Recipe 27: Sweet Runner Bean Stew

This stew goes fabulous with grilled fish or by itself. I use it as a lunch as a main and for dinners as a side dish with grilled fish resting on top. If you don't have fresh rosemary, just use a couple of teaspoons of dried rosemary instead.

Sweet Runner Bean Stew

600g runner beans, trimmed
olive oil
1x 100g jar of anchovy fillets, in oil
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 dried red chilli, crumbled
2 x 400g tins of crushed tomatoes
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lemon


METHOD

1. Heat a large saucepa, big enough to hold all the ingredients, and add 2 tbsp of olive oil plus the oil from the jar of anchovies.
2. Chop four of the garlic cloves and fry them gently with the anchovies and dried chilli until it all goes soft and the anchovies break down into a mush. 
3. Pour  in the crushed tomatoes and add the beans and rosemary.
4. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. 
5. Place a lid on the pan and simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes or until the beans are nicely cooked. (If the sauce gets a little dry, add a splash of water and give the beans a stir)

Recipe 25: Marinated Bean Salad

As funds are getting tighter- I have now had to start digging into the freezer to find whatever I have to make a dinner. For a few weeks in December Aussie Farmers Direct provided me with at least a kilo of string beans/ Climber beans- something that as a family we do not eat a lot of, as basically, I only know how to boil them and then put them on a plate beside a piece of meat.
Thank goodness for Jamie Oliver's "Jamie at home". Everything is basic ingredients but fabulous taste and this one was no exception!

Marinated Bean Salad

Marinade:
2 small shallots or 1/2 a small red onion, peeled and very finely chopped.
Handful of fresh soft herbs - recommend chervil, parsley, tarragon, the yellow inner celery leaves are nice as well
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil


Approximately 250g Green Beans or Mixed Beans topped but not tailed


METHOD

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Drop in the beans and cook for about 5 minutes. When perfectly done, drain them in a colander.
2. To make the marinade, mix the shallot or onion in a bowl with the herbs, mustard, vinegar and approx of 4 tbsp of Olive oil.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the hot cooked beans and toss. Put to one side to allow the beans to cool down and take on all the fantastic flavours - then eat!