healthyfood

Ingredients:
300 gr. of lentils
1 onion finely chopped
2 sliced carrots
3 potatoes cut in cubes
2 garlic cloves
1bay leaf
½ glass of olive oil
½ glass of wine
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Leave the lentils soaking in water overnight.

Fill a pot with water, let the water boil and add the lentils. Leave 5 minutes and add the bay leaf, potatoes, carrots and wine. Add salt and pepper and leave to cook for 30 minutes.

Fry in olive oil in a frying pan the onion finely chopped until is soft and add the garlic, let them fry together. Add them to the pot with the lentils and leave them to cook for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes and carrots are ready.

With this lentils stew you can add any meat you like Spanish chorizo (cut in slices), or chicken cut in small cubes taste great. You put them from the beginning with the lentils to cook.

Lentils, selected by Health Magazine as one of the five healthiest foods, are one of the best vegetable sources of iron.

Like all pulses, Lentils are high in fibre, which prevents from cardiovascular disease, constipation and lowers cholesterol. They are an excellent source of protein specially when combined with rice or wholegrains, this nutritional value has made them an ideal ally to vegetarians and vegans alike.

Lentils have a high content of B vitamins, Folic Acid, Vitamin B1, B6 and specially B3. They are also high in iron, zinc and calcium (its iron is better absorbed when eaten with a good source of Vitamin C).

Sprouted levels contain all the essential amino acids needed by our body (even cooked they still conserve all the amino acids but two).

Lentils are a very versatile food they can be eaten on their own, combined with rice, in soups and also as a salad. Its GI (Glycaemic Index) is low and 1 cup of cooked lentils only provides 230 calories.

Wild rice can also be cooked as a main meal. You can cook it on its own or also mix it with other type of rice, my favourite mix is wholegrain brown  rice. The healthiest choice and also a more economic alternative for those who cannot afford to buy just “wild rice”.

Ingredients:
1 cup of wild rice
1 cup of brown rice
1 cup of chopped sultanas
1 onion finely chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cups of sliced mushrooms

Preparation:
Boil the wild rice with 3 cups of water and salt to taste (for more instructions on how to cook wild rice click here)
In a pot fry the onion finely chopped in the olive oil until soft, add the chopped garlic and the mushrooms, leave 5 minutes and add 2 cups of water. When the water boils add the brown rice and the sultanas and cover until it is completely cooked (around 20 minutes). Leave to rest still covered for 5 minutes more.

Mix with the wild rice and serve to accompany Turkey or Lamb. I usually cook it to accompany any meat leftovers. By mixing the wild rice with brown rice, you make a healthy alternative and a bit cheaper as well. Although wild rice is a considered a bit expensive it goes a long way as well as every cup of rice is cooked in 3 cups of water (not 2 as normal rice).

As usual, a nice and easy recipe. This time a warm vegetable soup.

Ingredients:
2 onions, finely chopped
4 carrots, sliced
1 celery stem, sliced
200gr. of tomatoes
1 cup of peas
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 glass of vegetable stock
1 cup of cooked wild rice (see instructions )
4 tablespoons of olive oil.

Preparation:
Fry in the olive oil the onions, until soft. Add the carrots and the celery, leave for around 5 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and some salt to taste. Add the tomato cut in small cubes, the green peas and the sliced mushrooms. Finally, add the wild rice, previously cooked (for instructions on how to cook it click here ) and leave for 10 minutes for the flavours to mix. At this point double check that the amount of salt is the right one and correct.