The Northern Express Herald
Smoky baked beans
for 4 people
Tam West
If the tomatoes you have are not full of flavour try adding a tablespoon of tomato paste to create a deeper taste, and extra molasses for sweetness. Butter beans are a legume to get familiar with; they are high in plant proteins and have a softer flavour and texture than other beans. Cooking your own beans at home in a pressure cooker is ideal for maximum nutrition but you can use a good quality jarred or canned version for convenience.
Ingredients
| 800 g | Cherry tomatoes, chopped into large pieces |
| 3 | Capsicums, red or yellow, deseeded and chopped into approx. 2x2cm pieces |
| 1 | Red onion, sliced in half then sliced into eighths |
| 6 cloves | Garlic, peeled and crushed |
| 2 Tbsp | organic cold pressed olive oil |
| 2 Tbsp | Red wine vinegar |
| 500 g | cooked butter beans, (if using canned this is the weight without the brine - approx 2 cans) |
| ½ tsp | Smoked paprika, (add more to taste) |
| 1 Tbsp | organic molasses |
| 1 ½ tsp | Sea salt flakes |
Directions
- Heat the oven to 220C fan bake.
- Use a large glass baking dish or alternatively line a baking tray with baking paper, place the tomatoes, capsicum, onion and garlic on the tray and drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are brown and starting to caramelise. Add the remaining ingredients, turn down the heat to 190C and cook for another10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and taste, adding additional smoked paprika and salt as needed. If you find anything needs more cooking, place everything in a medium-sized pot and cook on a low heat until ready.
- Serve on toast or sourdough bread and top with fresh herbs like parsley or basil with a little fresh oregano.