White bean truffle puree
This is delicious, and it's quick and easy to make. Spread it on bruschetta and top with sauteed mushrooms, rocket and a little shaved parmesan for a snack or canape. It's also great with thyme and garlic-roasted beetroot. This recipe calls for 4 tbsp of truffle oil, but this may vary depending on the quality of the oil, so just add enough to suit your taste. A dash of lemon juice works nicely, too.
Serves 4
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 sprigs of thyme, stalks discarded
1 400g can cannellini beans
4 tbsp truffle oil
Salt and black pepper
1 Heat the olive oil and fry the shallot, garlic and thyme leaves over a medium heat until soft. Drain and rinse the beans, add to the pan and warm through with 50ml of water.
2 Transfer to a blender or food processor and pulse, adding truffle oil to taste. Truffle oil does not like heat, so always add it after the ingredients have finished cooking. Season with salt and pepper.
The Modern Vegetarian by Maria Elia (KyleBooks). Order a copy for £11.99 with free UK p&p (save £3) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Black bean chocolate cake
This is a gluten- and dairy-free chocolate cake that's healthy enough to eat for breakfast, yet it's moist and rich, with a deep chocolate flavour. And what's the secret ingredient? Black beans.
Makes 1 loaf
1 400g can black beans, drained
3 large eggs
100g sugar
1 tsp instant coffee or 1 espresso shot
½ vanilla pod, scraped
1 tsp baking soda
Juice and zest from ½ orange
A pinch of salt
3 heaped tbsp cocoa powder
50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
2 Blend all the ingredients except the dark chocolate until the mixture is smooth. Don't be alarmed if the batter seems runny.
3 Pour the batter into a parchment-lined loaf tin. Chop the dark chocolate and spread it across the surface, pressing some of the chunks into the cake with a teaspoon.
4 Bake the cake for about 35 minutes, and set aside to cool completely before removing it from the tin.
Recipe supplied byatastylovestory.com
Spicy toasted chickpeas andpistachios
These can be made up to four hours in advance and kept at room temperature.
Serves 4-6
2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained
60ml vegetable oil
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
150g pistachios, shelled
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Toss the chickpeas with the oil, salt, peppers and cumin in a bowl.
2 Transfer the mix to a baking tray and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the chickpeas are golden and crisp, stirringoccasionally.
3 Stir the pistachios and thyme into the chickpea mixture and return to the oven for another 12 minutes, until the beans and pistachios are crunchy. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and serve warm.
Recipe by Susan Simon, adapted frombonappetit.com
Bean chilli with chocolateand walnuts
This is not only warm, comforting and spicy, it also has the most wonderful flavour from the chocolate, coffee, wine and crunchy walnuts.
Serves 4
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, ghee or coconut oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 fresh chilli, minced (more if you like it spicy)
1 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
2 peppers, red and yellow, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and finely chopped
2 large celery stalks with tops, finely chopped
150g raw walnuts, very finely chopped
800g cooked mixed beans (azuki, kidney, blackeye,borlotti)
2 x 400g cans whole plum tomatoes
240ml water
2 tsp salt
120ml red wine or balsamic vinegar
½ cup coffee (optional)
60g dark chocolate (80%), broken in pieces
Salt and black pepper
For serving
120ml plain yoghurt
1 bunch of fresh coriander, coarsely chopped
1 lime, quartered
4 corn tortillas, toasted
1 Heat the oil in a large thick-bottomed saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, chilli, paprika and oregano, and fry for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until fragrant. Be careful they don't burn.
2 Add the peppers, carrot, parsnip and celery and let them cook for another couple of minutes. Add walnuts, beans, tomatoes, water and salt and let cook for 30 minutes more. Now add red wine, coffee and chocolate, stir around carefully and let cook for 5 more minutes. Season to taste. Serve in bowls with a dollop of yoghurt, fresh coriander, lime and toasted corn tortillas.
Recipe by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl, greenkitchenstories.com
Pork cheeks with ciderandwhite beans
Traditional cookery enthusiasts have brought the cheek back into the stew pan. It's a cut with plenty of connective tissue that dissolves into almost sticky-sweet lozenges.
Serves 6
2 tbsp butter
1kg pork cheeks
1 rasher smoked streaky bacon
2 onions, finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp tomato puree
450g white haricot beans, soaked overnight in cold water, then drained
1 wine glass of ale, cider or white wine (or sherry, for a richer taste)
1.5 litres chicken stock or water
Salt and white pepper
1 Melt the butter in a casserole dish on the hob and brown the pork cheeks lightly. Add the rasher of bacon and the onion and garlic. Fry, stirring for a few minutes.
2 Add the oregano, tomato puree and beans. Pour in the ale/wine, then the stock/water.
3 Bring to the boil, allow to bubble for 5 minutes then reduce to a simmer. Cook at about 90C/195F – the liquid should just bubble – for about 3 hours until the pork and beans are both tender. Season totaste.
Kitchenella by Rose Prince (Fourth Estate). Order a copy for £20.80 with free UK p&p (save £5.20) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Potato, cucumber andfavabean soup
A delicious Lebanese soup made with fava beans – dried, skinned broad beans with a nutty flavour.
Serves 4
200g dried fava beans
5 tbsp olive oil
½ large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp black cumin seeds or caraway seeds
2 medium potatoes, diced and lightly salted
4 tbsp fresh dill leaves and stalks, chopped
1 large cucumber, washed, the skin peeled in alternate strips
100g Greek yoghurt, thinned with a little milk and seasoned with a garlic clove crushed with salt
Salt and black pepper
1 Rinse the fava beans well and place in a large saucepan. Fill with 2 litres of water, bring to a simmer, skimming off any scum, and cook for 20 minutes, or until tender.
2 Drain and reserve 500ml of the liquid. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is sweet and golden.
3 Add the garlic and cumin or caraway, and fry for 2 more minutes, followed by the potatoes and half the dill. Cook for 2 minutes.
4 Add the reserved fava bean liquid, 400-500ml more water, and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Add the fava, then mash by hand or process until almost smooth. Check the soup for seasoning.
5 Just before serving, coarsely grate the cucumber and stir into the soup, along with the rest of the dill. It is important there is a high proportion of cucumber, as this makes the soup fresh and light. Spoon theyoghurt on top along with an extra drizzleofoil.
Moro: The Cookbook, Sam & Sam Clark (Random House). Order a copy for £16 with free UK p&p (save £4) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Harissa baked beans withchorizo, eggs and feta
This spicy take on baked beans will get even the most weary of workers up and about.
Serves 4
Olive oil, for cooking
100g spicy cooking chorizo, diced
3 shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
2 x 400g tins cannellini beans
2 tbsp harissa
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 eggs
100g feta
Pinch of sumac (optional)
Sourdough toast, to serve
1 Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Warm a splash of olive oil in a shallow ovenproof pan and add the chorizo, shallots, garlic and oregano. Fry gently for 5 minutes, until the chorizo has released its oil and the shallots arestarting to soften.
2 Add the beans (one tin with its water, the other without), harissa, tomatoes, sugar and vinegar. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes until thickened, adding more water if it starts to look too dry.
3 Make 4 holes in the mixture with the back of a wooden spoon and crack an egg into each. Top with the crumbled feta and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the eggs are cooked but the yolks still runny. Sprinkle with sumac and serve with sourdough toast.
Kitchen & Co, French & Grace (KyleBooks). Order a copy for £13.59 with free UK p&p (save £3.40) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Edamame salad with seaweed, lotus root andgoat'scurd
This vibrant, healthy green salad is uber-fresh and crunchy and can be on your table in just 20 minutes. If you can't find goat's curd, you can substitute it for another soft goat's cheese or even usemozzarella.
Serves 4
1 tbsp dried wakame seaweed
2 tbsp dried hijiki seaweed
60ml tamari soy sauce
60ml mirin rice wine
250ml water
150g peas
100g edamame
150g broccoli florets
200g sugar snaps
1 small fennel
2-inch piece of lotus root
70g pumpkin seeds
120g goat's curd
For the dressing
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp tamari soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin rice wine
2 tbsp water
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 Put the seaweeds, tamari, mirin and water in a pot and bring to the boil. Stir well, cover, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 5 minutes until the hijiki is tender. Remove from the heat, leave to cool in the pot, then drain.
2 Blanch the peas, edamame, broccoli and sugar snaps in a pot of salted, boiling water for a minute until just tender. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain again and set aside.
3 Trim the fennel and peel the lotus root, then slice both as finely as you can, widthways. A Japanese mandolin is the perfect tool for this job but be sure to use the guard.
4 Gently toast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan over a moderate heat until they begin to pop, colour lightly and smell nutty.
5 Whisk all the dressing ingredients together. To assemble the salad, toss the blanched vegetables in a bowl along with the fennel, and dress liberally.
6 On a platter or in a suitably large bowl, scatter a layer of the dressed greens then some seaweed, lotus root and pumpkin seeds. Continue the process until everything is used up, then blob the goat's curd on top.
Recipe supplied by Anna Hansen of The Modern Pantry (themodernpantry.co.uk)
Spicy black bean quesadillas
You can freeze these fresh and zingy tortillas and take them out as you need them. If you have a microwave, these also blast very well.
Serves 2
1 400g can black beans, drained
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried chilli flakes, or a fresh chilli, chopped
2 spring onions, sliced
1 pepper, chopped small
80g cheddar, grated
4 large (25cm) flour tortillas
2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
Small handful of pumpkin seeds
A handful of coriander
1 ripe avocado, cut into rough chunks
Juice of ½ a lime
Salt and black pepper
1 Mix the beans, cumin, oregano, chilli, spring onions, pepper and cheese together in a bowl.
2 Season well, then scrunch it all together in your hands for a couple of minutes, breaking up the beans as you go.
3 Put a frying pan (one big enough to hold a tortilla) on a low–medium heat. Pour half the oil into the pan and leave it to heat up.
4 Meanwhile, lay all the tortillas out, halve the bean mixture between two tortillas and spread it out to within 1 cm of the edge. Sit another tortilla on top of each one and gently compress to make the quesadillas.
5 Flop the first quesadilla into the pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes on each side, pushing down from time to time with a spatula. Flip the quesadilla over and cook the other side, then turn it out and repeat with the other quesadilla, adding a splash of oil inbetween.
6 When you have lifted out the second quesadilla, throw the pumpkin seeds into the pan for 1 minute. Toast until golden, then tip them on to a plate to cool.
7 While they're cooling, toss together the coriander, avocado chunks, lime juice and a pinch of salt in a small bowl, then add the pumpkin seeds.
8 Cut your quesadillas into six and finish with a scattering of the avocado mix on top.
Adapted from Economy Gastronomy: Eat Better and Spend Less by Allegra McEvedy (Penguin). Order a copy for £13.59 with free UK p&p (save £3.40) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846.
Matcha and azuki gateauroule
A delicate green-tea flavoured sponge filled with anko, a sweetened Japanese red bean paste. Note that this makes more azuki bean paste than is needed for the cake: use what you need and freeze the rest.
For the sponge
4 eggs, separated
40g almond butter (or 30g butter, meltedandcooled)
80g sugar
75g flour
25g corn flour
6g matcha (green tea powder), plus extra for dusting
A good pinch of salt
For the anko
200g dried azuki beans
150g sugar
A pinch of salt
For the filling
80g plain Greek yoghurt or creme fraiche
1 First make the anko. Soak the beans in plenty of water overnight. Rinse and drain.
2 Cover the beans with water, bring to the boil, skimming off the scum, and simmer for 1 hour or until the beans are very soft, adding more water as needed. Drain the beans and return them to the pan.
3 Add the sugar and salt, stir well, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely absorbed. Mash and cool.
4 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and line a 35 x 25cm rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
5 In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks with the almond butter and sugar. Beat well with a wooden spoon. In another bowl, sift together the flour, corn flour, and matcha. Stir the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture until just blended.
6 Whisk the egg whites and the pinch of salt in a clean mixing bowl until stiff. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the batter, then fold in the rest with a spatula, lifting the mixture to keep as much air as possible in the egg whites.
7 Pour the batter on to the baking sheet and smooth out the surface gently with the spatula. Bake for 6-8 minutes until just set; itshould not colour.
8 While the cake is baking, combine 280g of the anko and the yoghurt in a bowl.
9 Slide the still-warm cake on to a tray. Trim if necessary to get a neat rectangle. Cover with a clean teatowel and flip carefully on to a work surface. Remove the cold baking sheet and carefully peel off the parchment paper.
10 Spread the filling on to the cake, leaving a margin. Roll the cake up tightly in the teatowel and place it seam side down in the fridge to set for a few hours or overnight.
Place the cake on a serving dish and dust with a little matcha powder. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt.
Recipe supplied by Clotilde Dusoulier, chocolateandzucchini.com
