Black Chana Hummus with Vegetable Crudités

Serves - 1

• 50gms - Black chana (parboiled)
• 5gms - Tahina paste
• 15ml - Olive oil
• 2gms - Garlic
• 3ml - Lemon juice
• 2 - Cubes crushed ice
• Salt - To taste

Crudités:

• 40gms - Carrot 
• 40gms - Cucumber
• 40gms - Beetroot
• 20gms - Celery

Method

1. Soak black chana for 3-4 hours before parboiling. Allow it to cool.
2. In a blender, take parboiled black chana, Tahina paste, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, crushed ice and salt.
3. Blend into a smooth paste and keep aside.
4. Cut all vegetables into long batons or sticks.
5. Serve with the dip.

Roast Beets, Valencia Orange and Walnut Salad

Serves - 1

• 80gms - Baby beetroot
• 60gms - Valencia orange
• 30gms - Baby rucola lettuce
• 20gms - Assorted wild berries
• 10ml - Extra virgin olive oil
• 3gms - Dijon mustard
• Himalayan pink salt - To taste
• 25gms - Feta cheese
• 3gms - Fresh assorted herbs
• 2gms - Black peppercorns
• 20gms - Walnut halves
• 5gms - Microgreens

Method

1. Roast and cut the beets into thin slices and place the slices neatly on a plate
2. Neatly cut and remove the orange segments and collect them in a bowl.
3. Cream the feta cheese, mix the chopped herbs and crushed black peppercorns. Roll into pearls and keep aside.
4. Crush the assorted berries and keep aside. Prepare the dressing by whisking the crushed berries, olive oil and mustard in a bowl until it emulsifies. Add salt to the dressing.
5. Toast the walnuts and keep aside.
6. Sort and wash the microgreens.
7. Place the orange segments and rucola on top of the beetroot slices on the plate.
8. Add the toasted walnuts, microgreens and herbed feta cheese pearls. Drizzle the dressing from the top evenly on the ingredients. Serve.

Cowpea and Mushroom Succotash with Wilted Spinach

Serves - 4

• 160gms Cowpeas
• 200gms Button mushrooms
• 200gms Spinach
• 20gms Garlic
• 50gms Tomatoes
• 40gms Onion
• 5gms Black pepper
• 20ml Olive oil
• Thyme (Optional) - a sprig
• Salt - To taste

Method

1. Wash and soak cowpeas overnight. Boil with salt until cooked.
2. Wash and slice half the mushrooms, pan fry with seasoning and reserve aside. Cut the remaining mushrooms in quarters.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add quartered mushrooms and cook on high heat until they start browning. Add sliced garlic and chopped onions along with thyme and season with salt and pepper.
4. Add boiled cowpeas, vegetable stock or water and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using the back of a spoon partially mash the beans which naturally give a creamy body to the simmering ragout.
5. Add diced tomatoes and further cook for another 5 minutes until the ragout is creamy.
6. Wilt cleaned and washed spinach leaves with sliced garlic and remaining olive oil in a hot frying pan and season with salt and pepper. Add the reserved grilled mushrooms to the plate.
7. Spoon out the ragout into a deep bowl and top with wilted spinach and mushrooms. Garnish with herbs and serve warm.