QUICK, CHEAP & EASY WEEKNIGHT BEANS
WHY DID THE BEAN GO TO JAIL?
He was disturbing the peas!
OK, enough of the Dad jokes…. I loathed baked beans growing up. Let’s face it, the look and texture of the tinned variety is hardly enough to get your chops drooling. Then I discovered this homemade version that, I believe, elevates the humble white bean to something utterly delish!
Serves 2 large or 4 small portions
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes + soaking time
INGREDIENTS
400g tin of cannellini beans or 1/3 cup of dried, soaked overnight
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, diced
1 leek, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
5 sprigs thyme, leaves picked or 1 tsp dried
1 tbsp brown mustard seeds
2 tbsp curry powder
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp tomato paste
400g can chopped tomatoes
100g mushrooms, sliced
Handful spinach leaves
1 vegetable stock cube
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Zest & juice of a lemon
COOKING BIT
Heat oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat & cook onion, leek, garlic & thyme for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the herbs & spices, cooked beans, vinegar, tomatoes, tomato paste & mushrooms & stir to combine.
Dissolve stock cube in 600ml boiling water & add to pan. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until tender. Add spinach leaves, lemon zest & juice during last 5 mins. Season well.
Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt. YUM!
As with many dishes, it tastes even more delish the following day….that is, if you are lucky enough to have any leftovers. Also freezes well.
SPOTLIGHT INGREDIENT: Cannellini beans
They are a great source of protein (1 cup of cooked beans equals 15g of protein) so this dish could be a highly nutritious alternative to eggs or meat. The humble white bean is also packed full of B vitamins including B12 as well as zinc, iron, potassium and other essential minerals. Best of all, it is budget friendly too!
Give this a whirl and please post your comments.
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