Diet: Gluten Free, Nut Free, Pescatarian, Soy Free, Vegetarian
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Description

Are you looking for something filling and nourishing after a long day at work?

What’s so great about this dish is that it’s perfect for batch cooking. Batch cooking is something I would always recommend for clients who are aiming to eat well on-the-go. You can simply prepare this dish on a Sunday evening and then it is ready to enjoy over the next few working days.

Simple and delicious.

I think that a stew should always be quite hearty whilst also not too heavy on the digestive system.

That’s why this recipe includes fresh vegetables and legumes which pack a high fibre content and can help to keep the digestive system working optimally.

I’ve also included some feta cheese into this dish, which is an excellent source of protein, B vitamins and calcium. As part of Mediterranean cuisine, feta is used in all kinds of dishes to bring lots of flavour and nutrition to a meal.

Feta is made from sheep and goat’s milk and has been shown to contain beneficial microorganisms such as Lactobacillus plantarum (Rantsiou et al. 2008), which can help to promote immune and gut health.

Feta is easier to digest and much less allergenic and inflammatory than cow’s milk, which makes it much better for those who have a dairy intolerance.

The reason behind this is due to a type of protein present in goat’s and sheep’s milk, called beta-casein A2. There are two main types of casein present in animal milk, called A1 and A2. Beta-casein A1 is present in cow’s milk and has been associated with increased digestive discomfort and poor food reactions, whereas A1 is not found in goat’s or sheep’s milk (they only contain beta-casein A2).

A recent study compared the consumption of milk containing A1 and A2 beta-casein types with consumption of A2 beta-casein only. Consumption of milk containing both A1 and A2 beta-casein were associated with increased gastrointestinal inflammation and digestive discomfort, whereas the group that eliminated A1 (and just drank A2) found no aggravation of symptoms or digestive discomfort after consuming the milk (Jianqin et al. 2016).

You will also find something called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in feta, which is a fatty acid that has been studied to aid fat loss and improved body composition (Blankson et al. 2000) (Gaullier et al. 2004).

So if you are looking to enjoy some dairy (without the digestive distress), I hope you enjoy this dish!

Ingredients

• 1 red pepper
• 1 orange pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 chilli pepper, finely chopped
• 1 courgette, chopped
• 100g chargrilled artichokes, finely chopped
• 1 pack asparagus spears, halved
• 100g fresh spinach
• 300ml vegetable stock
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 400g butter beans
• 1/2 tbsp oregano
• 40g feta (to serve)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees celsius.
2. Place the three peppers into the oven for 30 minutes until they are softened. The outer skin may also appear slightly black (this is okay, we will peel it later).
3. Meanwhile, take a large frying pan and heat 1 tbsp coconut oil on a medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes until softened and golden. If you need to add some water to the pan, this should stop the onion from sticking to the bottom.
4. Once the onion has softened, add the garlic, chili, courgette, spinach, asparagus and artichoke and stir for 5 minutes on a medium-low heat.
5. Now add the vegetable stock, tin of tomatoes and continue to stir on a medium heat.
6. Once the peppers have finished cooking in the oven, remove the skins and their inner core and chop up with a knife (you might need to leave a couple of minutes for them to cool on the side before you do this).
7. Add the peppers and butterbeans into the pan and continue to stir for a further 15 minutes. Lower the heat if necessary. Add the oregano.
8. Once the stew has finished cooking, serve into individual bowls and sprinkle with feta cheese.

References:

Blankson, H. Stakkestad, J.A. Fagertun, H. et al. (2000). ‘Conjugated Linoleic Acid Reduces Body Fat Mass in Overweight and Obese Humans’, The Journal of Nutrition, 130 (12), pp. 2943-2948, NCBI [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11110851 (Accessed: 5 August 2018).

Gaullier, J.M. Halse, J. Hoye, K. et al. (2004). ‘Conjugated Linoleic Acid Supplementation for 1 y Reduces Body Fat Mass in Healthy Overweight Humans,’ American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79 (6), pp. 1118-1125, NCBI [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15159244 (Accessed: 5 August 2018).

Jianqin, S. Leiming, X. Lu, X. et al. (2016). ‘Effects of Milk Containing Only A2 Beta Casein Versus Milk Containing both A1 and A2 Beta Casein Proteins on Gastrointestinal Physiology, Symptoms of Discomfort, and Cognitive Behavior of People with Self-reported Intolerance to Traditional Cows’ Milk,’ Nutrition Journal, 15 (35), pp. 1-16, NCBI [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27039383 (Accessed: 5 August 2018).

Rantsiou, K. Urso, R. Dolci, P. et al. (2008). ‘Microflora of Feta Cheese from Four Greek Manufacturers’, International Journal of Food and Microbiology, 126 (1), pp. 36-42, NCBI [Online]. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18555549 (Accessed: 5 August 2018).