Smoky baked beans

Tam West

If the tomatoes you have are not full of flavour try adding a tablespoon of tomato paste to create a deeper taste, and extra molasses for sweetness. Butter beans are a legume to get familiar with; they are high in plant proteins and have a softer flavour and texture than other beans. Cooking your own beans at home in a pressure cooker is ideal for maximum nutrition but you can use a good quality jarred or canned version for convenience.

Ingredients

800 g	Cherry tomatoes, chopped into large pieces
3	Capsicums, red or yellow, deseeded and chopped into approx. 2x2cm pieces
1	Red onion, sliced in half then sliced into eighths
6 cloves	Garlic, peeled and crushed
2 Tbsp	organic cold pressed olive oil
2 Tbsp	Red wine vinegar
500 g	cooked butter beans, (if using canned this is the weight without the brine - approx 2 cans)
½ tsp	Smoked paprika, (add more to taste)
1 Tbsp	organic molasses
1 ½ tsp	Sea salt flakes

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 220C fan bake.
2. Use a large glass baking dish or alternatively line a baking tray with baking paper, place the tomatoes, capsicum, onion and garlic on the tray and drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they are brown and starting to caramelise. Add the remaining ingredients, turn down the heat to 190C and cook for another10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and taste, adding additional smoked paprika and salt as needed. If you find anything needs more cooking, place everything in a medium-sized pot and cook on a low heat until ready.
4. Serve on toast or sourdough bread and top with fresh herbs like parsley or basil with a little fresh oregano.