Better beans on toast…

900g broad beans in their pods, shelled, boiled for 5 minutes and skinned

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

1 tbsp light tahini

2 slices sourdough rye bread, toasted 

Tofu "cream cheese" or your preferred alternative

Once you have boiled the beans and taken the thick outer skins off you should have around 5 to 6 tablespoons of beautiful vivid beans.

Pour the olive oil into a small frying pan and place on a medium heat until the garlic begins to sizzle but  not colour. 

Add the beans to the pan and stir to incorporate the garlic.  Keep stirring for a could of minutes, the beans only need warming through rather than frying.

While the beans are heating through toast the rye bread and spread with a layer of cream cheese.

Add the lemon juice and mint to the pan and remove from the heat.  Stir in the tahini and carefully spoon the beans onto the toast.

Perfect as a light lunch or to accompany a beer or a glass of white wine on a sunny summer evening.

Winter Salad - Beetroot and Kale Panzanela

We have been getting an organic veg bag from Goodness Growing for the last few months which has inspired me to be much more creative when it comes to dinner.

I have been meaning to share this recipe for some time, a nice wintery variation of my favourite summer salad Panzanella.  I used a mix of candy stripe and normal beetroots to make a pretty plateful.  Anything to brighten a gloomy winter day!  And as always use the best real bread you can get your hands on, this time I used a Malthouse Sourdough from The Haxby Bakehouse.

Beetroot Panzanella

Feeds One

2 large ripie tomatoes

1 thick slice of sourdough bread

1 clove garlic 

A sprig of fresh rosemary

1tbsp salt and pepper

2 beetroots, boiled, peeled and diced

A handful of curly kale or cavelo nero, shredded and blanched for 3 minutes in boiling water

8 cherry tomates, halved

1/4 red onion, finely sliced

1 tbsp hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Dressing

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp maple syrup

Salt and pepper

Preheat the grill on high.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and tip into a large bowl.  Squash them with your hands until all the flesh is reduced to juice.

Rub the slice of bread with the clove of garlic and crushed rosemary.  Drizzle with olive oil and place on a baking sheet under the preheated grill.  Toast on both sides until golden then carefully cut into rough cubes and add to the tomatoes in the mixing bowl.  Mix together and set aside for ten minutes while you prepare the remaining vegetables.

In a separate small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients.  Add all the other ingredients to the tomatoes and bread and mix well.  Drizzle over the dressing, plate and enjoy.