Shivi Ramoutar
Shivi is a cookbook author and TV presenter known for her vibrant, flavour-packed recipes. She shares simple ways to add more beans, vegetables and colour to everyday meals.
Shivi’s “Take a Tin of Beans” Formula
Shivi Ramoutar
Featuring:
Pulses
Effort:
Complexity:
Cost:
In season now
Serves: 2
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
For the base:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 spring onion, snipped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400 tin of white beans or chickpeas
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
For the spice (choose from):
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika (smoked or sweet)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
For the paste (choose one from):
2 heaped tbsp pesto
1 heaped tbsp rose harissa paste
1 tbsp chipotle paste
1 tbsp gochujang paste
1 heaped tbsp jerk paste
1 heaped tbsp tahini paste
For the citrus (choose from):
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lime
For the toppers (choose from):
Large handful of spinach
1/2 block of feta, crumbled
1/2 packet of diced chorizo
2 eggs
For the herbs and heat (choose from):
1/4 bunch of coriander
1/4 bunch of parsley
1/4 bunch of basil
Pinch of chilli flakes
Freshly chopped chillies
To serve:
Crusty bread
Recipe donated by Shivi Ramoutar from Cook Clever.
I cannot shout loudly enough about this recipe formula. This is my regular lunch go-to as I always have beans in my storecupboard and with the usual kitchen basics – pastes, spices, eggs, citrus and veg drawer – you can always make a meal of it! This is also a wonderful canvas for leftovers. I think the egg on top is an absolute must. Try to stick to one paste, but otherwise add as you see fit.
Method:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the spring onion, garlic and spice and soften, stirring often, for a couple minutes.
Add the beans, spice paste and citrus with a splash of water and stir well to combine, crushing some of the beans with a wooden spoon. Stir in the spinach if you are using it and allow it to wilt.
Make 2 wells in the bean mix and break in the eggs, if using. Sprinkle any toppings over the beans, pop the lid on and cook until the egg whites are cooked but the yolk is still runny. Season to taste, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and top with herbs and sliced chilli, if you wish. Serve with crusty bread.
Engaging Kids
Kids who engage regularly with veg through veg-themed activities, such as arts and crafts, sensory experiences, growing and cooking are shown to be more likely to eat the veg they engage with. Encouraging kids to engage and play with veg is the handy first step to them developing a good relationship with veg and life-long healthy eating.
Kids in the kitchen
Let kids help you choose from the list, find what is on hand, and help you stir ingredients in. They could wash greens and rinse beans.
Activities
Why not get a selection of different dried or cooked beans and lentils and try and capture the different colours, textures and shapes with colouring pencils? Or make a rainmaker with an empty, clean lidded crisp tube or milk bottle – pour in some dried beans or lentils, decorate them and seal the lid tightly before shake, shake, shaking!
Kids more interested in science? You can find at-home science fun with veg with our videos from Stefan Gates’ here.
Sensory
Why not explore pulses through touch and sight? There are so many different kinds of beans and lentils. Get a few types that are a good mix in size/shape and colour, dried vs cooked, etc. and see if you can and your child can describe them. What do they look like? What colours, shapes and patterns can you see? What do they remind you of? What do they feel like? Are they rough, smooth, slimy, hard?
Find more sensory ideas, tips and videos here. If you get stuck and need a little help with describing words, we have a selection for you here, too!
Serving
Why not ask you child to come up with a fun name and design their own menu or art around it for the table, based on the ingredients they helped you find and choose? This way the meal changes each time and becomes a silly addition to helping to prepare the meal!
Find the best ways of involving your own child and their skills and interests on our Roles for Kids page.
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