Quinoa, broccoli & red pepper salad with herby tahini dressing

Nutritious and tasty, this salad delivers a ton of flavour and over 10 of your 30 plants a week! Nutrition researchers at the Zoe project recommend eating 30 different types of plants weekly to support gut microbes, long-term general health, and weight management (read more).

The veggies and quinoa are full of fibre, which feeds gut bacteria and has been linked to weight loss, improved energy levels, and even reduced menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, mood swings, and anxiety.

This recipe is also a good source of B vitamins (tahini and veggies), which can help with weight management; B1 (thiamine) helps the body burn calories from carbohydrates, and B6 and B9 (folate) can boost metabolism.

Quinoa and chickpeas contain manganese, a co-factor for many different enzymatic reactions in the body, including those that support weight management by encouraging carbohydrate and fat burning. Manganese also protects against oxidative stress by neutralising free radicals.

Oxidative stress occurs when our body has high levels of free radicals that can damage the surrounding cells and tissues. When free radicals react with important molecules in our cells, like DNA, proteins, or fats, they can disrupt their normal function and lead to damage. This damage is associated with health issues, such as accelerated aging, inflammation, and increased risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. The good news is that broccoli and red pepper also contain high levels of antioxidants, including vitamin C, which reduce the risk of oxidative stress and inflammation by supporting the immune system

It’s a vegan salad, but you can eat whatever you want with it … last night, we had Mexican-spiced fried chicken breast, and leftover carrot, and kohlrabi slaw, but grilled meat, fish, halloumi, fried tofu, feta, edamame would all work really well.

If you want to simplify the recipe, you can use raw chopped cherry tomatoes (vine if possible for flavor) or roast the tomatoes for 15-20 minutes at 180°c rather than the slow and low method I have used to dry them out. You can also swap the crispy chickpeas for toasted pumpkin, sunflower seeds, or hazelnuts. I recommend you try the chickpeas once, though, as they are super delicious and add a nice crunch.

ingredients

Serves 6 as a side dish

• 250g vine cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas

• ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika

• 150g quinoa (I used tricolour, but you can use ‘normal’)

• 200g tenderstem broccoli, ends trimmed

• 1 large red pepper, thickly sliced

• 30g fresh herbs (any combo of flat-leaf parsley, coriander, dill, basil) chopped roughly

Dressing

• 4 tbsp tahini

• 6 tbsp chickpea water

• ½ clove garlic, peeled

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 10g herbs (taken from the 30g listed above)

method

• Heat the oven to 120 °c

• Drain the chickpeas and retain the liquid. Pat dry with a paper towel.

• Spread the tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with salt.

• Next, spread the chickpeas on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with paprika and a pinch of sea salt.

• Place both trays in the oven and cook for 1 hour. The tomatoes should be caramelized and blackened on some edges, with most of their liquid evaporated. The chickpeas should be very crunchy; if not, put them back in for 10-15 minutes.

• Simmer the quinoa for 20 minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside to drain well.

• Once the tomatoes and chickpeas are cooked, turn the oven to 180°c.

• Put the broccoli and peppers on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.

• Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the broccoli and put the peppers back in for 5 minutes.

• Meanwhile, chop the herbs and make the dressing; put all the ingredients, including ⅓ of the chopped herbs, into a small mixer and blitz.

• Assemble the salad by layering quinoa, veggies, herbs, dressing, and repeat, finishing with veggies, dressing, herbs, and chickpeas. I like drizzling each layer with extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon to add flavour and moisture.

Tip

• If you don’t have a mixer, use a whisk and bowl if you don’t have a small mixer, but make sure your herbs are chopped finely.

Hot & Smoky beans

I like to make a big pan of these beans so I can use them to jazz up lunches and dinners through the week they go really well with grilled Halloumi, feta, rice salad (as shown here), grilled fish or chicken, in wraps or quesadillas. Super versatile and tasty!

Ingredients

Serves 8 approx

• 2 medium onions, chopped finely

• 1 large garlic clove, grated finely

• ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika

• ½ tsp ground coriander

• ½ tsp hot chilli powder

• 1 x 400g tin black beans

• 1 x 400g tin any other cooked bean - chickpea cannellini

• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

• ¾ tsp sea salt

• ½ tbsp red wine vinegar

• A good grind of black pepper

Method

1. Pour a lug of extra virgin olive oil into a large saucepan and fry the onions gently for 10-12 minutes.

2. Next add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the ground spices. Stir to warm through for 30 seconds.

3. Next pour in the can of black beans including their water, the other tin of bean (drained) and the tomatoes.

4. Stir well and leave to bubble with the lid on for 25 minutes minutes, leaving a small gap for escaping steam.

5. Add the red wine vinegar and simmer for a further 20 minutes without the lid, stirring occasionally.

6. Add the salt and pepper to finish.

7. Serve with Greek yoghurt or sour cream and fresh herbs

Red pepper chickpeas with rose harissa

I like to make a big pan of these chickpeas as I love to eat the leftovers for lunch with feta and sourdough or a green salad. They’re a great way to up your plant-based protein if you’re cutting back on meat and I even managed to get my pescatarian legume-hating daughter to eat them on a baked potato with lots of cheddar on top. So I’m classifying them a child-friendly too!

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, grated

• 1 red pepper, sliced

• 1 tsp of ground cumin

• 2 x 400g tins chickpeas

• 1 tin of cherry tomatoes

• 1 tbsp rose harissa

• 1 tsp sea salt

Method

• Heat 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan then add the onion and fry gently for five minutes.

• Next add the red pepper and cook gently for a further 10 minutes

• Add the garlic, cooking for one minute, then the cumin, stirring well for 30 seconds. 

• Pour in the chickpeas, tomatoes and rose harissa simmering gently for 20 minutes.

• Finish by adding 1 teaspoon of salt and serve with crumbled feta, crusty sourdough and a green salad. 

Tip

• If you want to use up the rose harissa, just type it in as a search term on my site and more recipes will come up!

• Serve with any of the following: chicken, white fish, baked potato, brown rice, cheddar cheese, coconut or Greek yoghurt.

Spicy tomato chickpeas

I’ve had a tub of these spicy chickpeas in my fridge for a couple of days now and they’re so versatile that I’ve eaten something different with them for each meal. First night was Spanish tortilla / omelette and a green salad (see below) and today’s lunch was with feta on top and a wedge of sourdough on the side. They also work really well with baked or roasted sweet potato or in wrap with grilled halloumi and salad.

Let me know if you give them a go!

Recipe link in bio

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a side

• 1 red onion, chopped finely

• 1 large garlic clove, grated

• ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 x 400g tins tomatoes

• 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained

• ½ tbsp red wine vinegar

• ½ tbsp maple syrup or honey

• A large handful coriander leaves

Method

• Heat ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan, then fry the onions gently for 10 minutes.

• Next add the garlic, stir for 30 seconds and then add the spices, mixing well.

• Pour in the tomatoes and chickpeas, then simmer with the lid on for 25 minutes.

• Then add the vinegar and maple or honey and simmer for a further 5 minutes.

• Add the salt and coriander leaves, reserving a few for the top when serving.

Tip

• Another serving idea would be to make some tortilla chips and top the chickpeas with a spoon of yoghurt, plus a pinch of paprika.

Aubergine, cauliflower, tomato & bulgur salad

The sun is out and it actually feels warm today, which is lovely, so I thought I would share this salad to celebrate! I’ve roasted all the veggies to get the best flavour out of them and made a vegan rose harissa yoghurt dressing to add a little creaminess and spice. The bulgur makes the salad more substantial, but you could leave it out if you’re planning to eat the salad as a side with a different type of carbohydrate.

Once a week (ideally on a Sunday) I try to make a large salad or warm dish that I can keep in the fridge, so I have an instant healthy option to eat when I’m in a rush or don’t feel like cooking. It also means that I’ve got a few quick, tasty lunches to grab and sit in the sunshine for a few minutes longer.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 1 aubergine, 2cm cubes

• 1 cauliflower, small florets

• 200g cherry tomatoes

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• 200g bulgur wheat

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained well

• 120g coconut yoghurt (Coconut Collab)

• 4 tsp rose harissa (Belazu)

• 1 tbsp tahini (Belazu)

• ½ lemon

• sea salt (quantities in recipe)

• A handful of coriander leaves (optional)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200ºc. Put the cauliflower onto a large tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over the ground spices and a pinch of salt. Put the aubergine and tomatoes onto another tray, separate them into two halves as the juices will stop the aubergine from browning.

• Place both trays in the oven, aubergine tray at the top, cauliflower in the middle. Roast for 10 minutes then turn and put back in for another 10.

• Remove the aubergine and move the cauliflower to the top shelf and roast for a further 5 minutes then set aside.

• While the veggies are in the oven, cook the bulgur according to the packet instructions. I usually rinse with cold water, then simmer for 10 minutes.

• Drain the bulgur and rinse with cold water to prevent it from cooking anymore. Allow to drain thoroughly and then put back in the pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, plus juice of ¼ lemon and a pinch of salt. Mix well.

• When you’ve finished cooking the veggies, roast the chickpeas. Tip them onto a baking tray, drizzle with little olive oil (approx 2 tsp) and sprinkle with a pinch of smoked paprika, cumin and salt. Mix well and put in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn and then put back in for a further 10-15 minutes. You want them to be really crunchy (slightly browned) or when they cool they’ll go chewy, not crisp.

• Make the dressing while the chickpeas are crisping up. Put the yoghurt, rose harissa, tahini, juice of ¼ lemon and ¼ tsp sea salt into a bowl and mix well. Add 1 tbsp of water to loosen the dressing.

• To serve, layer the salad with a spoon of bulgur, a mix of the vegetables, coriander leaves and a few spoons of dressing, repeat.

• Finish with a few spoons of dressing, coriander and crispy chickpeas.

tip

• Switch the coconut yoghurt for plain / Greek

• Leave out the coriander if you hate it!

• You don’t have to use the brands I have recommended in the ingredients, but they are the products I think are particularly good quality.

Sweet potato, lentil & chickpea curry with raita

Here’s my take on a traditional Indian dish called chana masala. I realise I’m being totally inauthentic adding sweet potato and lentils, as this should be made only with chickpeas, but I wanted a slightly different texture and taste this time.

The curry works really well with a side of raita as you have a nice fresh crunch from the cucumber and cooling creaminess from the yoghurt to counteract the spicy heat.

I served ours up with a combination of brown basmati, raita and chapatis (recipe here).

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 1 large onions, half moon slices

• 2 large garlic cloves, grated

• 1 tsp garam masala

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp dried red chilli flakes

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• 2 x 400g tins tomatoes

• 1 tbsp tomato purée

• 2 x 400g tins chickpeas

• 1 sweet potato, cubed

• 150g red lentils, rinsed well

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 20-30g fresh coriander, optional

  Raita

• 250ml Greek or plain yoghurt

• 2 spring onions, sliced finely

• 15cm cucumber, small cubes

• Juice of ½ - 1 lime

• ½ tsp sea salt

• ¼ tsp ground cumin

Method

• Heat 1 tbsp rapeseed oil in a large pan and then add the onions, frying on low for 10 minutes.

• Next add the garlic for 1 minute and then the spices, warming through for 30 seconds.

• Pour in the tomatoes, plus 1 ½ tins of water, tomato purée, chickpeas, sweet potato and lentils.

• Simmer for 25 minutes.

• Mix all the raita ingredients together.

• Add the salt and a handful of coriander and stir well.

• Serve with basmati rice and or chapatis and extra coriander leaves.

Tip

• If you’re making chapatis then get the dough ready before you start on the curry. That way the dough can rest and then you’ll be ready to roll them out and cook while the curry bubbles away.

• I’ve listed the coriander as optional as I know a lot of people don’t like it. Personally I think the curry tastes more interesting with it in, but it will still be tasty if left out.

Moroccan lentil & chickpea stew with tahini yoghurt

Is it a soup, or is it a stew?! I’m going with stew today as it ended up so nice and chunky, but you can call it a soup if you prefer! I like to have a big tub of something tasty in the fridge, so there’s an instant lunch or dinner ready for me when either I can’t be bothered to cook, or I’m starving and need to eat immediately! In the winter it’s a stew or soup and in the summer a salad with roasted veggies and grains. So this is what’s in my fridge at the moment and I’ve been loving it. It’s really warming and quick to make, apart from chopping a few veggies, you just basically chuck everything in the pan and leave it for half an hour.

To make this recipe vegan, all you need to do is switch the plain yoghurt for a plant based variety or just whip up the tahini with water, it’ll still make a nice creamy dressing.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 2 red onions, chopped

• 2 sticks celery

• 2 large garlic cloves, grated

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 2 tsp ground coriander

• 4 carrots, cubed

• 1 tbsp rose harissa

• 300g small green or puy lentils

• 2 x 400g chopped tinned tomatoes

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, or 125g dried

• 150g cavolo nero, stalks removed, chopped roughly

• 1 ½ tsp sea salt

• A handful of fresh coriander leaves

  Tahini yoghurt

• 240ml (12 tbsp) plain yoghurt

• 6 tbsp tahini

• 6 tbsp water

• 1 ½ tsp sea salt

Method

• If you’re using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight and then cook in boiling water for about

  45-60 minutes.

• Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a large pan and fry the onions and celery for 10 minutes.

• Next add the garlic and ground spices, let them warm through for about a minute.

• Add the carrots, rose harissa, lentils and tinned tomatoes, plus 3 tins of water.

• Simmer with the lid half on for 30 minutes.

• Mix the tahini, yoghurt, water and 1 ½ tsp sea salt in a medium sized tub or bowl.

• Serve with a drizzle of tahini yoghurt, coriander and a chunk of sourdough or brown rice.

Tip

• You could use red lentils instead of green, but they absorb more water so you would need to keep an eye on the stew getting too thick.

• If you’re looking for another recipe to use up some rose harissa, then try this Butternut squash & spelt salad, it’s really good and another one you can store in the fridge for tasty lunches, dinners or as a side.

• If you don’t have tahini, you can just use plain or coconut yoghurt instead.

Tomato, red pepper & pasta soup

The inspiration for this recipe was my kids, as neither are particularly keen on soup, so I thought I would try and come up with one that they might eat. Using pasta and tomatoes seemed like a good starting point - as show me a kid that doesn’t eat that combination?? I’ve added some veggies, kept it pretty simple, but with a sneaky tin of chickpeas to make it more interesting for me. Obvs the kids will probably pick them out, but you never know, the odd one might get past their strict filtering systems! You can always leave them out if you prefer, but they’re a decent source of protein.

It took me just over 30 minutes to make, so it’s quick to get on the table, or a good one to make in a batch for lunches over a few days. I also think this soup is a nice one to have for dinner as the pasta makes it quite hearty and you could serve it with big wedges of fresh bread or cheese on toast. Who’s going to complain about that?!

And one last thing - the soup is vegan if you leave off the cheese or sub for a vegan variety.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 1 red onion, chipped finely

• 1 stick of celery, chopped finely

• 1 clove garlic, grated

• 1 red pepper, sliced

• 2 x 400g tinned tomatoes, 1.5 tins of water

• ½ vegetable stock cube

• Handful of parsley, stalks chopped finely, leaves reserved

• 100g small pasta

• 1 x 400g tinned chickpeas

• ¾ tsp sea salt

• ½ tbsp red wine vinegar

• Handful grated parmesan, cheddar, gruyere or parmesan, optional

Method

• Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions and celery for 10 minutes.

• Next add the garlic and red pepper, cooking for a further 5 minutes.

• Pour in the tomatoes, plus 1 ½ tins of water, the stock cube, parsley stalks and pasta.

• Simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes and then add the drained chickpeas.

• Cook for a further 10 minutes and then add the salt and red wine vinegar. Simmer for another couple of minutes.

• Stir in half the parsley leaves and sprinkle the rest on top along with the parmesan to serve.

• Serve with cheese on toast, toasted sourdough or fresh bread and butter.

Aubergine & chickpea tagine with spiced cous cous

Aubergines are one of my favourite vegetables. I know this is a bit controversial as people seem to love or hate them, but my theory is that a lot of the haters have tried aubergine that is under-cooked when it’s hard, spongy and tasteless. Aubergines need to be cooked for quite a long time to soften and release their sweet slightly smoky flavour. They’re best when you roast or fry them to caramelise the outside, or roasted whole so the inside becomes soft enough to turn into a smokey dip. This tagine has an equal amount of red pepper and red onion in it, so although aubergine is in the title, the flavour is comprised of a mix of all 3 vegetables. So this recipe is ideal for someone who isn’t completely convinced about the wonders of the mighty aubergine (to reference Mr Ottolenghi), although I can’t begin to imagine why! Did I mention that I bloody love them?!

 Ingredients

Serves 6-8

• 3 aubergine, chopped into 2cm cubes

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 3 red onions, sliced

• 3 sweet peppers, sliced

• 3 large cloves garlic, grated (I use a Microplane)

• 1 dried ancho chilli, chopped (makes about 1 tbsp)

• 2 tsp ras el hanout spice mix

• 2 x 400g tinned cherry tomatoes

• 1.5 tsp vegetable bouillon

• 60g sultanas or raisins

• Handful of coriander, stalks chopped, leaves reserved

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained. If you use dried, soak and cook 130g

• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp honey or maple

• 1.5 tsp sea salt (if you’re using fine grain table salt reduce by half and go from there)

Cous cous

• 1/2 onion, chopped finely

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 100g cherry tomatoes, small dice

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 180g cous cous

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp vegetable bouillon

• 800ml boiling water

• 200g crumbled feta, optional topping

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°c

• Spread the chopped aubergine on a couple of large baking trays and drizzle with the olive oil, plus 1/2 tsp sea salt, mixing well.

• Roast for 25 minutes, turn then put back in the oven for 8 minutes until at least one side is browned and the pieces are soft all the way through.

• Meanwhile add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a large pan or casserole, heat and cook the onion and pepper together for 15 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.

• Mix in the ancho chilli and ras el hanout spice blend and stir, allow to warm through for a minute.

• Put the aubergine pieces into the pan with the tinned tomatoes, vegetable bouillon, sultanas, coriander stalks and a full tin of water. Leave to simmer with the lid half on for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Then add the chickpeas, red wine vinegar and honey simmer for 15 minutes without the lid..

• While the tagine is cooking start to make the cous cous. First heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the chopped onion on a low heat for 15 minutes before adding the tomatoes and garlic, cook for 10 minutes.

• Add 1/2 tsp ground cumin and warm for about a minute.

• Turn off the heat and add the cous cous, vegetable bouillon and boiling water to the onions and tomatoes when the tagine has about 10 minutes left to cook. Put the lid on and leave the cous cous to absorb the water for 6-8 minutes. Fluff with a fork when ready.

• Serve the tagine and cous cous with crumbled feta and coriander leaves.

Tip

• I like to roast the aubergine pieces as I find it easier than frying them all in batches, plus it means I use a lot less oil. But you can pan fry if you prefer.

• Dried ancho chilli - I bought mine from Waitrose.

• Ras el hanout - I get my blend from local supplier Spice and Green, but they do mail order so it is probably worth asking if they can send to you. If not you’ll find a version stocked in most supermarkets. Ottolenghi do their own that you can order too - here or make your own using this Epicurious recipe.

• I have used tinned cherry tomatoes for their sweetness and extra flavour, but tinned plum would work fine as a sub.

• If you’re using dried chickpeas cook as per the instructions and then add to the sauce with the tinned tomatoes as they will be firmer and need a little more time to soften.

Warm chickpea salad with lemon yoghurt & feta

I was going to make this as a starter for one of my supper clubs, until bloody Covid came along to f@%k things up. So I thought, why keep it to myself, I’ll share it with you guys and you can make it at home instead. I was thinking that it might be a nice idea to look back over my pop up menus from last year and share a few of the recipes. So look out for them on here very soon.

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a starter

• 1/2 red pepper, small dice

• 3/4 cucumber, small dice

• 1/4 small red onion, finely chopped

• 3 tomatoes, small dice with seed section removed

• 15g parsley, chopped

• 15g coriander, chopped

• Zest & juice of 1 lemon

• 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 x 400g tin chickpea, drained

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin 

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 

• 1/4 tsp sea salt 

• 80g feta

• 120ml yogurt 

• Serve with warmed ciabatta, sourdough or flatbreads.

Method

• Preheat the oven to 160ºc.

• First chop all the vegetables and herbs then mix together with 1 tbsp oil, juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/4 tsp sea salt. Divide on to 4 plates with a little gap in the middle ready to add the warm chickpeas just before serving.

• If you’re serving with bread, put it in the oven now. Or start toasting if you’re doing it that way.

• Crumble the feta and mix the rest of the lemon juice plus all the zest into the yoghurt along with an extra pinch of sea salt.

• Next heat 1/2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, add the chickpeas and ground spices. Mix well and warm through for 3-4 minutes then sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.

• Spoon the chickpeas into the middle of the chopped vegetables on each plate, then put 3 tsp yoghurt and approx 20g of feta on top. I also like to put small bowls of feta and yoghurt on the table so people can add a bit more as they go along.

• Serve with warm crusty bread.

Tip

• Get all your ingredients prepped and ready to go so you can put this dish together quick once the chickpeas have warmed through.

Spicy Spanish style chickpeas

I’m a big fan of chickpeas, they’re one pulse that everyone seems to be able to get on board with - or am I in my little veggie bubble here?!

This is a really versatile dish which is great with lots of different combinations, I like to make a big pan so I can freeze a couple of portions and eat the rest over a few days.

I’ve used pimento and chipotle chilli to give a Spanish flavour as I always imagine eating this kind of thing as part of a tapas style meal. Although they’re still delicious eaten quite simply with sourdough and feta or yoghurt as you can see from our lunch here.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 for lunch or 8 as part of a mezze

• 1 large or 2 medium red onions, sliced in thin half moons

• 200g sweet potato, chopped in 1cm cubes

• 1 large clove garlic, grated

• 1.5 tsp pimento

• 1 tsp chipotle chilli flakes

• 2 x 400g tinned tomatoes

• 2 x 400g tinned chickpeas, drained

• 2 tsp maple, honey or brown sugar

• 1.5 tsp red wine or cider vinegar

• 1 tsp sea salt

Method

• Heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan then add the onions and sweet potato. Cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes until all the veggies are softened.

• Next add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes before adding the pimento and chilli, stir and warm through for a further 2 minutes.

• Pour in the tomatoes and chickpeas, then simmer for 25 minutes with the lid on, stirring regularly.

• Add the maple or honey, vinegar and salt, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add a tbsp or two of water if the sauce becomes too dry.

Tip

• This is a really versatile dish and is great with sourdough and feta, or you could add a blob or Greek or coconut yoghurt instead (I like Coconut Collaborative best).

• The chickpeas also work really well in a wrap or pitta with grilled halloumi and salad. I took them to my friend’s last weekend and we had them with a lovely fig, spinach, feta and toasted almond salad which worked so well.

• Another idea would be to make some tortilla chips (just lightly brush a wrap with oil, chop into triangles and bake for a few minutes in the oven at 180ºc) and serve with yoghurt, a pinch of paprika and some homemade slaw (as pictured below).

• You can sub the sweet potato for red pepper if you prefer and cook in the same way.

Cous cous & chickpeas in ras el hanut

Cous cous can be a bit boring unless you really work on the flavourings and this recipe certainly does that. Usually consigned to side dish status, here the long suffering cous cous gets a chance to shine. Great with any kind of tagine, but also it works really well for lunch the day after topped with a poached egg.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 small onion

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon ras el hanut spice

• 200g cooked chickpeas

• 1 tomato

• 120g cous cous

• 360ml boiling water

• Handful chopped coriander, to taste

Method

• Fry the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften and colour. I use a large skillet for this dish and serve the cous cous in the pan on the table.

• Add the salt and ras el hanut, mixing well to release the flavours.

• Next add the chickpeas and chopped tomato and cook for a minute or so. Tip in the cous cous followed by the boiling water, bring to the boil and then turn off the heat and cover.

• Leave to stand for about 10 minutes while the cous cous absorbs all the water. When ready break up with a fork and serve with chopped coriander.