healthy, spicy baked beans
Baked beans are a quick and very popular meal. However the variety in a tin are full of hidden sugar which I'd rather not eat or give to my children. These beans can be adapted spice wise to make them more child-friendly (just reduce the cayenne pepper). Serve these on toast for a quick breakfast or stir in a handful of spinach at the end of cooking and make a well and crack two eggs in and you have a very filling and delicious, hearty breakfast. You can use whatever beans you like - I have used butter beans, but haricot beans are the traditional beans used in baked beans. This is also delicious with chickpeas.
ingredients
serves 2-3
1 small onion
1 celery stalk
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of avocado or coconut oil
600g jar of passata (check there's no added sugar)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. (Use less if you like it less spicy)
700g jar of beans (I used this make). You can use whatever beans your like - butterbean, haricot or chickpea work well.
method
Place the onion, celery and garlic in a food processor and process to chop very finely.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion mix.
Cook over a gentle heat for 8 minutes.
Add the spices and stir and then add the passata.
Simmer over a very gentle heat for 30-40 minutes.
Add the beans and heat through. You can stir through some spinach at this stage for an extra dose of green vegetable!
the health boost tip
Beans are an excellent source of fibre, which helps prevent blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal. They are also a very good source of folic acid and molybdenum. Beans offer an excellent, and inexpensive, protein source for those looking to replace meat in their diet.
