- Ali
When you’re home alone with the kids and need food that’s nutritious, filling, cheap and easy to prepare this is it. Get the kids to put on their aprns at 5pm this Friday 3rd April and help make tea.
This great ‘baked bean’ dish is so versatile. Don’t have butter beans? Use any other tinned or dried beans, which you’ve pre-cooked, or chickpeas. You could even try it with lentils.
Add any greens you have wilting at the bottom of the fridge, spring greens, spinach, kale, sprouts.
The kids will love the subtle but sweetness which comes from honey and cinnamon. It’s subtle but oh so yummy and if you don’t have honey (or you’re vegan) replace with agave or maple syrup, or soft brown sugar.
If you’ve got hungry teens in the house add a cooked chicken breast, piece of fish, fish cake or sausage too and bulk up with baked sweet potato wedges or a jacket potato.
Ingredients
2 tbsp oil (I use rapeseed)
1 red onion thinly sliced
200g greens - spring greens, spinach, kale, brussels, cabbage (washed and finely chopped)
400g tin butter beans (drained and rinsed)
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp runny honey (or maple/agave syrup if vegan or soft brown sugar)
¼ tsp chilli powder (optional)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp dried oregano (or any dried mixed herbs you have)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6
Heat the oil in a large oven proof frying pan over medium heat. If your frying pan isn’t oven proof don’t worry. Just have an oven proof dish ready to transfer it into.
Add the onion with plenty of salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.
Toss in the greens and cook for another 4-5 minutes, then add the beans, tomatoes, honey, cinnamon, oregano and chilli powder (if using). Stir to combine.
Bring to a simmer then transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the edges brown and the flavours intensify (if you don’t have an ovenproof frying pan, just transfer the mixture to a baking dish)
Remove from the oven, serve and enjoy
Tips
This will work with any dark greens e.g. spinach, chard, spring greens, savoy cabbage but make sure they are finely chopped
Instead of Chilli powder, try adding paprika or a chopped fresh red/green chilli
Serve on its own, with a chunk of crusty bread or add a cooked chicken breast, piece of fish, fish cake or sausage and bulk up with baked sweet potato wedges or a jacket potato.
Try last week's Cooking with Kids Recipe - Black and Kidney Bean Chilli
