Brown Lentil Chilli

Really easy dinner to make and a great healthy substitute to a meaty chilli. 

Ingredients: 

Ok guys so my recipe is

8 Cups of Water or 8 Cups of Organic Veg Broth. I used 4 organic veg broth cubes and 8 cups of water to make my broth.

1 Red Bell Pepper Chopped

1 Medium Yellow Onion Chopped

5 Garlic Cloves Chopped

2 and 1/4 Cups of Organic Brown Lentils

4 Tsp of Organic Chilli Powder

2 Cans of Chopped Tomatoes 

A bit of Chipotle sauce ( This is optional, I used about 2 tsps)

Chopped Cilantro 

Directions:

Bring 3/4 cup broth to a simmer in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook about 8 mins or until the onion and pepper are tender. Stir in chili powder and cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Add lentils, tomatoes and remaining 7 1/4 cups of broth. Bring to a boil. reduce heat to a medium-low and simmer, partially covered. 30 minutes or until lentils are almost tender. Add some Chipotle sauce (optional) Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer. Stir in Cilantro and serve.

Enjoy :)

Yummy Black Bean Burgers

Here is a great substitute to your normal everyday beef burgers. They are so tasty and filling, you will want more.

Ingredients:

1- 16 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked Quinoa (1 Cup of uncooked Quinoa makes 2 cups)
5 Cloves of Garlic Crushed
2 Tbsp olive
1 shallot, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp sea salt (for veggies)
1/4 tsp smoked sea salt (for beans)
Cilantro leaves, loosely packed

Optional 1/2-1 cup  panko bread crumbs

Instructions:

Begin by sautéing the bell pepper, cumin, and shallot in 1/2 Tbsp of oil till the veg starts to soften, then add the garlic and sea salt, sauté for a minute or two more, turn off heat and set aside.

Next, in a food processor, add the beans, cooled veggies, paprika, and smoked sea salt. Pulse until just combined.

Then add the quinoa and cilantro, again pulse until combined.

Hand form into palm-sized burger patties.

Let cool for 5 minutes, then coat each side in panko bread crumbs, being sure to push down to adhere the breadcrumbs to the burger.

Pan fry in remaining oil (perhaps a bit more) for 5-7 minutes on each side.

Enjoy like a burger.

Crimini Mushrooms

Decided to make my famous Summer Pasta tonight. Its a light healthy dinner that can be whipped up in about 20 minutes or less. While I was contemplating on what mushrooms to use, I came across Organic Crimini Mushrooms. I'v heard about these mushrooms so I thought I would give them a try. I usually use just white mushrooms which are ok but not the best. White mushrooms to me seem to produce to much water when sauteing and I wanted to see how these would turn out.

After sauteing them with some olive oil, a bit of chopped garlic, salt and pepper they turned out to be the best tasting mushroom in my opinion for pasta or salad. They taste really great.

So here is a bit of info about them. Crimini mushrooms, which are darker than the more common button mushrooms, are especially packed with nutrients. Some research has even suggested that eating niacin-rich foods like crimini mushrooms can help prevent Alzheimer's Disease. Some of the most popular ways to cook crimini mushrooms is to saute, grill or roast them.

 Mushrooms are a delicious way to add vitamins and anti-oxidants to your diet. 

Roasted Asparagus

Easy Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus spears (thick spears are best for roasting) 

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt
Freshly black pepper
Lemon juice

Optional: plum tomatoes.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse clean the asparagus. Break the tough ends off of the asparagus and discard.

Lay the asparagus spears out in a single layer in a baking dish or a foil-covered roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over the spears, roll the asparagus back and forth until they are all covered with a thin layer of olive oil. (Alternatively you can put the asparagus and oil in a plastic bag, and rub the bag so that the oil gets evenly distributed.) Sprinkle with minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub over the asparagus so that they are evenly distributed.

3 Place pan in oven and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick your asparagus spears are, until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice before serving.

The Benefits of Spinach

Tonight for dinner I decided to make some sauteed spinach. The reason I made spinach was because I just felt like something light and easy. Spinach is really great to eat when wanting some veg. I know some of you are probably thinking "nasty, spinach". The way I make it you will probably enjoy. It goes well with some grilled chicken or some Asian dishes. For those of you who don't know spinach has really great benefits. Once you read about them you will probably start considering it in your normal diet/food consumption.

Benefits of spinach are - It’s low in calories yet very high in vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients. When you consume this healthy food, you don’t need to worry about your weight-loss diet as you take in abundant, good-for-you nutrients.

Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, folate, manganese, iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B2, potassium, and vitamin B6. It’s a very good source of protein, phosphorus, vitamin E, zinc, dietary fiber, and copper. Plus, it’s a good source of selenium, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids. 

Spinach is loaded with flavonoids which act as antioxidants, protecting the body from free radicals. Researchers have discovered at least 13 different flavonoid compounds that act as anti-cancer substances. The various nutrients offer much in the way of disease protection.

The mineral iron is particularly important for menstruating women and growing children and adolescents. In comparison to red meat, spinach provides a lot less calories, is fat and cholesterol free, and an excellent source of iron. Because iron is a component of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to all body cells, it’s needed for good energy.

Another of the benefits of spinach is that this is a heart-healthy food. It’s an outstanding source of vitamins C and A which are antioxidants that help reduce free radical amounts in the body. The antioxidants work to keep cholesterol from oxidizing. In addition, folate is good for a healthy cardiovascular system, as well as magnesium, a mineral that helps to lower high blood pressure.

Gastrointestinal health can be guarded by eating more of this food. The beta-carotene and vitamin C work to protect the cells of the body’s colon from the harmful effects of free radicals. Also, DNA damage and mutations in colon cells may be prevented by the folate that’s present in this green leafy vegetable. Some conditions that are identified as inflammatory, such as arthritis, osteoporosis, migraine headaches, and asthma, may be helped because of the anti-inflammatory properties of some of the nutrients found in spinach. Studies have shown that consumption of green leafy vegetables such as spinach may slow the age-related decline in brain function. 

Whats the outcome..eat spinach :)

Cucumber Tasties

Here is my version of what I call Roasted Cucumber Tasties. Its a great substitute for bread when wanting a bruschetta but don't or cant eat bread. It's great tasting and has tremendous flavor.

Great of serving your guest when wanting a light snack or just for yourself to try. Almost the same as the bruschetta recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Sweet Red Pepper
1 Garlic Bulb
1 Cucumber (Slices Desired)
Olive Oil
Pepper
Salt



Directions:

Pre-Heat oven 375F (185-190C). Take the sweet red pepper and cut off the stem end, de-seed and slice horizontally then slice again. Drizzle with olive oil. Next take the garlic bulb and cut about 1/2 inch of the top. Drizzle garlic with the tbsp of olive oil. Cover the garlic bulb completely with foil. Place both the red pepper slice and garlic bulb onto baking tray. Roast for about 20-25 mins.

Once the timer is down to about 2-3 mins slice your cucumber. Take out the red pepper and garlic. Peel a garlic clove and slice, slice the sweet pepper to length desired and put on cucumber. Put sweet pepper slices on the cucumber slices, then add the garlic slices (amount desired) Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Done

Serves 3-4

Quiet Villa serving Vegan in Umbria, Italy

The Villa is now complete for more info go to the website provided below.

Are you looking for a great getaway to Italy? Interested in Vegan food? Would you want the Umbria sun shining down at you as you walk through fields in the quiet surroundings. Hungry? Do you want to have some great vegan food?

Then check out our family business in Italy. I know you would love it. Its about 2hrs north of Rome, 45mins from Assisi and less than 30 mins from Perugia. Situated in the hills of Umbria this Villa was originally built in the 11th century. The Villa is almost completely restored and soon it will be up and running.

Check out the awesome Vegan Menu my mother has put together here

http://www.metamorefosi.com/at-vaccaria-umbria-vegan-hotel-workshops-retreat/organic-vegan-vegetarian-soul-food-umbria/

For more information and if you want to check out the website its

http://www.metamorefosi.com/en/

More pics will be on the website once the Villa is completed which will be shortly.

For Contact info clink the link above or you can contact me here on my Blog, Facebook or email me at oblackmer@yahoo.com for more info.

11th Century Church is also attached to the property shown below. The Floor which you can not see in the pic is about 5ft below the bottom of the pic. Ceiling and Roof first restored.

Outer walls done

Inside two of the rooms during restore (Ceiling and Roof so far). Remember in these pics it's not near being done. I just want to show you the beginning. When these pics were taking just the roof and ceiling were done. The Villa now is almost completely done. Once done I will repost new pics.

Summer Avocado Salad

Today was another hot day here where I live so I decided to do something light and fresh for dinner. What I came up with was Summer Avocado Salad. Its really light and great tasting. Whats more is you really do not need salad dressing for it because of the flavors mixing together. I know you will really enjoy this on a hot day or just feeling like having something different for dinner or a lunch.

Ingredients:

2 Avocado
1 packet of Cherry Tomatoes
Cilantro (Coriander)
1 Cucumber
1 Small Red Onion
1 Can of Black Beans (Drained and Rinsed)
2 Limes
Half of a jalapeno (if you choose)
Salt
Pepper



Directions:

De-seed and dice the avocado. Peel cucumber and chop into small cubes. Dice the red onion. Dice jalapeno. Once everything is chopped the way you want it, put into a bowl, then add cherry tomatoes. Drain and rinse the black beans, add to salad. Small handful of cilantro (coriander) finely chopped, add to salad. Cut the limes in half and juice over salad. Add pepper and salt to taste.

Serves 4-5

     

Now your Finished :) ENJOY