Legumes such as cannellini and other beans, chickpeas and lentils provide the ideal type of fibre to feed the good bacteria in your digestive system. They are a low glycaemic index (GI) food helping to provide long-lasting energy. And, besides providing the low GI carbohydrate, they also provide a good source of vegetarian protein. Team them with colourful vegetables as I have here to make a totally nutritious meal or side dish. |
Ingredients200g green beans, trimmed, halved 220g fresh rice noodles 1 cup firmly packed basil leaves 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan 2 1⁄2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 400g can cannellini beans, rinsed 250g cherry tomatoes, quartered 4 spring onions, thinly sliced diagonally As seen in recipes+ magazine December 2013 | Method1 Cook beans in a small saucepan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes or until tender. Refresh under cold water. Drain. Place in a large bowl. 2 Soak noodles in boiling water in a heatproof bowl for 1 minute. Stir to separate strands. Drain. Refresh under cold water. Add to beans. 3 Place basil in a small food processor; process until finely chopped. Add pine nuts, garlic and parmesan; process until well combined. Add oil and 2 teaspoons water; season. Process pesto to combine. Add pesto, cannellini beans, tomato and three-quarters of the onion to noodle mixture; toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with remaining onion. Serves 4 Nutrition/serve: 1460kJ; 18g fat (3g sat); 10g protein; 31g carbohydrate; 8.5g fibre |