Pretty in Pink Beetroot Hummus

You might have noticed that I haven't posted anything in about a month. Reason being that I got ill, I was literally on the floor. I have never felt that exhausted for that long, ever. In addition to exhaustion I had a chest infection which meant I had to give up and take antibiotics. They really helped and slowly I started to recover.
So, forgetting this sad "oh poor me.." story, let's get back to the important stuff. Food!
During that month I had to find meals that were nutritious, but did not need any effort to make, as I simply did not have the strength.
And so this BEETROOT HUMMUS came into my life.
It's tastier to roast the beetroot yourself (better do it with its skin on to retain nutrients), however if you are in a rush you can buy the organic cooked ones.
This hummus is sweet and creamy, in addition to providing you with a protein punch thanks to the beans and tahini.
I had it with falafel for dinner, and vegetables sticks as a snack, but it's super versatile: you could cut a cucumber in thick round slices, and add a dollop of the hummus on top as a fresh and healthy canapé at a party for example. Or use it with some greens and sweet potatoes in a wrap for lunch.
Go crazy!

INGREDIENTS
1 can butter beans
1 medium roasted beet
3 tbsp olive oil 
1 heaped tbsp of tahini
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

All you have to do is roast the beetroots in the oven at 200C for about 30-35 minutes till slightly soft (unless of course you have the already cooked ones). Let cool and peel them, before popping all ingredients in a food processor and whizzing it up for a minute. Not bad ah?

Enjoy your bank holiday,

Love.x

Foodolina

BANANA CASHEW MILKSHAKE

This is going to be a very quick post not only because I have an assignment to finish but mainly because this milkshake is ready in 2 minutes for you drink up!

I needed a quick snack that was sweet but also had a protein kick plus some cinnamon to get my blood sugar balanced for longer so that I wouldn't get cravings till dinner.

It was absolutely delicious.

INGREDIENTS

1 Frozen Banana (i slice ripe ones and pop them in individual freezing bag so they are always ready)
1 handful raw cashews
1 tbsp protein powder (I use brown rice protein by Pulsin)
1 tsp coconut oil (I use Lucy Bee)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp bee pollen (help immunity and circulation)
1 tbsp ground linseeds (plant source of Omega 3 fats. anti inflammatory, immunity boosting and much more)
1cup Brown Rice Milk (I use Rude Health)

Pop everything in the blender, whizz it up till smooth and drink immediately if not sooner! Yey!x

PS: I just want to remind you that I'm writing the brands I am using not because I get paid to do it but because they work for me and my taste. There are many other brands out there but if you are starting out using these foods, it might help to at least have an idea of what I go for. When I started reading food blogs I was curious to know which brands worked for the bloggers so at least I would have known in which direction to go when I went to the supermarket to look for types of foods I had never heard of before...xxx

Speedy Quinoa with roasted cod, fresh tomatoes and capers

When I work long hours and I come home around 8pm, the last thing I want is spending ages cooking dinner so I always try and find the quickest way to prepare a meal that will be both delicious and nutritious.. This recipe was a happy discovery one night when I didn't have much left in the house except for some leftover cooked quinoa (I like to cook a batch of it on Sundays and just add different ingredients during the week for a "take away" lunch), two medium tomatoes, garlic and some capers. Plus, I remembered I had one piece of frozen cod left in the freezer (ideally you want to defreeze it beforehand but I was desperate). 

Here's how I did it: with my coat still on I turned the oven on at 180C . Placed the cod in the tray with a squeeze of lemon, some olive oil, paprika and herbs (but you can use anything you've got, only herbs, only paprika, only lemon...), and put it in the oven with my timer on for 20 minutes.

Quickly undressed and put PJ's on (yes, I know, I'm a sexy beast...) then, with 10 min left on the timer I washed and sliced the tomatoes and popped them with a couple of chopped garlic cloves and a little oil in a pan. Medium heat and just stir them once, add some salt, pepper and about two minutes before the end, add your capers.

Now, cod was ready, fresh tomatoes cooked, all you need to do is assemble! I added the quinoa and cod directly to the pan with the tomatoes and mixed everything on low heat for 1 minute, maybe less because I was really hungry.... DONE.

It was a comforting meal, full of flavour and packed not only with proteins from both quinoa and cod, but also the phytochemical lycopene from the tomatoes (great for cardiovascular health and also skin). Finally, and you have read this before on my blog as I use it a lot, Garlic! Natural antibiotic, contains sulphur and is therefore really helpful for your liver!

All of this goodness in 20 minutes. That's right.

Now you go and do it.x