This fabulous vegan fry up is tasty, filling and contains a wealth of gut-friendly ingredients. Black beans are a great source of dietary fibre which helps to keep the gastrointestinal tract moving and also contain galacto-oligosaccharides, which act like a fertiliser in the gut and provide material for beneficial gut microorganisms to feast on. Ginger is a soothing spice and gentle on the gut.
Preparation and cooking time: 40 mins
Serves 4
200g mixed small peppers
3 tbsp olive oil for drizzling
200g wild mushrooms, brushed clean and roughly chopped
200g spinach, washed and roughly chopped
For the tomato and tamarind ketchup:
1 banana shallot, finely chopped
40g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 tbsp tamarind paste (available form large supermarkets)
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tsp of palm sugar
For the avocado and black bean mash:
1 large ripe avocado, mashed
200g black beans, crushed slightly
squeeze of lemon
½ clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp cumin, ground
1 Preheat the oven to 200oC/Gas mark 6. Place the peppers on a roasting tray and drizzle over a little of the olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes or until the skins begin to blister and turn brown. Remove from the oven.
2 To make the ketchup. Drizzle a little more of the olive oil in a pan, add the chopped shallot and sweat until soft. Add the grated ginger and tamarind paste to the pan and cook gently for 2 minutes before adding the chopped tomatoes and palm sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce is thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3 While the ketchup cooks make the avocado mash. Simply mix the mashed avocado with the black beans, lemon, garlic and cumin to form a rough paste.
4 Place the mushrooms in another pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook over a moderate heat for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft. Move the mushrooms to one side of the pan, add the spinach and cook until it wilts.
5 Serve the mushrooms, spinach, avocado and black bean mash with the tomato and tamarind ketchup. This would be lovely served with fresh toast.
Cooks tip: Palm sugar adds caramel flavour as well as sweetness to a dish. It is great for balancing the acidity of dishes containing tamarind, lemon or lime.
Variation: This dish would be great topped with a poached egg for vegetarians and a rasher or two of bacon for meat eaters.
For information on good gut health and more recipes to help re-set your gut health, be sure to visit loveyourgut.com.
Recipe by Dr Joan Ransley for Love Your Gut.