Food

Big Issue Recipe Collection: These posh baked beans are delicious thanks to a secret ingredient

Baked beans are a staple of family cooking, but you may have never had them like this

Nathan with his colleague Pauline at FoodCycle

Nathan Truesdale a FoodCycle Broxtowe-Aspley volunteer, writes, “Who doesn’t love baked beans!? Cheap, healthy, filling and delicious! I’ve been pimping my baked beans up at home for years with paprika, pepper, onions and that secret ingredient – Marmite! At FoodCycle, we get some great ingredients, and when all the lovely pineapple appeared, it was impossible to resist! Fruit in savoury food can go so well, and the bursts of sweet, tropical juice really complement the smoky paprika in this recipe. We love to surprise and delight our guests, and this went down a storm! This recipe also works very well with cannellini beans or butter beans, and makes healthy, very cheap meals for the week.”

Ingredients

(serves 4) 

1 large onion (diced) 
3 tsp garlic (crushed or from a tube) 
3½ tsp smoked paprika 
2½ tsp oregano 
½ tsp sage 
1 tbsp tomato puree 
300g tomato passata  
12½ g Marmite 
1½ tsp ketchup 
⅓ pineapple 
800g tinned pinto
beans, rinsed 
Cooked rice, to serve

Method 

1. In a large pan, sweat the diced onions down in salt and oil. Add the garlic and fry until fragrant. 
2. Next add the smoked paprika, oregano, sage and tomato puree. Fry for 2 minutes. 
3. Add passata, Marmite and ketchup, stir and simmer on low. 
4. Dice your pineapples into generous chunks and flambé in a frying pan with a little oil before adding to the sauce. 
5. Wash the beans thoroughly and drain, then add to sauce and warm through. Serve with rice.

Check out FoodCycle’s recipe collection here.

This article is taken from The Big Issue magazine, which exists to give homeless, long-term unemployed and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income. To support our work buy a copy!

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