Green mole

“As a nutritionist, I’m forever asking my clients to eat more plants and veggies,” says registered nutritionist Eva Humphries. “Most of us are low on nutrients and adding more veg is a nice way to up those feelgood vitamins and minerals. However, I don’t just want my clients to eat more veg, I would like them to actually enjoy it and the only way to do that is via nutrient-dense meals that are big on flavour – these recipes tick those flavour boxes while being entirely wholesome.”

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 medium onion, roughly diced

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

1” piece of ginger, peeled and sliced

2x medium Bramley apples, roughly chopped and the core removed

1 yellow pepper

1 green chilli, roughly chopped (deseeded if you like less heat)

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

100g of hemp seeds – I used Good Hemp, available in most supermarkets

1 handful of coriander

1 handful of parsley

2 large handfuls of spinach

2 limes

Sea salt and black pepper

Cooking oil of your choice

For the top:

Black rice, cooked according to packet instructions

4x eggs, hard or soft boiled

4x small courgettes, sliced and roasted

Any soft herbs

A handful of roasted & salted pistachios, shells removed

Method

Put the grill on maximum heat.
Slice the pepper down each side so it forms 4 flat pieces.
Put the pepper pieces on a roasting tray and put under the grill until the skin on the pepper has charred. This makes the pepper pieces sweet and smokey, adding extra flavour.
Set aside to cool.
Once cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the pepper pieces.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Put the apple pieces on a roasting tray, drizzle with oil and roast until you make the sauce.
Put a saucepan on a medium heat and add a splash of oil.
Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli and cook until softened (around 5 minutes).
Add the tomato, pepper pieces and hemp seeds to the sauce. Add a couple of splashes of water and cook for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have cooked down.
Throw in the roasted apple pieces and cook for another couple of minutes, adding a splash of water if it’s beginning to look dry.
Season well with sea salt and black pepper.
Transfer the sauce to a blender, add the coriander, parsley and spinach and squeeze in the juice of 1.5 limes.
Season again with sea salt and black pepper and blend until completely smooth.
Check the flavour and add more lime juice, salt or pepper as required.
To serve, divide the sauce between 4 bowls and top with the desired toppings.

3 quick, veg-packed recipes to help you crush your 5-a-day goal