#MondayMotivation Meal - 3 bean butternut squash casserole, steamed couscous, cleansing salad & home pickled onions

At last I have gotten around to bringing my previously mentioned (numerous times) bean and squash casserole to the masses. The celebration of the Easter feast has now passed and after a weekend of chocolate indulgence interspersed with much work while everyone else seemed to be on holiday, it's time now to de-stress and cleanse my system of all that refined sugar. So as it's Monday, and I do love those #MondayMotivation meals that help us get back on track, I usually cook up something along the vegetarian or vegan line. I enjoy meat occasionally but I find myself leaning more towards plant based meals which I find as equally satisfying, and I always notice, that although I feel full and satisfied after such a meal there doesn't seem to be the heaviness in the stomach region that follows a meat based meal.

This casserole is packed with delicious beans and butternut squash lightly spiced with smoked paprika, chilli and a hint of garlic. I use pre-cooked canned beans just for the convenience but make sure they are canned in water with as little salt as possible. Feel free to cook your own beans from fresh if you are able to. You can use vegetable stock for extra moisture in the casserole but I tend to use water to keep things natural. You can double or triple up on this recipe and batch cook and portion for the freezer where it will keep well for up to 6 months!

You will need.........for the casserole.....feeds 4            

1 medium white onion
1 clove of garlic
150 g carrot
300 g butternut squash
150 g brown dutch beans
100 g borlotti beans
150 g chickpeas
1 green pepper
500 mls tomato passata or other tinned tomatoes which you have pureed
100 mls coconut milk
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 small green chilli
olive oil
sea salt, pepper
200 mls hot water or vegetable stock

How to..............

• peel and dice the onion, peel and crush the garlic
• peel and dice the carrot and butternut squash
• remove the seeds from the green pepper and dice
• cut the chilli in half and remove the seeds then chop quite fine
• drain the beans and rinse well in cold water
• in a heavy bottomed pot heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry off the garlic and onion, cook until a little soft, add the chilli and cook for another few minutes
• add the smoked paprika and mix well to fry the spice and get the flavors going
• add in the green pepper, squash and carrots, mix well to coat with the spices
• add your liquid (veg stock or water), stir well and bring to the boil
• simmer quite fast for 5 minutes to begin the vegetables cooking then pour in the sieved tomatoes
• season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid and simmer for another 10 minutes
• by now the vegetables should be almost cooked
• add the drained beans and the coconut milk and simmer for another 5 - 8 minutes or so until everything is nicely cooked
• if you think the sauce is too thick you can always add a little more water/stock, but if you like it thick then enjoy it as it is.

Serve with some steamed couscous.......allow 50 g dry couscous per person, place in a deep bowl, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil per person, mix well then add some cold water, just barely enough to cover the couscous, set aside so the grains can swell and absorb the water........ preparing your couscous like this means the grains won't clump together in a sticky mass. You can then heat the couscous in a steamer or in a microwave.....I don't season the couscous as there will be plenty of flavor from the casserole.

For the pickled onions.........pickling onions at home is not a difficult thing, for these I simply take 2 medium red onions, peel and cut in half then slice nice and thin. Place them in a bowl, season with a little sea salt and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, add approx 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Stir to coat all the slices then place in a suitable container which has a tight fitting lid.....a small kilner jar is good for this, set aside for about an hour at room temperature or you can store in the refrigerator until needed where they will happily keep for a week.

For an extra bit of assistance with my bodily cleanse, I also serve a green salad on the side consisting of iceberg lettuce, sliced celery and cucumber, and because of their high water content, they are natural diuretics that help flush excess fluids from the body while adding back essential minerals in the process.....another great way to lighten the load on the way to a healthier you!