Week 3 – Building Blocks of Life
Aim of the week – Improve the quality of your Proteins
… why? Because you deserve it!
Proteins are the amino acids that are the building blocks for our hair skin and muscles. Some of them we can make in our own bodies – others we have to eat. The eight amino acids that we need to get from food are called the ‘essential amino acids’
When a food has all 8 we say it is a complete protein e.g. meat, fish, eggs, quinoa…
Other foods need to be combined to have all 8 e.g. rice + beans/chickpeas/lentils
However not all proteins are made equal!
Take animal proteins for instance – the quality of the proteins from a cow who has been kept indoors and fed soy beans (which it cannot digest) and then has become ill and needed antibiotics, is not the same as a cow who has been eating grass outside in the pasture all it’s life… the same for chickens and eggs…
So rather than buying cheap meat, fish or eggs – make them something that you do not eat every day and choose to buy good quality instead – organic, free range, well looked after!
On other days you can opt for some plant based proteins which are much cheaper but also very versatile and fulfilling… try out some lentils in a soup, a hummus with chickpeas or a very quick and easy meal which my family all love served with warming brown rice…
Top tip: listen to your body – how does it feel after a heavy meal of meat or animal proteins? Are you more in need of something sweet afterwards?
How do you feel after a more plant based protein meal?
We can learn so much from listening to our own bodies – there are no right and wrong answers – just openness and curiosity…
Recipe(s) of the week
Lentil and Tomato Soup
Ingredients
· 2 large onions
· 4 sticks celery
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· 250g red lentils (washed)
· 2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
· 1 litre water or vegetable stock
· black pepper
· juice of 1 lemon
Cooking notes
This one also freezes well so don’t hesitate to make more and freeze some
Directions
· Heat the chopped onions in the oil in a large pan and add the chopped celery - cook until soft but not brown.
· Stir in the lentils
· Add in the tomatoes and vegetable stock and then cover and simmer until the lentils are soft.
· Add lemon juice and season and then mix it with a soup mixer
Hummus
Ingredients
· 1 jar/tin chickpeas
· 1 dessert spoon tahini (sesame paste)
· 1 clove garlic crushed
· Juice of 1 lemon
· Pinch of cumin or paprika (optional)
· Pinch of sea salt (unrefined)
· Water
· 1 dessert spoon extra virgin olive oil
Cooking notes
You will need some kind of mixer/blender
Directions
· Add all the ingredients (except water) together in a bowl (if using a hand mixer) or blender and mix together.
· Slowly add water to reach desired consistency while continuing to mix.
· Some prefer a thicker hummus - personally I like to quite smooth so can add half to a full glass of water. Experiment with quantities to suit your taste...
· serve with drizzle of olive oil on top - dip in some tasty carrots, cucumber, raw courgette, cauliflower heads... a great tasty lunch or snack to put in a tupperware and take to the office!
3 Ingredients and 3 spices
Ingredients
· 3 leeks
· 1 jar chickpeas, rinsed
· 2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
· 1 tsp cumin
· 1 tsp cinnamon
· half tsp cayenne pepper
Method
· Peel and wash leeks and slice (I usually cut into them length ways to be able to clean inside and have open circles when I chop them)
· Put in a large pan with olive oil, put the lid on and allow them to soften on a low heat
· Prepare spices - 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper and then add into softened leeks. Replace lid and leave for a few minutes... isn't that smell just amazing!
· Add about 800g chopped tomatoes and 1 jar (350g) chickpeas (of course you can use homemade tomato sauce and dried chickpeas that you have cooked yourself... but no harm in joining me in making life easier!)
· As with anything with tomato sauce, the secret is in letting it cook for a while – I sometimes cook a load of tomato sauce in advance and then have it in bags in the freezer to add into a dish (that way saving me a lot of time every day)