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Tasty, filling, simple to make and easy on the wallet. This is a great mid week meal that is light and refreshing but packed full of nutrients and fibre. Cinnamon and chilli are both great for your metabolism, cinnamon in particular being good for keeping blood sugar levels balanced.

~Serves 2~

Ingredients

• 1/3 Butternut pumpkin
• 1/2 cup Red kidney beans (you can use other types of beans if you wish!) I like to cook up a bigger batch to have some left to use in other meals that week, or you can freeze them in some of the cooking water.
• 1 bunch english spinach, thoroughly washed to remove dirt and cut into chunks.
• 1 red (spanish) onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
• 1 pinch dried chilli flakes
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon powder
• salt and pepper

Method

To cook the beans:

Scan the beans thoroughly for any bits of grit, then rinse. Cover with cold water and allow to soak overnight.

Drain the beans and put into a pan and cover with fresh cold water, then bring to the boil for 10 minutes then reduce to a simmer and cook for 45-60 minutes or until the beans are tender. Drain and put to the side.

It may be tempting to just use canned beans, and if that’s the only option you have then go for it, but soaking your beans overnight and cooking them yourself will mean you are able to break down a lot of the properties that cause digestive symptoms such as bloating and reduce the absorbption of nutrients. The beans will also have a better taste and mouth feel when you prepare them yourself.

To cook the pumpkin:

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Start this after you’ve put the beans on to boil, or if you’re using beans you’ve already cooked then allow 60-90 minutes (including prep time).

Cut a 1/3 off the pumpkin, then cut that into halves so it’s easy to work with, and then cut that into 1 cm slices. I like to leave the skin on, it goes nice and crispy when you bake it. Cut those slices into wedges or thirds, then arrange on a flat baking tray.

Sprinkle with the dried chilli, salt and pepper and the cinnamon powder, then drizzle with olive oil or some melted coconut oil. Pop into the hot oven. If you’ve got the pumpkin crammed together in a smaller tray you will want to move them around a couple of times to maximise the crispy areas. Otherwise you’ll probably just need to turn the slices once.

Cooking the rest:

When the beans and pumpkin are done, heat a pan on the stove top to medium.

Slice the onion into wedges, and put into the pan with some olive oil, coconut oil, butter or ghee. Stir around a few times, and when it is softened to a consistency you would like, crush in the garlic clove and stir through.

Add the stalks of the spinach and cook for a minute, then add in the beans and the spinach leaves. Stir through, and add the tamari (you can add more or less to your taste), cooking until the greens are wilted.

Serve alongside the pumpkin.

Optional – sprinkle with some sesame seeds or toasted pine nuts. (If you’re a vegan or vegetarian I’d recommend adding this, as it helps to complete the amino acid profile).

Did you like this recipe? Let me know what you think.

The post Roast Cinnamon Pumpkin with Beans and Spinach appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Serves 2 – 3

Ingredients

• 2 roast duck breasts
• 2 big handfuls of washed and chopped cos lettuce leaves
• 1 1/2 cucumber, sliced
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped into wedges
• 1/2 butternut pumpkin, sliced thinly
• 4 small figs, cut into wedges

Dressing:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1.  Preheat oven to 180C.
2.  Place pumpkin and onion wedges on a tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until started to go brown.
3.  Meanwhile, assemble lettuce, spring onion, cucumber, lettuce and figs in a salad bowl.
4.  Cook your duck breast, either by grilling or baking.  The duck breast we bought was already roasted (to our surprise) so I only needed to grill it for 5-6 minutes until warmed through.  It was surprisingly tender considering it had already been cooked!  However if you buy duck breast not already cooked, you may want to start it sooner.
5.  Make your salad dressing while the duck is cooking by whisking together the ingredients in a small bowl, and season and balance the flavours according to your taste.  You want it to be a bit tart and sweet, as when you pour it on the salad it will subdue the flavour somewhat.
6.  When the pumpkin and onion are cooked through and golden, take them out of the oven for a few minutes to cool down.  You should also allow your duck to rest for a few minutes, then slice.
7.  Combine all the ingredients together, add the dressing, mix together and serve.
8.  Enjoy!

The post Roast Duck and Fig Salad appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh cob corn – corn cut off the cob
• 1 cup roast pumpkin – cut into small cubes before roasting
• 1/4 red capsicum, diced
• 1/4 cup pepitas or pine nuts
• 1 small handful of fresh parsley or coriander, chopped finely
• Extra virgin olive oil – cold pressed
• Balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Mix all vegetables and seeds/nuts
2. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic and toss to combine.
3. Serve after at least 30 minutes in the fridge to help infuse dressing.

Serves 1 and keeps well

The post Roast Pumpkin and Sweetcorn Salad appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.