I adore beans in all forms. I am enamoured of their shapes, colours and varieties of flavour from mild to lingering on the palate. I love the fact that they can be eaten as a side, in rice, salads or as the main protein. I am more in love with them now since I will be relying on them heavily during this Lenten season. It is confession time, and this may be controversial to some, so forgive me if I offend anyone, but I am just not that crazy about veggie “meat”, chunks and tofu. I’ve eaten some nice dishes which feature them but I’d rather have real meat, or not at all. For example, I much prefer a burger made from real beef, chicken or a vegetarian one based on mushrooms, nuts or beans than some soy fake “meat,” or give me curried broad beans or chickpeas over curried tofu. One day I may appreciate these products some more and plan to test some recipes using them in the near future, but for now, my Lenten season series will all be vegetable-based or fish. Please forgive me in advance if I disappoint any of you who are looking for these sorts of dishes.

So let us return to beans. Some folks are bean maniacs while others just detest beans. I’m not sure if it is the mouth feel they don’t like, if it’s the appearance or the fact that they can cause flatulence. As a child I would pick beans from my rice and although I am British, I was never a real fan of baked beans. As I grew older and my palate became more open I became more excited about the world of beans. I fell in love with cannelloni beans as a side with lamb, butter beans with oxtails, flageolet beans with zucchini, red kidney bean chilli, not to mention my favourite Jamaican dish of stewed peas. My Cuban friends introduced me to black beans and rice and through Middle Eastern cuisine I learnt to appreciate chickpeas. I look forward to a good gungo pea soup on a cool day when it is in season, and I love a great Indian dhal which is made from lentils. As a matter of fact, I think lentils are my top choice legume. I use them for soups, salads and stews, you name it.

The reach of beans and legumes are vast and there is so much that one can do with them. Some bean meals are so filling that even carnivores are left feeling quite satisfied. Beans are healthy to consume because they are low in calories, full of fibre, plus contain vitamins and minerals. They are an excellent protein food. Dried beans for me have a superior taste to canned, but to prepare them takes much longer in that you have to clean and soak them, but the process is really worth the effort. Canned beans are a champion for those of us with time constraints. I tend to rinse mine off to get rid of excess sodium. Next time you stare at your humble beans not wanting to make your usual fare, look at it in a new light and try new recipes. Beans are mentioned twice in the Bible in Ezekiel 4:9 and 2 Samuel 17: 28-29 to show how much this healthful plant-based food has been loved from ancient times.

Bean Burritos

I love burritos, they are satisfying and absolutely delicious. This Mexican wrap has become a global staple in big cities and are great for lunch or an easy dinner. It also fits perfectly with my Lenten vegetarian phase. Cooks have versatile ways of preparing them. Some warm the tortillas first, then fill them with the ingredients, or some stuff all of the different choices beforehand, wrap them up then top with cheese to melt on top while baking. It’s really up to you how you wish to prepare your individual burritos. Popular toppings to round off the filling are shredded cheese, sour cream, lettuce and Pico de Gallo, a condiment with layers of flavour, so I have included the recipe for that as well. I am going to prepare mine simply by using the first method. Cooked rice is another optional ingredient to add to your burrito for bulk.

Ingredients:

2 cans of Black Beans, rinsed and drained (or refried beans)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 sweet pepper, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp vinegar

Pinch of Cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable or olive oil for sautéing

4 Tortillas, preferably wholewheat

1 cup, shredded Cheddar cheese or vegetarian cheese

Pico de Gallo (see recipe below)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 F

Sauté onions and sweet peppers over medium heat for a couple of minutes, then add garlic and stir well.

Add black beans, cumin, cayenne, vinegar, salt and pepper, bring to a boil then simmer until heated through.

Remove from heat and mash the beans, then set aside.

Place the tortillas in the oven to get warm, roughly 5 minutes.

Remove heated tortillas from the oven and place bean mixture in the middle of them.

Top with cheese, Pico de Gallo and sour cream.

Wrap and serve immediately.

Pico de Gallo

This condiment is also used for tacos and fajitas as well as on nachos.

Ingredients:

4 large salad tomatoes, deseeded and diced

_ red onion, finely chopped

1 small bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped

2 Jalapeno peppers, deseeded and finely chopped

1 lime, deseeded and juiced

Olive oil to drizzle

Sea salt to taste

Method:

Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and allow to sit for at least 3 to 4 hours for the flavours to develop nicely.

Serve

Juicy’s No Pork Green Split Pea Soup

I grew up eating split pea soup with bacon or ham in the UK. I have been experimenting with various ways to make a non-pork based split pea soup. When I read up on other vegetarian based split pea soup recipes, some recipe developers mentioned using either liquid smoke or smoked paprika to give the extra depth of flavour that comes with smoky meat. I have opted for the latter option. When creating and testing this recipe, I kept the local palate in mind. To make my soup more Jamaican in taste, I have added Scotch Bonnet to emit some spicy heat and a couple grains of pimento. Lime adds a little piquancy.

Ingredients:

2 cups green split peas, rinsed and debris picked out

6 cups of vegetable stock

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

A few grains of pimento

1 fat sprig of fresh thyme

1 Scotch Bonnet pepper

1 large lime, juiced

Sea salt to taste

Extra virgin olive oil, for sautéing and extra for drizzling

Smoked paprika, for garnish

Method:

In a large pot, add green split peas, vegetable stock, scotch bonnet, thyme and pimentos and bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.

In a separate small frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sauté the onions until soft and add the garlic, continue cooking for a minute and then remove from heat.

Add onion and garlic mixture, and lime juice to the soup and cook for 5 minutes more.

Remove half of the soup and puree in a food processor or blender then add back to the rest of the soup.

Season soup to taste with salt, ladle in bowls and garnish with paprika and a drizzle of oil.

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Bon Appetit!