Spicy nut bake recipe
One of the components of a healthy Mediterranean style diet is to include plenty of nuts. I often have a few nuts as a snack, but rarely have them in meals. Then I remembered a Delia Smith recipe I used to make years ago and I have resurrected it with a twist. Delia's recipe has breadcrumbs, but this version uses lentils instead. Another food known to help support your gut microbiome which in turn is good for both your heart and your brain. I serve it with a mix of vegetables that have been cooked in spices and some brown rice. An inexpensive, tasty, healthy, easy to prepare meal.
Ingredients - serves 6.
- 200g mixed nuts - the packet I buy contains cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds.
- One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
- One large onion (or 2 small ones).
- Orange, yellow or red pepper.
- A few mushrooms.
- Tin of chopped tomatoes.
- Tin of green lentils.
- One teaspoon of lazy garlic (or 1 clove chopped).
- Half a teaspoon of lazy chilli (or equivalent).
- Half a teaspoon of ground cumin.
- Half a teaspoon of ground coriander.
- Half a teaspoon of turmeric.
- Half a teaspoon of mixed herbs.
- One egg beaten.
If you like spicy food, increase the quantity of the spices.
Method
- Turn on the oven to 190 degrees (fan) or equivalent.
- Grease a 24 cm round tin (or similar) and line it with baking parchment.
- Chop the onion and fry it in the olive oil with the garlic and chilli for about 8-10 minutes until the onion has softened.
4. Chop the pepper and mushrooms.
5. Add to the onion mixture in the saucepan and cook for about 7-8 minutes.
6. Chop the nuts in a food processor.
7. This will only take a few seconds. You want the nuts to still have a bit of crunch in them and not to be ground down to dust!
8. Put the chopped nuts into a bowl.
9. Add the green lentils (drained).
10. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and mixed herbs.
11. Mix together.
12. Now add the tin of chopped tomatoes.
13. If the tomatoes are rather watery, drain some of the juice off, - most tinned tomatoes should have a thick sauce.
14. Add the onion/pepper mixture.
15. Mix everything together well.
16. Beat the egg and add it to the mixture. Stirring it well to ensure everything is thoroughly mixed.
17. Pour into the greased and lined baking dish.
18. Bake in the oven for 35-40 mins at 190 degrees.
19. It will have turned brown and be much drier than when it went into the oven.
20. Cut up and serve with spicy vegetables and rice.
21. Note it will still be quite crumbly.
22. It is also delicious cold.
23. To make the spiced vegetables. Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil with a mixture of your favourite spices. Chop some soft veg (tomatoes, courgette, peppers, green beans, sugar snap peas, leeks, mushroom etc) and pour the oil/spice mix over the veg and mix well. Cook at the same time as the spicy nut bake.