Sweet potato and quinoa falafel

Falafel are a tasty addition to salads or make a great stand alone snack.
This sweet potato and quinoa version is packed with plant based protein as well as a host of vitamins and minerals that support wellness.
Sweet potato is especially high in Vitamin A which is great to maintain the health of eyes, bones, skin and the immune system.

Ingredients (Makes 10 falafel)
250g cooked sweet potato (see instructions below)
150g cooked chickpeas
100g cooked quinoa
juice of half a lemon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
small handful (5g) parsley
1 tbsp olive oil

Method:
Baking, as opposed to boiling, sweet potatoes ensures that the nutrients remain in the potato.  
To do this, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C, pierce two medium sweet potatoes with a knife two-three times. Pop them on a baking tray and bake for 1 hour or until a fork goes through the flesh easily. Allow them to cool and peel the skin off.
Cooked sweet potatoes stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days and also freeze well.

To make the falafel, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Put the chickpeas, sweet potato, salt, lemon juice, parsley, cumin, smoked paprika and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Decant the mixture into a bowl and stir through the quinoa. 
Take 1 tablespoon of the mixture and form into a pattie. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make 10 falafel. The texture will be fairly sticky but this isn't anything to worry about. 
Bake the falafel in the oven for 45 minutes.
 

Vegan nut free pesto, pasta and spring veg

It is meat free Monday again for which I have a lovely vegan recipe.
Pasta and spring vegetables are enhanced by a vibrant nut free pesto. Lemon and basil are such a great combination to add flavour to delicate spring vegetables.
The pesto uses sunflower and pumpkin seeds instead of nuts, the flavour and texture of which are very similar but if you have a nut allergy then you are still ok to eat this.

In case you are wondering: I am a nutritionist and I do eat pasta.. once or twice a month. I tend to stick to whole wheat, organic versions made from 100% durum wheat. 
Whatever dish pasta is used in, I make sure it is balanced out with vegetables. This means that if I am eating a bowl of pasta, close to half of that bowl should be veg. 
Unless you are coeliac then pasta isn't that bad for you in moderation. Yes, it is a source of carbs but it's how much you eat that matters.

Ingredients for 2

Pesto:
20g basil leaves
juice of half a lemon
grated zest of a 1/4 lemon
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons of water
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Spring veg pasta:
180g organic, whole wheat pasta
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
a large handful (40g) of spinach
150g frozen peas

To make the pesto, put all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until combined. Pesto should be coarse so don't blend it too much.
To make the pasta, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and bring a large pan of water to the boil.
Put the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes, until soft.
Cook the pasta for 10 minutes or until it is al-dente then drain it.
Cook the frozen peas on a medium heat in your pasta pan. You just want them to defrost and warm up. 
Add the pasta and spinach to the pan with the peas and stir in 3 tablespoons of pesto.
Heat it through for a minute, stir in the tomatoes and it is ready to serve.
Divide the mixture between two plates.

Mexican bean salad

The inspiration for this recipe came after observing a nutritional therapy consultation.
During this consultation, the nutritionist in question suggested replacing carbohydrates sources such as potatoes, rice and pasta with beans in order to reduce total carbohydrate intake.
In a world of cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner, this recommendation is an ingenious one.
Beans contain 7x more protein and fibre than potatoes or pasta. When it comes to keeping fuller for longer, fibre and protein are definitely your friends.
Protein, in particular, helps to reduce cravings, meaning you are less likely to give in to that afternoon slice of cake.
What's even more appealing is that beans are cheap, accessible and super quick to prepare.
Give this Mexican style bean salad a go. It is satisfying and full of amazing flavour.

Ingredients for 1:
1 tin of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
large handful of coriander, leaves only
4 spring onions, roughly chopped
1 small avocado, peeled and sliced
1/2 red chilli, sliced (remove the seeds if you want less heat)
juice of half a lime
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:
In a bowl, combine the beans, olive oil, lime juice, cumin seeds and chilli. Season with a pinch of sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir until well combined.
Add the remaining ingredients and voila, your nourishing dish is ready.

Salmon, sweet potato mash & greens

When in need of a nutrient boost, this trusted repertoire of fish, sweet potato mash and greens is what I rely on. This combination makes for a "well-balanced" meal.
So, what does "well-balanced" mean?
In any given day we need a certain amount of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) as well as micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). A well-balanced meal contains all of these in the right proportions.
There is protein and fats in the fish and seeds and carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals in the sweet potato and greens.
Stick to half of your plate/ bowl as vegetables, 1/4 of the plate as protein and 1/4 of the plate as carbohydrates to achieve the optimum proportions of a well-balanced meal.
This combination makes a great lunch and dinner so double up the portions for a healthy lunch the following day.

Ingredients for 1:
1 medium sweet potato
1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 lightly smoked salmon fillet
2 cups of any greens (I used asparagus and pea shoots)
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon of dukkah (optional) - (You can find dukkah in any Middle Eastern store and larger supermarkets. It is a spice mix containing roasted cumin, coriander seed, fennel and crushed hazelnuts or sunflower seeds.)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Pierce the skin of the sweet potato with a knife and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until a knife goes through the fattest part with ease (you want it to be soft all the way through).
Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Peel and mash with a fork.
Add the olive oil and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Wrap the salmon fillet in tinfoil or baking paper and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Steam or boil your greens lightly (obviously skip this if you are using salad).
To assemble, cover half of your plate in greens, a 1/4 with the sweet potato mash and top with the salmon. If you are using dukkah, sprinkle it over the salmon, if you aren't using it then season the salmon fillet with some freshly cracked black pepper.

Smokey chickpea salad

If salads don't fill you up, try adding some beans and pulses.
They are great sources of fibre as well as protein, all of which contribute to keeping you fuller for longer (or actually filling you up in the first place).
For this recipe, chickpeas are mixed with smoked paprika, tomato, tamari and ground coriander for a subtle hint of flavour. Balance it with a crunchy salad of fresh leaves and a honey mustard dressing add to sweetness and acidity.

Ingredients for 1 (multiply as required)
Chickpeas:
1 tin of chickpeas
1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
2 teaspoons of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of tamari or soy sauce

Honey mustard dressing
1 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard (ideally a sugar-free one)
1 teaspoon of honey
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1.5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 bag of mixed leaves
1/2 little gem lettuce or any other crunchy lettuce variety

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas. 
Mix the tamari, tomato, smoked paprika and ground coriander until it forms a paste.
Coat the chickpeas in the paste and pop them in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
For the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients until well combined (around 5 minutes).
Coat the salad leaves and lettuce in the dressing and top with the chickpeas.