Mexican Vegetable Bake

Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 40 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients for Mexican vegetable bake

1 red onion
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 large red or yellow capsicum, deseeded and cut into chunks
1 small fennel bulb or 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 large zucchini, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
340 g jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika or mild chilli powder
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
400 g can chopped tomatoes
400 g can red kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
3⁄4 cup (200 g) ricotta cheese, drained
1⁄2 cup (125 ml) low-fat milk
3⁄4 cup (85 g) grated mature cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons dried wholemeal breadcrumbs

Preparation method for Mexican vegetable bake

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Halve the onion lengthways, then cut into thin wedges. Place in a large plastic bag with the garlic, capsicum chunks, fennel or celery, zucchini slices and oil. Toss together well, then tip out into a shallow ovenproof dish. Alternatively, you can mix everything together in a large bowl before tipping into the ovenproof dish.

2. Add the artichoke hearts to the vegetables, being careful not to break them up too much, then season with freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle the oregano, paprika or chilli, and cumin over the vegetables, then transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, and the drained beans. Return the vegetables to the oven to bake for a further 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, stir the ricotta with the milk, to thin it to a thick cream. Drizzle the cheesy sauce over the vegetables. Mix the grated cheese and breadcrumbs together and scatter on top. Return to the oven to bake for a further 15 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Each serving provides
21 g protein
23 g fat of which 9 g saturates
25 g carbohydrate
10.5 g fibre
700 mg sodium
1708 kilojoules (408 Calories)