After a weekend of (family) partying for my daughter’s 2nd birthday (prosecco, beer, sandwiches, cake, a cream tea, sweets, popcorn, then more cake) I am feeling in the mood for a health reboot. I’m going to go the low sugar / plenty of natural fats / zero processed foods route, which isn’t that different to how I normally like to eat anyway, but I do feel like I’m slipping into bad habits a bit, as we all do.
So I am zoning in on seasonal vegetables and good quality meat, eating more eggs, more cheese, drinking whole organic milk, snacking on nuts – and peanut butter, including lots of olive oil, plus a little butter… I’m going to be cutting out cereals for breakfast (which I have got too reliant on recently, particularly for the kids) and generally be more inventive (and savoury) at breakfast. This morning was mashed avocado on toast with fried tomatoes and a fried egg.
I went for a run too! Well, a walk-run!! Losing weight isn’t my priority, more that I just want to be healthy and fit.
Back to the recipe, which is very much in this healthy vibe. You know when you have some broccoli and/or green beans lying around (or cauliflower, or asparagus for that matter) at the bottom of the fridge/veg rack, but you’re not sure what to do with them? When they are kind of past their best but in no way gone off? Yeah? Try roasting them all together, then eating warm with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper – and maybe a little sauce like this. Or if you can’t be bothered with the sauce just crumble feta over and a few walnuts too, and a squeeze of lemon.
The sauce is like a cross between a thick pesto and a houmous. It’s really moreish and would work well as a dip too.
Serves: 2 adults for lunch or 4 as a side
Ingredients:
2 small heads of broccoli, or 1 large one, florets and stalks
225g green beans, trimmed
4 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt
For the sauce:
50g feta
50g walnuts
Juice half a lemon
4-5 tablespoons of Greek yoghurt
4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- In a large roasting tin or dish, add the vegetables. Toss in oil and sprinkle a little salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes. I like the vegetables a little charred but tender.
- Meanwhile, whizz up the sauce ingredients in a small processor. If you haven’t got one then use a pestle and mortar or a knife. You’ll get a chunkier sauce but that’s still nice.
- Either toss the vegetables in the sauce, or serve in dollops on top.
