Tag: easy recipe

Roasted Carrot and Yellow Split Pea Hummus

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Visiting the historical town of Winchester, we decided to stop for lunch at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Kitchen. We shared a starter of a mixed mezze board, but the single dish that stood out from the board for me was the carrot and yellow split pea hummus.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, it may have been the best hummus I have ever had. So I trawled through Hugh’s books to find a recipe, but alas, there were none to be found. So I have endeavoured to make my own.

Cooked Yellow Split Peas

Split peas are a great addition to your diet, naturally low in fat, high in plant-based protein and a source of fibre. We can often forget about including beans and pulses in as part of our weekly plant food diversity, but we should be aiming to eat from all 6 categories of plant-based foods; fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes. This particular recipe covers 4 out of the 6 groups, and by adding some wholegrain crackers, perhaps even topped with nuts you could maximise the diversity of your diet.

Serves 6

Recipe

  • 100g split yellow peas
  • 2 carrots, washed and chopped into large pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic, skins on
  • 30g tahini
  • 40ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 90ml water (you may need more or less depending on the texture you wish for)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 30g flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • Juice of a lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

To serve

  • Fresh Parsley leaves
  • Nigella seeds
  • Vegetable crudites e.g. carrots, radish, cauliflower
  • Crackers

Method

  • Wash the split peas in cold water, then top with 500ml water and bring to the boil for 10 minutes before lowering the heat to a gentile simmer for 25 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.
  • When the peas are simmering, roast the carrots and garlic cloves in the oven preheated to 180 ° C/170 ° C Fan/GM4 for 20 minutes. Allow to cool.
  • Add the cooked peas, carrots and garlic clove, removing the skin, to a food processor. Add the tahini, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, water, spices and parsley and blend. Season to taste and add more water if the dip remains too thick.
  • Serve sprinkled with nigella seeds and fresh parsley leaves.

Per serving 107kcal/ 3.6g fat/ 2.0g saturated fat/ 11.6g carbohydrates/ 3.1g fibre/ 5.3g protein

Blueberry Compote

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Blueberries have been shown to have health benefits for our hearts. So this St. Valentine’s Day why not treat the one you love to a heart healthy meal!

In a recent study published by the polyphenol research group at King’s College London, researched demonstrated that consumption of blueberries every day helped reduce endothelial function in healthy humans. Endothelial function is a marker of heart health

In addition, the same authors noted a decrease in systolic blood pressure of around 5 mmHg, about the equivalent shown in clinical trials using medical agents to lower blood pressure.

The only caveat to this research is that the study used wild blueberries, not commercially grown blueberries, so results might not be completely comparable when using shop bought berries. However, blueberries can be part of a healthy diet and there is no reason not to include them in your diet, and in addition there are lots of other important nutritional factors found in blueberries including fibre, vitamins and minerals which contribute to a healthy diet.

My easy blueberry compote takes just 5 minutes and only uses 3 ingredients. In addition you can store it in the fridge for a week, or freeze in portions ready to use at short notice.

Recipe

  • 250g fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 10g chia seeds

Method

  • Place the blueberries and honey into a pan and cook on the lowest heat on your hob, stirring occasionally. Cook for around 4 minutes till all the blueberries have burst open.
  • Remove from the heat and add the chia seeds. Stir in and allow to thicken for 1 minute.

Delicious served on top of porridge for breakfast, with yoghurt for a quick pudding, or with French toast for brunch as I have done.

Per serving 115kcal/ 1.8g fat/ 0.3g saturated fat/ 41.2g carbohydrates/ 4.7g fibre/ 1.8g protein

Vegan Chickpea Curry

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This is my store cupboard staples easy curry. I always have the tinned goods in my cupboard as backup should I find myself without anything fresh to cook with. And the best part is it taste better a day or two old, so there’s no reason why you can’t make it on a Sunday, as I have, ready for a quick and nutritious no-fuss mid-week meal.

It’s also perfect for those doing Veganuary as it is naturally vegan, and as a bonus contains over 9g of plant based protein.

Eating the rainbow

This dish is versatile in the number of plant foods, containing an array of 7 different herbs and spices to complement 8 different plant ingredients. Add the rice and you’re well on your way to your 30 different plant foods for the week. In addition, it is an excellent source of fibre, containing half the recommended daily fibre intake of 30g just in this dish alone.

Cook the curry till thick

The trick to this dish is to cook it as slow and long as possible. If you don’t have much time to hand, it is still delicious if made within the hour, but if you have time, keep cooking on the lowest setting of your hob and top up with water when required. You could even get the curry ready, leave it overnight in the fridge and then quickly reheat it with the coconut milk and spinach the next day for a fast dinner.

The only other recommendation I can make would be to count in the cardamon pods and cloves. I hate nothing more than biting down on a whole clove mid way through my meal. Clove has a numbing effect, and is often used to help relieve tooth ache, not something I want to experience while eating my dinner. So, like a surgeon, I count them in, and then count them back out before serving, hopefully finding them all.

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 thumb sized piece of ginger
  • 5-6 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tsp onion seeds
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp cardamon seeds
  • 6 whole cloves
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp chilli powder, or to taste
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ~15 curry leaves
  • 35g tomato puree
  • 2 tins of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 400g tinned tomatoes
  • 30g fresh coriander, chopped
  • 200ml coconut milk
  • 300g baby spinach leaves
Use a pestle and mortar to crush the ginger and garlic

Method

  • Add the onions and rapeseed oil to a large pan and cook gently till the onions soften and become translucent.
  • Meanwhile, make a garlic and ginger paste in a pestle and mortar, bashing till as smooth as possible.
  • Add the garlic ginger paste, all the dried herbs and spices, tomato puree and chickpeas to the pan and cook together for 1 minute before adding the tinned tomatoes. Fill the empty tin with water and add the the pan.
  • Add the chopped coriander and allow to gently simmer away for an hour, or longer if you have the time. If the liquid reduces too much add some extra water.
  • 10 minutes before serving, add the coconut milk and spinach before returning to the heat to allow the spinach to wilt. Season to taste.
  • Remove the cardamon pods and whole cloves, and serve with rice or naan.

Per serving 258kcal/ 13.6g fat/ 1.3g saturated fat/ 21.8g carbohydrates/ 15.9g fibre/ 9.3g protein

Cheats Refried Beans

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Refried beans are a party food staple in my house. I always make them whenever I’m having a gathering, but I have to be prepared and start the day before. However, this is the cheats version. I say cheat because I’m using already cooked beans from the tin. No need for soaking over night, or boiling for hours. You can decide to make these an hour before serving, without compromising on the taste.

This is a really versatile dip, something I always make in large batches as it sits well in the fridge for a week, ready to be lovingly transformed into the next meal. I love using this as a spread in a wrap for a burrito, quesadillas with melted cheese, enchiladas or even tostadas if you’re feeling fancy!

In addition, you can easily make these vegan. The recipe below is vegetarian, but if you replace the butter with rapeseed oil in the base mix, you’ll be all set for Veganuary. Then you can either use them as is, or use a vegan sour cream and cheese alternative to make the full on refried beans experience.

All that’s left to say is Happy New Year and enjoy whatever you’re doing (and eating)!

Serves 4

Recipe

  • 1 tin of black beans
  • 3-4 large cloves of garlic, sliced in half
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 1 small bunch of coriander, stalks separated from leaves, leaves chopped
  • 3 fresh bayleaves, crushed
  • 1 red onion, finely diced
  • 20g butter (or rapeseed oil if making vegan)
  • 1 garlic clove, finely sliced

To serve (optional)

  • Soured cream
  • Cheese e.g. Cheddar, Cheshire or Wensleydale
  • Coriander leaves
  • Tortilla chips

Method

  • Pour the tin of black beans with their water into a pan. Fill the can with water and add to the beans.
  • Add the half onion, halved garlic, bayleaves and coriander stalks. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. If your beans were unsalted, add in salt to your taste.
  • Meanwhile, gently fry the red onion in your choice of fat till softened. Add the garlic and continue cooking for a further 2 minutes.
  • Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard the garlic, bayleaf, onion and coriander stalks.
  • Blend the beans with a little of the cooking water till the desired thickened of dipping. I like to keep mine quite chunky.
  • Add the fried onion and garlic and half the chopped coriander leaves.
  • Top with soured cream, cheese and more coriander leaves and serve with tortilla chips.

Per Serving of Beans 96kcal/ 2.6g fat/ 1.5g saturated fat/ 11.2g carbohydrates/ 4.7 fibre/ 4.9g protein

Refried beans
Refried beans