn cob-peel, wash and cut off fresh corn
• Fresh english spinach
• ¼ punnet of fresh cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 4-5 fresh raw broccoli florets, finely chopped
• Half an avocado chopped
• Sprinkled handful of sunflower seeds
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle with flaxseed oil or homemade lemon dressing-see previous blog post for home-made dressings!
Tomato & Lentil Soup (makes 4 serves)
• 2 onions
• 3 gloves garlic
• 6 big over ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tins of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tin of brown lentils/butter beans/borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans of organic pureed tomato (of make your own)
• Fresh basil or oregano
• Fresh flat leaf parsley
• Olive oil
• Cracked pepper
• Fresh chili (optional), finely chopped
1. Brown chopped onion and garlic in large saucepan over low heat
2. Add chopped tomato and brown for a few minutes
3. Add 1-2 fresh chilies, finely chopped
4. Simmer for a few minutes
5. Add cans of tomato puree
6. Add fresh herbs and beans and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes
Fresh Green Bean Salad
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Teaspoon caster sugar
• 1 Teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 large punnet fresh green beans, rinsed, ends cut off
• 1 can butter beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1. Mix the sauces in a large bowl
2. Blanch the green beans and add to the bowl with the sauces
3. Toss until well coated.
4. Add the butter beans and chopped parsley and combine well
5. Serve as a dinner side salad
You have all been asking me for some yummy but easy lentil and bean recipes and so here you have it-3 quick recipes that are high in fibre, low in fat and importantly high in TASTE!
ChickPea, Broccoli and Corn Salad (make 1 portion of salad for 1 person)
Ingredients:
• ½ can of tinned, rinsed & drained chickpeas
• 1 fresh corn cob-peel, wash and cut off fresh corn
• Fresh english spinach
• ¼ punnet of fresh cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 4-5 fresh raw broccoli florets, finely chopped
• Half an avocado chopped
• Sprinkled handful of sunflower seeds
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle with flaxseed oil or homemade lemon dressing-see previous blog post for home-made dressings!
Tomato & Lentil Soup (makes 4 serves)
• 2 onions
• 3 gloves garlic
• 6 big over ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tins of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tin of brown lentils/butter beans/borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans of organic pureed tomato (of make your own)
• Fresh basil or oregano
• Fresh flat leaf parsley
• Olive oil
• Cracked pepper
• Fresh chili (optional), finely chopped
1. Brown chopped onion and garlic in large saucepan over low heat
2. Add chopped tomato and brown for a few minutes
3. Add 1-2 fresh chilies, finely chopped
4. Simmer for a few minutes
5. Add cans of tomato puree
6. Add fresh herbs and beans and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes
Fresh Green Bean Salad
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Teaspoon caster sugar
• 1 Teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 large punnet fresh green beans, rinsed, ends cut off
• 1 can butter beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1. Mix the sauces in a large bowl
2. Blanch the green beans and add to the bowl with the sauces
3. Toss until well coated.
4. Add the butter beans and chopped parsley and combine well
5. Serve as a dinner side salad
You have all been asking me for some yummy but easy lentil and bean recipes and so here you have it-3 quick recipes that are high in fibre, low in fat and importantly high in TASTE!
ChickPea, Broccoli and Corn Salad (make 1 portion of salad for 1 person)
Ingredients:
• ½ can of tinned, rinsed & drained chickpeas
• 1 fresh corn cob-peel, wash and cut off fresh corn
• Fresh english spinach
• ¼ punnet of fresh cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 4-5 fresh raw broccoli florets, finely chopped
• Half an avocado chopped
• Sprinkled handful of sunflower seeds
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle with flaxseed oil or homemade lemon dressing-see previous blog post for home-made dressings!
Tomato & Lentil Soup (makes 4 serves)
• 2 onions
• 3 gloves garlic
• 6 big over ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tins of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tin of brown lentils/butter beans/borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans of organic pureed tomato (of make your own)
• Fresh basil or oregano
• Fresh flat leaf parsley
• Olive oil
• Cracked pepper
• Fresh chili (optional), finely chopped
1. Brown chopped onion and garlic in large saucepan over low heat
2. Add chopped tomato and brown for a few minutes
3. Add 1-2 fresh chilies, finely chopped
4. Simmer for a few minutes
5. Add cans of tomato puree
6. Add fresh herbs and beans and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes
Fresh Green Bean Salad
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Teaspoon caster sugar
• 1 Teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 large punnet fresh green beans, rinsed, ends cut off
• 1 can butter beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1. Mix the sauces in a large bowl
2. Blanch the green beans and add to the bowl with the sauces
3. Toss until well coated.
4. Add the butter beans and chopped parsley and combine well
5. Serve as a dinner side salad
Chickpeas have a delicious nutlike and butter taste and importantly are a great source of fibre , low fat protein, folate and magnesium.If you have variations in cholesterol regulating genes such as Hepatic Lipase (LIPC) and Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and fat metabolism genes such as Adiponectin (ADIPOQ) and Peroxisome proliferator-activated (PPARy), you should have a higher intake of both soluble and insoluble fibre and high quality protein from a vegetable source- chickpeas will give you just that! Chickpeas are also great source of folate which will help to reduce homocysteine levels, another indicator of heart health and a focal point for Homocysteine metabolism genes such as MTHFR-1,MTHFR-2 & CBS.
Chickpeas will stabilise your blood sugar levels:
Chickpeas are high in soluble fibre which will help to stabilise blood sugar levels by binding with free fatty acids and prolonging stomach emptying so that glucose is released more slowly and absorbed more slowly. A study produced in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that eating high fibre foods such as chickpeas will significantly lower your risk of heart disease.
Chickpeas reduce total cholesterol and LDl cholesterol:
Chickpeas' high soluble fibre content also contributes to their cholesterol lowering ability by reducing cholesterol's ability to be absorbed. Another study in Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism showed that specifically adding chickpeas to your diet will lower total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. If you're looking for a good replacement to red meat-try chickpeas for a nutrient-packed protein source, that is tasty and affordable.
Chickpeas are good sources of folate and magnesium:
Chickpeas' high source of folate will contribute to a reduce homocysteine level, a significant indicator for cardiovascular disease, stroke and heart attacks.
Chickpeas will give you a balanced, slow release of energy:
Chickpeas' high fibre levels will mean a slower and more steady release of glucose into the blood stream, therefore contributing to a reduce insulin resistance. If you have variations in the inflammatory genes of Interleukin-6 and Tumour necrosis factor alpha, you must make food choices that will provide balanced glucose release, rather spikes and falls.
Chickpeas are also a good source of iron and trace mineral maganese. They are affordable and available all year round-canned or dried.
The ultimate question-How do I get chickpeas into my diet? Check out our 2 new chickpea recipes!
References:
1. Pittaway JK, Ahuja KD, Cehun M, Chronopoulos A, Robertson IK, Nestel PJ, Ball MJ. Dietary Supplementation with Chickpeas for at Least 5 Weeks Results in Small but Significant Reductions in Serum Total and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterols in Adult Women and Men. Ann Nutr Metab. 2006 Dec 21;50(6):512-518 [Epub ahead of print] 2006. PMID:17191025.
2. Bland JS, Levin B, Liska D, et al. Clinical Nutrition: A Functional Approach. 1999 Institute for Functional Medicine, Gig Harbor, WA p.84 1999.
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