Warm pan of garbanzo beans, chorizo, spinach and goat cheese

May 31, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

I just love healthy and flavorsome food that is easy to prepare.

Serves 4 to 6
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups baby spinach
Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 medium onion, thinly sliced into half moons
3 roasted red peppers, preferably packed in oil, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 chorizo sausages, chopped
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
One 14oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/4 cup goat cheese (chèvre) crumbled

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide saucepan. Add the spinach and toss to coat. Heat the spinach until it begins to wilt, about 4 minutes, then add the red wine vinegar and a pinch of kosher salt. Remove the spinach into a bowl.

Add the onion, the roasted red pepper, and the garlic to the pan. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the chorizo. (If the chorizo is not cured, make sure to cook it through, about 5 to 7 minutes.) Add the paprika and the cayenne. Add the chickpeas, then stir everything together. Taste and correct the salt, as needed.

Stir in the reserved spinach, then the chives and the parsley, and finally top with the chèvre. Lightly stir through. Serve warm with crusty bread

Fish

Salmon on salsa with black beans, corn and cumin

March 22, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

Now that Spring is here, I am trying to find lighter meals with interesting spices. This is a really super light meal and the salsa is divine eaten with salmon or just scooped up in tortilla chips. Don’t refrigerate it as the tomato will turn pulpy.

Serves 4

The Salsa
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 scallions, green parts chopped only
1 medium red onion, chopped medium fine
10 ripe plum tomatoes, diced, with juices and pips removed
1 x 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small tin of sweet corn niblets, drained
4 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped finely (I only use 1)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)
1 tbsp ground roasted cumin (I like to roast my own)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the salmon
4 salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each, skinned and boned
2 tbsp coarse grain mustard
3/4 to 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 to 3 tbsps olive oil

To serve
4 cilantro sprigs
4 lime wedges

In a large bowl, combine the garlic, scallions, red onion, tomato, corn, black beans, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, taste for seasoning, cover and set aside.

Pat the salmon fillets dry. Brush each side with the grainy mustard and sprinkle with the coarse pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.Add the oil.
Saute the fish fillets for 4 to 5 minutes on each side- don’t overcook though, so keep an eye on it. The fish should be a little pink in the middle and very moist.

Spoon some salsa onto the plates, lay a salmon fillet on top and garnish with the cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.

Only 305 calories per serving!

Poultry

Pulled chicken tacos

January 2, 2015February 8, 2016 Belinda

If you’re like me and adore pulled pork, but don’t want the calories, try this recipe. It’s divine!!
A great recipe from the good old BBC Good Food website

Serves 6

8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed and trimmed of any big bits of fat.
2 tbsp chipotle paste
8 oz tomato passata
5 tbsp barbeque sauce (your favorite one)
1 onion, chopped
Juice of 3 limes, plus extra wedges to serve
2 x 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can refried bens
1 ripe avocado, diced
1/2 pack cilantro, leaves only
shredded iceberg lettuce
8 to 12 tacos or cooked white rice to serve

Heat the oven to 350 F.
Rub the chicken thighs with 1 tbsp of the chipotle paste and some seasoning. Mix the remaining chipotle paste with the passata, barbeque sauce, 4 fl oz water or chicken broth and half the onion.
Spoon the sauce into a roasting tin that will fit the chicken snugly in a single layer and add the chicken thighs.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour, then uncover, increase the oven to 400 F and bake for another 20 mins.
Meanwhile, mix the remaining onion with the lime juice and some salt, and set aside while the chicken cooks. Mix all the beans in a saucepan with 4 fl oz water or chicken broth, ready to heat to serve.
When the chicken is really tender, use two forks to shred the meat into the sauce (discard the bones). Keep covered with the foil while you heat the beans for 5-10 mins until piping hot and not too wet. Warm the tacos following the pack instructions. Stir the avocado and cilantro leaves into the lime-onion mixture.
Serve the pulled chicken and beans with shredded lettuce and tacos, or rice and lime wedges to squeeze over, if you like.
Top with a spoonful of the avocado salsa.

Do-ahead · Meat

Rich and warming braised sausages

September 29, 2014September 7, 2022 Belinda

I adore sausages and of all meat, sausages and bacon are the ones I would miss the most if I ever became vegetarian. This is a hearty, flavorful and warming braise, great for those Fall and Winter evenings and all it needs is some good mashed potato to soak up the juices.

Serves 4

2 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
12 of your favorite pork sausages
6 rashers bacon, rinds removed and cut into 1 inch lengths
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 to 1 tsp smoked paprika
1 x 14oz can chopped San Marzano tomatoes
10 fl oz chicken stock
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp dark brown sugar (Muscovado is great)
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 fl oz red or white wine
1 x 14oz can butter beans or another type of bean you like, drained and rinsed
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large non stick frying pan and fry the sausages gently for 10 mins, turning every now and then until nicely browned all over. Transfer to a large saucepan or a flameproof baking dish and set aside.
Fry the bacon pieces in the frying pan until they begin to brown and crisp then add to the sausages
Place the onions in the frying pan and fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes until they begin to soften, stirring often. You should have enough fat in the pan, but if not, add the other tbsp of oil.
Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more until the onions turn a pale-golden color, stirring frequently.
Sprinkle over the smoked paprika and cook together for a few seconds longer.
Stir in the tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and herbs.
Pour over the wine and bring to a simmer.
Tip carefully into the pan with the sausages and bacon and return to a simmer, then reduce the heat, cover the pan loosely with a lid or aluminum foil and leave to simmer very gently for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Alternatively, you can cook it in the oven at 350 F for 45 minutes.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Meat

Simple summer stew of tomato, merguez sausage and cannellini beans

August 29, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

Such a simple, summery stew to serve with just a green salad. if you can’t find merguez sausage, try using chorizo. This is so easy to throw together and full of flavor, thanks to the sausage.

Serves 4
A splash of olive oil
6 Merguez or Chorizo sausages
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1lb 6oz ripe tomatoes
7 fl oz chicken stock
2 x 15 oz cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
A good handful Italian parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan or Le Creuset braiser on high heat. Roughly chop the sausages and fry until browned and beginning to crisp around the edges. transfer to a plate and lower the heat to medium.
Add the onion to the pan and fry for about 5 mins or until softened, adding the crushed garlic to the pan after a couple of minutes so it doesn’t burn.
Quarter the tomatoes, then add to the pan with the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Season and stir, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the Cannellini beans to the pan with the browned sausages. Simmer for 10 mins or until the sausages are cooked through and the sauce is thickened.
Roughly chop the parsley, then stir through the stew. Divide it among 4 serving bowls. Sprinkle with ground black pepper and serve with some crusty bread and a green salad.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Soup

Spinach, leek and white bean soup

July 16, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda

We are soup fanatics in our house, any time of the year. I made this soup recently because dear friends of ours were having their first baby at the hospital over the road from us, and ended up staying with us for several days before and after. New mom was very anaemic so I was trying to come up with high-iron meals. After some research I read that spinach and white beans are very high in iron.
Well, typical me, I can’t just make a small batch of soup, I made enough for 20 people, but they ended up taking the rest home. If you’re going to make a little soup, you might as well make a lot. That’s my mantra!
This one I made up out of whatever I had in the fridge and pantry and it ended up being really good, so I made it again today and wrote down what I was doing. There are some rather weird ingredients in it, but it all helps to layer the flavors.

2 tbsp butter and 4 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 x 4oz pack chopped pancetta (you could use 4 rashers (slices) of bacon too)
6 leeks, cleaned and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cubed small
2 x 15oz cans white kidney or cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
2 x 11oz packs (22 oz) fresh spinach
1 tbsp medium curry powder (If you want a real curried flavor, add 2 tbsp. 1 tbsp just gives it a certain “je ne c’est quoi”)
3/4 tbsp instant chicken Bouillon granules
3 x large (49oz) tins Chicken broth
A little salt and ground black pepper
8 oz cream cheese, at room temp

Get your largest saucepan, preferably a tall stockpot and put in the oil and butter. Heat gently and add the onions, garlic, pancetta, leeks and potato and saute, stirring occasionally.
Add the white beans and curry powder and season with a little salt and pepper.

Add the chicken broth and chicken stock granules and bring to a simmer. Add the spinach and keep pressing it down into the liquid with a wooden spoon until it wilts and shrinks considerably. Stir occasionally and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

After 30 mins, take the soup of the heat and set aside to cool for an hour or two. this way, when you blend it in the liquidizer, the steam won’t cause it to burst the lid off and cover you and your surroundings with soup!
When cooled a little, start blending it in a blender, add tablespoons of the cream cheese to each batch until you have used it all up. This gives it a really silky, creamy texture. When all is blended, return to the large pan and bring to a simmer and serve
Serve. (You can cool the soup and freeze it in batches at this point)

Gluten Free · Salad · Vegan

Lemony lentils and chickpea salad with radishes and herbs

July 2, 2014February 8, 2016 Belinda

I love those main course salads you can serve for lunch or dinner on a hot summers day. This is a fresh and filling salad flavored with lemon, fresh mint and dill. Use the ready-cooked vacuum packed lentils you can buy and canned chickpeas for a meal ready in under 20 minutes. This salad keeps well for a few days in the fridge too.

1 x 17 oz vacuum pack steamed Puy lentils
2 large garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil

Lemon dressing
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 medium lemons’ worth)
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
3 cloves garlic,minced
¼ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad
1 (14 ounce) can cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1/2 small-ish red onion, finely chopped
1 big bunch of radishes, sliced thin and roughly chopped
¼ cup packed fresh, leafy herbs, chopped (combination of mint and dill recommended)
Optional garnishes: sliced avocado, crumbled feta or goat cheese, handful of fresh leafy greens, like baby arugula

To make the dressing: Whisk together the ingredients in a small bowl.
In a microwaveable container, heat the lentils in a microwave for 3 to 4 minutes. When heated through, throw them into a large serving bowl along with the garbanzo beans (chickpeas), chopped radishes, red onion and herbs. Drizzle in the dressing and toss to combine. Serve with avocado, crumbled cheese or fresh greens if you’d like.

Asian flavors · Curry · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegan

Butternut squash curry with garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

May 1, 2014September 8, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

I am a curry freak, but don’t always want a meat curry. This is such a fabulous vegetarian alternative that you will cook many times.

Serves 4
1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
2 tbsp Thai yellow curry paste (I buy this brand on Amazon.com and it lasts for months in the fridge. Actually, I have a red, green and yellow curry from the same brand.) You can also use 3 tbsp of the curry paste if you like really spicy. It’s worth playing around with it.

2 onions, finely chopped
3 large stalks lemongrass, bashed with the back of a knife
6 green cardamon pods
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 piece of butternut squash,peeled and cubed in 3/4″ inch pieces, weighing about 2lbs
8 fluid ounces vegetable or chicken stock
15 fl oz can coconut milk
15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 large limes
A large handful fresh mint
naan bread or steamed rice , to serve

Heat the oil in a saute pan, then gently fry the curry paste with the onions, lemongrass, cardamon pods and mustard seeds for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
Stir in the butternut squash and coat in the paste, then pour in the stock and coconut milk.
Bring everything to a simmer, add the chick peas, then cook for about 10 minutes or until the squash is tender.
The curry can now be cooled and frozen for up to 1 month.
Squeeze the juice of one lime into the curry, then cut the other lime into wedges to serve alongside.
Just before serving, tear the mint leaves up, then bring to the table with the lime wedges and rice or warmed naan breads.