beans

Zingy Fresh Tuna and Herby Beans

This little number is packed full of healthy goodness and a tonne of protein. However, that is just a wee bonus for this delicious dish! It is so packed full of flavour it is restaurant worthy and so full of goodness! Guilt free decadence!!!

Ps if you don’t have tuna or don’t like it….i used salmon and it was gorg too!!

Serves 4

4 Tuna Steak

1 Small Red Onion, sliced finely

1 Red Chilli, chopped

2 Lemons

Few handfuls Mixed Herbs (basil, chives, parsley, mint) finely chopped

2 Tins beans, Cannellini or Borlotti

1 Red Chilli, finely sliced (optional)

Three Handfuls of Mixed Herbs, finely chopped

Maldon Sea Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Start with the beans. Drain and put them in a pot with a few glugs of the Olive Oil, don’t boil, just gently warm.

Once warm, add the chilli, red onions, lemon juice and season to taste.

Set aside and heat a hot Griddle pan, when super hot, add the fresh tuna to the pan and sear for a minute each side to ensure it is nice and pink in the middle. If you want it done more, you’re mad, but feel free! 😂

At this point, throw the wonderful herbs into the beans and adjust seasoning if need be.

Serve piled on a plate topped with the tuna! Total lushness!

Tuscan White Beans

TUSCAN WHITE BEANS

I totally adore beans (except for baked beans!!😂) they are so versatile and can be made super tasty in minutes! Full of protein too (roughly 11g per serving!!)they make the perfect accompaniment to many meals.

I had mine with a fillet steak and my little birdies had theirs with sausages!!
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed

Pinch Chilli Flakes

1 Plum Tomato, chopped

1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary

2 Cans Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

1 Handful Parmesan Cheese

1 tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley

50ml Water

Olive Oil

Malden Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Begin by heating a dash of olive oil in a frying pan.
Add the garlic and chilli flakes, gently fry for a minute, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Add the chopped plum tomato and rosemary and cook gently for a couple of mins.
Add the cannellini beans and cook for around 5 mins, crush them up a little as you cook them.
Remove the rosemary, add the water and Parmesan and thoroughly combine.
It should be nice and creamy and not too dry. If too dry, add a dash of water. If too wet, keep cooking for another few mins.
Stir through the parsley and serve! Yumsters 😋

#beans #tuscan #protein

CRISPY TACOS WITH LUSH GUACAMOLE

Crispy Tacos with Lush Chilli and Guacamole

A while ago I shared with you my Chilli Con Carne and Guacamole, transform these both into something different by serving them in tacos rather than rice.

These went down a storm with my kids and don’t forget that the Chilli and Guacamole are super healthy and tasty enough to eat minus tacos!

Heat the tacos for about 3 mins in a hot oven.

Fill with chilli sauce and guacamole.

Top the tacos with a bit of freshly chopped chilli (bonus….chilli is known to speed up your metabolism!!)

A simple Saturday night sorted!

I will publish the chilli and guacamole recipes too 😉

Chilli Con Carne

Everyone has their own wee special way for Chilli Con Carne, this is my version. It is full of flavour and easily adaptable for kids by some tricks I have employed to cater to the varying tastes on heat levels in our house.

I have played around with Chilli con Carne over the years, I have been known to add 90% cocoa dark chocolate to it! Serve with rice, tacos, tortilla wraps….it is so versatile! Best bit it is so quick to make!

Serves 5

1kg Mince Beef
2 x 400g Kidney Beans, drained
1 x 400g Chopped Tomatoes
1 tbsp Tomato Purée
1/2 Cinnamon Stick
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Dry Oregano
1 tsp or either Mild or Hot Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Hot Paprika
1/4 Cayenne Pepper
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Green or Red Pepper Finely chopped
1-2 Fresh Chilli’s chopped (optional)
300ml Beef Stock
Rape Seed Oil

In order to reduce the level of fat to as low as possible, I brown the mince first at quite a high heat. As it releases fat, I drain the majority out. Whilst some may argue that you loose flavour this way, I firstly don’t think this is the case here as it is packed with flavour.

Once browned, remove the mince.

Add a dash of oil and fry the onion gently for 5-7 mins until soft.

Add the pepper and fresh chilli if you are using it and fry for another couple of mins.

Put the mince back in and add the cumin, oregano, chilli powder, cayenne, hot paprika and cinnamon stick.

Stir and cook for a couple of mins.

Add the tomato purée, stir and cook for a minute.

Add the tin of tomatoes and stock and bring to the boil.

Turn down and cook gently for 1/2 hour.

Add the beans and cook for a further 15 mins.

Bingo bango! Tasty, healthy, lush!
#chilliconcarne

Tonno e Fagioli

Serves 1

1 Fat Garlic Clove
1/2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
400g Tin of Cannellini Beans drained and rinsed
1 Red Onion sliced either in wedges of finely
1-2 Fresh Tuna Steaks (depends on size!) or you could use top quality canned tuna.
A Handful of torn Fresh Basil Leaves
Maldon Sea Salt and Fresh Black Pepper

Start off by blanching your red onion which takes away a bit of the sharpness. To do this put them in a saucepan of boiling water, boil for one minute and remove, drain and rinse in fresh cold water. This is optional!

Take a large pinch of Maldon Salt and with the flat part of a knife mash the garlic and salt together to form paste.

Add the garlic mix to a small bowl with the vinegar, oil and some pepper and more salt if you feel it needs it!

Mix the beans, onions and dressing together and add a touch more oil or vinegar, according to taste.

If you are using fresh tuna, add a touch of oil to a frying pan and heat. Add the tuna and cook for 2-3 mins each side for it to be nice and pink in the middle. You may need a touch longer depending on thickness.

Spoon some of the lush bean mixture into a nice bowl and top with the tuna.

Top with basil leaves and black pepper and serve! Simple yet marvellous!!

Peppers Stuffed With Mexican Rice and Beef

Peppers Stuffed with Mexican Rice and Beef

If you are sick of the sight of Chilli Con Carne, this is something super tasty and a little bit different. I have made the rice and beef combination without the peppers too. My kids love it with tacos and tortillas!

Serves 4

4 Large Peppers whatever colour you fancy! (Red are a bit sweeter!) Cut in half and cored.
250g Brown Basmati Rice (cook this in advance – even early in the day and refrigerate)
500g Mince Beef
230g (Drained weight) Black Beans (I got them in Sainsbury’s)
1 Onion chopped very finely
2 tsp Tomato Purée
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 Red Chilli Chopped Finely
100ml Beef Stock
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Hot Paprika
1 tsp Oregano
1/2 Cinnamon Stick
1/2 Chilli Powder
Olive oil

Add mince to a hot pan and fry quickly to brown all over. If there is excess fat, I often like to drain it out for health reasons!

Remove mince and set aside.

Add a dash of oil to the pan and add the onion and chilli. Fry gently for around 7 mins.

Return the mince to the pan add the oregano, chilli powder, cumin, hot paprika and cinnamon. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the tomato purée and stir.

Add the drained black beans, cooked rice and the tin of tomatoes.

Add the stock bit by bit to make it nice and moist but not to the point that it will run out of the peppers!

Cover and cook gently for 20 mins, remove kid and cook for another 10.

Add a dash or two more stock if necessary.

When done, stuff the peppers and place on a baking tray.

Heat oven to 160c and cook for 20-25 mins or until cooked.

You could do the rice and beef mix in a tortilla with guacamole and soured cream.

Enjoy!

Spring Minestrone Soup

Super easy, super healthy and super tasty…who ever thought it was possible!

2 Carrots cut into small chunks
2 Sticks Celery cut into small pieces
2 Leeks Chopped into small pieces
1 Large Onion chopped very finely
A Large Handful Green Beans cut into small pieces
1 Tin Borlotti Beans drained and rinsed
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes

1 tbsp Tomato Purée

1.5l Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Olive Oil
Maldon Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Small handful spaghetti broken into small pieces

Add some oil to a large saucepan. When hot add to it the carrots, celery, onion and leeks.

Fry gently for 5-6 mins.

Chuck in the green beans and the Borlotti beans, tomato purée, pasta and stock and stir well.

Season with Maldon sea salt and black pepper.

Cook on a medium heat for around 10 mins or until the vegetables and pasta are just tender.

Serve with some lovely crusty bread! Boom…delish!

Pan Fried Hake with a Bean Salad

I find nothing more satisfying than finding something that is fabulously health but tastes superb! It is a golden moment. As if a combination of healthy and tasty is not enough….it is seriously easy 🎉🎉🎉

Serves 1

2 x Hake Fillets (skinless and boneless)
200g Butter Beans (about 1/2 can. Use a can as it keeps it easy)
A couple of handfuls of Green Beans
Flat Leaf Parsley, finely chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olive Oil
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Malden Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Bring a pan of water to the boil add the green beans and simmer rapidly for 3 mins. Tip in the drained butter beans and cook for a further minute.

Drain and put into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and a glug of extra virgin olive oil.

Add the parsley and toss.

Season with Malden Sea Salt and Black Pepper.

Set to one side and serve warm.

For the fish, heat a touch of olive oil in a frying pan until really hot.

Add the hake and cook for about four mins each side (longer if very thick)

Put some of the bean salad in a bowl and place your fish on top.

Serve with a wedge of lemon. Lush!

A Restaurant in my Kitchen

Create restaurant food easily at home!