White beans in tomato sauce

Chickpea and sweet potato curry

Chilli beans

Tostadas

Beansprout salad

Basic lentil curry

White beans in tomato sauce

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium brown onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed
3 large fresh tomatoes or can of peeled tomatoes
1 x 400gm can of white beans
1 tablespoon of finely sliced flat leaf parsley 

Heat oil in a pan and add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft. Stir in chopped tomatoes or can and add the beans . Simmer uncovered until thickened and add parsley. Serve with warm ciabatta bread. Serves 4. 

Chickpea and sweet potato curry

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large onion chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp of ground cumin
2 tsp of ground coriander
1 large sweet potato
2 medium tomatoes
2 cups of vegetable stock
1 tbs of tomato paste
1 can of chickpeas
2 tablespoons of fresh coriander, finely chopped 

Heat oil in a large pan; cook onion and garlic, stirring until onion softens. Add spices. Add sweet potato, stock, tomato paste, tomatoes and simmer covered for about 15 minutes until sweet potato is cooked . Serve with rice naan or cous cous, low fat yoghurt and fresh coriander. Substitute sweet potato for ½ a butternut pumpkin chopped into small cubes and some spinach. Serves  with rice and yoghurt. Serves 4. 

Chilli beans

1 can of tinned pinto, haricot, red kidney beans
1 tin of stewed or pureed tomatoes
1 onion chopped
1 clove of garlic crushed1 green capsicum diced
250gm of red cabbage, finely shredded
chilli powder and cumin to taste 

In a frypan cook onion and garlic in 2 tsp of olive oil and add enough beans from each can. Add tin of tomatoes, capsicum, cabbage, cumin and chilli powder. Heat through and serve with rice. You can add other vegetables like sweet potatoes or change the mixture of beans. Make enough to freeze for a second meal.

Tostadas

1 can of pinto/refried or red kidney beans
1 can of stewed or pureed tomatoes
1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed
2tsp of cumin powder
1/2 tsp of chilli powder or chilli sauce
soft flour tortillas 

In a frypan heat oil and cook onion, chillies, cumin and garlic. Add beans and tomatoes. Simmer until a thick consistency for 10 mins then mash. Add extra chilli sauce depending on how spicy you want it. Put the bean mixture on the tortilla and fold up so that little juice will ooze out and place in a shallow casserole dish. Sprinkle with a little grated cheese and bake in a moderate oven until the cheese browns. Serve with shredded lettuce, low fat sour cream, avocado and tomato segments.

Beansprout salad

Combine 2 cups of mixed sprouts (chickpeas, lentils, mung and soya) with sliced zucchini, grated carrot, cabbage, 2 shallots and a handful of coriander with some fromage blanc (0% fat) and oil and vinegar dressing. Heat wholewheat pita pockets in microwave until they balloon. Halve and add the beansprout salad

Basic lentil curry

250g red lentils (picked and washed)
1.5 litres of water
1 onion chopped
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 green chilli
1tsp of mustard seeds
(optional)
ground tumeric
ground cumin
garam masala
2 tbs of coconut powder  

Red lentils are faster to cook than yellow lentils. Put the lentils in the saucepan with water and simmer for 30 mins or until tender. Add coconut powder. In a frypan heat 2 tsp of sesame or olive oil and fry onion and garlic with spices for 2 minutes until onion is cooked. Serve with rice and yoghurt.