Serves 4
I ate a lovely, warming, filling brunch of huevos rancheros (or mexican ranch-style beans) in a Chiquitos restaurant near the O2 in London recently. This was in preparation for my ascent to the top of the O2 – that’s right, you can climb it to a viewing
Delicious, spicy mexican style ranch eggs. Guaranteed to perk you up in the morning
platform mountaineering style and get fab views of London City and the river on a clear day (we got lucky with the weather)! Awesome fun, and the breakfast set me up a treat!
I digress! This is my own home-cooked version that I have only just got round to making 2 weeks later because I’ve not had time to soak and boil my beans!
This is a well-balanced brekkie plate with plenty of fresh anti-oxidant-rich veggies for fibre and vitamins, black beans for muscle-building protein and a bit of a kick to wake you up for the day. Who said hot breakfasts had to be bland, unhealthy, stodgy and full of saturated fat?! Black beans are high in fibre (aids weight loss because it fills you up, and boosts the health of the gut), low in fat, and contain a decent amount of iron (important for building red blood cells and preventing anaemia), folate (important for red blood cells and transport of oxygen to the muscles and prevents spina bifida in unborn children), magnesium and potassium.
If you have to get the dried black beans that need soaking I would recommend preparing more than you need as you can always freeze them once cooked for easy use at a later date.
INGREDIENTS:
BLACK BEANS
400g black beans, cooked (use canned pinto beans, drained, if you cannot find black beans)
200ml vegetable or chicken broth, made with ½ a 10g stock cube
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
THE SALSA
Black (turtle) beans. High in fibre and carbohydrate but low in fat. Contain iron, folate, magnesium and potassium.
1 large red onion, chopped (185g)
1 large red pepper, chopped (145g)
1 clove garlic, minced (4g)
1 can chopped tomatoes or 4 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped (400g)
1 can of sweetcorn kernels (160g)
1 tbsp. jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 tbsp. fresh coriander or cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
salt, to taste
4 tortillas (40g each)
4 eggs
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Soak the black beans in cold water overnight (24 hours). Place in a large saucepan, cover with double the amount of water, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and leave to cook for at least 2 hours or until the beans are softened but not breaking apart. Add more water if it starts to dry out. Drain and leave to cool.
- To make the salsa, stir the tomatoes, red onions, red pepper, sweetcorn, coriander or cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, minced garlic, and salt to taste, together in a bowl until well blended. Cover, and refrigerate until needed (at least 1 hour).
- Place the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook 1 minute until light brown. Mix in the black beans or drained pinto beans if using these instead, the broth and 1 tbsp. jalapeno pepper. Simmer until beans are heated through (about 5 minutes). Turn off heat, and keep warm.
- Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F / gas mark 5. Place tortillas on a baking sheet with greaseproof paper underneath. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until warmed through and softened. Alternatively, heat in microwave on full power for 30 – 45 seconds.
- Poach or scramble the eggs and cook to desired firmness.
- To assemble huevos rancheros, place a tortilla on each plate. Top each tortilla with black bean mixture, a layer of salsa, and an egg (or ¼ of the scrambled eggs). Serve immediately.
Healthy, nutritious and perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch or tea
SUGGESTIONS
– Add 1 inch of chorizo, chopped into small squares = additional 68 kcal / 285 kJ
For a main meal, per portion:
– Add 20g of grated cheddar cheese = additional 83kcal / 347 kJ
and/or
– 50g of shredded roast chicken (instead of the eggs) = 89 kcal / 372 kJ
– 50g of shredded roast pork (instead of the eggs) = 91 kcal / 381 kJ
– 50g of shredded roast beef (instead of the eggs) = additional 110 kcal / 460 kJ
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
per whole recipe
Energy 1495 kcal / 6255 kJ
Carbohydrate 229.7g
Fat 38.2g
Protein 64.2g
Total sugar 53.3g
Saturates 12.0g
Fibre 48.4g
Salt 8.4g (check canned beans for added salt)
per serving (if serving 4)
Energy 374kcal / 1565 kJ
Carbohydrate 57.4g
Fat 9.6g
Protein 16.1g
Total sugar 13.3g
Saturates 3.0g
Fibre 12.1g
Salt 2.1g (check canned beans for added salt)
Serves 6
Ingredients
1.5 tbsp. vegetable/olive oil (15g)
1 x medium-large sized butternut squash, peeled and de-seeded, chopped into 2cm cubes (850g)
4 x cloves garlic, whole and peeled (13g)
½ – 1 x green or red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped (4g)
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped (8g)
1 x white onion, peeled and diced (165g)
2 x sticks of celery, thinly sliced (70g)
1.4 litre vegetable stock (1 x 10g cube)
200g canned tomatoes
100g peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
½ tsp. ground allspice
Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
- Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a deep baking tray. Add the cubes of butternut squash and the 4 whole cloves of garlic. Roast for approximately 15 minutes.
- Add the garlic cloves, stir round and bake for a further 20-30 minutes, until soft and slightly browned. Set aside for later.
- Heat the rest of the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chilli and ginger and fry for 30-60 seconds to infuse the oil with their flavour.
- Add the chopped onion and celery and fry for approximately 10 minutes or until the onions are softened and browned.
- Add the roasted butternut squash and garlic and fry for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the stock, peanut butter, tomatoes, allspice and pepper.
- Bring to the boil then reduce heat, cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Puree the soup using a hand blender.
Nutritional Information
Per Batch
Energy 1000 kcal (4184 kJ)
Carbohydrate 54.8g
Total sugars 37.1g
Fat 71.2g
Saturates 15.8g
Protein 35.5g
Fibre 18.9g
Salt 5.4g
Per Serving (Serves 6)
Energy 170 kcal (710 kJ)
Carbohydrate 9.1g
Total sugars 6.2g
Fat 11.9g
Saturates 2.6g
Protein 5.9g
Fibre 3.2g
Salt 0.9g
Suggested Additions
1 x tbsp. of reduced fat fromage frais = 30 kcal/ 125 kJ
1 x tbsp. of low fat natural yogurt = 25 kcal / 105 kJ
A crusty roll = 130 kcal / 545 kJ
Pitta bread (65g), toasted = 160 kcal / 670 kJ
40g roasted chicken strips = 70 kcal, 3g fat, 1.1g saturates, 10.9g protein
Suggested Ear Candy
I have just been bought a couple of tickets by my fabulous man to see one of my 90s faves Suede live in October – whoop whoop!
After seeing them on Jools Holland at the weekend I had to have another nostalgia fest so I listened to Coming Up by Suede.
No idea why at all but the peanuts in this soup made me think of African cuisine so I also listened to Jungle Blues by C.W.Stoneking.
Alternatively, let’s stick with a theme…
Serves 4
**WARNING TO OTHERS – DON’T DROP YOUR PLASTIC MEASURING SPOONS INTO THE FLAME ON YOUR GAS HOB, THEREBY RENDERING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO EVER MEASURE QUANTITIES OF HALF A TABLESPOON AGAIN – DURRR! **
Ingredients
½ – 1 x green chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped (4g)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (7g)
1 x white onion, peeled and roughly diced (140g)
1 x red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped (150g)
120g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 x sticks celery, sliced (70g)
1 tbsp. vegetable/olive oil (10g)
2 tbsp. tomato puree (30g)
1 x can kidney beans, drained (240g)
400g can chopped tomatoes
600ml vegetable stock
1 tsp. cumin, powdered
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pan heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chilli and fry for 30-60 seconds to infuse the oil with their flavour. Add the onion, pepper, carrots and celery and fry for approximately 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the tomato puree and fry this, stirring it in with the vegetables, for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the kidney beans, tomatoes, stock, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Mix all ingredients together.
- Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes until the sauce has reduced down.
Nutritional Information
Per Batch
Energy 580 kcal (2430 kJ)
Carbohydrate 96g
Total sugars 51g
Fat 6.3g
Saturates 2.3g
Protein 29.6g
Fibre 26.8g
Salt 7.0g
Per Serving (Serves 4)
Energy 145kcal (608 kJ)
Carbohydrate 24g
Total sugars 12.8g
Fat 1.6g
Saturates 0.6g
Protein 7.4g
Fibre 6.7g
Salt 1.8g
Suggested Additions
1 x white crusty bread roll (50g) = 130kcal / 545 kJ
150g of boiled white/brown rice = 210kcal / 880 kJ
2 x taco shells = 140kcal / 587 kJ
1 x tbsp. of soured cream = 62kcal/ 260 kJ
**If you want a more meaty feast in your belly try the following**
Fry 250g lean beef/steak mince, cooking the meat through until browned (you can skim off excess fat if you want to keep it healthy) before adding the vegetables. This will add 450kcal/ 1885kJ per batch so if you are dividing your batch by 4 then this would be an additional 115kcal / 472 kJ per portion.
Fry 2 x chicken breasts, chopped into chunks (300g), and cook until browned before adding the vegetables. This will add 330kcal/ 1382 kJ per batch so if you are dividing your batch by 4 then this would be an additional 85kcal / 346 kJ per portion.
Suggested Ear Candy
I gave my ears a bit of a fiesta with In the Reins by Calexico (with Iron & Wine) and Sonido Amazonico by Chicha Libre
Suggested Alternatives
El Vez, the mexican Elvis is brilliant….he’s been around for years but I have only just got round to listening and he’s ace!
Serves 6 – can be served as a main meal too – how versatile is that?!!
**BE WARNED PEOPLE OF THE WORLD – THIS IS SPICY!!! IF YOU PREFER A MILDER FLAVOR REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF FRESH CHILLI AND CHILLI POWDER AND MAYBE EVEN THE PEPPERCORNS TO SUIT YOUR TONGUE-BUDS! **
Ingredients
2 x cans chickpeas, drained (480g)
1000ml water
3 x medium sized waxy potatoes, peeled, chopped into 2cm cubes (450g)
1 tbsp. vegetable/olive oil (10g)
*If you do not have access to the following 5 ingredients try using 1 heaped tbsp. of ready prepared garam masala*
1 cinnamon stick (7-8 cm long)
8 cloves
6 dried bay leaves
1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
15g coriander seeds
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 x large white onion, peeled and finely diced (250g)
½ – 1 x red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped (4g)
4 cm piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped (15g)
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chilli powder
1 tsp. sugar (brown or white)
1 tsp. turmeric
1 handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pan bring 1 litre of water to a boil. Add the 2 drained cans of chickpeas and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for later.
- Boil the cubed potato for 15-20 minutes, until softened but still firm. Drain and set aside for later.
- Heat ½ tbsp. of the oil in a saucepan or frying pan over a medium heat. Add the whole cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, black peppercorns, coriander seeds and 1 tsp. of the cumin seeds and fry for approximately 5 minutes, until browned, stirring constantly to prevent them from burning. Set aside until cooled and then grind to a powder – I use a coffee grinder from circa 1980 for this and it works just fine!
- Heat the remaining ½ tbsp. of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tsp. of cumin seeds and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent them from burning. Add the chopped onion and fry until softened and browned.
- Add the chopped chilli and ginger to the onion. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, chilli powder, sugar, turmeric and the ground spice mix.
- Add the chickpeas and the water in which they cooked to the pan. Add the pre-cooked potatoes.
- Cover with a lid and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Stir in the chopped coriander and simmer for a further 10 minutes uncovered.
Nutritional Information
Per Batch
Energy 1300 kcal (5460 kJ)
Carbohydrate 200g
Total sugars 35g
Fat 29g
Saturates 2.6g
Protein 54.8g
Fibre 32.8g
Salt 8.1g
Per Serving (Serves 6)
Energy 220kcal (910 kJ)
Carbohydrate 33g
Total sugars 5.8g
Fat 4.8g
Saturates 0.4g
Protein 9.1g
Fibre 5.5g
Salt 1.4g
Suggested Additions
½ x naan bread (80g), toasted = 225kcal / 942 kJ
150g of boiled basmati rice – 200kcal / 840 kJ
*The following will help cool it down if you’ve gone full spice….
1 x tbsp. of reduced fat crème fraiche = 70kcal/ 293 kJ
1 x tbsp. of low fat natural yogurt = 25kcal / 105 kJ
Suggested Ear Candy
I treated my ears a la Bollywood with Mohammed Rafi (Golden Era) which includes this amazing song….
Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik
- Alternatives (spicy albums)…
Spice Girls (I do not own this and probably never will!)
The Chickpeas (an unsignd band from Austin, Tx that I just discovered today! Have a wee listen – they’re dead easy on the ear and have lots of nice strings
- Alternatives (based on Southern Asian cuisine)…
Mohammed Rafi – Jaan Pehchaan Ho from Ghost World soundtrack (on repeat!) – I massively love this song and can dance around to it for hours
Relish Health 