The Fittening Day 1; Spicy Beans

So it's dinner time on day 1 of the new challenge and I wasn't really sure what I fancied, but I wanted flavour and comfort, so thought I'd do a chilli type thing inspired by Katie's Mex'd Veg recipe that she gave us in our meal guides.

Now, I had already decided this is what I was going to consume and was halfway through prepping when I realised I had no tomatoes in any guise, so I was going to have to make something up, and thought a little bit of a gravy might do instead. I haven't stuck entirely to the rules, because I did use a little salt, but it will take me a while to wean myself off of that addiction, and I've been good with everything else, so I'm not going to berate myself.

I made up the potful and weighed up the assumed correct amount of cooked ingredients (350g) over a bed of undressed lettuce leaves for myself and rice for Massive Munch, who is only partially joining me on this journey. Massive Munch's declaration of tastiness came in the form of "I was a bit dubious when I looked at it, but it's actually very tasty." There you have it, straight from the Muncher's mouth "actually very tasty." That's going on my book cover.

Also for those of you who like to have seconds or who like to feel like they are eating bigger portions, my top tip is to serve meals in a smaller dish than usual and to load the bottom of the dish with raw leaves. The pictures below show 100g of leaves and only 200g of beans, meaning I got two whole helpings of dinner, and none of the bloat. I am quite satisfied. Not looking forward to the withdrawal symptoms kicking in in the next couple of days.

The Fittening; Spicy Beans

1 tin kidney beans
1 tin cannellini beans
1 cob of corn, kernels removed
10 spears of asparagus, roughly chopped
1 handful of green beans, roughly chopped
juice of half lemon
juice of half lime
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
sprinkle garlic pepper
sprinkle of celery salt
1 veggie stock cube
1 smoked chipotle pepper, soaked and chopped
some water

1. Wipe a teeny amount of oil around a frying pan and heat to a low temperature. Add the onions, chilli and garlic and soften, add a splash of water if there was a risk of sticking.
2. Add in the spices, juice of the lemon and lime and another splash of water if needed. Lob in the tinned beans and the corn and the stock cube and stir to coat in the spices. Top up with a little bit more water and pop a lid on the pan and simmer for 8 minutes.
3. Throw the green beans and asparagus on top of the bean mix and pop the lid back on to steam for 5 minutes or until your greens are cooked to your liking.
4. Serve over a bed of salad leaves, or rice if you're not starting a new, less gluttonous diet.