It is with great pleasure that we offer you our very first culinary creation to help you stay healthy, longer. The theme: legumes. The consumption of legumes is omnipresent in all populations with a high rate of centenarians. This is probably due to their high nutritional quality and the replacement of meat consumption with vegetable proteins. We have put together a special recipe featuring beans and cruciferous vegetables. In order to better define the orientation of these in the context of healthy eating, we opted for a Mediterranean inspiration. Here is a delicious salad of three Mediterranean beans of Greco-Italian influence. We wish you a good appetite with the following delight:

Ingredients :

-1 red onion, cut into half strips
-3 cloves of minced garlic, de-germed if possible
-1 green pepper, diced
-1 yellow bell pepper, diced
-1 ½ cup cooked broccoli florets
-1 to 1 ½ cups cooked green beans (cut in half)
– ½ can chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
– ½ can red beans, drained and well rinsed
-½ cup dried tomatoes cut into small pieces
-1 small can of sliced black olives
-1 cup grated carrots
-¼ cup roasted pine nuts
-chopped fresh parsley (to taste)
-6 fresh mint leaves, chopped
– fresh basil (7-8 leaves minced)
* Feta cheese, as much as you desire

Vinaigrette :
-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
-Juice of a fresh lemon
-1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
-Salt and black or pink pepper
-A pinch of dried oregano
-1/8 teaspoon of turmeric

Method:

1- Prepare your vinaigrette first and let rest in the fridge. You will only have to give a small mix before adding to your salad.
2- Cook your broccoli and green beans in water or steam. It is good to keep a crunch in your vegetables.
3- Drain and rinse your canned beans and olives well in cold water. Cold water considerably reduces the salty and aqueous solution in which they soak.
4- Grate your carrots by hand or in a food processor.
5- Take a non-stick skillet and roast your pine nuts over medium heat until they lightly brown. Save for later.
6- Cut all the other vegetables mentioned in the recipe to start your salad. Take a large mixing bowl; put your vegetables and all your other ingredients previously set aside. Pine nuts, herbs and feta cheese are not included. Gently stir your salad with large spoons.
7- Cut the fine herbs and add them with the roasted pine nuts to your salad. Take your vinaigrette out of the fridge to sprinkle your salad and add unlimited feta cheese for serving.

Note: If you have cooked whole wheat pasta left over, don’t resist the urge to add it to your salad. This will make a variation and introduce whole grains that are so beneficial in fighting aging.

 

We invite you to give us your comments when you have tried it and tell us the recipe themes that would interest you for our next topics. Enjoy your meal!