Tag: protein

Steamed Vegetable Quinoa

Healthy January is here. I’m loving seeing so many fresh vegetables when I’m shopping. This is a really tasty combination of vegetables and quinoa with a simple lemon twist. Perfect lunch. 

Start by cooking quinoa. Ensure there is plenty of water in the pan, bring to the boil, add the quinoa and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. Quinoa is a great staple for me as a coeliac vegan. Quinoa contains high volumes of protein is a complete protein containing many more amino structures and amino acids. It’s also one of few grains free from gluten. 

Whilst the quinoa is cooking it’s a great time to prep and steam the veg. Chop courgette into slices and then halves, chop broccoli into florets and prepare broad beans. I’ve bought prepared and podded broad beans so all I need to do is steam. Steam the vegetables. I like them all denote with a little crunch and I’m sure you will too. 

When the quinoa is cooked and the vegetables are steamed stir through so they are evenly mixed. Add a small drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some black pepper. 

This dish is lovely warm but also makes a delicious lunch cold as a packed lunch. I hope you love it as much as I do and the bright, fresh flavour helps you chase away the January blues! 

Mediterranean Tofu and Chickpeas

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted any blogs about my coeliac, lactose intolerant journey of food discovery. Although I’ve not been posting I have been trying some new and exciting dishes and foods to broaden my horizons and engage my taste buds so I hope you enjoy the next few posts.

Post 48 - Tofu and chickpea salad

As a lactose intolerant vegetarian it can feel hard to pack lots of protein into my daily routine. This warm salad is fantastic and packed with protein. Start with tofu. Made from soya milk tofu is a fab source of protein. Soya proteins are actually considered to actively lower cholesterol making this possibly the healthiest protein you can find! It also contains all 8 of the amino acids found in protein giving you a complete protein fix. For this I’m using the Cauldron ready marinated tofu I used in my green bean recipe. Warm the tofu in a pan with a small amount of olive oil.

This is where the double protein fix comes in as I then add chickpeas to the tofu; chickpeas are a substantial diet staple for many people, including myself. They contribute towards your 5 a day whilst providing protein and being very low in fat. Sauté the chickpeas with the tofu and season with cracked black pepper.

After approximately 5 minutes of cooking the tofu and chickpeas will be ready, stir through with chopped cucumber, black olives and tomatoes for a Mediterranean flavour. Mmmm.