Brought to you by Irish Dairy The Complete Natural
We’re always looking for something to spice up our meals.
Over the last few weeks, our days have become a bit monotonous. Of course, we’re getting our exercise in, video chats with friends, and keeping ourselves busy with work or different activities. Still, though, when you’re stuck in one house or apartment all day, it can start to feel a bit like Groundhog Day.
One way we’ve learned to keep things interesting and get things changing from day to day is to try out new recipes for different meals. This way we have something fresh and new breaking up the day, rather than preparing the same old dish on autopilot.
We also want to make sure that we’re getting all those necessary nutrients into our meals though. Lately, many of us are getting back to basics and trying traditional recipes, so no better time to reach for reliable staples, such as milk and other dairy foods. They are so versatile and work well in sweet or savoury dishes across the day.
Dairy is a source of many important nutrients, including calcium, protein, B vitamins, potassium, phosphorous, and iodine so, consumed in the right amounts, it’s a valuable addition to your daily meals. It’s got so much great stuff and it tastes delicious.
If you’re trying to think of ways to add some dairy into your meals, there are plenty of recipes over on The Complete Natural website. Sure there’s enough there to have you cooking something new every day of isolation!
For a deliciously nutritious brekkie, treat yourself with an old reliable – the granola and yoghurt bowl with plenty of fresh berries. A 125g pot of natural yoghurt provides 31 percent of the recommended daily intake of calcium and 24 percent of the recommended daily intake of riboflavin. Plus there’s plenty of protein, iodine and phosphorus in there too so you can start your day on a good note.
Or if you’re not a big breakfast person and you’d generally opt for something lighter, just mix a small pot of natural yoghurt with almond butter and eat it as a dip with some apple slices. Refreshing and protein-rich.
When you’re getting hungry for lunch, why not whip up a scrumptious spinach and cheese omelette? They’re easy to make, they’re filling, and they’re packed full of great ingredients. Adding a portion of cheddar cheese will give you 23 percent of the daily recommended intake of calcium and 10 percent for zinc, which is an important nutrient for supporting the immune system. Ideal.
Now it’s dinner. The best meal of the day. And we’ve found our new favourite dish.
When we stumbled across this cheesy chilli con carne on The Complete Natural website, we just had to try it. It’s packed with vitamin B12 – gotta keep those cells healthy – and looks SO tasty. We tried it out and it’s pretty much as good as it looks. We had to share the recipe with you so that you too could feast upon this wonderful dish.
Cheesy Chilli Con Carne
Ingredients:
Coconut oil
Olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 chilli, finely chopped
2 tsp paprika
800g lean minced beef
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
500ml beef stock
5 tbsp tomato purée
400g tin of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
125g grated cheddar cheese
250g natural yogurt
Handful of chives, chopped
Handful of coriander leaves
Brown rice, to serve
Preparation:
1. Heat a tbsp coconut oil in a large pan over a medium heat.
2. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
3. Add the garlic, chilli and paprika and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Heat a tbsp olive oil in another large pan over a medium heat. Add the beef and cook for about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked mince, discarding the fat in the pan.
5. Place the cooked mince into the pan with the onions.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, celery, peppers, stocks, and tomato purée and stir well.
7. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, mix the yoghurt and chives in a medium bowl and set aside.
9. When you are ready to serve, ladle the chilli into bowls and top each portion with a tablespoon of the yoghurt, chives and cheese. Sprinkle the coriander on top. Serve with brown rice.
Already getting excited for dinner? Because we certainly are.
Brought to you by Irish Dairy The Complete Natural
For full information on necessary nutrients and recommended daily food intakes, visit the HSE’s Healthy Eating Guides.
