Ciao people.

Up today I have a recipe that is easy, delicious and my favourite lunch to take into work.

This Italian style stew includes mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, cannellini beans and olives amongst other ingredients to create a healthy, nourishing dish that works alone, as a side or with a chunk of sourdough (insert your favourite bread here).

What I love about this stew is that while it is very healthy, it feels like comfort food and what is better in Winter? This recipe uses a mix of things that are probably already in your cupboard as well as fresh ingredients from the fridge. Also, it’s a vegan dish so can be enjoyed by everybody and will go down a treat if you’re cooking for friends or family.

*If Italian isn’t your thing, you could easily swap out the herbs to create a different dish*

This recipe makes a lot of servings! I used mine for lunch 4 times this week and froze enough for 3 more.

Ingredients:

2 tins cannellini beans (I used cooked but feel free to cook yourself)

2 tins chopped tomatos

Artichokes (either 1 tin drained or 7/8 out of a jar)

6 sun-dried tomatoes (either dry or from jar)

8-10 pitted olives

2 tbsp tomato paste

150g mushrooms

100g spinach (I used frozen)

1 red onion

3 cloves garlic

Juice of half a lemon

1 tsp sugar

Oregano

Thyme

Rosemary (optional)

Salt & pepper

How to make:

1. Prepare ingredients – quarter mushrooms, half olives, slice garlic, dice onions, chops sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes into 3/4 pieces. Drain beans and artichokes (if using canned).
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil (I used rapeseed but whatever you prefer) in dish and cook mushrooms and olives until shiny. Using a spoon transfer these into a bowl for later.
3. Add 1 tsp oil back into dish and add onions and garlic, cook until onion is translucent and add artichokes, sundried tomato and tomato paste for 1 minute stirring frequently.
4. Add cannellini beans, sugar, 1 tsp of both oregano and thyme and salt and pepper and cook for a further minute stirring frequently so that herbs are distributed evenly.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and lemon juice, turn up heat and bring to the boil.
6. Once boiling turn down heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Enjoy these 20 minutes watching an episode of your favourite cartoon on Netflix, or eating, or reading. Whatever you fancy.
8. Stir dish and add spinach, mushrooms and olives and season. Cover again for 10 minutes.
9. You’re done. Enjoy!

This is one of those dishes that is delicious as first but tastes better the next day once all of the flavours have marinated together. I freeze portions as early as possible to ensure that it will taste great when I come to eat it. This stores in the fridge for 4 days in a kilner jar (or anything with a cover).

Let me know in the comments about your favourite packed lunches.