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It was the humble lima bean that cemented my love of legumes. Other beans all have their place in my cooking arsenal, but lima beans, with their creamy and comforting texture, are my absolute favourite. When I discovered that they also go by the names Butter Beans and Gigante, a plethora of recipes became available to me! This one is my favourite. Enjoy as a hearty breakfast with a slice of buttery toast, a relaxed and cosy supper, or as a side dish for a bigger feast.  Ingredients:
250g dried lima/ butter beans 100ml olive oil 2 onions, finely diced 2 carrots, finely diced 3 celery stalks, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 2 x 400g tinned tomatoes OR 800g ripe tomatoes,roughly chopped Juice of ½ a lemon 1 tsp sweet paprika 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp sugar 2 tsp vegetable stock Salt and pepper ½ tsp lemon myrtle (optional) Handful flat-leaf parsley or oregano, finely chopped 100g feta or goats cheese (optional) Method: The night before, pop your lima beans in a large cooking pot. Cover with cold tap water - the beans absorb a lot, so really fill that pot to the brim! Cover and leave overnight. 8-12 hours is ideal soaking time. The next day, drain the water and replace with fresh tap water then set it on the stove. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to get a nice gentle simmer for 20-30 mins. They should be almost soft, ¾ cooked. Drain, but keep a cup of the cooking liquid. Heat the oil in a large flameproof lidded casserole pot, and cook the onions, carrots and celery on low-medium heat until tender and the onions are soft and transparent, but not browned. Stir in the remaining ingredients - garlic, tomatoes, lemon, paprika, oregano, sugar, vegetable stock, lemon myrtle (if using) Add in half of the chopped herbs and feta (if using). Heat oven to 180C/160C fan. Cook over a gentle heat for a further 5 mins, then pour over the reserved bean cooking liquid. Cover the dish and bake in the oven for 30-40 mins. Check occasionally that the beans are not drying out – add a little more water if needed. Remove the lid and bake for 5 mins more. Stir through the reserved chopped herbs, season to taste, then crumble over the remaining feta, along with a generous glug of olive oil just before serving. Can be made 2 days ahead and reheated. It also freezes well for up to 6 months.
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This week we serve up 2 savoury Adzuki ideas for you to try out at home: Zingy Adzuki salad to celebrate the end of summer, and Adzuki Stuffed Roast Pumpkin to usher in those autumnal vibes. The delicate, nutty flavour of adzuki lends itself well to savoury dishes too.  Ingredients: 1 cup dried adzuki beans ¼ tsp toasted sesame oil 3 tbsp sunflower oil 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger ½ tsp finely chopped garlic 1/2 bunch coriander or parsley coarsely chopped 2 tbsp white wine vinegar pinch chilli flakes 1 tbsp tamari ¼ cup lime juice 1 cup shallots thinly sliced 1 cup grated carrots 1/4 cup sesame seeds 1 tbsp sunflower seeds Method: The night before you plan to eat: Put beans in a large bowl, cover with water and let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put in a large pot with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, approx 50 minutes. Drain and rinse gently under cold water. Set aside to let cool completely. Dressing: Put oils, ginger, garlic, coriander or parsley, vinegar, chilli flakes, tamari and lime juice into a jar and shake well. Pour dressing over cooked and cooled beans. Add shallots and carrots and toss gently to combine. Top with sesame and sunflower seeds.  Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried adzuki beans 1/2 cup walnut pieces 1/2 of a butternut pumpkin 1 tbsp miso paste 2 tbsp mirin or apple cider vinegar Dressing: 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil 1 tsp minced ginger pinch of chili flakes remaining miso–mirin mixture from above Garnish: 1/4 cup shallots, finely sliced 1/4 cup walnuts pieces Method: The night before you plan to eat: Put beans in a large bowl, cover with water and let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put in a large pot with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, approx 40 minutes. Drain and set aside. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). Put walnut pieces on a baking sheet and toast them for 5 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 200°C (180°C fan forced). Scoop the seeds out of your pumpkin half and lightly drizzle or brush the cut side with sunflower oil. Place pumpkin cut side down on a lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes. Mix miso and mirin (or apple cider vinegar) together. Take the pumpkin out of the oven and carefully flip it. Score the pumpkin: cut crisscross pattern onto the surface of the softened pumpkin flesh. Spread 2/3 of the miso mixture over the scored surface of the pumpkin. Return the pumpkin to the oven for 20 minutes. Make the dressing by mixing vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, minced ginger and chili flakes. Add rest of the miso & mirin mixture to the dressing. Add the dressing to beans while they are still hot. Add shallots and walnuts to the bean mixture (save some shallots and walnut pieces for garnishing). Stuff roasted pumpkin with bean mixture and garnish with shallot slices and walnuts. Serve with remaining dressing. PIMP MY RECIPE If you have any leftover cooked rice, couscous or pasta, add it to the bean mixture. I used some cooked brown rice the last time I made this dish and it made the meal go further as well as adding a new flavour and texture dimension.
Combine ingredients in a bowl along with 1 cup water and any additional flavourings from the suggestion list. (If using our Jar mix - add 1/2 jar (150ml) water at this step.) Leave for 15 minutes for the seeds to soak up the water. Give everything a good stir. (It should feel like very thick batter.) If necessary, add a splash more water before stirring again. Then spread the mixture thinly over a lined baking tray The ideal thickness is about 3-4mm. Too thin and the crackers will be too fragile, too thick and they won't be crunchy enough. Bake for one hour or until golden and crisp. If they don't feel crunchy after an hour, return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, then break into shards. Store in an airtight container for up to 8 weeks. PIMP MY RECIPE Additional, optional flavourings - pick 1 or pick many: 1 tsp salt or smoked salt 1 tsp Dried rosemary 1 tbl Nutritional yeast ½ tsp Chilli flakes ½ tsp Fennel seeds 1 tsp Italian herbs ½ tsp Smoked paprika 2 tsp Vegetable stock 2 tsp Falafel mix CANNELLINI BEAN DIP
Ingredients: 2 cups cannellini beans 4 cups water, for soaking 4 cups water, for cooking 1 brown onion, peeled and halved 2 bay leaves 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon lemon juice Zest from ½ a lemon 1 teaspoon salt Few grinds black pepper 1 tsp stock powder of choice 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus some to drizzle over finished dip 1 tsp smoked paprika to dust on top Method: Cover beans with four cups of water and soak the beans for a full 24 hours in fridge. Drain and rinse under cold water. Place beans, another 4 cups of water, bay leaf and onion in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil covered. Lower to a simmer with lid partially covering the pan and simmer for about an hour or until soft and tender. Drain but reserve the cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaf and onion. Cool the beans and the reserved liquid completely before next step. Place the cooled beans and ¼ cup of the cooled cooking liquid in a food processor with all remaining ingredients (olive oil, garlic, lemon, stock, salt and pepper). Process until well blended. You may need to add more cooking liquid while blending to reach desired consistency - you're going for a creamy dip. Taste, then adjust seasoning if necessary. To serve, drizzle some olive oil and a sprinkle of smoked paprika over the top. Serve with seed crackers. PIMP MY RECIPE *try adding fresh herbs like parsley or thyme *change the flavour profile by using different spice blends - z'ataar, dukkah, bay seasoning and Italian herbs are a few ideas. *add some cayenne pepper, chilli or ground Tasmanian pepperberry for an extra kick. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! Cannellini Dip also makes an excellent, nutrient-rich stand-in for mashed potato or rice. I swear it's true! Look no further. These delicious baked beans will have you throwing away your can opener for good.  (Serves 4)
Ingredients: 150-200g dried haricot(navy) beans, soaked in cold water overnight 1/4 cup (125ml) olive oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 2-4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1-2 tsp smoked paprika 1 bay leaf Brown sugar or maple syrup to taste - anywhere from 2 tsp to 1 tbs 1 tbs balsamic vinegar 1 x 400g can diced tomatoes 200ml of the reserved soaking water Method: Drain the beans (reserve the soaking liquid for a later step)and transfer to a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to the boil, then simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender. Drain. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy based pot over a low heat, add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 mins or until onion starts to turn transparent. Increase heat to medium and add the garlic, spices, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 mins. Add the sugar/syrup and vinegar, stir well for 1 min. Now add the tinned tomatoes and half a can/200ml of the water you soaked your beans in, increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the drained beans. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has slightly reduced. Adjust seasoning and serve with toast. PIMP MY RECIPE For a TexMex take, use pinto or black turtle beans instead of navy, and add a good glug of chipotle sauce in step 5. Serve with sliced jalapenos, coriander, a lime wedge and warmed tortillas. Add bacon if you like! During step 2, while you're sauteeing the onions add 3 or 4 rashers of diced bacon Boozy Beans anyone? Add a measure or 2 of bourbon in step 4. It's insanely good! |
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