Beans – the toot fruit

by Tikka Wilson
Pulses, otherwise known as beans, are a wonderful food. Beans are legumes, meaning the seeds are produced in pods and I’ll focus on dried or tinned beans. For people who eat mostly plants, beans are a great source of protein. For those who treasure their microbiome, the little guys in your gut love beans!
The gas story
Let’s do the gas bit first. Beans contain a starch called raffinose. Humans can only partially digest … Read more »

Pumpkin, chickpea and coconut curry

by Georgie Adamson

Ingredients:
1 kg (approx.) pumpkin peeled and cubed
1 brown onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped fine
1 fresh chilli, your choice, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of finely sliced ginger
1 teaspoon each: mustard seeds, turmeric
1 bunch coriander (replace with chopped parsley and celery if you like)
20 curry leaves … or a tablespoon good curry mix with those ingredients
1 tin … Read more »

Mushroom and truffle risotto from Il Passaggio in Bermagui

½ cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper,
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish) 

Mushroom mixture:
1 cup enoki mushrooms, trimmed
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
… Read more »

Lentil and bean stew with gremolata

This is a wonderful, hearty, vegan stew for cooler evenings

Ingredients:

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium-sized brown onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

5 medium carrots, cut into 12 mm pieces (about 2 cups)

5 celery stalks, cut into 12 mm pieces (about 2 cups)

1 400 gm can diced tomatoes, undrained

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided

1/2 cups dried French green lentils

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

2 rosemary sprigs

5 cups water, plus … Read more »

Coconut-Miso Salmon Curry

This delicious dish from the New YorkTimes is quick and easy to prepare.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium red onion, halved and thickly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 (25 mm) piece fresh ginger, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
¼ cup white miso
½ cup unsweetened, full-fat canned coconut milk
1 (450-680 grams) salmon fillet, cut into 5 cm pieces
140 grams baby spinach leaves … Read more »

Chilli con carne

By Steve Williams

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
150 to 200 grams diced bacon or chorizo sausage
1 large onion, finely sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 fresh red capsicum
1.5 tsps whole cumin seed
1 or 2 large dried red chillies
500 grams 4/5 star minced beef, diced beef or plant-based mince
1 tbsp smoky chipotle sauce (optional)
1 tbsp each ground coriander, cumin and sweet paprika
1 tsp … Read more »