bean recipe – #ThisGirlEats

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This mixed bean and avocado recipe cost me less than £1 per person.
What are the benefits? This recipe provides at least two of your five a day, is a great source of plant-based protein and is totally suitable for vegans.

When you have two leftover tortillas on their very last legs stuffed at the back of the bread bin and have already eaten all the wraps you can handle for one week, what do you do with them?

Make toastadas, of course! Well, a version of them, anyway.

Everyone knows that Mexican is one of my favourite cuisines, so anything inspired by this kind of food is right up my alley. A tostada is a crispy tortilla wrap, usually either flat or in a bowl shape, sometimes fried, sometimes toasted – always delicious!

This is my version of a tostada, easy to make in the average kitchen and with very little time or effort necessary. I’ve topped mine with heaps of spicy mixed beans for some protein, a few slices of fresh avocado (because I couldn’t be bothered to make guacamole) and a spoonful of sour cream – an optional extra, of course.

These mixed bean and avocado tosatadas are tasty, vibrant and full of flavour, and definitely worth a try.

*Tostasda topped with mixed beans, avocado, sprinkling of cheese and a spoonful of sour cream*

INGREDIENTS
1 Onion, Chopped
1 Bell Pepper, Chopped
400g Mixed Beans (preferably in a spicy or tomato sauce)
1 Large Avocado, Peeled, Pitted & Sliced
2 Wholemeal Tortilla Wraps

SEASONING
If you’ve managed to grab some beans that are already in some kind of sauce (mine were mixed taco beans in a spicy tomato sauce) then you don’t really need to do too much here. Just throw in a little garlic with the onion and then season the beans with a pinch of paprika, salt and pepper. Chuck in a sprinkle of dried chilli flakes too if you want a little more heat.

HOW TO MAKE MIXED BEAN AND AVOCADO TOSTADAS

1. In a pan, spray a little cooking spray or a drop of oil and cook the onions and peppers for a couple of minutes with some garlic, just to soften.

2. Turn down the heat and pour in the mixed beans. Season and simmer for around 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, it’s time to crisp up the tortillas. Pop the tortillas on a large, grease-proof baking tray and cook in the oven at 180℃ for around 10 minutes, or until they’re crispy and crunchy.

4. Remove the tortillas from the oven and allow to stand for 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and pile the beans up in the middle of the flat tortillas. Scatter your slices of avocado across the top and dig in!

Serves: 2
How much does it cost? This recipe cost me less than £1 per person.
What are the benefits? This beans, greens and eggs recipe makes a really great vegetarian meal (and you could substitute the eggs with scrambled tofu for a vegan alternative), is at least three of your five a day, and is a great source of plant-based protein.

It’s June, a time of year when we’re supposed to be seeing sunny days and warm evenings – not that you’d know it with the rain we’ve been having!

Anyway, when the summer months start to roll around, many of us feel like a light, fresh meal hits the spot more than those heavy, hearty dishes we love in the winter. I’m the same, I definitely prefer to keep things on the lighter side when it’s hot outside – but that doesn’t mean I just want to live off of salad and cous cous for the next three months!

I still want proper cooked meals (ya gal gets hungry!) but something nutritious rather than stodge, and something that tastes fresh – even if most of it comes from tins like this one!

This recipe – a bed of lightly spiced tomato beans mixed with spinach and topped with fried eggs – is surprisingly filling but, because of the flavours involved and the fact that most of this dish is made up of vegetables and beans, it’s not too heavy.

I’ve used chopped tomatoes, cannellini beans and spinach all from tins because it was the cheapest option for me. You can use fresh ingredients if you’d prefer, but I promise you won’t feel short-changed if you use the tinned versions – it still tastes great.

*Tomatoes, cannellini beans and spinach topped with fried eggs*

INGREDIENTS
1 Large Onion, Chopped
400g Chopped Tomatoes
400g Cannellini Beans, Drained
Tin of Spinach Leaves (approx. 400g), Drained
1 tsp Tomato Purée
4 Eggs

SEASONING
Without a good dose of seasoning this recipe could easily be quite bland; to make sure that doesn’t happen, add a whack of garlic in with the onions (dried or fresh, either is fine), a little paprika and chilli (I use dried chilli flakes), a generous helping of mixed herbs, a touch of salt and loads of pepper.

HOW TO MAKE BEANS, GREENS & EGGS

1. In a large pan with a drop of oil or cooking spray, fry the onions and garlic for a few minutes until they begin to soften.

2. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and cannellini beans, add the tomato puree, and season with mixed herbs, a pinch of paprika, a few dried chilli flakes, plenty of black pepper and salt. Simmer on a gentle heat for 20 minutes, adding in a splash of water if necessary.

3. Heat up a small amount of oil or cooking spray in a frying pan, crack in the eggs, reduce the heat and fry until cooked – should take around 5 – 7 minutes.

4. For the final 5 minutes of cooking, add the spinach in with the tomatoes and beans and stir through.

5. Serve up the tomato, beans and spinach and top with the fried eggs straight from the pan.

Tag: bean recipe

RECIPE: Mixed Bean and Avocado Tostadas | #ThisGirlEats

RECIPE: Beans, Greens & Eggs | #ThisGirlEats