KiteNest Nosh: Refried beans with vegetable leftovers

KiteNest Nosh: Refried beans with vegetable leftovers

This protein-packed recipe makes great use of leftover vegetables, whilst turning a couple of tins of bland beans into a really tasty meal. Serve with salsa, salad, sour cream, nachos or a jacket spud. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tin of Black eyed beans
  • 1 tin Kala Chana (black chickpeas) or white Chickpeas
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • tbsp lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 200ml water
  • Leftover vegetables (any will do)

Method:

Step 1: Slice and dice your onion and garlic. Add your onion to a frying pan with a splash of oil on a medium heat. Fry for 5-10 minutes until the onions are nice and soft. 

Step 2: Add the garlic, lime juice, paprika and cayenne pepper and stir for 2 minutes until very fragrant. 

Step 3: Drain and rinse the contents of your tins of beans and add them to the pan. Fry for 30 seconds then add half of your water. At this point you are going to mash the beans and onions in your frying pan. Mash around three quarters of your beans so that they remain a bit chunky, we're not after a mashed potato consistency here. 

Step 4: Add the rest of the water and tomato puree and mix in. Add your leftover vegetables. We found that carrot, Brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower work best but you can add  whatever vegetables you have lying around. If you don't have any extra vegetables the recipe is still really tasty without. 

Step 5: Slice your veg really finely and add to the frying pan. Cook for a further five minutes (I like my veg with with a bit of crunch) if you need to cook the veg a little longer don't be afraid to add more water. The final consistency should resemble a very thick soup/porridge/scrambled eggs. 

Step 6: Serve your refried beans alongside a salsa, salad, sour cream, nachos, jacket potato or as part of numerous meals. We make this recipe frequently as we find it stops the temptation of reaching for unhealthy meals after a long day. It's also another fantastic way to sneak a few vegetables into some exciting flavours.