Carrots & Mash.
This is wonderfully simple and makes a great lunch or light dinner. There’s plenty of fibre throughout this dish, which is essential for a healthy gut. The artichokes and cannellini beans are prebiotic, and walnuts are naturally inflammatory. Of course, if you are allergic to wheat or have Celiac Disease then chose a bread that suits your diet or leave the breadcrumbs out of the topping.
This is part of the Gut Health series, in collaboration with Personal Trainer and Women’s Health Expert, Nancy Best (Founder of Ladies Who Crunch).
Ingredients.
Salad leaves, to serve (optional)
Carrots:
400g Chanteney carrots, washed & trimmed if necessary
1 tbsp honey, or maple syrup
1 tbsp harissa paste
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Mash:
400g tin cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
400g tin artichoke hearts in water, drained
Juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp tahini
Splash of water, to help blend
Salt & pepper, to taste
Topping:
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
3 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp butter, use a dairy-free butter to make this dish vegan
Sprinkle of salt
Equipment.
sharp knife & chopping board
sieve/colander
oven-proof dish with lid
food processor/blender/pestle & mortar
small frying pan
Method.
1. Pre-heat the oven to 220c
2. Add the carrots to the oven-proof dish and coat them in the harissa, honey, and oil. Season generously with salt and pepper and place in the oven with the lid on until the carrots are cooked through and soft (around 40-50mins)
3. Meanwhile, put the beans, artichoke hearts and tahini into a food processor and blend into a course paste. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt & pepper
4. Finally, add the chopped walnuts, seeds, breadcrumbs & butter to the frying pan on a medium head. Stir continuously until the topping is golden (around 5 mins), then remove from the heat. Be careful not to burn it as it will become bitter
5. To serve, spread the bean mash on the plate and top with the carrots then the crunchy seed & nut topping. Dress some salad leaves with olive oil and salt, and serve on the side
