Chickpea ratatouille with chicken meatballs

Ingredients:

•     Chickpeas
•     3 cloves garlic
•     1 package chicken mince 200g
•     1 Squash
•     1 eggplant
•     1 bunch rosemary
•     1 big tomato
•     2 teaspoons olive oil, sea salt and black pepper
•     Apple vinegar
•     Cumin

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and peal the garlic.

Chickpeas
Drain the chickpeas and rinse them. Boil them in a pot with fresh water for about 45 minutes. Salt the cooking water toward the end of cooking time. Drain the chickpeas and season with 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt, pepper, vinegar and ½ garlic.

Meatballs
Mix the minced chicken with salt, pepper ½ garlic and cumin. Shape the meatballs and bake them for 20-25 minutes until firm and cooked through.

Vegetables
Wash all vegetables and cut the squash and eggplant into cubes. Finely chop the rosemary. Mix the squash and eggplant with rosemary and 1 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Put them in an ovenproof dish and bake them together with meatballs for 15-20 minutes until soft and golden.

Cut in the tomatoes into quarters and salt and pepper them.
Mix the chickpeas with the baked vegetables and tomatoes and top with meatballs.

Calories: 350 
Serves: 2

Time: 50 minutes

Health benefits: chickpeas are known for their high protein and fiber content, and also contain several key vitamins and minerals known to benefit human health. Some of the possible health benefits are diabetes, bone health, cancer, inflammation, digestion etc.

Vietnamese fresh spring rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 mango
• 1/2 cucumber
• 2 carrots
• 1 avocado
• 1 small pack sprouts
• 1 small pack sugar snap peas
• 1 handful cashew nuts or peanuts (chopped)
• fresh coriander (cilantro)
• fresh mint leaves
• Marinade: 
• 2 tbsp sesame oil 
• 2 tbsp water 
• 1 lime (juice) 
• 1/2 fresh chili (only if you eat spicy) 
• 1 clove garlic crushed  
• salt
• rice paper

Directions:

• Slice all the ingredients into thin sticks and arrange them on a platter. Prepare the marinade by mixing all ingredients in a bowl. 
• Warm some water in a large pot. Dip the rice paper in the water for about 10 sec until it becomes soft, spread it out on a plate. Put the ingredients in the middle of the rice paper, drip the marinade over the vegetables, fold the rice paper.

Calories: 190

Serves: 4

Time:  30 minutes

Health Benefits: The consumption of vegetables takes care of your digestive, excretory, and skeletal system, as well as blood pressure levels. Rich in antioxidants prevent diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular problems.  Provide high amounts of minerals and vitamins, promote healthy skin and hair and keep your weight under control.

Mint chocolate mousse

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados (only flesh)
• Mint essence
• 1 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp raw cocoa powder
• Fresh mint to decorate

Directions:

• Add all ingredients in a food blender until smooth, taste and season with more honey, mint essence or cocoa as desired. Serve in cocktail glasses.

Calories: 240

Serves: 2

Time: 15 minutes

Health Benefits: Raw cocoa is a super food with over 300 nutritional components, is one of the richest source of antioxidants on the planet. Some of the health benefits may include a sense of physical and mental wellbeing, can act as appetite suppressant and aphrodisiac. Improves digestion, lowers blood pressure and improves circulation. 

Scallops with asparagus sauce

Ingredients:

• 6 scallops
• Salt
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 150g warm chicken broth
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp canola or grapeseed oil

Directions:

• Use a potato peeler to shave the outer layer off the asparagus spears. Chop and boil the asparagus in a pot of salted water for 6-8 min. Remove, shower under cold water and mix in a blender together with half of the chicken broth until smooth
• Pour the sauce in a pot; add butter under low heat until the butter melts, season with salt and pepper
• Salt the scallops and dry with a paper towel, warm the oil in a pan high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-high heat and cook for 2 min each side until golden
• Pour the sauce in the middle of the plate and top with scallops, decorate and serve

Calories: 160

Serves: 2

Time:  30 minutes

Health Benefits: Asparagus contains a unique carbohydrate that promotes the growth of two types of healthy bacteria, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. Asparagus is high in vitamin C and helps boosting the immune system, high in folic acid beneficial for pregnant women, high in nutrients that have anti-inflammatory properties, strong antioxidants that can protect against free radicals etc.