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Recipe: Taco salad
I make a variation of taco salad every few weeks. While Tex-Mex restaurants use the word “taco” as an excuse to load their salads with tortilla chips, I prefer to load mine with vegetables instead. This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free. You can omit the beef and double-up on beans for a vegan version. If you do eat meat you can swap the beef for pork, chicken or turkey (or a combination). If you prefer less heat, omit the fresh and pickled jalapeños, lower the amount of chipotle powder and omit the chilli flakes. If you want to make this recipe ahead of time, you can prepare the pico de…
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Recipe: Tacu tacu (Peruvian rice and beans)
Every developing country has a traditional rice and beans dish. In Perú we call it “tacu tacu” and it involves a little more than just rice plus beans on a plate. If eaten by itself, tacu tacu is gluten-free and vegan. However, tacu tacu is normally eaten as a side dish or with some add-on toppings. Common toppings include a fried egg, a fried egg + fried plantains (“a lo pobre” or poor style), a fried egg + fried plantains + steak, grilled or fried fish, seafood sauce, etc. I prefer to serve it with some protein and a salad and have included a list of traditional topping ideas in…
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What to do with canned beans
Canned beans are great additions to a healthy diet. They’re cheap, nutritious, convenient and shelf-stable. Keep reading if you’re looking for ideas on what to do with canned beans, chickpeas and lentils. Types of canned beans All types of legumes (e.g. beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas) can be found in canned form. In most cases, they’re either canned in water with or without salt, except for baked beans. Nutrient composition Canned beans, chickpeas and lentils are a good source of fibre and a decent source of protein, folate and other micronutrients. What’s nice about these legumes is that there’s virtually no nutritional difference between cooking them from dried or buying them…
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Recipe: Quinoa & mixed beans vegan bowls
These quinoa & mixed beans vegan bowls are inspired by Latin American food. Like the quinoa & lentil bowls, these are packed with plant-based protein, iron and fibre. The capsicum and lime provide vitamin C, which your body needs to absorb the non-haem iron. You will also get some healthy monounsaturated fats from the olive oil. These bowls taste great warm but can also be eating straight out of the fridge if you have leftovers. If you’re a vegetarian or omnivore, feel free to add or substitute part of the protein with other foods such as boiled eggs, cheese, tuna, smoked salmon or poached chicken. One final note: I have…
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Recipe: Chilli con carne
There are a million recipes to make chilli con carne and I can’t say mine is better nor more authentic (I’m Peruvian, not Mexican! nor American!) but I can definitely say it is pretty tasty. Once again I’ve used Feather and Bone’s fabulous organic mince with organs (super food!) to make it extra nutritious. You can serve it in any of the traditional ways: with rice, in nachos, topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc. I like to serve it with vegetables (e.g. steamed or roasted broccoli and/or cauliflower), topped with coriander, avocado and a squeeze of lime juice. However you decide to serve it, I hope you enjoy…
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Recipe: Double chocolate, adzuki and black sesame bliss balls
Double chocolate, that’s all you need to know. Don’t worry about the hippie stuff 🙂 Ok, ok, as you can gather from the recipe name, these balls have beans in them. Beans are a great source of fibre, low GI carbohydrate and a decent source of protein. They can cause gastrointestinal discomfort to some people, which can be minimised by preparation steps such as soaking, sprouting and fermenting. This recipe came about because I had rescued some adzuki beans from going in the bin. Since these beans are commonly used in desserts, I thought I’d make myself a healthy treat with them. I though I would continue with the Asian…
