Vegan/Vegetarian recipe. — Alternative Ageing

This is my take on a recipe taken fromJamie's Every Day Superfood: a brilliant TV programme & book (would make a great Christmas pressie) Every recipe he suggests is healthy, low calorie, easy, stashed full of vitamins & minerals, and delicious.

So, with apologies to the great man, here's my twist on his Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Black Beans & Jalapeno Tomato Salsa. It's a great go to dish as you can have all these ingredients stored in the fridge & cupboard for unexpected guests who are veggie or vegan!

INGREDIENTS for 2:

2 sweet potatoes

250g tomatoes

2 spring onions

Half a 200g jar of jalapenos - less if you don't like hot!

I red onion

Olive oil

1 X 400g tin of black beans

2 heaped teaspoons of cottage cheese (skip if you're vegan)

Guacamole bought ready made in a tub, or freshly made if you're vegan.

And a packet of silken tofu, soya sausages or any other tofu you fancy

HOW TO

The vegan version. Add some fresh green herbs for some colour.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Wash the sweet potatoes. Season (I add a drizzle of olive oil as well as salt & pepper) and roast for 1 hour, or till cooked through. Chop the tomatoes and spring onions. Put it all in a blender, or similar, plus the jalapenos & some of the juice, it takes seconds to turn into a lovely salsa. If you don't use all the sauce you can keep in the 'fridge for another meal.

When the sweet potatoes are nearly cooked, after 45 minutes or so, peel and chop the onions, fry in 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil and add a tiny bit of water & cook till they're soft. About 5 plus minutes. Add the beans and all their juice. Reduce heat and cook for another 5 minutes or more, adding the chopped tofu franks, stirring occasionally. Taste and season. Add a splash of water if needed. I usually have this dish without the tofu but it's a great addition for vegans. That's it, serve, add the cottage cheese to the sweet potatoes, & the guacamole & tomato salsa on the side, and enjoy!

The vegan version is dead easy. All of the above without the cottage cheese and guacamole. Of course, you could make your own guacamole, dairy free, and voila a great, filling & nutritious meal that anyone can eat!

Do let me know if you try this & like it. Perfect for this time of the year!