good mood food - easy summer dinners

5 easy dinners 

Protein-rich, lower carb dinner ideas – we want some carbs to help us sleep and protein to help keep us asleep….

 

1.    Chickpea coconut curry with cashews & brown rice: fry off some chopped red onion, garlic, turmeric and ginger and add a tablespoon of your favorite curry paste, cook for a couple of minutes; add a tin of chickpeas (drained), some chopped red pepper, chopped aubergine, some sliced water chestnuts and finally a can of coconut milk; simmer for 10 minutes then stir in some spinach leaves, chopped coriander stalks and a handful of cashew nuts; serve scattered with coriander leaves and a bowl of steamed brown rice

 

2.   Veggie ‘lasagne’: slice a green, red & yellow pepper, courgette and aubergine, 1 large red onion, 2 cloves garlic and toss with some olive oil and herbs de provence in a roasting dish, roast at 200*C until the corners are starting to brown 20 mins approx; toss veggies with a bottle of passata or a large can of chopped tomatoes; put a layer of veggie/tomato mix in the bottom of an oven dish, top with some fresh spinach leaves and sprinkle with crumbled feta or goats cheese; repeat! Top with crumbled cheese. Bake in the oven @ 180*C until bubbling; serve with some sourdough bread toasted and rubbed with garlic

 

3.   Baked sweet potatoes: bake 1 large per person at 190*C for an hour approx.. drizzle some olive oil and season (top tip: if you stick them with a couple of metal skewers each lengthways, they cook quicker.) slit open and serve with coleslaw or baked beans and crumbled feta or chili & cheese or tuna red onion & mayo and a big side of salad

 

4.   Nightime niçoise: make a bean salad – a tin of cannelinis or any white beans drained and mixed with chopped tomatoes, red onion, a clove of minced garlic, chopped parsley, cucumber and dressed with olive oil. Heap onto a plate and top with warm steamed new potatoes, green beans and ‘just’ boiled eggs. Drizzle some more olive oil and garnish with basil

 

5.   The Chili ‘con’: lentil & bean chili – fry off 1 large onion chopped with 2 cloves sliced garlic and 1 tsp each of hot paprika, sweet smoked paprika, cumin and herbs de provence; add a chopped carrot, a chopped green +/or red pepper, a tin of tomatoes, a tin of kidney beans and a tin of lentils; top up with water if necessary so it wont dry out while simmering for 30 minutes; dose with chopped coriander and serve with wholegrain toasted pita breads smeared with guacamole. Yum!                  

Summer 2020