fridge clean out meals

Hello eKa CIRCLE

Most shopping days I like to clean out the crisper draw and basically see what I can make up with what veg are remaining. Usually this involves a bit of a roast up. Todays suspects were some lovely small red potatoes, a sweet potato, a few scrappy bits of leftover cauliflower and one lonely carrot. Cut into rough pieces (the smaller you cut them the faster they cook.) You can roast up most anything you have though. Eggplant, beetroot,  broccoli, onion, garlic, swede, parsnip and capsicum are all fantastic tossed together in a heavy roasting pan. Drizzle generously with some olive oil or coconut oil. Sprinkle with some herbs and seeds. Fennel, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower seeds are all really delicious. Season well and roast at about 200 deg C for 50 mins or until the vegetables are crisp and golden.

Today’s meal was made from two cans of kidney beans to accompany my fridge clean up roast. A quick chilli bean recipe prepared while the vegetables were cooking. The boys add some chicken with it as they eat meat. Too easy! You may be pleasantly surprised how delicious roast up veg can be that if forgotten about often sadly end up in the bin. That’s why I make these roast clean ups a fairly regular thing. No fuss, no waste and everyone loves it.

Don’t forget to keep the cans, rinse them out. I plant all sorts of herbs, cuttings and seedlings in them instead of buying small pots for the garden. Its so easy to gift small plants  and cuttings in them.

Please find my chilli bean recipe below.

love & light

M + E

Chilli Beans

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large green chilli sliced

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

2 bay leaves

4 tomatoes, diced or a can of peeled tomatoes

2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen

stock or water to just cover

Heat the olive oil in a heavy based pan and saute the onion and garlic for a minute or two until softened. Add the chilli and spices, toss over the heat. Add the tomatoes, kidney beans and corn and just cover with stock or water. Simmer for 30 minutes to thicken and season with salt and pepper.

Great served with a dollop of sour cream.