By Hannah Powling
So apparently 2016 has been declared as the International Year of the Pulse… Okay, we’ll roll with that – we love pulses.
Pulses include beans, peas and lentils and are incredibly good for your health as they are an excellent source of protein and provide extra nutrients such as iron, starch, complex carbohydrates and fibre within your diet. As well as being low fat they are also tasty! But – are you a little scared of cooking those wonderfully healthy but can-be-tricky ingredients? Yeah, we are sometimes too.
We thought we’d start the day with some simple recipes to inspire you to get some more pulses in your diet. Here are some yummy and easy recipes from Sophie Michell who is the Merchant Gourmets Wellbeing Chef for 2016 – who provide ready-to-eat pulses too for minimum stress. Hurrah!
Spelt Bircher Muesli
Serves 2
250g Merchant Gourmet Spelt
50g flaked almonds (with some retained for decoration)
50g sultanas
2 tsp sunflower seeds
100ml apple juice ½ apple, grated
100g thick Greek yoghurt
1 heaped tsp acai powder
Raspberries and honey to serve
Really simple! Just mix all the ingredients together and serve. It is best after a few hours of sitting in a fridge, but if you don’t have time just mix and go!
Thai peanut chicken bowl
Serves 1
1 pouch Merchant Gourmet Thai Flavoured Grains
1 large handful of baby spinach
1 cooked chicken breast
1 lime
1 tbsp of crunchy peanut butter
2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
Place the spinach and Thai Flavoured Grains in a medium bowl and cover with clingfilm, cook for 2 minutes, take out and stir. Shred the chicken and place on top, then cover with clingfilm and cook for another 2 minutes. In a smaller bowl mix the sweet chili, peanut butter, and lime juice together. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute, stir well and serve alongside the chicken bowl.
Burrata, sunblush tomato, salsa verde and beluga lentil salad
Serves 4
4 x 150g burrata
1 x 250g pouch of Merchant Gourmet Beluga lentils
150g sun blush tomatoes
150g yellow and red cherry tomatoes
Salsa verde;
1 bunch basil
1 bunch tarragon
1 bunch mint
½ bunch parsley
2 cloves garlic
4 anchovy fillets
30g capers
2 lemons juiced
150ml extra virgin olive oil
Firstly make the salsa verde, blitz it, but not too finely. Then check the seasoning and set aside. Add the beluga lentils to a bowl, and then add 2 tbsp of the salsa verde to it. Roughly chop the sunblush tomatoes and half the cherry toms, then also mix in. Season and set aside. Take four plates and divide the lentil mix, then take the burrata out of the packaging and water and also place one on each plate. Drizzle with a little more salsa verde and then serve.
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Recipes were created by Sophie Michell, Merchant Gourmet’s Wellbeing Chef to launch the nationwide ‘Eat Well, Live Well’ Campaign.’ log on to www.merchant-gourmet.com for more recipes ideas and cook along video clips.
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