Warming Turmeric Quinoa & Lentil Risotto

Serves 4

We are the House of Germs right now and it seems like they are invading from every angle! So I took to our kitchen to get our bodies armoured up and ready for battle! This anti-inflammatory vegan meal is packed with more antioxidants than you can shake a stick at — 83% and 39% of my daily Vitamin A & C to be exact! It is warming and flavoursome, and provides 6 of my 5-a-day (did you know that lentils count towards it?!), 20g of plant-based protein and almost 100% of my daily fibre intake! It is very freezer friendly and versatile — it’s great on it’s own, with some goats cheese sprinkled on top or as a bed for grilled salmon or chicken to seriously up your protein game. I always have individual portions stocked in my freezer for a last minute nourishing meal. I really went to town with many different ingredients here, as I was trying to throw everything-but-the-kitchen-sink at boosting my immune system. But the recipe can be simplified by choosing either butternut squash or sweet potato, and only one kind of lentil.

Right, off to tend to my little patients with very little patience….wish me luck!

INGREDIENTS

· 4 cloves Garlic
· 1 tbsp Rapeseed Oil
· 1 tbsp Ground Turmeric or 5cm long grated fresh
· 1 tbsp Ginger (finely diced or grated)
· 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
· 1 tsp Chilli
· Juice & Zest from ½ Lemon
· 250g Onion
· 250g Courgettes
· 400g Cherry Tomatoes
· 200g Cooked Quinoa (I used Merchant Gourmet handy pre-cooked pouch)
· 200g Cooked Puy Lentils (again, I used a Merchant Gourmet pouch)
· 80g Red Split Lentils (pre-cooked or tinned)
· 80g Green Lentils (pre-cooked or tinned)
· 500 ml Vegetable Stock
· 150g Butternut Squash
· 150g Sweet Potato

METHOD

· Pre heat oven to 180 degrees.
· Peel and dice the butternut squash and sweet potatoes.
· Line a baking tray with parchment paper, toss the squash and sweet potatoes in a little bit of oil and roast for half an hour or until slightly browning.
· Whilst they are roasting, prepare all of the other vegetables.
· Finely dice the onion and courgettes.
· Mince the garlic, and grate the ginger and turmeric (if using fresh).
· Halve the cherry tomatoes.
· Heat up the oil in a large non-stick deep frying pan.
· Add the diced onion and courgettes and sauté until slightly browning before adding the minced garlic, ginger and turmeric.
· Sautee for another 2 minutes before adding 400g cherry tomatoes.
· Sauté for an additional 3 mins before adding 200ml vegetable stock and cover for 5 minutes to soften the tomatoes.
· Add the roasted butternut squash and sweet potatoes, alongside the tomato purée and 200ml more of vegetable stock.
· Simmer for 5 mins and then mash well so that there are no big lumps of sweet potato or butternut squash.
· Add the pre-cooked quinoa and lentils and pour in the remaining stock.
· Add the chilli and the juice and rind of half a lemon.
· Serve with either a sprinkling of nutritional yeast or goats cheese, or with some grilled salmon or chicken.

Nutritional Information

Calories — 363
Carbohydrates — 53g
Fat — 7g
Protein — 20g
Fibre — 24g
Vitamin A — 83%
Vitamin C — 39%
Iron — 12%
Calcium — 5%