BEANS ON TOAST

Being former cooks, myself and Himself lived for many years on a diet of cereal and beans on toast. That’s the thing about cooking for a living, you really can’t be bothered when it comes to feeding yourself.

At some stage between getting married, getting a mortgage and getting a baby, it seemed time to grow up. This homemade, not-out-of-a-can beans on toast feels pretty grown up to me, what with the pancetta and Parmesan. It is also much tastier than the canned variety for not too much more effort. Serves 3 (pictured right)

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, finely diced 65g pancetta 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon paprika

teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons mustard powder 65g tomato puree 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons golden syrup or brown sugar 1½ teaspoons salt 400ml water

800g tinned butter beans or cannellini beans, drained

Toast, buttered spinach and Parmesan cheese shavings, to serve

METHOD:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and pancetta and saute for about five minutes until soft and golden.

Add the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, cayenne pepper and mustard powder. Stir thoroughly and cook for about 2 minutes, then add the tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, golden syrup or brown sugar, whichever you’re using, salt and water. Stir well, then increase the heat and bring the sauce to the boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Add the beans and simmer for a further 10 minutes, until the liquid is thick and saucy and the beans are tender. Sometimes the beans can take in quite a bit of the liquid, so if it is drying out a bit, just add a little more water to loosen it up. Serve on toast with buttered spinach and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese shavings.