Sweet potato and black bean salad

serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato (or two small)
1 medium bell pepper (red, orange or yellow)
1 small onion (or half medium)
200g cooked black beans
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp dried parsley
olive oil

Method:

Peel and slice the sweet potato, cutting larger slices into two (or four) to make bite-sized pieces. Cook in a little olive oil in the oven or air fryer, turning a couple of times until they are soft and beginning to brown.

Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Meanwhile wash, core and chop the pepper, then peel and finely chop the onion. 

Place all the vegetables in a suitable serving dish, along with the black beans (drained, if using canned beans) and stir to combine. 

Sprinkle the lemon zest, garlic and parsley over the top, cover, and refrigerate until needed. 

Muesli

 Makes around 1.4kg

Ingredients (mostly optional, see notes below):
500g oats
100g ground almonds
100g ground or crushed walnuts
100g desiccated coconut
60g flaxseeds
60g sunflower seeds
60g chia seeds
60g pumpkin seeds
100g raisins
100g chopped dried apricots
100g dried goji berries
100g dried cranberries
1 tsp dried cinnamon

Method:
Tip the oats into a large container with a lid. Add the next three ingredients, and stir a few times to combine. 

Add in the seeds, and stir again.  Add the dried fruit and finally the cinnamon, then stir well (carefully) before putting the lid on the container, and storing in a cupboard or the fridge.

Sweet chili sauce

Makes around 240ml

Ingredients:
2-3 small red chilies or 1 bigger
2-3 garlic cloves
90ml water
30ml apple cider vinegar
50g sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder or flakes (optional)
1/2 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp (15ml) water

Method:
Chop the chili peppers and garlic together in a small food processor. If you only have a blender, pulse until the pieces are very small but not puréed. 

Vegan 'cheeze'

Makes about 330g

Ingredients:
75g cashews (no need to soak) 
40ml water
30ml fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp refined coconut oil
30g tahini
15g carrot (grated or finely chopped)
3/4 tsp salt
pinch of paprika
1/2 tsp garlic granules
120ml water
1/2 tbsp agar agar powder

Method:
Get ready a small dish that holds around 500ml, and grease lightly with coconut oil.

Place all ingredients other than the last two in a liquidiser goblet, and blend on high speed until well combined. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times. 

Almond Paste (marzipan substitute)

 

Almond Paste
(makes plenty for a 18-20cm cake)

Ingredients:
125g icing sugar
125g sugar
225g ground almonds
1 egg substitute
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Method:
Either sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and beat thoroughly, kneading into a a firm dough, or put all the ingredients in a food processor, and blend until a soft ball is formed.

Trifle (dairy-free)

Trifle

Makes one biggish trifle

Ingredients:

a medium sponge cake or pack of sponge fingers
a large can of fruit in syrup (eg pineapple)
1 litre dairy-free milk substitute
4 tbsp custard powder
4 tbsp sugar
1 can thick coconut milk or cream, chilled
extra sugar, to taste
dairy-free sprinkles or glacé cherries

Method:

Line a large bowl with sponge fingers or crumbled pieces of cake. Drain the fruit, then pour enough juice over the cake to soften it. Cover with the fruit.

Oat Milk

Oat Milk

makes about a litre

Ingredients:

About 65g (3/4 cup) whole oats
1-2 dates
About a litre of COLD water

Method: 

Place the oats with the date or dates (stone removed) in a high speed liquidiser (blender). Add enough cold water to make it up to about 500ml. 

Blend on high speed for up to about a minute. 

Chocolate sorbet

Chocolate sorbet
makes about 900ml

Ingredients:
560ml water
160g sugar
40g cocoa powder
pinch of salt
180-200g dark chocolate
1/2 tsp vanilla extract/essence

Method:
Break the chocolate into individual squares or smaller pieces, for easy melting. 

In a large pan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, salt and about 375ml of the water. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then allow it to boil while whisking for about 45 seconds.

Dairy-free chocolate cheesecake

Dairy-free chocolate cheesecake
Makes 4 portions

Ingredients
base: 
130g digestive biscuits
60g dairy-free spread

topping:
90g raw cashews, soaked for 48 hours in the fridge
20-25ml lemon juice
2 tblsp liquid coconut oil
150ml full fat coconut milk
100g dairy-free dark chocolate, melted
2 tblsp soft brown sugar

Method
Crush the biscuits with the end of a rolling pin in a bowl, or place in a strong zip-lock bag and using the rolling pin to squash them. They should be fairly finely crumbed.  Meanwhile heat the spread in the microwave or a small pan, until just melted.  Stir together with the biscuits until well mixed, then press down into four small individual greased dishes.  Put in the fridge.

Uncooked chocolate coconut 'cake'

Chocolate coconut 'cake' with raw ingredients
Serves 2

Ingredients
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (or mixed with other seeds)
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
2 tblsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 dried dates, with stones removed
1 apple

a few strawberries and a teaspoon extra coconut to decorate

Method
Grind the seeds in a food processor or blender.  Add the coconut, cinnamon, cocoa and dates, and process briefly until mixed. Cut the apple into quarters and remove the core and stalk, but don't peel. Cut each piece in half, and add to the food processor or blender, and process until fairly homogenous.

You may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor, depending on its size.  With a large one, it may be easier to double all the quantities. However if there are still pieces of recognisable apple or date, it's not a problem.

When it's mixed well, place in a serving dish or tin, and press down firmly.  Sprinkle a little coconut on the top, and some halved strawberries, then put in the fridge for an hour or two.

This doesn't cut like a cake, but makes a fairly firm dessert.

Cashew milk

Cashew milk
Makes 1.2-1.5 litres (US: 2-3 pints)

Ingredients:
50-60g unsalted cashews (US: about 1/3 cup)
About a litre of water (or more)

Extra water for soaking and rinsing

Note: You need a fairly high-powered blender for this; it's possible with an immersion blender but a bit messy. A food processor might work, but a good blender is best.

Method:
Put the cashews in a container with enough water to cover them well. Place in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours (or longer).  I usually do this for around 48 hours for the best consistency.

Cashew and mushroom pilaf

Cashew and mushroom pilaf

Serves 2

Ingredients:
60-100g brown or basmati rice
1 onion, chopped
1 tblsp oil
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
1 chopped bell pepper (any colour)
50g cashew nuts (raw)
100g mushrooms, sliced

Method:
Rinse the rice well, then cook in plenty of water, on the stove top or in a rice cooker or steamer until just cooked, slightly al dente if preferred.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then add the onions and cook until softened and transparent, and just starting to caramelise, stirring occasionally. Add the crushed garlic and stir in for a minute, then add the spices and salt, and stir quickly to combine.

Stir-fried collard greens with onions and garlic

Stir-fried collard greens

Serves 2-3 as a side dish

Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of collard greens
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic (optional)

Method:
Wash the collard greens, and chop off the thickest part of the stems stems. Place them on a chopping board, and roll them together then slice across, so as to make strips. These can be any thickness, but I prefer about 2-3cm slices.

Place the greens in a pan with boiling water, and simmer for a few minutes. This is to remove any bitterness. Drain them and keep them warm in the pan.

Chickpea and spinach curry

Chickpea and spinach curry

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
1-2 tblsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced or chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp dried ginger
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala (or curry powder)
1 small can (approx 140g) tomato paste or puree
400-500g cooked or canned chickpeas
100-200g fresh (or thawed frozen) spinach
water as needed

Method:
Fry the onion pieces in hot oil in a saucepan until they have become transparent, then add the garlic and stir for a minute or two more. Turn the heat down, then add the spices and salt and stir for about a minute, then add the tomato paste, chickpeas and spinach and stir well to coat. Add the aquafaba (chickpea cooking water), rinsing out the tomato paste can if necessary, or extra water as needed, so as to just cover the chickpeas.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
20g cocoa powder
40g dark chocolate (dairy-free if required)
2 tblsp soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
about 50ml nut or coconut milk

Method:
Melt the chocolate gently over a pan of hot water or in the microwave, stirring until it's just melted, then cool slightly.

Carefully cut open the avocados lengthways and remove the stones. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place it in a food processor or blender. Add the cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla and salt, and about half of the milk. Process until smooth. Don't be too concerned if it looks rather a vile colour at this stage.

Now use a metal spoon to fold the chocolate gently into the avocado mixture, with a little more milk if it feels a bit too stiff. When it's well combined, place in a suitable sized bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour or two.

We find that it goes very well with seasonal fruit such as strawberries or sliced peaches.


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With a dairy-free husband and son, I have been trying various dairy-free mousse recipes. And I came across a recipe for chocolate avocado mousse on the Chocolate Covered Katie blog and elsewhere. I have to admit that it didn't really appeal, but then avocados were in season, on sale ridiculously cheap, squashy enough that they had to be used within a few days.

So I tried it. Comments on a different recipe for this, using only cocoa powder, said that it was a bit dry and too strongly cocoa-flavoured. So the first time I used only dark chocolate - twice as much as in this recipe - and it was good, but a bit too sweet.

I don't use agave syrup so I substituted soft brown sugar and used a bit more nut milk. Doubtless very high fat, too. The picture shows the colour before I folded in the chocolate... and it's worse if, as above, you use cocoa powder in the first part as well.

The second time I made this, I used honey, as we're not vegans, and slightly less milk. I also tried using cocoa powder AND dark chocolate, as in the recipe above. And doubled the quantities, as there were five of us. We made it stretch over two meals. We thought it worked very well, particularly served with fresh strawberries.

My favourite home-made dairy-free milk for cooking is cashew milk, but this could be equally good with almond milk or coconut milk. Canned coconut milk would add some extra creaminess if you like a faint coconut flavour in chocolate desserts. If you're not vegan, you could probably use regular milk.

The great thing about this kind of recipe is that you can adapt it to your tastes. Avocados come in different sizes, so if, when you taste it, it's not chocolatey enough, just add a bit more cocoa powder. If it's too thick, add some more milk. If it's not sweet enough, add a little extra sugar.  If you don't like the appearance in a dish, drizzle over some melted chocolate, or scatter chocolate chips, or desiccated coconut, or slice strawberries.

And it's fun to challenge your guests to guess what the ingredients are...

Guacamole

Guacamole

Makes 1 -2 cups, depending on size of avocado(s)

Ingredients:
1-2 very ripe avocados
1/4 onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tblsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika or cayenne, to taste

Method:
Run a knife around the avocados from top to bottom, both sides, to open them. The stones should pop straight out. Using a spoon, remove all the flesh from the skin and place in a bowl. Mash roughly. 

Add the other ingredients, and stir to combine.  Keep refrigerated, and serve as a side dish to - for instance - chili, fajitas, or enchiladas. Can also be eaten as part of a salad, on bread, or in baked potatoes. Or by the spoonful...

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I don't know why I didn't start making guacamole years ago. We were introduced to it when we lived in the United States over twenty years ago. I knew that avocados are considered healthy, full of healthy fats and vitamins, but on their own I find them a bit bland. And although I tried a few guacamole recipes over the years, I didn't much like any of them, and they seemed extremely complicated.

Besides, I found it so difficult to know when was the right time to use avocados. Too hard and they won't mash (that's what happened with most of my attempts). But I didn't want them to be so soft that they were rotten, either.

I now realise my problem: I was thinking of them as if they were regular fruit, where over-softness is a bad sign. With avocados, so long as they still smell good and don't have too many black patches on the outside, the softer the better if you're going to make guacamole. Even black skin isn't necessarily a problem so long as they smell and taste okay; if there are black patches in the flesh, either mix them in or discard them.

So, given a very ripe easily mashable avocado (or two), you can use the above basic recipe, or adjust to suit your tastes. If you don't like raw onion, miss it out. Sometimes I chop mine in the food processor to make it very fine, but if you're eating the guacamole in baked potatoes (something I would recommend highly as an alternative to butter or spread) finely chopped is fine.

If you like a more garlicky taste, add an extra garlic clove. If you want a more lemony flavour, increase the amount of lemon juice, and perhaps add half a teaspoon of dried coriander. If you don't want the tomatoes, miss them out. If you'd like it to have more of a kick, add some chili flakes. If you don't want even a mildly spicy taste, don't add cayenne or paprika.

Indeed, every ingredient other than the avocado is optional - but mashed avocado on its own is not guacamole, and doesn't need a recipe.

Chocolate chip cookie cake

Makes one 18cm (7 inch) cake

Ingredients:
250g cooked chickpeas
150g soft brown sugar
50g oats
2 tblsp apple sauce OR aquafaba
1.5 tblsp olive oil OR coconut oil
1 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
0.25 tsp salt
0.25 tsp bicarbonate of soda

85g dairy-free dark chocolate chips

2 tsp cocoa powder and water to mix (optional)

Method:
Drain the chickpeas, whether home-cooked or canned, reserving the cooking water (also known as aquafaba) if you plan to use it in this recipe or elsewhere.

Put the chickpeas in a food processor and set to high speed for about thirty seconds, until the consistency is approximately that of hummus. You can use a stick blender to puree them more at this stage, if you wish, adding the apple sauce or aquafaba to make it slightly less dry.

Add all the other ingredients except the chocolate chips to the food processor, and use a low or medium speed to blend them well together.

Stir in the chocolate chips, then place in an 18cm (7 inch) greased and/or lined cake tin, preferably one with a loose base. If you want a more chocolatey centre section, put about three-quarters of the mixture in the tin, pushing it to the edges. Then mix cocoa powder in a small bowl with a little cold water, until it forms a slightly runny paste, and stir that into the remaining mixture. Place it in the middle of the tin, then smooth the top so it's even.

Cook for about 25-30 minutes at 180C until the top is firm but still pliable. Leave to cool in the tin.

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I had never heard of a chocolate chip cookie cake (or, indeed pie), although apparently they're well-known in the US. Traditional ones, it seems, have a pastry crust, and contain flour, butter and eggs rather than chickpeas, oil and apple sauce. They are highly calorific, and not suitable for vegans, nor for those who are gluten-free or dairy-free.

I first came across the wheat-free vegan variation, called 'deep dish cookie pie' on the 'chocolate covered Katie' blog. It sounded wonderful, but also huge. I didn't have a 10-inch (25cm) deep cake tin, either. So I did a rough calculation and decided that my convenient 18cm pan would be about right for half the quantity. That's the amount given, converted from cups to metric weights, above.

My first attempt didn't look much like the mouth-watering photos on Katie's blog, but it tasted very good. And was even better on the second day. To our way of thinking it was more a cake than a pie; pies, by my definition, contain some form of pastry. But that's merely semantics.

So I decided to try making the full recipe (ie double my version) for my second attempt, dividing it between two 18cm pans, to share with some friends. Since I’d soaked and cooked some chickpeas the day before, I decided to use aquafaba rather than apple sauce, as I didn’t want to have to cook an apple on a hot day to produce just a couple of tablespoons of apple sauce. It worked perfectly.

My food processor is fairly basic and it was difficult to get the chickpeas to a puree. The first time I used my stick blender as well, as suggested above, but the second time I didn't bother as it made a lot of extra mess.

It was fine from my perspective, and for those of us who like chickpeas; we couldn't taste them, but there was a hint of chickpea texture here and there. Those who don't like chickpeas may find that disturbing and prefer them more thoroughly blended.

I started wondering about adding cocoa powder to one of them, then decided to make a smaller chocolate section in the centre of each.  I weighed about 400g of the mixture into each of the tins, smoothing it out and hollowing the centre slightly, then I mixed cocoa powder with water to form a paste, and stirred that into the rest.

It didn't look particularly pretty, but it worked well. It still doesn't look like the recipe I've adapted, but the taste is still amazingly good, with a fudgy texture ... and we think it's even better when it's been refrigerated overnight.

Important note: if you're vegan or strictly dairy-free, you will need to check the ingredients in the chocolate chips to ensure that you can eat them. Many dark chocolate chips are free of dairy products, but some of them contain traces of milk. If you are coeliac, check the baking powder too, as some brands can contain small amounts of gluten. 

Chickpea and Mushroom Risotto

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:
1 tblsp olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
200-250g mushrooms, sliced
200-250g rice
1 tblsp turmeric
80-100ml white wine (optional)
600-800ml vegetarian stock
260-300g cooked chickpeas (or one 400g can)
1 tblsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup frozen peas (optional)

Method:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then cook the onion slices, stirring occasionally, for eight to ten minutes or until they are just starting to turn brown. Add the garlic and stir in, then add the mushroom slices, and cook for another three or four minutes; by this stage the mushrooms should be nicely caramelised.

Add the rice and turmeric and stir well until the rice is completely coated in oil, then add the wine (if used) or about 100ml water, and simmer, stirring lightly, until the liquid has been absorbed.

Gradually add the stock, about 200ml at a time, stirring over a medium heat until it's absorbed; if the pan starts to overflow, transfer some of the mixture to another pan.  Keep adding the stock gradually and stirring until the rice is tender but not too soft. Use extra water, if necessary.

When the rice is at your preferred consistency, add the drained chickpeas and salt and stir in for a couple of minutes; then add the frozen peas, if used, and the parsley, and stir until the peas are just thawed, then serve immediately.

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I was looking for recipes that use chickpeas, and came across one labelled 'Risotto with caramelized onions, mushrooms and chickpeas' on another recipe blog. It sounded good, though it didn't say how many people it would serve, and I made it pretty much as the recipe stated, other than using my favourite brown basmati rice rather than risotto rice. Perhaps that means that it wasn't, technically, a risotto.  But never mind.

I used less stock than the recipe suggested, which surprised me, as I had assumed that brown rice would absorb more liquid. I also added extra garlic, as I usually do, and turmeric because it's a health food and I use it wherever I can. Rather than mixed herbs, I used parsley.

It was good, and I served it with lightly fried courgettes and home-made ketchup, and it made about four or five portions.

Since I freeze chickpeas in can-sized portions, I decided to use a whole portion rather than just a cup, the second time I made this. I also decided to use a large onion and rather more mushrooms than the original recipe listed.

Since I felt it rather lacked colour the first time, I put the frozen peas in as a last-minute addition, and it worked so well that I decided to keep them in.  However, I managed to forget the turmeric, which is why the photos don't look yellow.

The amount I made the first time was about four portions, but with the extra mushrooms, chickpeas and frozen peas, we found that the recipe above is sufficient for five portions; that makes it relatively low-carbohydrate, as we would normally expect about 70-80g rice (1/3 US cup) per person if served with curry.

I always serve separate vegetables with any cooked meal; this is good with courgettes and broad beans, and also with a dash of home-made tomato ketchup. 

Aquafaba

Makes about 1 litre

Ingredients:
About 500g/1lb chickpeas (US: garbanzo beans)
Water to soak, and more water to cook



Method:
Soak chickpeas in a large pan overnight. Make sure there is plenty of water and room to expand.

In the morning, drain them well, rinse, and drain again.

Then cover the chickpeas with fresh cold water, adding sufficient that there is at least a couple of centimetres of water above the level of the soaked chickpeas.  If it's very close to the top of the pan, you might want to transfer it all to a larger one, or else split between two pans.

Cover, and bring to the boil over the stove. Turn down the heat and simmer gently for around an hour, checking occasionally to make sure there's plenty of water. Top up with extra if necessary.

After an hour, turn the heat off but leave the chickpeas in the pan so that they continue cooking without using energy, and gradually cool down.

After a few more hours, drain the chickpeas over a large container. Do NOT discard this cooking water. This is aquafaba, a vegan substitute for egg white (or in some cases egg) which can be whipped and used for sorbets, meringues or mousses. It can also be used, as it is, to glaze pastries, or in a variety of other recipes.

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I'm not usually what my sons call an 'early adopter'. I'm slow to jump on band-wagons, and suspicious about trying new products. However, although we're not vegans, we all like chickpeas as an inexpensive and delicious form of protein. I make chickpea curry regularly, and humus, and chickpea burgers, and was idly looking for some other recipes for this legume when I came across a link that led me, eventually, to a Facebook group about vegan meringue.

I wondered at first if it was some kind of hoax, but the more I read, the more intrigued I became. Here's the official aquafaba page. It's not marketed commercially, although no doubt someone will do so eventually... but it's very easy to make, as shown above. If you don't have the time to soak and cook chickpeas, then (I'm told) you can simply drain the brine from a can of chickpeas, and it should work just as well even though it may have a bit of salt or other additives in it.

I usually cook chickpeas in bulk - half a kilogram or so at a time - and freeze them in can-sized portions. So, despite feeling dubious, I decided I had nothing to lose if I kept the cooking liquid and tried to whip it.

I felt a little foolish as I drained and measured the fluid into a litre jug, as shown in the picture at the top. I put the cooled chickpeas into plastic containers, as shown here, with about 260-270g in each, and froze them.

So far, so good.

Then I put some of the aquafaba - about half a cup, I suppose - into another pyrex bowl, and used my electric hand mixer to beat it. I started slowly, as the group recommended (not wanting it to splatter) and gradually increased it.

To my astonishment, it worked. The yellowy gungy liquid turned white and bubbly within about a minute, and within two or three more minutes, it had expanded almost to the top of the bowl, exactly like egg white does when whipped, and had become thick, leaving a trail.

I then had to decide what to do with it - I honestly hadn't believed it would work so well!  With that first batch, I added some sugar to make meringues, then I added some melted dark chocolate to more of it to make chocolate mousse.

I whipped some more, after that, excited at the possibilities; I then folded in some thawed frozen raspberries cooked with a little sugar, and made raspberry sorbet.  All were delicious, and didn't taste at all of chickpeas or anything unusual.

I'm delighted to have found a product that can be used in place of raw egg, and hope to use it in future in royal icing, and peppermint creams.  Since my initial experiment I've also made chocolate sorbet, glazed pastry with it, and tried it in an ordinary cake.

Experts have discovered that one can produce twice as much aquafaba by covering the drained chickpeas with more fresh water, then refrigerating for 24 hours, and mixing the resultant liquid with the cooking water. However, I've found that I have plenty. We don't eat that many desserts or sweet foods, and I've already frozen several small amounts of aquafaba for future use. It keeps for about five or six days in the fridge; probably for several months in a freezer.

A few caveats:
1. Others have had success using the fluid from canned or home-cooked beans, such as pinto beans and black beans. I've tried, but could not get the liquid to whip. So I'm going to stick with the chickpea brine which, so far, has been very successful.

2. Aquafaba is very sensitive to fat of any kind.  The bowl and beaters must be scrupulously clean and free of any trace of grease, or it won't work. I've found that plastic bowls don't make good containers for whipping; since I use my plastic bowls to make cakes, I can only assume that there's some ingrained grease despite my dishwasher. Those who have regular success with aquafaba use either pyrex or metal dishes, or very hard plastic such as that of a food processor bowl.

3. Although it starts to whip within a minute or two, it can take six or seven minutes or more to become stiff enough to use. If you're making meringues, it needs to be very thick with peaks that don't fall, and that takes longer still. So I would not recommend trying this with a non-electric mixer. It's hard enough on the arms to use a hand electric one. On the other hand, a stand mixer is harder to adjust, and it's important to 'feel' the right amount of power to use at each stage.

Slow cooked pinto bean curry

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
400-500g dried pinto beans, plus soaking/cooking water

1 tblsp olive oil
2 onions
4-5 garlic cloves
2 bell peppers
1/2 tsp crushed chili flakes
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ginger
3 tsp curry powder or garam masala
1/2 tsp salt

1-2 tblsp soft brown sugar
140-180g tomato puree or paste
1 400ml can coconut milk

Method: 

Soak the pinto beans in a large pan overnight, with plenty of water to cover.

Drain well, then fill the pan with water to about 2cm above the beans. Bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat, covered, for about 45 minutes. Turn the heat off but leave the pan covered for another hour or two so that it continues cooking.

Drain the beans (keeping the cooking water if you plan to use it elsewhere) and put the beans in the crockpot.

Now slice or chop the onions, and sauté them in a large frying pan for 5-10 minutes. While they're cooking, chop the peppers into smallish pieces, and peel the garlic cloves. When the onions are soft and starting to caramelise, crush the garlic cloves into the mixture, and add the pepper pieces; stir for a minute or two, then add the cumin seeds and chili flakes and stir again to release the flavour.

Add the other spices, salt and brown sugar, stirring all the time, then add the tomato paste or puree, rinsing the can or packet out, if necessary, with some of the coconut milk.

Stir well, then pour over the beans in the crockpot. Pour the rest of the coconut milk into the pan, and stir well to release anything that's stuck to the bottom of the pan, and then pour that over the mixture in the slow cooker too.

Stir briefly with a large metal spoon to combine; if it seems too dry, add a bit more water, or some of the bean cooking liquid to the coconut milk can and pour over.  Put the lid on, and cook on 'medium' for about six to eight hours, or rather longer on 'low'.

Serve with rice or naan, chopped cucumber, mango chutney and other side dishes as preferred.

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I found the basis for this recipes in Lent 2014 when our family experimented with vegetarian eating. Searching online for bean-based crockpot ideas, I came across something called 'Crock pot coconut curry baked beans.' I was a little dubious, but determined to try a variety of recipes, and I very much like pinto beans.

The only change I made when I first tried it was to substitute dried ginger for the recommended minced fresh ginger, and, as usual, to put in more garlic than suggested. Oh, and full-fat coconut milk. It was delicious! The combination of tomato puree, coconut milk and a little brown sugar make the most amazing sauce, and even my omnivore husband liked it. 

The second time I made it, I added in turmeric, since it's currently considered a super-food, and used garam masala as I didn't have any curry powder. We liked it just as much, but being a bit more picky, I felt that it lacked texture. In addition, I like having at least one or two types of vegetable in a curry, as well as the protein. I had some red peppers that needed to be used up, so I added them, and that made it (in our view) perfect. In the batch I photographed, I happened to have orange peppers so I used those. 

Spices can, of course, be adjusted to taste, and you could use canned pinto beans if you run out of time to soak and pre-boil dried ones. This isn't a particularly hot curry, but if you prefer more of a 'bite', you could add more ginger and/or chili flakes.

Different slow cookers have different settings and I find that the 'low' setting on mine doesn't really cook at all, so I tend to use 'medium'. However, some slow cookers only have two temperature settings. If that's the case, I'd recommend using 'low'.