Red Lentil Veg Curry

Chat Leave a comment March 27, 2019 nutritionadsa

Our latest NutritionConfidence recipe, created by registered dietitian Alex Royal, is a delicious Red Lentil Veg Curry, filled with veggies, herbs and aromatic spices.

We love lentils. Not only are they a great plant protein (containing the third highest levels of protein of all legumes and nuts) but they are also a great source of soluble and insoluble fibre, folate and magnesium, which all contribute to a healthy heart!

This recipe is super easy and quick, so ideal for weeknight dinners and the leftovers are great for a work lunch the next day. 

INGREDIENTS (serves 1)

1/2 cup red lentils, raw, making 1 cup cooked

2 handfuls baby spinach

1/2 small onion

1 large tomato

1 clove garlic

Salt and pepper

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tbsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

Fresh chopped chilli (to your taste)

1 tbsp olive oil

Fresh coriander

PREPARATION

Boil the lentils until tender.

Finely chop the garlic & fry in the olive oil, at medium heat, in a large pot. 

Add the spices, salt, pepper and chilli and fry for about 5 minutes.

Chop the baby spinach, onion and tomato. Add into the pot and fry on low for 5-10 minutes.

Mix the lentils into the mixture.

Top with coriander.

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

Per serving:

Energy: 245 kCal

Carbohydrates: 23g

Protein: 10g

Fat: 14g

 

Chicken Meatball Harvest Bowls – NEW RECIPE

Chat Leave a comment May 14, 2018 nutritionadsa

Harvest bowls are awesome – lots of nutritious, yummy food and different flavours in one bowl to enjoy.

This Chicken Meatball Harvest Bowl, created by registered dietitian and foodie Cheryl Meyer from Dish & Delite, packs in cooler-weather seasonal veggies – brussels sprouts, zucchini, cauliflower and carrots. A great fibre boost and lovely variety of colour, vitamins and minerals.

We also love this recipe because all the elements keep well in the fridge and can be mixed and matched through the week for on-the-go lunches and quick, easy dinners.

 

This recipe serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Rice

½ cup raw brown & wild rice

 Chicken meatballs

250 g chicken mince

1 cup coarsely grated zucchini

¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup fresh wholewheat or low GI bread crumbs

½ onion, diced

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

½ tablespoon fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon chicken stock powder

vegetable oil – for frying

Roasted veggies

300g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

300g cauliflower florets

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

Dressing

1 cup fat-free plain yoghurt

¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

salt and pepper, to season

Carrot

1 large or 2 medium (200 g) carrots, coarsely grated

 

METHOD

1. Rice: Cook the rice as per the package instructions.
2. Meatballs: Combine the chicken meatball ingredients. Using a tablespoon to measure, divide the mixture into 20, roll each meatball between your hands to form 20 small balls. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. When ready to cook, heat a frying pan with a shallow coating of vegetable oil and cook the meatballs in batches until lightly golden on all sides and cooked through. Once cooked, place on paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
3. Roasted veggies: Line a baking tray with baking paper or foil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cauliflower to the tray, drizzle with olive oil, thyme and crushed garlic and toss to combine. Roast at 200°C for 15-20 minutes, tossing mid-way.
4. Dressing: Combine the dressing ingredients.
5. Assemble: Enjoy your bowls warm or cold. Divide the rice, roasted veggies and grated carrot into four bowls, add 5 meatballs to each bowl and top with a generous drizzle of dressing.

 

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving

Energy: 1532 kJ; Protein: 26.8 g; Carbohydrate: 37.1 g of which, total sugars: 7.1 g; Fat: 16.1 g; Fibre: 10.0 g; Sodium: 287 mg

 

A Delicious One-Pot Meal!

Chat 1 Comment April 13, 2018 nutritionadsa

Beef and Butternut Casserole with Mushrooms and Tomato

We love the latest NutritionConfidence recipe from the authors of Food for Sensitive Tummies, registered dietitians Cath Day and Gabi Steenkamp! It is packed with vegetables (a whopping four servings), high in fibre and a good source of iron. Comfort food, which is still a healthy balanced meal.

This is a meal-in-one casserole, which is easy to prepare ahead of time. Perfect for dinner guests and to make during a very busy week. Butternut contains double the starch compared to the other vegetables, so may be used as a carbohydrate in this dish. Since there are four other vegetable servings, the butternut can serve as the starch of the meal.

RECIPE (Serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

1 onion

1 leek

4 cloves garlic

2 rashers bacon, optional

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 t olive oil

2 bay leaves

1 butternut, large (800 g)

250 g  mushrooms, mixed are most delicious

410 g  tinned chopped tomatoes (1 x 410 g tin)

150 ml red wine, optional

500 g beef goulash pieces, check for minimal visible fat.

8 black olives

2.5 ml salt & freshly ground black pepper (½ t)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC
2. Peel the onion and chop. Trim, wash and slice the leek. Peel and slice the garlic.
3. Heat a large pan or ovenproof casserole on medium heat.
4. Finely slice the bacon. Pick the leaves off the rosemary sprig and chop finely.
5. Pour the olive oil into the hot pan, add the sliced bacon, chopped rosemary and the bay leaves and gently fry, stirring regularly
6. Add the sliced garlic, chopped onion and leek and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
7. Meanwhile, peel and cut the butternut into bite size cubes and add to the pan.
8. Clean the mushrooms and cut off the stems. Add both the stems and whole mushroom tops to the pan.
9. Add the meat cubes, pour over the wine and simmer for 10 minutes.
10. Add the tinned tomatoes.
11. Rinse the tomato tin out with quarter tin of water and add to the pan or casserole.
12. De-stone the olives by cutting in half. Add to the casserole and mix in gently.
13. Bring the casserole to a boil and then place in the pre-heated oven to bake for 45 mins, until thick and delicious.
14. Serve on its’ own as a complete balanced meal.

NUTRIENTS PER SERVING (600 g)

Energy                                                      1918 kJ

Protein                                                      30.3 g

Carbohydrates                                         31.3 g

Total sugars                                               4.5 g

Added sugar                                              0.0 g

Total Fat                                                     18.5 g

Saturated fat                                              7.7 g

Fibre                                                           7.7 g

Sodium                                                       682 mg

One serving is equivalent to 1 carbohydrate, 4 proteins and 4 vegetables

 

The perfect Braai Day side dish!

Chat Leave a comment September 22, 2017 nutritionadsa

If you are planning to celebrate Braai Day this weekend, add this delicious, South African Baby Marrow, Feta & Peppadew Salad to your menu. Created by dietitian and co-author of Eat Ting, Mpho Tshukudu, this salad is versatile and goes well with meat, chicken and fish.

Baby marrows are indigenous to South Africa. They make beautiful salads, soups, stir-fries and can also be used in baking to add moisture and fibre to the dish. They are a relatively low kilojoule vegetable and are a source of fibre and vitamin C.

INGREDIENTS

4 medium baby marrows (about 180 – 200g)

1/2 cup (125 ml) peppadew peppers, drained and roughly chopped and 1 Tbsp of the liquid

1 tsp (5 ml) + 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, divided

1 cup (250 ml / 220 g) halved cherry tomatoes – use different colours if available

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp (30 ml) fresh thyme

3 Tbsp (45 ml) chopped chives

(60 g) feta cheese, broke into small pieces or cubed

Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Preheat grill to medium. Slice baby marrow into 1/2 cm rounds.

Toss the baby marrow with 1 tsp (5 ml) oil.

Lay the baby marrow on a hot grill and turn once water droplets form on top, and there are slight char marks on the heated side.

Place the baby marrow on a cooling rack to cool, in a single layer to prevent them going too soft

In a large bowl, toss together baby marrow, peppadew peppers, tomatoes, chives and thyme.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic and black pepper.

Add the dressing to the vegetables and toss to coat.

Add feta cheese.

 

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS PER SERVING

This recipe serves 4.

 

Energy: 113.75 kCal / 477.75 kJ

Carbs: 9.7 g

Protein: 4.2 g

Fat: 8.2 g

Sodium: 197.8 mg

Fibre: 1.5 g

 

NEW Recipe: Lettuce & Pea Soup

Chat Leave a comment July 7, 2017 nutritionadsa

Our latest NutritionConfidence recipe is from the authors of Food for Sensitive Tummies, registered dietitians Cath Day and Gabi Steenkamp. A perfect winter warmer Lettuce & Pea Soup.

We love this recipe because it is a really smart way of including green leaves into your eating routine during the cold winter months! A great starter for a dinner party.

 The dietitians say:

• This delicious soup contains a whopping 4 vegetable servings, making it a really healthy meal and gets you very close to your 5 a day quota.
• In addition, it is high in fibre, making it the perfect meal for helping sensitive tummies keep regular. The fibre comes from the peas, chickpeas and the lettuce.
• The benefits of increasing your fibre intake for gut health is well documented – healthy gut = happy you!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

5 ml         butter (1t)

5 ml         olive oil (1t)

3 leeks    well washed and sliced with the green tops

1 ml         dried crushed garlic (¼ t)

2.5 ml     salt (½ t)

1              head of butter lettuce, finely sliced

250 g      frozen peas (1½ c)

1.25 L     boiling water (5 c)

15 ml      chicken flavour or vegetable stock powder (1 T)

125 g      tinned chickpeas (½ x 410 g tin, drained)

125 ml    chopped parsley (½ c)

METHOD

1. Melt the butter and olive oil together.
2. Add the leeks and crushed garlic and salt.
3. Sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes until soft.
4. Add the sliced lettuce and the peas.
5. Add boiling water and stock powder.
6. Boil for 5 minutes uncovered.
7. Add the chickpeas and heat through.
8. Add the parsley and liquidize until the soup is smooth.
9. Reheat before serving.
10. Optional: serve with one slice of bread with avocado as a topping, per serving (½ avocado is equivalent to 2 fats)

NUTRIENTS PER serving (200 ml of soup)

Energy                                   740 kJ

Protein                                   6.7 g

Carbohydrates                     28.0 g

Total sugars                         6.2 g

Added sugar                        0.0 g

Total Fat                                3.1 g

Saturated fat                         0.8 g

Fibre                                      6.4 g

Sodium                                 773 mg

One serving is equivalent to ½ carbohydrate, 1 protein and 4 vegetables.

FOOD FOR SENSITIVE TUMMIES

Do you suffer from winds, burping, cramps, heartburn, constipation and/or diarrhoea as well as bloating? Then the book, “Food for Sensitive Tummies” is for you! Having a sensitive tummy or super sensitive tummy (irritable bowel syndrome) can be one of the most debilitating health issues to deal with. In Food for Sensitive Tummies, Gabi Steenkamp and Cath Day show you how you can cut down on the ingredients and food that cause you problems and still prepare a whole range of recipes that are simple, affordable and delicious to eat. Their recipes also feed your gut microbiome with nourishing food substances important for maintaining health. From fresh and healthy breakfast ideas, to wholesome mains such as Butternut, Aubergine and Rocket Lasagne, cooking for sensitive tummies has never been so easyL 

Food for Sensitive Tummies can be ordered directly from the authors via this page or via email (info@catherineday.co.za or info@gabisteenkamp.co.za).

New Recipe: Veggie Frittata

Chat 3 Comments June 10, 2016 nutritionadsa

Our latest NutritionConfidence recipe (developed by chef Vanessa Marx) is quick, easy, packed with good nutrition, and a versatile choice for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. It may sound exotic but a veggie frittata is really just a fancy omelette mixed with colourful vegetables and cooked in the oven.  Once you get comfortable making a frittata, branch out and make different flavours by swopping in seasonal vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes or spinach.

What the dietitian says: Eggs are a good source of high quality protein. They are also one of the few foods that contain high concentrations of Choline – essential for normal development and linked to improved memory and performance.

This recipe serves 8

INGREDIENTS

6 large free-range eggs

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ a medium onion

½ a red pepper

2 courgettes

100 g mushrooms

100 g mozzarella, grated

50 g feta, crumbled

5 g Italian parsley, chopped

5 g fresh coriander, chopped

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Beat the eggs together, season and set aside.
3. Drizzle the olive oil into a large ovenproof, non-stick frying pan and set over medium heat on the stove.
4. Slice up the onion, red pepper, courgettes and mushrooms.
5. Add the sliced vegetables to the pan and fry until they begin to get a little colour.
6. Add the beaten eggs and the cheese and mix slightly. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for three to five minutes until a crust begins to form on the bottom (do not stir the mixture).
7. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the mixture has set.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the frittata to cool slightly (five minutes).
9. Tip the frittata out upside down onto a board or platter, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and coriander and serve warm.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per slice (8 slices per frittata)

Energy: 527 kJ Protein: 9.5 g Carbohydrate: 3.9 g Of which, total sugars: 2.6 g Fat: 9.6 g Fibre: 0.9 g Sodium: 195 mg