Protein Packed Tomato Stew

I have had a lot of people ask me, "Where do you get your protein from?". "From my food.", is my response, because quite frankly it's the honest truth. I'm not one for supplementing and adding extra things to give me protein. I understand if you want to get extra protein without much effort, then protein powders in shakes or oats is a great way to get it. So this meal is to show those out there how easy it is to create a meal that is healthy, packed with protein and super yummy!

This meal can be paired with brown rice, more fresh spinach, and broccoli to add extra protein. You could also add some peas, carrots, or other beans into the stew to add even more protein. Use your imagination, you can't really go wrong when adding veggies into a stew. 

 This makes around 4-5 servings, depending on whether it is served with rice or not.

Nutritional facts (not exact): per serving ( 4 servings)

Calories: 245.75 cal

Protein: 14.25g

Carbohydrates: 36.75g

Fat: 2 

Ingredients:

- 1 diced Onion

- 2 minced Cloves garlic

- 1 cup sliced Mushrooms

- 2 cubed Potatoes 

- 2 cups Cauliflower

- 1-2 Canned tomatoes (depends on how much tomato flavour you'd like)

- 2 Tbsp Tomato sauce

- 1 cup Red lentils

- 1/4 cup Quinoa

- 3 cups Water

- 2 cups Spinach

- Spices: 1 tsp Smoked Paprika, 1 tsp Mixed herbs, Salt, and Pepper.

Method:

1. Par boil the potatoes in a bowl in the microwave for 10-15 minutes, just until they are starting to get soft. This shortens the time of the stew cooking, you don't have to do this step. You can add the potatoes in step 3 and then the cooking time will be determined on the softness of the potatoes. 

2. Fry onion and garlic in either some water or oil for 2-3 minutes. Add in mushrooms and cook until soft. 

3. Add in cauliflower, potatoes, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, red lentils, quinoa, and water. Stir this all together to incorporate the ingredients.

4. Add the spices, adjust to taste and mix well.

5. Leave the stew to cook, depending on the softness of the potatoes, for roughly 15-20 minutes.

6. 5 Minutes before serving, add the spinach.