We all know the feeling of being too tired to cook, when our to-do list feels endless and we want to cut corners – there’s a temptation to skip the healthy option when we need it the most. This is the sort of recipe that I turn to on those days; even a takeaway won’t arrive quicker than you can get this on the table and the butter bean mash with pan-fried greens and crunchy, garlicky almonds will help give you the energy you need to feel your best.
Serves 2
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 × 400g tin of butter beans
Grated zest and juice of
½ lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
2 handfuls of almonds (about 60g), roughly chopped
½ bunch of flat-leaf parsley (about 10–15g)
150g Tenderstem broccoli
150g asparagus
Sea salt and black pepper
Method
1. Put the butter beans along with the liquid from the tin into a high-speed blender and blitz until smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper and the lemon juice.
2. Warm the olive oil in a frying pan set over a low heat. Add the garlic, chilli and almonds and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden. Remove the pan from the heat and scoop the garlic, chilli and almonds into a small bowl, leaving the oil in the pan. Stir in the parsley, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and set aside.
3. Set the pan back over a medium-high heat and warm the oil that was left in the pan. Add the broccoli and asparagus and cook for 5 minutes, until tender and lightly charred. To do this, let the vegetables sit undisturbed on the pan for 30 seconds or so, then stir and repeat.
4. To serve, spoon the butter bean mash into serving bowls and smooth into an even layer. Add the charred veg, scatter over the garlicky almonds and chilli and finish with a little salt and pepper.
NOTE: You can use any greens here; you just want them to have a gentle bite to maintain a contrast with the soft, creamy mash.
Recipe extracted from Healthy Made Simple, the new cookbook by Ella Mills. Out now in hardback, £22.
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