Black Eye Pea Salad

DianeKochilas.com

My absolute new favourite (don’t tell the others!) With the cost of living sky-rocketing and time to cook and plan evaporating – I needed something that requires little preparation and could last in the fridge for a few days and of course was nourishing and healthy. God really has given us all we need to live a healthy life and these little beans are full of goodness and benefits; they are great for your heart, and your blood pressure, they are full of protein, can help combat anemia, and keeps your bones strong! I use my pressure cooker for the dried beans for about 10 minutes but you could also soak them overnight and cook in a saucepan with water or use tinned, whichever is easiest for you.

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Pourgouri (Bulgur Wheat)

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I think this dish may be more Cypriot than Greek but it belongs in this section the most ๐Ÿ™‚ I am discovering more about Cypriot cuisine and the different cultures that have influenced the herbs and spices used in Cypriot cooking. I love bulgur wheat (or cracked wheat) and to make this dish even simpler, my local Mediterranean supermarket sells bulgur with vermicelli noodles mixed in. This is an amazing side dish and seems to get better over a few days. It also has only a few ingredients which are pretty much store cupboard staples.

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Arabic Chickpea Salad

Mashed.com

This salad is my wonderful ‘throw together’, put in the fridge, and let it marinate beauty! I love the flavours in this salad and with the cost of living rising sharply, it’s pretty cheap and very filling. Even if you are not a fan of chickpeas (which is probably because they have been served in a bland way) the mixture of mint, lemon and paprika are just delicious. I always use the jarred chickpeas which I pick up in my local Turkish supermarket for 89p a jar! (they have gone up recently by 20p) Chickpeas are high in fiber and protein and break down slowly in the gut, keeping you fuller for longer. did you know that chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) are considered a vegetable and a legume because they are so nutritious? well, you do now!

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Fava Dip

Dimitras Dishes

I first tried this delicious, garlicky dip on a trip to Santorini and I loved it immediately. I guess you could compare it a little to humous, it is smooth and comforting and lovely served with hot pitta bread. I wouldn’t recommend it if you are going on a date as the garlic packs a punch! Made with a few simple ingredients, with the star being yellow split peas (not fava beans – go figure!) it is a staple on a lot of the Greek islands and is served as one of many meze dishes. It’s been around for thousands of years, so if you haven’t heard of it – where have you been?! ๐Ÿ™‚ Also this is soooo cheap! – you will thank me!

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Marvellous Mushroom Pate

mushroom pate
Culinaryginger.com

Happy New Year! I went to the Queen of Hosts yesterday ๐Ÿ™‚ (Tracey Fenner is the Queen!) for a wonderful New Years Eve visitย  – there was amazing food, lots of laughs and even some tractor driving thrown in! Now, I don’t think anyone has ever left Tracey’s home hungry – maybe rubbing their belly because they over induldged but never hungry! So, there were snacks before we went for our country walk and then a massive meal when we came home – and our snack before we set off was this amazing mushroom pate served on toast. I always plan to pace myself and eat delicately but this was just too good and very tasty so I just got stuck in! This is a great dish to serve as a starter or when having friends over and will be my new favourite for a snack. As mushrooms are full of vitamin D – they actually help fight off colds – they also contain selenium which helps support the immune system and prevent damage to cells and tissues.
So get some toast or crackers and get involved ๐Ÿ™‚
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Kisir Salad

I love bulgar wheat and despite the onset of Autumn I still enjoy a nice, hearty salad. This recipe is cheap, easy and very tasty – it can be eaten hot or cold and lasts very well in the fridge. Bulgur wheat is a minimally processed whole grain and is packed with fibre and a decent amount of magnesium and iron. Kisir is a popular dish in Turkey and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds will raise the dish to a very satisfying lunch!

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Turmeric Tofu Scramble

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Charitymorgan.com

I am always on the lookout for cheap and nutritious meals, that also can be put together quickly. Working from home for so long is having an impact on my desire to cook after a long day in front of the screen – so the quicker the better! I often have this dish for brunch on the weekend but it is equally as good in the week. As always be adventurous – throw in your favorite things and see how it turns out ๐Ÿ™‚ I often chuck in a handful of spinach or some courgettes, mushrooms etc. Leftover boiled potatoes (fried) also go well with this dish. I paid almost ยฃ11 for this dish recently (I know I know! but I live in London) and this will cost you a fraction of the price.
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Saucy Vermicelli Noodles

download (2)Absolutely delicious!ย  I do love noodles but often find they can be greasy when I buy them outside. These tasty sesame infused noodles are just the job! The sauce that accompanies this lifts the dish and makes it rather mooreish – however, rice vermicelli noodles are low calorie – yay! have no cholesterol and are a great source of carbohydrate. You can get this tasty dish onto the table pretty quickly (about 20 minutes) and look like a pro!
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Ital Red Pea Soup

red pea soup
Healthiersteps.com

This is probably my favourite West Indian soup – I have eaten it mainly at funerals! but nevertheless it’s been so tasty and filling and really comforting. Red peas are kidney beans and this soup allows you to experiment with different vegetables – pumpkin, sweet potato, yam, butternut squash etc. The beans need soaking overnight or use a pressure cooker to cook them and save time. Kidney beans are a good source of plant-based protein, fibre and have a low glycemic index rating – all round a good, healthy bean! Every time I have eaten this soup it has had ‘spinner’ dumplings in it – which are delicious and make it a meal on its own – so I have included the little dumpling recipe aswell.
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Aubergine Meatballs

Healthy Food.com

Thanks to my good friend Charlene for making me lunch! I am trying to get away from all forms of processed food and that includes ‘healthy’ vegan or plant-based options – the list of ingredients still look too big to me with these convenience foods and if you make double the mixture for this home-made version, you can freeze them for those evenings when you just need to make something super quick. Add a lovely tomato sauce to these and you can serve with rice, bulgur or wholewheat pasta. The only thing you really need is a food processor or some elbow grease! You can add in the flavours that you like and adapt as you see fit but you will love these ๐Ÿ™‚

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Creamy Cauliflower Curry

This is a weekday or weekend meal – its really cheap, very easy and soothing. If money is tight at the moment – then this recipe should fit the bill. I made this as I had a cauliflower sitting in my fridge that was in danger of going bad – so the whole thing was ready really quickly and tasted even better the next day!
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Spicy Spinach Stew

I had this dish for the first time when I went to visit friends and my friend got into a flap because I don’t eat meat. So she ran across to her Nigerian neighbour to ask for help! I have adapted the recipe to suit my family. It’s very easy and has a lovely chilli kick so goes well with plain rice. I am in Crete at the moment and have been able to get all the ingredients and put this together very quickly. You can use fresh, tinned or frozen spinach for this recipe whatever you have at hand.

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Tourlou – Mixed up Veg!

I love, love this dish! It has my favourite flavours of dill and mint and is filling (I may have mentioned I have a truckers appetite!) ย Iโ€™m on a mission to prove that eating plant based and healthily is not expensive and doesnโ€™t have to be time consuming. We all have to work and run a home etc – so we need easy, go to dishes that are nourishing to our bodies – and this is one of them! Another Greek – throw it all in the pot combo…..

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