Serves 2 – Ingredients
Method
Don’t eat breakfast????
If you’re not a balanced breakfast-eater, give it a try this week. Notice your energy and hunger levels through the day. You may be surprised how much of a boost you get from this simple change. As a bonus, eating a good breakfast helps keep insulin levels steady and cortisol down….both of which benefit you if you’re trying to lose weight!
Time poor????
This is a perfect choice to make the day before… warm and eat… or eat cold.
Serves 4-6
300 g (101⁄2 oz) tinned chickpeas, drained
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) piece of jap pumpkin, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped, to yield about 300 g (101⁄2 oz) flesh
140 g (5 oz/1 cup) frozen peas
1 large green chilli, thinly sliced on an angle
2 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced on an angle
60 g (21⁄4 oz/1⁄2 cup) chickpea flour (bean), plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander 3 tablespoons finely chopped
coriander leaves and stalks, plus extra leaves to garnish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
Coconut oil, for brushing
iceberg lettuce leaves, to serve
lemon wedges, to serve
Plain yoghurt, to serve
1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the chickpeas and pumpkin and cook for 15 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender. Drain well, then tip the chickpeas and pumpkin into a bowl.
2. Use a potato masher to mash the chickpeas and pumpkin into a lumpy mixture. Sir in the peas, chilli, spring onion, chickpea flour, cumin, ground coriander, fresh coriander, lemon juice and salt. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
3. Divide the mixture into eight even portions. Using wet hands, form the portions into discs or patties. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate until ready to cook.
4. Preheat the frying pan and brush with oil. Lightly dust the the fritters with extra chickpea flour and place them in the pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until golden.
5. Serve warm, garnished with coriander leaves, with lettuce, lemon wedges and yoghurt on the side.
NOTE: These fritters can be made a day in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook them.
This is another good use for quinoa, it is a very saucy mix so lifts the quinoa up beautifully, you usually get loads left so perfect for your lunch the next day, or to freeze. The beans make sure you get lots of protein and are nice and full afterwards. Also, I did this with frozen veg (making it a complete store cupboard meal) in the slow cooker, leaving all ingredients on low for 8 hours but I will explain how to do it on the hob just in case.
This is a really filling recipe, but the Quorn is full of protein and little fat, there is only a small amount of carbs to pad it out, but enough to give you some energy for your workout. Also, by serving in the peppers you get a smaller portion than your average bolognese and an extra portion of veg!
This was requested by Poppy following her first visit to an Alive session, she is very interested in what foods are good for you and why. One of Sue’s recommendations was quinoa, which we had never tried before, and therefore got Poppys interest. I would recommend making the sauce as it is very dry otherwise.