Mexican Vegetable Salad with Spicy Sauté Potatoes and Minted Bean Rice

Haven’t blogged for a little while, mainly because I have been hibernating away and tucking into gluten free yummies to build up my winter stores. I love this time of year!

Tonight I am making a real feast of yummy tasty food which will as always be gluten free, lactose free and vegan with lots of flavour and vitamins to keep you going through the winter.

To get things started I’m putting miniature new potatoes on to boil in one pan and rice in another, this will mean the base foods are cooked and ready to get some taste into. Whilst these are cooking I’m going to make the salad.

Although I love to use local foods I definitely won’t be doing that in my salad which has a definite Mexican feel with chilli and avocado. Start by heating a small amount of olive oil in a large frying pan, add garlic and chilli and then add chopped courgette, red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, sweetcorn and small amount of pure tomato puree so these can sizzle and cook. Whilst cooking chop lettuce, rocket and avocado and put into a salad bowl. When the vegetables are lightly cooked and warm add into the salad ready to eat. Avocado is great for vegan and coeliac diets as they are full of vitamins and high amounts of calcium, they are a source of healthy fat and are super tasty as well. Full of brightly coloured vegetables this meal will make even the most Autumnal evenings feel full of sunshine and will boost your immune system and vitamin intake.

Once the potatoes are cooked I’m going to make use of the same pan used for the vegetables to sauté them in a little oil, garlic and chilli. It will only take 10 minutes to cook but continue to stir all the way through the cooking to ensure the potatoes are evenly cooked. These are really indulgent and a great way to get a coeliac carb fix without resorting to gluten free alternatives which can be full of sugar.

The final dish I’m serving tonight is the rice and beans, once cooked drain the rice thoroughly, in a large bowl I mix through with drained and ready cooked beans. I’m going to use a mixture of cannellini, edamame and borlotti beans as well as some sweetcorn. To dress the rice and add extra flavour I add chopped mint and squeeze lime juice over the rice which will give it a lovely zesty kick. Serve all together and dig in to a real festival of gluten free, vegan flavour. These dishes are brilliant for sharing with friends and family too.