MEDITERRANEAN COD, CHORIZO & RED BEAN STEW
There’s something about the way the chorizo releases its paprika-spiced oil when cooked down, mixed with flaky cod and creamy red beans, that just makes sense. This Mediterranean-inspired recipe packs in loads of veggies, with paprika and a little cayenne kick to complement the chorizo.
SERVES 2-3
COOKING TIME 40 minutes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely sliced
100g chorizo or cooking chorizo, chopped into small chunks
1 small courgette, diced
½ red pepper, cored, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper or dried chilli flakes
400g can good-quality chopped tomatoes
pinch of white or brown sugar (optional)
570g jarred red kidney beans, with their bean stock
3 cod fillets, 175-225g each (or 1 per person)
handful of parsley, finely chopped
juice of ½ a lemon, plus wedges to serve
salt and pepper
1 Heat the olive oil in a large, high-sided frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, along with a pinch of salt, and cook for 8-10 minutes, until softened.
2 Add the garlic and fry for a further minute until fragrant, then add the chopped chorizo and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oils start to release.
3 Throw in the courgette, red pepper, sweet smoked paprika and cayenne pepper, then toss to coat everything in the oils. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are starting to soften.
4 Stir in the chopped tomatoes. If your tomatoes are quite sour (tip: fancier brands are sweeter), add the sugar now. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for a couple of minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
5 Pour in the red kidney beans with their bean stock, stir to combine and leave to bubble away for 2–3 minutes to warm the beans through and allow the mixture to thicken slightly. Check for seasoning and adjust to taste.
6 Add the cod fillets on top of the stew and season with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Cover with a lid and gently simmer over a low-medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until the cod is fully cooked through.
7 Scatter over the parsley and squeeze over the lemon juice. Divide among bowls and serve with lemon wedges.
SILKY ROASTED GARLIC HUMMUS & COURGETTE BOWL
This roasted garlic hummus is soft, silky and decadent – a certified crowd-pleaser. Roasting the garlic makes it sweet, earthy and caramelised, which is obviously delicious alone, but even better when whizzed up with tahini. Enjoy with crusty bread to dip into that chickpea goodness.
SERVES 4 as a dip
COOKING TIME 40 minutes
½ a garlic bulb (5-6 cloves)
3 large courgettes, sliced into 1cm rounds
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
20g pine nuts or pumpkin seeds
3 tbsp tahini
570g jarred chickpeas, with their bean stock
zest and juice of 1 lemon
large pinch of za’atar or a mixture of sumac and dried chilli flakes
salt
To serve
crudités
crusty bread or warm pittas
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
2 Wrap the garlic cloves (still in their skins) in foil and place on a baking tray. Roast for 30 minutes until soft and tender.
3 Line a large baking tray with baking paper and arrange the courgette rounds across it in a single layer. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and roast for 25-30 minutes until golden and caramelised, turning halfway so that they roast evenly.
4 Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts or pumpkin seeds in a separate small roasting tin in the oven for 3–5 minutes until evenly golden. Set aside.
5 Remove the garlic from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
6 To make the hummus, put the tahini, chickpeas and bean stock and the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil into a blender. Add half of the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins straight into the blender, then blend until smooth and silky. Check for seasoning and acidity, adding more salt and lemon juice if desired.
7 Spoon the hummus on to a large plate or bowl, then tumble the courgette slices over the top. Sprinkle over the pine nuts or pumpkin seeds, lemon zest and za’atar or sumac and chilli flakes before digging in with your choice of crudités and bread.
8 Once made, the hummus will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, making it the perfect snack or addition to your lunch.
DOUBLE PEA TOASTS WITH PEA SMASH, FETA & CRISPY CARLIN PEAS
Have you ever roasted carlin peas? Thanks to their smaller surface area, they turn into the crispiest nuggets out of all the bean types. They’re great on salads, make a fab crunchy snack, and are next-level in this recipe, paired with a fresh pea smash on toast with tangy feta: two types of peas are better than one.
SERVES 4
COOKING TIME 30 minutes
300g frozen peas
½ a 700g jar carlin peas (available at Ocado and Waitrose), drained, rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
2-3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra if needed
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 small garlic clove, peeled
8 mint sprigs, leaves picked
10g fresh chives or 1 spring onion (both green and white parts), roughly chopped
zest of ½ a lemon, juice of 1
4 slices of sourdough bread
100g feta
pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional)
salt and pepper
1 Defrost the frozen peas and either microwave for 2 minutes in a heatproof bowl, or blanch in a saucepan of boiling water for 1–2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2 The carlin peas can either be roasted or pan-fried – roasting will give you a crisper, crunchier finish, but pan-frying will save on time!
3 If roasting the carlin peas, preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the carlin peas on to a baking tray and toss well with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the smoked paprika. Season and roast for 22–25 minutes until crispy, shaking halfway through.
4 If pan-frying the carlin peas, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the carlin peas and paprika, and fry for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until crispy all over.
5 Meanwhile, make the pea smash. In a food processor or blender, combine the cooked peas with the garlic, mint leaves and chives or spring onion. Add the remaining olive oil, along with the lemon zest and juice, and pulse until you have a thick purée (it’s good if it’s a little chunky). You could also do this in a pestle and mortar for an even chunkier texture. Season to taste and add more olive oil to loosen, if needed.
6 Toast the bread and spread the purée on top. Scatter over the crispy carlin peas and crumble over the feta. Finish with a pinch of chilli flakes, if you like.
Tip Both the roasted carlin peas and pea smash can be prepared a few hours in advance, making this a speedy assembly-job meal.
CRISPY WHITE BEANS AND SAGE-FRIED EGGS WITH GARLICKY GREENS
Garlicky greens and fried eggs are a great combo, but adding white beans brings a whole new level of deliciousness. We usually love to add some bean stock to our recipes, but not this time – you need the beans to crisp up and create a delicious bed for the fried eggs to nestle into. Don’t skimp on the fried sage – it smells and tastes heavenly!
SERVES 2
COOKING TIME 25 minutes
3 tbsp olive oil
570g jarred white beans, drained, rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
1 tbsp butter
small bunch of sage, leaves picked
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
100g leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, chard or cavolo nero, roughly chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2-4 eggs, depending on hunger
pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional)
salt and pepper
1 Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Tip in the beans and stir to coat in the oil, then spread them out so that they form a single layer across the base of the pan. Cover and leave for 3-4 minutes so that one side can crisp up. Stir, then cook for another 3-4 minutes. Some of the beans will break up, but that’s fine.
2 Melt the butter in a separate frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the sage leaves until they turn dark green and slightly crisp – about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl. Add the remaining oil to the pan if needed and fry the garlic, chopped greens and a pinch of salt for 2-4 minutes until the greens are just wilted but still vibrant, stirring frequently. Finish with half of the lemon juice.
3 Make spaces in the middle of the beans for the eggs – these don’t need to be completely empty of beans, it’s just about creating some room so the eggs can cook better. Now crack the eggs into the spaces in the beans, moving the pan to get the whites into as many of the crevices as you can. Increase the heat to high and fry until the whites are set and crispy, but the yolks are still runny. If worried about the beans overcooking, cover the pan with a lid to speed up the egg whites. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of chilli flakes, if you like, and scatter the fried sage leaves on top.
4 Plate up the crispy beans and eggs using a spatula to get all the crispy bits off the bottom of the pan. Scatter with the lemon zest and serve alongside the wilted greens, with the rest of the lemon juice squeezed on top, if you like.
ROMESCO SAUCE WITH CRISPY BUTTER BEANS AND CAPERS
Romesco is a staple in Spanish cooking. We’ve kept ours pretty classic, but topped the smoky red pepper sauce with crisped-up butter beans and capers baked with fresh rosemary. Broccoli loves romesco, but if asparagus is in season, this will work just as well.
SERVES 3
COOKING TIME 30 minutes
570g jarred butter beans, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp olive oil
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
2 tbsp capers, drained and dried on a paper towel
salt and pepper
crusty bread or focaccia, to serve (optional)
For the broccoli
200g tenderstem broccoli
1 tbsp olive oil
zest of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve
For the romesco sauce
100g blanched almonds
200g roasted red peppers from a jar, drained
1 garlic clove
1-1½ tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
½ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Preheat the oven to 220C/ 200C fan/gas 7 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2 Tip the rinsed beans on to a clean tea towel and pat them dry – you want them as dry as possible to become extra crispy. Tumble them on to the tray and toss well with the olive oil. Add the rosemary sprigs, season, and roast for 20 minutes. Don’t be alarmed if the butter beans start to crack – this helps achieve a good level of crispiness on the outside.
3 Pat the capers dry to remove any moisture, then toss them with the beans on the baking tray. Roast for a further 10-12 minutes until crispy.
4 Meanwhile, put the broccoli on a second baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Season and roast for 10-15 minutes until charred.
5 Now make the romesco sauce. Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until starting to turn golden and smelling toasty. Tip out and leave to cool.
6 In a food processor or blender, combine the cooled almonds, drained peppers, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, the sweet smoked paprika, chilli flakes, if using, and a pinch of salt. Add the olive oil and blend until the mixture is glossy, but still has some texture. Taste and adjust as needed, perhaps adding more vinegar for acidity or more chilli flakes for extra heat.
7 Once the butter beans and capers are crispy and golden, and the broccoli charred, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Grate the lemon zest over the broccoli.
8 Smooth the romesco sauce over a platter, then tumble over the crispy beans and capers. Serve with the broccoli and some lemon wedges, then dig in with your choice of bread, if using.
ONE-PAN CHICKPEA, ROASTED GRAPE & CARAMELISED CARROT WITH BAKED FETA
Remember the baked feta hype? This one’s beanier and better. If you’ve never thought about caramelising your carrots, do try this, because they go so well with creamy chickpeas, baked with sweet, juicy grapes. They also work perfectly with parsnips. This is a warm salad for a cold evening with plenty of leftovers for lunch.
SERVES 3-4 as a light meal
COOKING TIME 1 hour 5 minutes
4-5 carrots, chopped on the diagonal into 2cm chunks
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sumac
300g seedless red grapes
570g jarred chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry with a paper towel
200g feta
1 tsp dried oregano
100g kale
50g pumpkin seeds
15g dill or parsley, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
For the dressing
juice of 1 lemon
½ tsp sumac
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp honey
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the carrots into a large roasting tray and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the sumac. Season well. Cover with foil and cook for an initial 25 minutes. Covering with foil helps bring out the carrots’ natural sweetness, as it cooks them in their own juices.
2 After 25 minutes, remove the foil from the tray and toss in the grapes, chickpeas and a pinch of salt. Give everything a good stir. Ease the block of feta into the centre of the tray, drizzle with another tablespoon of the oil, then sprinkle the whole tray with the oregano. Roast, uncovered, for a further 25-30 minutes until the carrots are caramelised, the grapes are near to bursting and the feta is golden and caramelised on top.
3 For this dish, we’ve made it easy by keeping it all in one pan – the kale doesn’t get quite as crispy this way, but we sort of like the half-steamed, half-crispy situation. If you prefer crispiness, opt for roasting the kale in a second tray, moving the carrots to the oven shelf below – otherwise, continue here! Once the carrots have softened and the grapes are bursting, remove from the oven, lay the kale on top, drizzle with the remaining oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Top with the pumpkin seeds and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes, or until the kale is crispy and the pumpkin seeds are bursting.
4 Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the dressing – the reason for not adding any oil is that there’s already plenty in the traybake.
5 When the traybake is ready, use the back of a fork or spoon to break up the feta a little. Pour the dressing into the tray and toss to coat all the ingredients. Finish by adding dill or parsley.
CREAMY COCONUT AND TOMATO CURRY
This coconut curry is golden, rich and warming, thanks to the earthy turmeric and slow-roasted tomatoes, and is also super simple to make. Whizzing up some of the butter beans makes it ultra creamy and velvety – we would definitely recommend. Finish with the zingy coriander salsa to lift the flavours and add freshness.
SERVES 3
COOKING TIME 50 minutes
300g large vine tomatoes, halved
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp neutral oil, such as sunflower or rapeseed oil
100g cherry tomatoes
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
400ml can full-fat coconut milk or 160ml coconut cream
100g spinach
570g jarred butter beans, with their bean stock
salt
For the coriander salsa
20g coriander, very finely chopped
juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch of caster sugar
To serve (optional)
nigella seeds
cooked basmati rice
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
2 Put the large tomatoes on a large oven tray and sprinkle with half of the cumin seeds, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Roast for 10 minutes, then tip in the cherry tomatoes and roast for a further 20 minutes, until they are all soft and starting to caramelise.
3 Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli, and cook for a further 2 minutes until fragrant.
4 Stir in the turmeric, garam masala, remaining cumin seeds and a pinch of salt. Cook out the spices for 2-3 minutes until they smell fragrant, then add the coconut milk or cream to the pan, along with any bean stock that’s easy to drain from the jar. Blend with a handheld blender until smooth. (If you’re using coconut milk, you may want to add some of the butter beans here to thicken the sauce naturally.) Once blended, add the spinach and butter beans, with the rest of their bean stock. Simmer gently for 10-12 minutes.
5 In a small bowl, mix the coriander with the two-thirds of the lime juice. Stir in the olive oil and sugar, and mix well to form a salsa.
6 Once the tomatoes are cooked, remove from the oven and add them to the curry, along with any juices. Add the rest of the lime juice and stir to combine.
7 Spoon the curry into bowls. Drizzle with the coriander salsa and sprinkle with nigella seeds, if you like. Serve with rice for an extra hearty meal.
SAUSAGE, BROCCOLI AND PECORINO BEANS
Fennel seeds, sausages and beans are a match made in heaven, and this dish makes use of the delicious bean stock to create a saucier texture, while the crispy breadcrumbs add a satisfying crunch. It’s ready in 30 minutes and only uses one pot, which means less washing-up and more time on the sofa. Perfect for a moody, misty evening.
SERVES 2-3
COOKING TIME 30 minutes
2 tbsp olive oil
6 good-quality sausages, skins removed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1½-2 tsp fennel seeds, adjust to taste
100ml water
½-1 tsp dried chilli flakes, adjust to taste
570g jarred borlotti beans, with their bean stock
1 large head of broccoli, chopped into florets
50g pecorino or parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese
1 tbsp melted butter or extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
For the pangrattato
1 tbsp olive oil
40g fresh breadcrumbs
zest of 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve
15g parsley, very finely chopped
1 Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, for which you have a lid, over a medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat to the pan and break up into small pieces. Cook for 8-10 minutes until browned and crispy in places.
2 Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and fennel seeds. Cook for 1 minute more, then pour in the measured water, along with a pinch of salt and the chilli flakes. Stir to scrape the bottom of the pan and release the flavourful brown bits, then add the beans with their bean stock. Bring to a simmer, then tumble the broccoli on top and cover the pan with a lid to let the broccoli steam for about 6 minutes until it is bright green but still has some bite to it.
3 While your broccoli is cooking, make your pangrattato. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until golden, making sure they don’t burn. Stir in the lemon zest and parsley and season to taste.
4 When the broccoli is ready, turn off the heat. Remove the lid from the pan and scatter over the pecorino or parmesan, season with black pepper and drizzle over the melted butter or extra virgin olive oil.
5 Divide into bowls and top with a sprinkling of the pangrattato, then serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
NOW BUY THE BOOK
Our recipes are taken from Full Of Beans by Amelia Christie-Miller, with photographs by Sam A Harris, which will be published by Kyle Books on 9 October, priced £22. To pre-order a copy for £18.70 until 12 October, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.
