Obviously during quarantine I have had plenty of time on my hands, and with my exercise being short runs or long, slow cycle rides with the kids I am not posting them as they are wholly unremarkable. I have, however, had time to cook and create recipes, and this post is one such. I designed this as a rustic, simple meal that is ideal recovery food to eat after exercising. Best of all, it can be made in bulk and eaten all week, or that is the way I do it anyway. Chickpeas are packed with good fat to make you full, protein for muscle recovery and they have a good nutrient density per calorie. Plus chickpeas are beans and as Dan Buettner of the Blue Zones fame established, beans are the basis of the diets of the longest lived people on Earth. Show me a centenarian and I will show you somebody who ate beans their whole life. Turmeric also is a natural anti-inflammatory. Quinoa is a grain that has a super low glycemic index score meaning that your insulin will not spike and there will be no food hangover. It is very versatile and will taste of whatever you use to flavour it.

Ingredients

• 300 grams of uncooked quinoa
• 100 grams of dried chickpeas soaked in lightly salted water overnight
• 1 lime
• 1 lemon
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 litre of vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Drain and thoroughly rinse the chickpeas, then set them boiling in a pan for thirty minutes – this can be done the previous day if that suits your schedule
2. Put the quinoa in a large pot, add the stock and the turmeric, and simmer on medium
3. Chop or mince the garlic, then zest and and juice the lemon and lime
4. Once the quinoa has absorbed the stock completely turn of the heat, rinse using a sieve and cold water and return to the same pot after giving it a quick clean to get rid of residue
5. Now combine the chickpeas and quinoa in the pot, mixing through
6. Add the cayenne pepper and chopped garlic clove, mix through
7. Add the citrus zest and juice, stir through and season to taste with salt and black pepper

At this point it is up to you whether you reheat it or serve it cold. It tastes great either way. You could even improvise and stuff pita breads with it, or serve on a sort of Greek flatbread, gyro style. This recipe is 3-4 servings so you are all set for the week when it comes to eating!