Rajma Chawal (Red Kidney Bean Curry)

This easy curry is super easy and super delicious. The Red Kidney beans make this a protein feast and the onion, garlic and turmeric aren't lacking for health benefits either. I'll do a post about the benefits of garlic and turmeric as I can't get enough of the stuff.

To make this curry you will need:

2x can of cooked red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
2x tbsp of cooking oil
3x large garlic cloves
2x red onions
1x can of chopped tomatoes
2x Chillies (your choice what kind you use)
2x tsp turmeric
2x tsp garam masala
2x tsp curry powder
2x tsp coriander powder
2x tsp cumin powder
Big pinch of salt
1x cup of water

Method

1. Begin frying your onions in the oil on a medium heat until they begin to soften
2. Add your spices to the onions and continue cooking until soft
3. Add the garlic to your onion mixture, fry for a further 2-3 minutes
4. Add the kidney beans, chopped tomato, salt and the cup of water
5. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes with the lid off, stir occasionally

Saag Aloo

This is a super easy version of your classic Indian side dish. Its pure vegetables which means it's full of vitamins and easily digestible carbs.

To make this dish you will need:

3x tbsp vegetable oil

500g boiled potatoes cut into chunks

300g spinach leaves

1x red onion  (diced)

2x red chili (diced)

2x garlic cloves (diced)

1x tsp mustard seeds

1x tsp cumin seeds

1x tsp turmeric

1x tsp garam masala

salt to taste

Method

1.Fry the onion in the oil until it begins to soften

2. Add your chiles, garlic and spices. Fry for a further two minutes

3. Add the boiled potatoes and spinach. Stir to cover in the spices and serve.

Cauliflower Curry

I got this recipe from watching one of Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals (it takes a bit longer than 15 minutes with all the preparation) but it's still super easy and pretty quick to cook. This curry delivers a huge amount of fibre and vitamins through all the various veg and you'll get some protein too from the lentils.








To make this curry you will need:

1x Half head of cauliflower (cut into chunks and the leaves removed)
3x Carrots chopped in small circles
3x large handfuls of spinach
150g lentils
1x jar of curry paste
2x red onions (chopped)
2x red chilli peppers
3x cups of water

Instructions

1. In a large sauce pan fry the onions with chilli peppers, cauliflower and 3 tea spoons of curry paste.
2. When the vegetables are nearly cooked add the carrots and continue frying for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the lentils and water and bring to the boil.
4. Once the water has come to the boil reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. After the 20 minutes add the spinach and cook for about a minute.
6. Serve with rice or naan bread.

Carrot, Coriander and Lentil Soup

I've always loved carrot and coriander soup and I've always loved carrot and lentil soup but I can never find a combination of the two so I've created my own. This delicious soup takes about 25 minutes to prepare and cook and will leave you feeling full for hours.

To make this soup you will need:

450g Carrots
125g Split red lentils
1x tsp ground coriander
1x litre vegetable stock
1x Red Onion
1x Tbsp Coconut oil

Instructions

1. Peel and chop our carrots into 1cm circles. Roughly chop the onion. Rinse the lentils.
2. Heat a deep pan and fry the onion in the coconut oil until it begins to soften.
3. Add the Carrots and coriander. Fry for a further minute.
4. Add the stock and lentils. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Once the soup is cooked, allow to cool slightly then using a blender, blend the soup until creamy.
6. Reheat and enjoy!

This soup will deliver a tonne of protein from the lentils and the carrots will give you Vitamin A and C. Very healthy, very tasty and will help you see in the dark ;)

Mediterranean Stew

This is a recipe I can't take any credit for but it's too good not to share. I saw this recipe on a show called "Bitchin Kitchen".

1x Garlic Bulb (unpeeled)

1x Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1x pinch freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt

3x Spring Onions, thinly sliced

1x sweet red bell pepper, julienned

1x red finger hot chili pepper, seeds removed, minced

1x tsp paprika

½x tsp cumin

1x can whole, peeled, organic san marzano tomatoes, hand crushed (796mL)

pinch of brown sugar

2x cup chick peas

Zest of half a lemon

handful of fresh parsley, minced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).

2. Slice the top off of the head of garlic; lay it on some aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil and black pepper. Seal aluminum foil over garlic and roast for 40 minutes.

3. In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add peppers and spring onions into the pan, stir and coat with salt, paprika and cumin. Pour in the hand-crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Peel 4 cloves of roasted garlic and crush with a fork. Add garlic, chick peas, lemon zest and parsley to the stew then stir until heated through.

5. Ladle stew into big bowls and serve with fresh bread.

A link to the "Bitchen Kitchen" recipe page can be found below
http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/mediterranean-chickpea-stew/10941/

My Workout Shake (Banana and Walnut)

This is the smoothie I have after every run or workout (I've never felt that the expensive professional shakes out there actually work), the banana gives you the carbohydrate you need to replenish your energy levels and the walnuts give you the protein hit you need to repair your muscles.

To make this smoothie all you'll need is:

4x bananas
1x large handful of walnuts
1-2x cups of almond milk (almond milk makes this smoothie deliciously creamy compared to using water).

Spinach and Pear Smoothie (my go to option)

This is my go to smoothie (I was given a fancy blender for Christmas so I'm basically smoothy obsessed now), it takes no time to make and will leave you feeling full for ages, it tastes delicious too.

To make this smoothy you will need these ingredients:

1x Pear
2x Handfuls of spinach
1x small handful of walnuts
2x cups of water

This smoothy is packed with fibre from the spinach and pear. The spinach also provides a hit of iron. I add the hazelnuts to give me some protein too.

Defo Food

Hey there!

So after about a year of letting myself go, it's time to finally get back into shape. I've created this blog to share my meals, the recipes and foods that I've come to love through my experiments in the kitchen.

It's my goal to share healthy foods that will benefit you both body and soul, that taste so good you'll never look at the cookie jar again.

This blog will be about 95% vegetables and fruits, because this is the lifestyle that works best for me. When I'm on a high fruit and veg diet I feel healthier all round, and hopefully I can share this with you.

Fingers crossed you'll enjoy what I have to say and may be even try some of my recipes... ;)

James