spiced black bean nachos

Ingredients

 1 onion, chopped

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 green chilli, chopped (seeds removed if you don't want it really hot)

1 tin black beans, drained but not rinsed

1 tsp each of cayenne pepper/cumin/garlic powder/smoked paprika/coriander/oregano

1 bag of tortilla chips

grated cheese

1 tomato, chopped or some salsa

sour cream

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Fry the onion in some oil. Add the drained beans, tomatoes, herbs and spices and half of the chilli. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stirring occasionally allow it to cook for about 10 minutes until thickened and the liquid has reduced down and doesn't pool in the bottom of the pan. 

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Line with one layer of tortilla chips. Spoon on half the black bean mixture and sprinkle on half the cheese. Do another layer of the same again. Bake for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the edges of the chips are browning. Remove from the oven and top with sliced chilli, sour cream and tomatoes/salsa. 

Lentil bolognaise

 Ingredients

1 white onion, finely chopped

1 red onion, finely chopped 

1 stick celery, finely chopped

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced

6 oz tin tomato purée

Two 400g tins chopped tomato

400g tomato passata

2 tbsp dried basil

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 cups red lentils, rinsed

2 cups water

Method

Fry onions, celery and carrot in olive oil for  about 10 minutes until softened.

Add garlic and tomato purée, stir in and cook for 1 minute.

Add passata, tinned tomatoes and herbs, and season to taste. Stir well.

Stir in the lentils and water.

Simmer for 20-30 mins until lentils have softened. 

Serve with spaghetti. 

Caribbean Sweet Potato Curry

Ingredients

2 onions, sliced

Seasoning Paste
2" ginger, peeled
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp jerk seasoning - see tips below
100 ml pineapple juice
1 tbsp dried coriander
1 tbsp dried thyme

2 cans chopped tomato
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp dark brown sugar
500 ml vegetable stock
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tins black beans, drained and rinsed
large jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced

Method
Fry the two onions in oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, blend all the seasoning paste ingredients together with a hand blender.

Add the paste to the onion in the pan and fry for a few minutes until flavours come out.

Add the chopped tomatoes, vinegar, sugar and stock. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, cook for another 12 - 15 minutes more.

Add in the beans and peppers and simmer for another 5 minutes until the sweet potatoes are done. Serve with rice and scatter with coriander leaves.

Tips
Swill the hand blender around in the stock to clean it of the debris from the paste so you don't waste any.

I buy the 200 ml lunchbox size pineapple juices, and I use the other 100 ml to make up part of the stock.

Jerk seasoning that you buy in the shops is really heavy on salt. I like to make up my own. Might not be completely authentic but I like the taste of it. I keep it in a kilner jar.

2 tbsp ground allspice
2 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp onion granules
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander

Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into chunks
3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 white onions, finely chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
250g red lentils
2 tins tomatoes
tube of tomato puree
600 ml stock
2 tsp ea. oregano, coriander, thyme, cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle powder
Tortilla wraps
Sour cream
Grated cheese

Method
Preheat the oven and roast the red pepper. Fry the sweet potato, carrots, onion, garlic and celery for 15 minutes until soft.

Add in the red pepper, lentils, tomatoes, tomato puree, stock, herbs and spices. Simmer for 20 mins until the lentils are cooked.

Grease an ovenproof dish. Line the bottom of the dish with a couple of spoonfuls of the mixture. Lay a wrap out flat and put a few spoonfuls of mixture in the middle. Fold in the ends and fold over the wrap, please seam side down in the dish. Repeat until the dish is full. Cover with tinfoil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Mix the sour cream and grated cheese together. Remove tinfoil, put the sour cream mix on top of the enchiladas and place back in the oven for 15 mins until the mixture is melted and the enchiladas are crispy at the edges

mongolian beef

Pack of beef stir fry strips
2 onions, sliced
3 tbsp cornflour
80 ml soy sauce
100 ml water
80 grams dark brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 inches ginger, grated
1 tbsp chilli flakes

Coat the beef in the cornflour and set aside.
Fry the onion, garlic and ginger in oil on the pan for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, water and sugar, stir until mixed and bring back to the boil. Pour off into a bowl and set aside.
Add some more oil to the pan and fry the beef for a few minutes, adding a little water if it sticks. Add the sauce back on, bring back to the boil, add more water if it's too thick, and serve on a bed of rice.

Bean Enchiladas

2 white onions, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 large carrots, grated/julienne
250 g red lentils, rinsed
2 tins tomatoes
2 tins beans, drained and rinsed (I used 1 tin cannellini beans, 1 tin mixed beans)
Chipotle, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder

Sour cream and grated mature cheddar

Preheat oven to 190C. Fry the onions, garlic and carrots in oil for 10 minutes.
Add the spices, lentils and tinned tomatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes.
Add the beans and bring back to the boil, simmer for a few minutes.
Spread a layer of bean mixture in the bottom of the cooking dish.
Take a tortilla and spoon some mixture along the centre. Tuck in the ends, roll up and place in the dish. Repeat until the dish is full. Spoon some more mixture on top.
Mix the cheese and sour cream together and spoon on top of the enchiladas down the middle.
Bake in the oven until bubbling and the cheese mixture on top is starting to brown, about 15 minutes.

Easy Veggie Stirfry

Two cloves of garlic, grated/crushed
1 inch ginger, peeled and grated
1 red onion, sliced
1 white onion, sliced
3 carrots, julienned
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
100g baby corn, cut in half
1 courgette, julienned
4 balls frozen spinach, thawed
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce

Noodles to serve

Heat 2 tbsp rapeseed oil in a wok/pan. When hot, add the garlic, ginger and onions and fry for a couple of minutes, stirring to ensure they don't brown.

Add the carrots, peppers and corn. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Start boiling the noodles.

Add the courgette and spinach. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring.

Add the sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce. Stir well and cook for another minute or two. Serve over noodles.