Makes: 20 vine leaves
Preparation: 30mns
Total: 1.5 hours

Benefits:
This recipe is usually made with rice but here is a version with fabulous Quinoa! Quinoa wins hands down when it comes to protein, fiber, and overall vitamin content. Vine leaves, whether freshly plucked from grapevines or bottled, can supply your body with a wide range of beneficial nutrients, from omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants to magnesium and calcium. This is a great recipe for enjoying the benefits of both.


Ingredients: 
Stuffing
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/3 cup mint leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons dried dill
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup mixed quinoa (white and brown), uncooked
salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper to taste

Grape Leaves
12 to 20 jarred grape leaves, thoroughly rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups of water


Directions:

1. Over medium heat, lightly brown garlic in olive oil.  Add onions and cook until translucent.  Add remaining stuffing ingredients and stir together until thoroughly mixed.
2. Place some stuffing in the middle of the vine leaf, fold the 2 sides in and roll them. Don't make them too tight so they don't split when cooking.
3.  Place the stuffed grape leaves in a cooking pot.  You’ll want them really close together so that they don’t move.  You can place a second layer of grape leaves on top of the first.  Pour water, lemon juice, and olive oil over the grape leaves and immediately cover the grape leaves with something oven-safe and heavy that will prevent them from floating to the top (an oven proof plate will do).  Cover and cook for about 60 minutes or until you can put a fork through the vine leaves easily.  Eat right away or refrigerate overnight for cool dolmas.

Makes: 625ml
Preparation: 5mns
Total: 10mns

Benefits:
Many of us are choosing to cut down our dairy consumption these days amidst evidence that its not good for our health. There are a lot of plant milks you can consume instead of cow's milk, but they are generally quite expensive or full of sugar, preservatives, additives and other unhealthy substances. The good news is that plant milks are really easy to make at home and you don't need any special equipment. You only need rice, water and your favorite sweetener to make this delicious rice milk and it's ready in 5 minutes!

Ingredients: 
½ cup cooked brown rice (100 g)
2 cups water (500 ml)
2 dates (optional)

Directions:

1. Blend the cooked rice, dates (optional) and water until well blended and smooth.
2. Strain the blended rice mixture using a cheesecloth, napkin or a strainer. This step is optional. If you have a powerful blender such as a Vitamix, you won't need to strain the milk.
3. Store the rice milk in a sealed container in the fridge for three or four days.

Makes: 6/8 burgers
Preparation: 20mns
Total Time: 40mns

Benefits:
Beans are a great food. Gluten-free, full of protein, cheap and super-healthy, all they need is a good recipe to make them into a hearty meal. Combine them with super Quinoa and you have a great meal, packed with proteins and good fiber.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (or small can) cooked cannellini beans
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
2 shallots, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon fennel, crushed
2 teaspoons cumin
healthy handful of parsley, chopped
olive oil
salt + pepper


Directions

1. Place a large frying pan over medium high heat and add olive oil (about 1 tablespoon). Add shallots and cook for a minute until they begin to soften. Add garlic, fennel and cumin and cook for another minute until the herbs are aromatic and the garlic softens. Remove from heat and cool. **
   
2. Place the beans, quinoa and breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl. Add the parsley and cooled shallot mixture and set the pan aside but don’t clean (you’ll use this later to fry the patties). Combine everything together with your hands, mashing the beans so that the mixture turns into a paste. (If it’s feeling a little wet, add more breadcrumbs.) Season with salt and pepper.
3. When combined, form the mixture into small patties, about the size of your palm and about an inch thick.
4. Place your frying pan back on the stove over medium high heat and add a dash of olive oil to coat. Cook the patties in batches for about 3 minutes on each side until nice and golden brown. Remove from pan and immediately season with salt and a drizzle of lemon. Serve with lettuce, tomato, red onion, or other accompaniment of your choice..**

** If you are detoxing, omit the oil and soften shallots and garlic in water. Add all the ingredients as per recipe and then place your burgers in the oven, brushing the top with a dash of oil. 

Makes: 6 servings
Preparation: 40mns
Total Time: 120mns

Benefits:
This fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie soup provides major health benefits from the sweet potato, a much better alternative to normal potatoes. Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene, vitamin A, and healthy carbohydrates and they don't spike your blood sugar up quickly unlike normal potatoes.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds baby beets (10 to 15, depending on size)
6 cups water
3/4 cup pearled barley, rinsed
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon honey
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted (optional) and coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Scrub beets under running water. Wrap the damp beets in a double layer of foil, crimping it closed to make a packet. Place in the oven and roast the beets until tender when pierced with a fork, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size. Unwrap; when cool enough to handle, slip off the skins with your fingers. Cut the beets in quarters lengthwise.
2. Meanwhile, combine water, barley and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook, uncovered, until the barley is tender, but still chewy, 40 to 50 minutes. Drain well and spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
3. Whisk vinegar, oil, mustard, honey, pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the beets, celery, radishes and scallions; toss to coat. Let the vegetables marinate in the dressing for about 15 minutes. Stir in the barley.
4. Just before serving, stir in basil and top with nuts.

Makes: 1 Serving
Preparation: 5-7 mns
Total time: 5-7 mns

Benefits:
This is one of my absolute favourite breakfasts! I have it practically every morning and vary the fruits and nuts daily to add variety to my diet. You should prepare it the night before and leave it in the fridge, ready to eat in the morning. It is a prefect combination of proteins (nuts, yoghurt) and carbs (oats), which keeps you fuller for much longer. Oats are a great source of soluble fiber that helps to reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your total and LDL cholesterol. 

Ingredients:
30g of Oats
120g of low fat organic yoghurt/Greek yoghurt
60g fruits of your choice (try pomegranates, berries, peach/apricots or a mix!)
3-4 pieces of walnuts or almonds chopped, or 1 teaspoon of milled Flaxseed.

Directions:
Mix the oats, yoghurt and fruits together and place in the fridge overnight. The raw oats will absorb the liquid from the yoghurt and soften, almost like they have been cooked. In the morning remove from the fridge and sprinkle with the nuts.

Tip: We love to add a little Cinnamon to the mix. It tastes delicious and its great for Balancing Blood sugar

Makes: 4 Servings     
Preparation: 15mns
Total time: 30mns

Benefits:
The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron and is a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. 
It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. The protein in quinoa is considered to be a complete protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids. It is a great choice for vegetarians who are looking for protein-rich foods. 
I love quinoa salad because it is so versatile and works with ANY vegetables that you throw in. 

Ingredients: 
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup lemon juice or White Balsamic vinegar (I personally prefer the Vinegar)
3 tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced
2 bunches green onions, diced
1 bunch kale/spinach or rocca leaves chopped
1 cup fresh parsley or coriander, chopped (I looooove the coriander!)

Directions: 

1. In a saucepan, boil the Quinoa with a pinch of salt until the grain opens up. This takes about 15mns. Drain the water and set aside to cool. 
   
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all the vegetables and stir in the cooled quinoa. 
   
3. Mix the olive oil and lemon juice/vinegar with a pinch of salt and add as much as desired to the salad, mixing well. Store any left over sauce in the fridge (it will keep for a day or two).
   

Tip: This salad also tastes delicious with some added dried fruits. I often add Goji Berries as I love the mix of sweet and lemon flavours and the chewy texture. Golden sultanas also work very well!

Makes: 4 Servings     
Preparation: 40mns 
Total time: 140mns (includes 60/90mns cooking of Barley)

Benefits:
As cereal grains go, barley is a winner when it comes to good nutrition.  This centuries-old grain is packed with fiber, contains important vitamins and minerals, is low in fat, and, like all plant products, cholesterol-free.  

Ingredients: 
2 red peppers
2 squash
Extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons juiced
Salt and pepper
2 fresh ginger root 
Fresh mint
200g Barley
4 plums

Directions: 

1. Wash and dry the peppers and grill them in the oven. Soak the grilled peppers in cold water to remove the skin, then dice and lay to dry.
   
2. Cut the squash into cubes and add them to the peppers in a bowl.
   
3. Cover the squash and peppers with olive oil, the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. 
   
4. Julienne the ginger root and add it to the vegetables along with some chopped fresh mint. Let it all sit for 20mns.  
   
5. Boil the barley in salted water  (1 cup ‘pearled’ barley + 3 cups water for 60mns/or 1 cup ‘hulled’ barley + 3cups water for 90mns). It should be soft but firm in the center. Drain and toss the barley with the vegetables. 
   
6. Core and dice the plums into small pieces and add to the mix. 
   
7. Garnish with mint.