It's getting chilly, so we’ve rounded up 8 delicious comfort food recipes that will warm and nourish your insides. Check out these 8 feel good healthy dinner ideas below!
These meals of sustenance make use of pantry basics like pulses and legumes, pasta and seasonal local produce . Which means they’re also economical! Check out these 8 healthy dinner ideas below for a bit of 5pm inspiration!
Warm buckwheat salad
The base of this hearty throw together salad is a gluten free fave - buckwheat. However, buckwheat is actually a seed and not a grain at all.
Buckwheat is also one of the more easily digestible and non-allergenic of all the grains. It's chewy texture works perfectly here with the roasted pumpkin, but you could use either butternut or squash.
This salad is dressed with a sundried tomato dressing, it's rich, and thick so add a dollop to each bowl and mix it through just before serving. You might find yourself eating more buckwheat after this. Get the recipe here.
Miso roasted vegetables w/ quinoa
This quinoa recipe has a bit of spice, so adjust the sriracha to your heat tolerance. The kumara is baked in a flavour loaded mix of miso, brown rice vinegar and tamari sauce, something a bit different! This meal won't disappoint and you can keep any leftovers for lunch the next day! Get the recipe here.
Turmeric spiced chickpea curry
This chickpea based curry served with rice (it is the classic combo) combines complex carbs and plant protein in addition to nourishing superfoods like coconut milk and turmeric.
If this super spice isn't already in your pantry, get yourself some! Turmeric contains curcumin, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidant properties, which is why all the hype. And yes the powder contains the active ingredient curcumin too.
Generally speaking, 1 inch of fresh turmeric is equivalent to 1 tablespoon freshly grated turmeric and 1 teaspoon ground turmeric. Get the recipe here.
Herbed bean and pumpkin tacos
Nothing too fancy here. These tacos are super simple to whip up and are great for either early evening grazing or for dinner, you'll just want more of them! We've stuffed warmed corn tortillas with spiced roasted pumpkin and herbed cannellini beans. The avo is in the tangy lime and cashew dressing.
Typically you might see black beans in tacos, but white beans, like cannellini, still contain a decent 16 grams of plant protein per cup! If you get stuck for healthy dinner ideas, nutrient-dense beans are a great base for building on. Get the recipe here.
Lentils w/ rosemary potatoes
Lentils are the main event here. They're an inexpensive wholefood, so this combined with potatoes makes for one super economical dinner! They might not look like much but lentils actually contain the third-highest level of protein from plant sources. Just 1 cup of cooked lentils contains a massive 17 grams of protein!
Lentils are also a good source of fibre, the soluble kind which is good for all matters digestive. Even though they're super low in calories and contain pretty much zero fat, this meal is definitely going to leave you satisfied. Check it out here.
Winter couscous salad
For those nights when you just don't have a lot of time, but you've got to eat... This winter salad recipe can be whipped up in 20! Couscous, like bulghur wheat, is great in that you don't need to cook it. Yes, you read right.
Just add 1.5 cups of boiling water to 1 cup of couscous, leave for 10 minutes and that's it! This salad combines seasonal produce with flavour boosters, like sundried tomatoes and Kalamata olives. Make it here.
Probiotic miso broth bowls
Probiotics in a bowl! If you’re not familiar, fermenting foods creates beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and various strains of probiotics - and these beneficial gut microbes create a thriving environment in your gut, which can have a powerful effect on your health.
Now you might be thinking 'soy?'. But when soy is fermented, you have a completely different food that yields a completely different set of available nutrients. Soy protein is hard to digest, but fermentation breaks down protein, making the protein in miso easier for your body to digest. Since soy is one of the largest GMO crops, stick with organic soy products which are non GMO. Make it here.
Quinoa pasta w/ lentil bolognese
This easy lentil Bolognese pasta recipe is great when you don't have a lot of time and want something hearty and nourishing on a cold night. It also feeds a massive 4-6 people, making it a really economical meal. Just add your fave pasta. We used quinoa pasta here, but bean pasta would be equally delicious too. Get the recipe here.
After more healthy dinner ideas?
For more healthy dinner ideas check out these recipes here. Found something you'd love to try? We'd love to see your recreations. Tag us on Facebook and Instagram @ceresorganics.
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