For me, quinoa can be the perfect lower-carb replacement for white rice, plus, it’s also more nutritious with a higher fiber and protein content. Bonus – it’s a lot easier to cook. You’ll see it pop up in many of my recipes.

Ingredients: 

(quantities are for 4 bowls)  

• 2 cups cooked quinoa (see tips for quantities and how to cook it) 

• 1 1/2 cups red kidney beans soaked overnight and cooked - or 1 tin 

• 4 avocados (1 for each bowl) 

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes 

• 1 cup walnuts  

• Sea salt, lemon and extra virgin olive oil for seasoning

Preparation: 

1. Cook the quinoa and set aside.  

2. Cook the soaked beans and rinse well. Note that I prefer to use grains and legumes raw and soak them and cook them myself, but you can always use tinned ones if time is an issue. 

3. In each serving bowl, add ½ cup of quinoa, ⅓ cup of red kidney beans (equivalent to 3 tbsp), 1 peeled and sliced avocado, ½ cup of sliced cherry tomatoes and a handful of walnuts. 

4. Dress with sea salt, lemon and extra virgin olive oil.

Tips:  About cooking quinoa. Quinoa doesn’t need to be soaked overnight so it is quick and easy to cook. Good to know: quinoa more than doubles when you cook it. For 2 cups of cooked quinoa you will need to cook ¾ of a cup in 1 1/2 cups of water. Cook at medium heat and with the lid a little open so the pot doesn’t boil over.