For the Fennel and Chickpea soup:
A really good soup while the weather is warming up but still a little nip in the air.

2 Tbls olive oil
1 leek, halved lengthways and sliced into half moons (subs: onion)
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 medium potato, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stick, diced (include the washed leaves)
1 bulb fennel, diced
2 c. vegetable stock
2 c. water
400g chickpeas, rinsed well
Salt and pepper

1. Heat the olive oil and saute the leek ensuring it doesn’t brown
2. Add the garlic and stir
3. Add potato, carrot and celery and fennel and saute for 2 minutes
4. Add the stock (preferably hot) and water (also hot).
5. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for approx 20 mins until vegetables are soft
6. Add the chickpeas, heat through and serve with lashings of fresh parmesan

(Adapted from: Enjoy – New Veg, Nadine Abensur)

For the Quinoa and black bean salad
Inspired by the mexican version posted last week, I wanted to make this salad. I have some ingredients to use up before buying more so I made the following changes:

• Instead of mango, I sliced a semi-hard banana on an angle. I coated the banana in a mix of 4 Tbls olive oil, 1/4 tsp chilli flakes (ground in a mortar and pestle), 2 tsp grated ginger, salt and pepper. Heat a griddle and cook until golden on both sides, but not too soft it disintegrates
• Substitute spring onions and coriander for chopped mint leaves
• I find grape seed oil too strong, so I used mostly olive oil and a dash of toasted sesame seed oil

The meal was followed up with the Mexican chocolate rice pudding.