Bean Recipes
© Copyright Gillian McKeith 2009
Aduki Beans
Aduki Beans with red onion and corn salsa
This dish makes a great salad salsa on its own or to serve with oily fish such as salmon or mackerel. It also makes a great snack or quick lunch. Add a little hemp oil to taste as an option.
Very Easy
Time taken to open 2 cans and chop an onion: 2-3 mins
Serves 2
1 can 175g net weight of Aduki beans drained
80g organic sweet corn
75g red onion finely chopped
2 tablespoon cider vinegar
Handful Parsley chopped
Mix all the ingredients together and serve.
Black Beans
Vegetable Rissoles with raw mangetout and Sweet Corn Relish.
Vegetable Rissoles
Use a good quality non-stick pan and there is no need to use any more than a slight wipe of oil over the surface before cooking the rissoles.
Serves 4
100g Black Turtle beans
10g arame seaweed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp oil and 1 tbsp water
1/2 yellow pepper, finely diced
100g peeled, grated swede
100g courgette, grated
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
100g millet flour
A little oil to grease
1. Soak the beans in a bowl of cold water overnight. Drain them and put them in a pan of cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Drain and mash with a potato masher.
2. Soak the arame in cold water for 10 minutes and drain.
3. Place the onion in a non-stick pan with 1 tsp of oil and 1 tbsp of cold water, water-fry gently to soften but do not brown.
4. Mix the cooked beans, arame, pepper, swede, courgette, parsley and garlic and stir well. Then mix in the millet flour.
5. Form into 8 round balls.
6. Preheat a non-stick pan and take a little oil on a pastry brush and lightly oil the surface of the pan. Place 4 balls in the pan and with a flat spatula press down to flatten. Cook for 2–3 minutes until golden in colour. Turn the rissoles over and cook for a further 2–3 minutes until golden in colour. Remove from the pan and repeat with the other rissoles.
7. Serve with raw mangetout, a squeeze of lemon juice and Sweet Corn Relish.
Sweet Corn Relish
This will keep for 1–2 days in the fridge.
Serves 4
150-g can organic tinned sweet corn
1/2 red pepper, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
2 tsp cider vinegar
1. Mix all the ingredients together and place in a clean jar until required.
Butter Beans
Fatoush
I make my fatoush with butter beans which give a great texture.
Serves 2
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
400g borlotti or butter beans drained
1 cucumber halved seeds scooped out and sliced
4 spring onions sliced
2 handfuls parsley chopped
1 handful mint leaves chopped
1 tablespoon capers
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1. Place the sesame seeds in a non stick pan and cook over a moderate heat for a couple of minutes until golden in colour.
2. Mix all the other ingredients together sprinkle over the sesame seeds.
3. It’s great to serve on a bed of coriander and rocket or with some sprouted alfalfalfa seeds and /pak choy.
4. And add brown rice to turn fatoush into a main meal.
White Bean Cappuchino
This creamy soup is perfect if you miss soups with cream in them. It is quite delicious and looks so appealing as well. Coriander seeds are available in health food shops and can be ground in a clean pepper grinder.
Serves 4
1 onion peeled and chopped
2 leeks sliced
2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
500ml vegetable stock or water
1 bay leaf
I bunch parsley stalks
freshly ground coriander seeds
450 g can cannelini beans drained
fresh chives
1. Place the onion, leeks, garlic, oil and a little water in a medium sized pan. Cook over a moderate heat for 5 minutes until the vegetables are slightly softened. Do not allow the vegetables to colour.
2. Bring the vegetable stock to the boil and pour over the vegetables add the bay leaf and parsley stalks. Season with a little coriander.
3. Return the soup to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the beans and cool for 3-4 minutes until they are warmed through.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the bay leaf then blend with a stick blender or in the food processor. Spoon into warmed deep soup bowls or large cappuchino cups. Sprinkle with fresh chives and serve immediately
Cannellini Beans
Nutty bean loaf
Prep: 15-20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Serves 6
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 slender leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely grated (about 125g prepared weight)
410g can cannellini beans in water, drained and rinsed
200g shelled mixed nuts, roughly chopped
1 tbsp organic vegetable bouillon (stock) powder
3 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley lightly dressed green salad, to serve
1. Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Lightly oil a 900g loaf tin and line the base with baking parchment. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently cook the leeks for 4-5 minutes until softened, stirring regularly. Set aside.
2. Put the onion, garlic, carrots, cannellini beans, nuts and bouillon in a food processor and blend for a few seconds. Remove the lid and push the mixture down with a spatula, then blend for a few seconds more until the mixture comes together but still retains some texture.
3. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Stir the leeks and parsley. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake the loaf in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and set.
4. Remove the loaf from the oven and stand for 5 minutes before loosening the edges with a round-bladed knife and turning out. Slice thickly and serve warm or cold with a fresh green salad.
Tip: This loaf is particularly good served with my roasted red pepper sauce, but it also goes well with a rich onion gravy. Wrap any left-over loaf in foil and keep chilled for up to 2 days.
Chickpeas
Moroccan-style chickpea salad
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Serves 2 as a main meal or 4 as a light meal or accompaniment
100g wholegrain rice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 slender leek, trimmed and finely sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
410g chickpeas in water, drained and rinsed
50g fresh peas, rinsed
2 good handfuls (about 50g) baby spinach leaves, shredded
1 ½ tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander
1. Cook the rice in simmering water for 25 minutes, or according to the pack instructions, until tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium frying pan and cook the onion and leek gently for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sprinkle over the spices. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
3. Drain the rice and rinse in a sieve under running water until cold. Tip into a serving bowl.
4. Mix the rice, spiced vegetables, chickpeas, peas, spinach, lemon juice and coriander. Serve.
Tip: This salad is bursting with flavour and very satisfying. It makes a great lunch solution and is easily transportable for meals on the move. Keep chilled.
Home-made hummous
Serves 4
1 (400g) can 'no-salt no-sugar) chickpeas
1 clove garlic, peeled
4 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley, coriander or dill (optional)
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Transfer to a small bowl and serve with assorted vegetable sticks for dipping.
Chickpea Burgers with colourful salad and avocado-watercress dressing
Makes 20 mini burgers
This will be a hit in your house. As well as a meal, any mini burgers left over can be used for your lunch box or a snack. The healthy burger that kids just love.
Chickpeas have a naturally sweet flavour, are a good source of iron, good fats and nutritionally help out the tummy and heart. I have combined them with sunflower seeds for an energy pick me up.
1 (410g) can organic chickpeas, drained
1 carrot, peeled and finely grated (65g prepared weight)
1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped,
50g/1/3 cup sunflower seeds
3 tbsp tahini (sesame paste), drained of any excess oil before measuring
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
1 handful fresh coriander leaves (20g/1 heaped cup)
1 tbsp organic wheat-free vegetable bouillon
1. Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend for 10-15 seconds. Remove the lid and push the mixture down with a spatula. Blend once more until fairly smooth and thick.
2. Shape the mixture into 20 small balls and place on the prepared tray. If the mixture is too wet to roll easily into balls (which is sometimes caused by runny tahini), add another handful of sunflower seeds and blend once more.
3. Flatten the balls slightly with the back of a spoon and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden around the edges. Remove from oven and leave on the tray for 2-3 minutes to firm up a little. Lift carefully off the tray. Serve hot or cold with a colourful salad and lemon or lime wedges. Or make a quick raw salsa from chopped fresh tomatoes, coriander, red onion and avocado.
Make the mixture into larger burgers if you like - about 10 or 12. Cook for 15-20 minutes then cool slightly before lifting off the tray. Make the mixture go further by stirring in 100g/1/2 cup cooked long grain brown rice after blending the other ingredients.
These burgers are also fabulous served with this quick avocado and watercress sauce:
Simply blend the flesh from 1/2 a ripe avocado with a small handful of watercress, 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice and 6 tbsp cold water. (Use 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint instead of the watercress if you like.) Sprinkle one teaspoon raw shelled hemp seeds into dip. Fabulous.
Chickpea Vegetable Stew
Place 1 sliced red onion in a saucepan with 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 tbsp hemp oil or olive oil.
Sweat over a low heat until onion is soft.
Stir in one red diced pepper, 1 sliced courgette, 1 trimmed and sliced leek,
1 (400g) can rinsed no salt, no sugar chickpeas and 625ml/ 1.2 cup cold water. Add two teaspoons wheat free vegetable biuollon stock powder and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 6-8 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Serve with freshly cooked brown rice.
Kidney Beans
Two minute bean spread
Prep: 2 minutes
Serves 1
100g cooked canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
½ garlic clove, peeled and crushed
¼ tsp organic vegetable bouillon (stock) powder (optional)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
Put the beans in a bowl with the garlic and bouillon, if using. Mash with a fork until as smooth as possible, then stir 1 tbsp cold water and freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste. Use as a spread or dip for crunchy vegetable sticks.
Tip: This is a great way to use up cooked beans. Use a whole can of beans and double the ingredients to serve 2-3.
Haricot Beans
Haricot bean loaf
Serves 6
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium leek, trimmed and sliced (175g prepared weight)
small piece fresh root ginger (about the size of a grape) peeled and finely
chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 onion, peeled and quartered
3 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely grated (175g prepared weight)
1 garlic clove, peeled
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or coriander
50g/1/3 cup sunflower seeds
35g/1/4 cup oatbran
1 tbsp organic wheat-free vegetable bouillon powder
2 (400g) cans 'no-salt no-sugar' haricot beans
1. Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas Mark 5. Lightly oil a non stick 1.25litre/5 cup (900g) loaf tin and line the base with baking parchment. Put the oil and leek in a saucepan and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned - do not overheat. Stir in the ginger, cumin and coriander and cook for 1 minute more. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Place the onion, carrots, garlic, parsley, sunflower seeds, oatbran and bouillon powder in a food processor. Drain one can of haricot beans and rinse in a sieve under cold running water. Add to the ingredients in the food processor and blend for about 20 seconds until well mixed and almost smooth.
3. Transfer to a large bowl. Drain the remaining can of haricot beans and rinse in a sieve under cold running water. Drain well. Fold into the vegetable and bean paste. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes until lightly browned and set.
4. Remove from the oven and turn onto a serving plate. Lift off the tin and discard the paper. Serve hot or cold in slices with a lightly dressed salad or a warm tomato and basil sauce if liked.
Copyright © Gillian McKeith 2009
