Monthly Archives: March 2019

Lentil Broccoli & Quinoa Soup with Lemon, Mint & Chilli

Bright and refreshing yet comforting and sustaining, this is my favourite soup right now! I was looking for a recipe for a friend when I came across the recipe “Broccoli and Red Lentil Detox Soup” by Beauty Bites. When I was making it several days later I decided to add some cooked quinoa I had in in the fridge to make it a whole meal and then had a hankering for a strong lemony flavour.  I also used fresh turmeric instead of powdered, added more broccoli and mint which have such an affinity for the chilli and lemon.  I’ve been known to eat this whole batch in one go.. 🙂


Lentil Broccoli & Quinoa Soup with Lemon, Mint & Chilli
 
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A delicious all-in-one meal in a bowl soup!
Author:
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric (or preferably a small chunk of fresh, grated)
  • ½ tsp ground ginger or fresh, grated
  • 1 heaped tsp chicken style stock powder
  • 1 medium head of broccoli - finely chopped - stalk and florets
  • ½ cup red lentils
  • 1 heaped tsp semi dried chillies (Garden Gourmet brand)
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-4 tablespoons or to taste)
  • A dozen or so mint leaves, from 3 sprigs of mint, finely chopped
  • 1.5 cups cooked quinoa (I used ½ cup raw, cooked)
Instructions
  1. Peel and chop garlic and onion, wash herbs and vegetables and chop broccoli, mint leaves. Juice the lemon. Cook the quinoa.
  2. PC method:
  3. Sauté the veg for five minutes in splash of water then add all other ingredients except lemon, mint and quinoa, enough water to generously cover then cook on high for 10 minutes. Release pressure, stir in quinoa, lemon and mint and serve.
  4. Regular method:
  5. In your saucepan sauté the garlic and onions then add the spices (turmeric, ginger and cumin) adding and add a splash of water. Move around the pan for 2-3 minutes, making sure they don't burn.
  6. Add the chopped broccoli, the lentils, a pinch of salt, enough water to cover by around 2 cm.
  7. Place on the lid and cook on a low heat for about 10-15 minutes or until the lentils and broccoli are tender.
  8. Add the mint, quinoa and lemon juice and remove from the heat.

 

Superfood Burgers

“Superfoods” was such a buzzword a couple of years ago and I hate to use it really as the fact is that all fruits and vegetables are actually “superfoods” with their own unique blend of phytonutrients.  But this one does happen to contain 3 of the most recent foods claimed to be superfoods so I couldn’t resist calling them that.  I based this on a recipe from those you can buy at Forest Way Fresh; a large delicatessen / independent grocers in Terrey Hills on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.  They were so delicious I tried to recreate them! This is a very kid-friendly recipe (adults love them too though!) as they are sweet, with a great firm crispy texture. If your kid aren’t  keen on quinoa or greens this is a great one to try!


Superfood Burgers
 
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Quick and easy kid friendly burgers
Author:
Recipe type: Burger / Pattie
Serves: 12-20 burgers
Ingredients
  • 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
  • 1 t ground cumin
  • 2 t ground coriander
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 750g sweet potatoes, (baked and mashed weight)
  • ½ cup raw quinoa, cooked (1.5 cups)
  • 140g bag chopped kale, cooked & squeezed
  • ½ cup dry roasted pecans, pulsed in food processor to a coarse meal
  • 1 cup oats, pulsed to a coarse meal
  • 1 cup sesame seeds, for coating
Instructions
  1. Pre-prep: Bake sweet potatoes, cook quinoa & kale, chop onion and kale, toast and pulse pecans and oats.
  2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees centigrade.
  3. Cook the onion with a little splash of water in a large frying pan, add the spices and once they’re smelling fragrant; tip into a large bowl and add the sweet potato, cooked quinoa, pecans, kale, oats and seasonings and stir well. Test the seasoning. Add some maple syrup if not quite sweet enough.
  4. Form into burgers and roll in sesame seeds before chilling.
  5. Bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes then flip and bake again for another 10 minutes. They should be golden brown and crisp.