I am afraid that I have fallen off my clean eating diet a little, it started with Stephen’s birthday and then having the gorgeous Limoncello Tiramisu left over really didn’t help, but I really have paid for my naughtiness. I have been bloated and have felt really unwell, so lesson learnt, stick to the 80% rule and all is good, spend the whole weekend eating junk and you pay !

Yesterday however I decided that I would only eat cleanly and by the end of the day I felt so much better and this gorgeous roasted peppers with white bean mash really helped, taken from ‘The Medicinal Chef’, this recipe is not only full of delicious flavours but you just feel it doing you good as you eat, I know I keep saying that, but it really is true.  White bean mash is such a great alternative to the normal starchy mash and the addition of my favourite ingredient coriander truly makes this a winner.

This dish is great for acne, eczema, psoriasis and asthma, the beans, high in fibre of course help with high cholesterol and with digestive health.

Again, like nearly all the clean eating recipes that I have tried lately this is another that is ridiculously simple to make, takes very little time to prepare and to cook, making it another great week night dinner.

So this week I plan to be a very good girl, I have another recipe from The Medicinal Chef and then I am moving on to a new book that I have just brought, ‘Against all Grain’. Hubby has even brought me a new slow cooker as this book is full of recipes that require one. I am a complete an utter slow cooker virgin, seriously late to the party, but hopefully I may be able to bring you some great new recipes soon.

Buon appetito

roasted peppers with white bean mash

Serves 4

4 peppers, cut into long wide strips ( I used organic Romano peppers as I love them and they are so sweet, but any will do and a mixture of red, orange and yellow would look great)
2 courgettes, cut into 2.5cm chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil, for cooking and mashing
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g tin of Cannellini beans drained
400g tin of butter beans, drained
Small handful of fresh coriander, coarsely chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mixed salad leaves of your choice to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

Put the peppers and courgettes in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and add half of the crushed garlic. Stir well. Roast in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until soft.

peppers and courgettes

Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a pan, add the remaining garlic and cook gently for 1 to 2 minutes, until it begins to turn fragrant. Add the drained beans and stir well.

Mash the bean mixture in the same way you would mash potatoes, but instead of adding milk and butter add a little extra-virgin olive oil to give it a creamy texture. You may like to try almond milk or even coconut milk. Coconut milk would work well with the coriander.

Stir in the chopped coriander and the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper.

Serve the roasted vegetables and bean mash with a mixed leaf salad.