Try one of these three recipes from Good + Simple by sisters, Melissa and Jasmine Hemsley, for something that tastes good and does you good, too.

MUM’S PHILIPPINE BEEF SINIGANG

(Serves 2)

Echo:

Ingredients

  • 700g rib-eye steak
  • 1.2L water
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, diced
  • 5cm piece of fresh root ginger unpeeled (if organic), thinly sliced
  • 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3tbsp tamarind paste
  • A big pinch of black or white pepper
  • 3-4tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
  • 400g green beans, tops trimmed
  • 400g pak choi, leaves and stalks roughly chopped
  • 2 whole fresh red chillies
  • 400g spinach

Method

Cut the meat into 3cm cubes, retaining the fat as it will flavour the stew. Place in a large saucepan and pour in the water. Bring to the boil, then cover and quickly reduce the heat and cook at a medium-to-low simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes with the tamarind paste, pepper and fish sauce. Bring back up to a simmer and cook, covered, for a further 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more tamarind paste for a sourer flavour, if desired. Remember fish sauce is salty and brands vary in strength.

Tip in the beans, pak choi and whole chillies, then bring back up to a simmer and cook covered for five more minutes.

Add the spinach and remove the pan from the heat, leaving the lid on to allow the spinach to wilt. Remove the chillies and serve immediately.

HUEVOS RANCHEROS WITH GUACAMOLE

(Serves 2)

Echo:

Ingredients

  • 4 large handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 large handful of fresh coriander, leaves and stalks roughly chopped
  • 1 small handful of grated mature cheddar

For the tomato sauce:

  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, diced
  • 2 red peppers, halved lengthways, deseeded and sliced into strips
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1tsp smoked paprika
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper or finely diced fresh red chilli, to taste
  • 2 x 400g tins of tomatoes or 800g fresh tomatoes
  • 200ml water (100ml if using fresh tomatoes)
  • Sea salt and black pepper

For the guacamole:

  • 1 large ripe avocado
  • 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 2 spring onions or 1 small handful of fresh chives, chopped
  • 1 handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Method 

Firstly make the tomato sauce.

Fry the onion in the ghee or coconut oil over a medium heat for about eight minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Add the garlic, peppers, bay leaves and spices to the pan and cook for another two minutes.

Add the tomatoes and water, season generously with salt and pepper, then stir everything together and leave to simmer for 10 minutes until reduced to a thick, rich sauce.

Meanwhile, make the guacamole.

Halve and stone the avocado, then scoop out the flesh and roughly chop.

Place in a bowl and stir in all the remaining ingredients and some seasoning. Set aside.

Check the seasoning of the tomato sauce, adding extra salt, pepper and cayenne/chilli as needed, then stir through the spinach and cook for a few minutes until just wilted.

Use a spatula or spoon to make four wells in the tomato sauce mixture and crack an egg into each.

The eggs will poach in the sauce and cook in about 4 minutes (lid on) for set whites and runny yolks.

Scatter over the coriander and cheese.

Serve immediately with big heaped spoonfuls of guacamole on top.

CANNELLINI VANILLA SPONGE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE AVOCADO FROSTING

(Serves 25-30)

Echo:

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 125g butter or coconut oil, melted, plus extra for greasing
  • 3 x 400g tins of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 9 medium eggs
  • 1tbsp vanilla extract
  • 220ml maple syrup
  • 5tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
  • 90g coconut flour
  • 2.5tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/4tsp sea salt
  • 150g fresh raspberries, to decorate

For the frosting:

  • 4 medium ripe avocados
  • 5tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 8tsp raw honey (to taste)
  • 10tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2tsp orange extract
  • Pinch of sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to fan 180C/Gas mark 6, then line the bases of two 25cm-diameter cake tins with baking parchment and grease the sides with butter or coconut oil.

Blend all the ingredients for the frosting together in a food processor until smooth, adding a dash of cold water if needed, adjusting the flavourings to taste, then transfer to a bowl and set aside in the fridge.

For the cake, add the cannellini beans to the cleaned food processor bowl with the eggs, vanilla extract and maple syrup and blend until smooth. Add the remaining cake ingredients, except the raspberries, and blend to combine.

Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake tins, spreading out evenly and smoothing the surface. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until well risen and lightly golden on top. (Check the cakes after 25 minutes and swap the tins between shelves, if necessary, as they will cook at different rates.) Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before turning out of the tins.

While the cakes are cooling, gently wash the raspberries and dry them carefully using kitchen paper or leave to air dry (they must be thoroughly dry before adding to the cake).

Spread half the frosting on one of the cooled sponges, top with the other sponge and spread over the rest of the frosting. Store in the fridge and bring to room temperature to serve. Decorate with the fresh raspberries just before serving.