First, a Happy New Year to everyone! The typical good resolutions for the new year are: to eat healthier, do more sports, lose weight, reduce stress, drink less alcohol, quit smoking, save money, and take more time for yourself.
You may not reach all these goals, but you can start with nutrition! If you integrate more fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grain products, cereals, nuts, and organic seasonal and regional products in your eating habits, you will have more energy for sports, lose weight and become healthier. Even non-vegetarians can take advantage of the health benefits of eating vegan twice a week!
Stay Fit in the Winter Time
During winter, our body is exposed to several challenges: low temperatures, dry heating air and a higher risk of infection put the immune system under a lot of pressure. Eating healthily helps to boost the immune system and reduce the chance of illness. In the cold season, it is advisable to eat more soups, vegan stews and winter vegetables like beetroot, pumpkin, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and fennel. It is very important to source vitamins from local fruit like apples, grapefruits, oranges, and tangerines.
Here I want to show you my culinary highlights for the wintertime. These recipes are made with seasonal ingredients and are easily prepared at home. These nourishing dishes will warm your body, give you energy and help you to stay healthy.
BREAKFAST
Warm Oatmeal Recipe
Cut the apple into small cubes, put it in a pot and add the water, then add the oatmeal and the spices and stir cook for about 10 minutes on low heat. When the porridge is cooked, put it into a bowl and add oat or almond milk, walnuts and the raisins.
Benefits
You can create your own versions of this recipe. Using other fruit, different cereals, nuts and dried fruits, you keep the food variation for your body in balance. This breakfast gives us energy and stimulates the metabolism, especially if combined with warm ginger water. You are doing yourself good with this healthy recipe.
Ingredients for one person
- 2 tbsp oat
- 200 ml water
- 1 apple
- ¼ tsp cardamom
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Salt
- Walnuts
- Raisins
- Milk
LUNCH
Oven Veggies Recipe
Chop the onion and garlic and spread them on a baking tin. Add the olive oil and mix it. Cut the vegetables into cubes and add to the onions and garlic. Now add all the spices, wine, water, and tomato paste. Mix everything very well, put it in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve the veggies with rice, quinoa, bulgur, chickpea balls or other protein.
Benefits
Lunch should be a strengthening, revitalising main meal consisting of vegetables, grains, protein and a dessert. This recipe is easy to prepare and provides a good basis for your creations. Use your favourite vegetables of the season. Vegetables are very healthy, full of vitamins, minerals and fibre, and contain only a few calories. I love vegetables and sometimes I eat them as a main course with rice or quinoa in the evening.
Ingredients for four people
- 1 onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 3 carrots,
- 1 beetroot
- ¼ pumpkin
- 100 ml white wine
- 100 ml water
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
Spices
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp bio broth
- Salt and pepper
DINNER
Dahl Soup Recipe
First, soak the dahl in water for one hour. Cut the vegetables into small pieces and put them aside. Chop the onion, garlic and ginger and stir fry for three minutes with olive oil. Then add the small pieces of cauliflower, the turnip and the water. Sieve the water from the dal, add it to all the spices, and let it cook until the vegetables and dahl are tender. Let the soup cool down for half an hour, then puree with the blender, add salt and pepper and the soup is ready to serve.
Benefits
Dahl is a very good source of vegetable protein, so many Hindus eat it every day. Nowadays, it is recognised as a super food worldwide and has become the main protein supply for vegans. It is rich in vitamins and dietary fibre, giving you many health benefits. I eat dahl at least three times a week and I love it! You can buy it in the Indian supermarket, Kohinoor, near Intermarche in Lagos or in other Asian food stores across the Algarve.
Ingredients for four people
- 1 cup yellow dahl (Mung Dahl)
- ½ cauliflower
- 1 turnip
- 1 small piece of ginger
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Spices
- 1 tsp bio broth
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 litre of water
- Salt and pepper
Lita cooks for events and for private celebrations. She offers cooking courses and live cooking shows.
+351 914 061 143
lita@lalitana.com
Instagram: @lalitanavegankitchen
