From a miso macro bowl to a salmon or plant-based 'tabouleh' and ayurvedic dahl, these are low-calorie, low-fuss dinners you'll look forward to eating
Looking for healthy dinner ideas? Try one of these light, filling meals created by nutritionist and naturopath Rhian Stephenson. The founder of wellness company Artah is on a mission to help everyone adopt healthy eating habits for life. She has created a 3-Day Reset eating plan exclusively for Get The Gloss as a kickstart.
Miso Macro Bowl (vegan)
Ingredients
1 cup cooked brown rice (just over ½ cup raw) or quinoa
Large handful of spinach or kale, lightly steamed
½ small beetroot, grated
1 small carrot, grated
¼ squash, sliced or cubed and roasted
A few cherry tomatoes, sliced (optional)
¼ avocado, sliced
1 spring onion, sliced
2 tbsp creamy miso dressing
Creamy Miso Dressing
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp runny tahini
1.5 tbsp white miso paste
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Water
Salt & black pepper to taste
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180
2. Place the brown rice in a rice cooker or pot and cook as per package instructions until done.
3. Meanwhile, slice or cube the squash and drizzle with olive oil, 1 tsp paprika, and a pinch of sea salt. Roast until soft, about 30 minutes.
4. While the squash and rice are cooking, make the dressing by combining everything in a blender. If you would prefer to mix by hand, start by whisking the citrus and tahini until smooth. Add miso, seasoning, vinegar and olive oil and whisk vigorously until smooth. If too thick, add a few tbsp of water.
5. To assemble, grate beetroot and carrot. Slice the tomatoes, avocado and spring onions. Plate the rice, squash, and remaining veg. Top with a generous amount of miso dressing and enjoy immediately.
Cauliflower tabbouleh with Poached Salmon. Plant-based option - with pea and pistachio
Ingredients
½ head large cauliflower
1 bunch of mint, parsley, & coriander - about 50g each or more to your liking
2 spring onions
8 cherry tomatoes, diced
3-inch piece of cucumber, sliced with a peeler to make ribbons
salt and cracked black pepper
pinch of allspice (optional)
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp sumac
1 Fillet salmon, steamed or poached
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and black pepper
1 tbsp runny tahini or leftover miso dressing, to top
1 fillet salmon, poached or steamed
Plan- based option:
1 cup peas, thawed & cooked
A few tbsp pistachios or cashews, dry toasted
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180
2. To make the tabbouleh - pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it reaches a rice like consistency. If you don’t have a food processor you can use a knife to chop it finely. It won’t end up the quite as rice like, but it will be equally delicious.
3. Transfer to a bowl and toss with allspice, cumin, sumac, salt and olive oil. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes until it’s al dente – you don’t want the cauliflower to get too soft.
4. Remove and let cool on the baking tray while you prepare the rest of the salad..
5. If using salmon: bring a small pot of water to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Add 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp olive oil and few slices of lemon. Drop the salmon in and poach for about 10-12 minutes on a simmer, depending on the thickness of the salmon.
6. If plant based: cook peas in hot water for about 4 minutes and then drain and set aside. Chop pistachios or cashew – these are great toasted or raw. Smash with nuts, 1 tbsp olive oil and a bit of tahini or leftover miso dressing.
7. Throw the herbs and onion in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. As above, these can be hand chopped finely.
8. Dice tomato, slice cucumber, and then transfer to a bowl. Add herbs, cauliflower, lemon juice and the remaining olive oil. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
9. Serve with salmon or pea mash.
Ayurvedic Red Lentil Dahl (vegan)
Ingredients
250g or 1½ cups of soaked split red lentils, soaked overnight
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium white onion, finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp black/white pepper
1 tsp ground turmeric or ½ tsp of fresh grated turmeric
1 tsp fresh/ground ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garam masala/curry powder
2 tbsp tomato puree
50g/small handful grated carrot
50g/small handful grated sweet potato
200ml potable water
400g or 2 cups chopped tomato (fresh or tinned)
200ml coconut milk
sea salt & pepper, to season
Method
1. Cover the lentils in a bowl with cold water, then add 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar for each 250g of lentils and soak overnight. Drain and rinse when you are ready to use.
2. Sauté the onion and sliced garlic in the coconut oil for a few minutes, season with a little salt - this can also help with the onions catching in the pan - then add in all of the spices and cook these off to remove any raw taste, developing the flavours.
3. After a few more minutes stir in the tomato puree, followed by the grated carrot andd sweet potato. Leave to soften, stirring from time to time.
4. Now you can add in your drained lentils with the chopped tomato followed by half of your coconut milk and water. Leave this to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through.
5. To serve stir in the remaining half of coconut milk for a creamy finish, adding any optional toppings you wish. Will keep in the fridge for 3 days or freezes well in portions for an easy weekday lunch or dinner.