I felt like a genius this weekend when one recipe was suitable for both ends of the spectrum.  A low sodium, vegan and nutritarian dish for me and a tasty option for the carnivores in my house.  A few simple tricks and everyone was happy.

Start off the recipe then add two things and you can avoid making two different meals for the whole gang!

White Bean Chili

Vegan/Nutritarian Version

2 onion, chopped and sautéed
1 green pepper chopped
2-4 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1.5 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 can diced green chillies – mild
5 cans navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 can navy beans and liquid puréed in the blender
2-4 cups low sodium broth or water with a no salt veggie bouillon cube – start with two cups and add more liquid if it dries up and needs to simmer a little longer..

To the sautéed onion add your chopped green pepper and sauté it a bit in water. When the pepper starts getting soft add the garlic and let it cook for a minute or two.

Dump everything else into the pot and let it come to a boil. Simmer until the beans get a bit soft.

Carnivore Modifications – 1 store-bought roasted chicken

Once the chili is ready, set some aside for the vegans/nutritarians to eat.  Take all the meat off the chicken and shred it finely.  Add it to the remaining chili and if necessary adjust the water and add salt.  Simmer and serve.

It’s not always easy to eat healthy, plant-based, nutritarian meals if it means you have to spend lots of time in the kitchen or if the end result is bland and boring.  This recipe makes it easier…it takes 40 mins until it’s on the table and it tastes great!

Now of course if you’re a nutritarian you know that removing oil and salt from your diet may make it hard to enjoy food and it may take a while to get used to so if you find yourself missing a little extra flavour from your meals then try this one.  Adding lemon juice at the end and using herbs and spices enhances the flavour without added salt.

Quick and Tasty Red lentils & Spinach

* 1 large onion, chopped

* 3 cloves of garlic, chopped

* 1 tsp ground cumin

* 1 tsp smoked hot paprika or regular paprika and red pepper flakes to taste

* 1 tsp dried oregano

* ¼ tsp or more black pepper

* 1 cup crushed tomato

* 1 cup red lentils

* 1.5 cups water or vegetable broth

* 1 300g pkg of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove all excess moisture

* juice of half a lemon

Finely chop the onion and water sauté it in a pan. When the onion is translucent and soft, add the garlic and sauté a bit more. Stir in the spices, lentils, tomato and water and let it simmer about 5-10 minutes until the lentils are almost cooked through.

Add the spinach and simmer a little bit more. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon to boost the flavour without adding salt. Serve this over steamed veggies and with a side of brown rice.

Note:If the mixture appears too dry before the lentils are cooked through add a little water after you add the spinach if the mixture needs it.  Also, if you taste the lentils before you add spinach don’t be alarmed if it tastes a bit bold…it’ll mellow out once you add the spinach.