It can be hard to creat Vegetarian, Fast Diet Friendly Food when there really isn't much fresh food in the fridge. It was a challenge but it's one I'm glad I accepted, I've ended up with a great recipe that I'll return to again and again!
Tomorrow Ed (my partner) and I are off on hols to Portugal. So naturally we have been clearing out the fridge for the last few days in an attempt to limited wasted food, only one problem with that... there was a real lack of vegetables for me to have my usual 5:2 feast this evening. In fact, in terms of fresh produce our chiller box contained a 1/4 of a yellow pepper that had seen better days, a few spring onions (scallions) and a handful of slightly limp coriander. Hardly sounds like the making of a satisfying dinner for two people, one of whom hadn't eaten all day!
Luckily however I've got a fairly well stocked pantry (well, it's not actually a pantry as opposed to a set of shelves but I like to think it has much of what would be included in one). Having sent Ed to the shop for yoghurt and armed with tins and a tip from someone on a 52 diet forum to check for sweetcorn lurking at the back, I set about making a Mexican Black Bean Soup. In actual fact, this recipe has turned out to be my favourite 5:2 meal yet.
5:2 Diet Recipe: Mexican Black Bean Soup (390 calories)
Serves 2
1 small onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
1/4 yellow pepper (diced)
1 x tin of black beans - drained
1 x tin of plum/chopped tomatoes
1 x small tin of sweetcorn
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp Hot Paprika
1 tsp Chilli Flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 veggie stock cube
600ml water
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
3 spring onions
15g fresh coriander
2 tbsp fat free yoghurt
1. Fry the onions off in a few sprays of spray oil and some water to stop them browning too much.
2 Add in the garlic, yellow pepper and ends of the spring onions and fry off for a couple more minutes before putting all the spices in the pan. Cook off for another 2-3 minutes, add a splash of water if it looks like the spiced will burn.
3. Add the tinned beans, tomatoes and two thirds of the sweetcorn along with the stock cube and the water.
4. Bring to a simmer and leave uncovered for bout 20 minutes until it has thickened and the liquid has reduced by about a third.
5. While the soup is bubbling away take the rest of the spring onions and sweetcorn and put in a dry frying pan. Dry fry until the edges are just starting to char. They'll give on a fantastic aroma not dissimilar to popcorn.
6. When the soup has reduced down put in all but a smattering of the coriander leaves. Add in the lemon juice and seasoning. Now whizz up the whole lot with either a stick blender or in a liquidizer, check the taste.
7. Serve up with a dollop of fat free yoghurt, the chargrilled sweetcorn/spring onion mix and those reserved coriander leaves.
A lovely supper considering the fridge is rather bare!
What's your fave store cupboard standby? Even if it's not all that healthy, I'd love to know.
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| 5:2 Diet: Vegetarian Mexican Black Bean Soup |
Luckily however I've got a fairly well stocked pantry (well, it's not actually a pantry as opposed to a set of shelves but I like to think it has much of what would be included in one). Having sent Ed to the shop for yoghurt and armed with tins and a tip from someone on a 52 diet forum to check for sweetcorn lurking at the back, I set about making a Mexican Black Bean Soup. In actual fact, this recipe has turned out to be my favourite 5:2 meal yet.
5:2 Diet Recipe: Mexican Black Bean Soup (390 calories)
Serves 2
1 small onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
1/4 yellow pepper (diced)
 |
| 5:2 heaven... a big portion of a filling soup. |
1 x tin of plum/chopped tomatoes
1 x small tin of sweetcorn
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp Hot Paprika
1 tsp Chilli Flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 veggie stock cube
600ml water
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
3 spring onions
15g fresh coriander
2 tbsp fat free yoghurt
1. Fry the onions off in a few sprays of spray oil and some water to stop them browning too much.
2 Add in the garlic, yellow pepper and ends of the spring onions and fry off for a couple more minutes before putting all the spices in the pan. Cook off for another 2-3 minutes, add a splash of water if it looks like the spiced will burn.
3. Add the tinned beans, tomatoes and two thirds of the sweetcorn along with the stock cube and the water.
4. Bring to a simmer and leave uncovered for bout 20 minutes until it has thickened and the liquid has reduced by about a third.
5. While the soup is bubbling away take the rest of the spring onions and sweetcorn and put in a dry frying pan. Dry fry until the edges are just starting to char. They'll give on a fantastic aroma not dissimilar to popcorn.
6. When the soup has reduced down put in all but a smattering of the coriander leaves. Add in the lemon juice and seasoning. Now whizz up the whole lot with either a stick blender or in a liquidizer, check the taste.
7. Serve up with a dollop of fat free yoghurt, the chargrilled sweetcorn/spring onion mix and those reserved coriander leaves.
A lovely supper considering the fridge is rather bare!
What's your fave store cupboard standby? Even if it's not all that healthy, I'd love to know.
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I've just popped over from the 5:2 forum. I like your blog very much, & though I'm not vegetarian, I do find we often eat veggie on Fast Days. You might find some recipes/links/ideas over at my blog to help give you ideas. I'll be bookmarking yoyurs.
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a great holiday and I look forward to more recipes from your broom cupboard!
So pleased that you like the blog and I'd love to follow yours... as soon as I figure out how to do that, still getting to grips with the technical aspects of blogging!
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