Food And Nutrition
Vegan French toast with berries
This vegan French toast uses ‘aquafaba’ (the liquid drained from a can of chickpeas) mixed with maple syrup and vanilla to perk up white bread. Delicious with berries and a dusting of icing sugar.
Ingredients
- 400g/14oz can organic chickpeas
- 1 tsp maple syrup, plus extra for drizzling
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 4 thick slices white bread, each around 2cm/¾ in
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 200g/7oz fresh mixed berries, such as raspberries, blueberries and strawberries,
- 2 tsp icing sugar
Method
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Drain the chickpeas in a sieve over a jug – you should have around 150ml/5fl oz of aquafaba liquid. Weigh out 50g/1¾oz of the liquid. If you need to make more French toast, you can double or triple the ingredients. Keep the remaining chickpea water and chickpeas covered in the fridge for up to three days and use in other recipes.
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Mix the 50g/1¾oz aquafaba, maple syrup and vanilla in a medium bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Brush the bread on both sides with the aquafaba mixture until it is used up.
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Place the bread carefully into the hot pan and cook over a medium heat for around 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Move the bread as it cooks so that it doesn’t stick.
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Pour the remaining oil into the pan and turn the bread over. Cook on the other side for around 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
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Transfer the French toast to two plates and top with the berries. Dust with sifted icing sugar and serve with extra maple syrup for drizzling if you like.
This healthy slow cooker tagine is the friend you want to see at the end of the day. You can even prepare it the night before and pop it in the fridge (in the slow cooker bowl) ready to cook in the morning. Serve with brown rice or whole wheat couscous.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, cut into chunks
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 4 carrots, cut into chunks
- 2 parsnips, cut into chunks
- 2 peppers (any colour), seeds removed, cut into chunks
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- ½ lemon, juice only
Method
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Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and chicken and fry for 5 minutes, or until the onions have softened and the chicken is golden. Stir in the spices and then transfer to the slow cooker.
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Put the carrots, parsnips, peppers and oregano into the slow cooker. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, then half-fill the tin with water and add to the slow cooker. Add the chickpeas, tomato purée and lemon juice.
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Cook on low for 5–7 hours. The chicken should be falling off the bone. You can serve it as is or remove the bones before serving, with brown rice or wholewheat couscous.
Ingredients
For the barbecue spice mix
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper (or paprika, if you like less heat)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the filling
- 200g/7oz skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 150g/50oz broccoli, roughly chopped
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
- 4 spring onions, roughly chopped
- 225g/8oz cooked basmati rice
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tsp paprika
- squeeze lime juice (optional)
- 2 tsp finely chopped coriander
- 2 tortilla wraps
Method
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Mix together the barbecue spice mix ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
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Add half of the spice mix to the chicken and mix well.
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Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat, add the chicken and brown all over. Check the chicken is cooked by removing a piece from the pan and cutting it open. If there is no trace of pink, the chicken is cooked. Transfer the chicken onto a plate and set aside..
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In the same pan, add the broccoli and peppers and fry for 4 minutes. Add the spring onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice, tomato purée, paprika, remaining barbecue seasoning mixture and a splash of water to the pan. Add the chicken back into the pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
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Add a splash of lime juice at the end if you want some extra zing. Sprinkle over the coriander.
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Microwave the wraps for 10 seconds to soften, then stuff with the rice and chicken and enjoy!
Texas-style beans are like nothing else. If you’re used to baked beans, these are not what you’re in for. Texas-style beans incorporate the savory of salt pork, the sweet of sugar, a bit of spice and the heartiness of well-cooked pinto beans to make what can only be called the best way to have beans period. Served as a main dish alongside cornbread, this recipe is a great idea for large parties.
