Chickpea and chard curry

Quick and delicious, this one ticks all the boxes for my family. Sometimes I love a recipe that contains mostly store cupboard ingredients with just a few extras to pick up from the shops. Nice served with some brown rice or just a lovely crunchy salad. SERVES 4 1 red onion, thickly sliced 1 large bunch of Swiss chard (see tip), stems and leaves separated, shredded 1 red pepper, cut into strips 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 1 tbsp mild curry powder 400ml can of coconut milk 200g canned tomatoes, puréed 2 x 400g cans of chickpeas, drained small bunch of coriander leaves, finely chopped (optional), to serve

Heat a tablespoon of vegetable, coconut or olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, chard stems and red pepper and cook over a medium heat until they start to soften.

Add the garlic and curry powder and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, tomatoes, chickpeas, chard leaves and 200ml of water. Season with salt and pepper, then simmer until the greens have wilted down and the vegetables are tender. Stir in the coriander leaves, if using, just before serving. DAVINA’S TIP Bunches vary in the shops. Around 200g of chard should do it but feel free to use more or less of this leafy green according to your taste. 354 calories per serving • Prep 10 minutes • Cooking about 20 minutes VEGAN

GOING

Primary school-age children generally love to help in the kitchen and view it all as a great game but things can get trickier when they hit the teenage years. If your family aren’t vegetarian already, your son or daughter may announce one day that he or she wants to go veggie. Great – support their decision. It’s a really healthy way of eating as it means more veg, but help them make sure they are not missing out on essential nutrients such as iron and calcium. Make the point that being a vegetarian isn’t just about not eating meat but making sure you fill your protein needs in other ways to get a good, balanced diet. Vegan diets, too, are becoming more and more popular, and again can be such a great way of eating as long as you have a good balance of foods. My daughters are vegan and they have taught me so much. There is loads of good info on the Vegetarian Society and Vegan Society websites so check those out and encourage family members thinking of this way of eating to do the same.