Heidi Swanson says: “This combination of seasoned chickpeas, coconut, kale, quinoa and avocado is quite good when bundled into a lettuce wrap if you have some bright, lively little gem lettuce around.

“Seek out curly-style kale here, since it crisps beautifully in the oven, and use sesame-chilli oil in place of toasted sesame oil if you like a bit of heat.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

60ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil or sesame-chilli oil
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
310g chopped curly kale, stems trimmed and ribs removed
55g unsweetened shredded large-flake coconut
40g nutritional yeast
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
400g cooked quinoa or brown rice
1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
salted garlic yoghurt (recipe below)

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C and place a rack in the centre.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sesame oil and tamari.

Combine the kale, coconut and yeast on a rimmed baking tray and toss well using your hands (really go for it with the tossing!). Add about two-thirds of the oil mixture and toss again.

Arrange the kale evenly across the baking tray. Bake for 15–20 minutes, tossing once or twice along the way, until the kale is crisp and the coconut is deeply golden.

In the meantime, heat the chickpeas and quinoa in a small saucepan over medium heat (if they stick to the pan, add a splash of water).

Transfer the warm chickpea–quinoa mixture to a serving bowl and toss with the remaining oil mixture.

Top the chickpeas with the kale–coconut mixture and place the avocado slices over the top. Serve warm with dollops of yoghurt.

Salted garlic yoghurt

Heidi Swanson says: “This is the condiment I reach for more than just about any other. It adds a creamy component that works with everything from traybake dishes, such as spicy chickpeas with kale and coconut, to burritos and flatbreads. You can dial up or down the garlic to taste.”

Makes one cup

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves
1 tsp fine-grain sea salt
250g plain Greek yoghurt

Method

Place the garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle the salt on top. Using the flat side of a sharp knife, cut and mash the garlic and salt into a paste.

Scoop the paste into a jar with a lid and stir in the yoghurt.

Store the salted yoghurt in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

From Super Natural Simple: Whole-Food, Vegetarian Recipes For Real Life by Heidi Swanson (£22, Hardie Grant), out now

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