Go to meal # 1 Re-fried Beans

Re-Fried Bean Wraps - I know tomatoes aren't in season, but we had them in the fridge ;)

A girlfriend (who happens to be be a nutritionist!) came over the other week and bought this ah-mazing re-fried beans. I say ah-mazing not lightly: all of our children devoured dinner (an unheard of event for our Missy Moo), it's SUPER healthy, inexpensive and best of all only takes 10-15 minutes. Bliss.

This recipe is Vegetarian, gluten & dairy free. Usually when I hear such a description I'm a little hesitant, but this is so versatile it's become a weekly winter staple! Elke from Core Nutrition says that it can be served as a Burrito/Tortilla/Taco or in Nachos instead of meat. We usually do it in some sort of wrap or taco. Then you can top it with whatever in season veg you have. Winter is a great time to cook this gem as carrots and celery are in season.

The best of all it only take 10-15mins! The other trick with this recipe is I blend it all up and then only cook the amount we need and stick the uncooked leftovers in the freezer for a 7 minute meal!

Elke's Re-Fried Beans

2 cloves garlic 

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into large chunks

2-3 sticks celery, roughly chopped

2 x 400g cans kidney beans, drained (or 2 cups cooked)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Pinch dried Oregano

Pinch sea salt

Dash ground Paprika

Dash ground Cumin

1-2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (use gluten-free if needed)

Dash Tabasco sauce (optional)

20g (1 tablespoon) Olive oil

Food Processor/Stick Master Method

1. Crush garlic, and set aside. If you don't have a garlic crusher, 2 teaspoons of crushed garlic from the jar will do! If you are looking for a garlic crusher I can recommend the Zyliss Garlic Press. It's easy to clean and you don't have to peel the garlic and even though it's pricey it will last ages and isn't frustrating to use.
2. Place roughly chopped carrot and celery into food processor bowl (or with a stick master with a bit of extra effort & time) and chop for 10 secondson high speed (vegetables should look finely grated).
3. Add remaining ingredients, except garlic, and blend for 10-15 seconds on medium speed, or until the consistency is smoothish for a stick master.
4. In a saucepan, add oil and crushed garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add mixture from the food processor and cook for around 7-8 minutes while continuously stirring. Beans will become a bit darker as they cook.

Half blended, half not.

All blended up!

Cook it up!

Straight to the freezer!

Mmmm, décor love! See how messy it is without it!

Elke from Core Nutrition has some great variations and the Thermomix version if you are oh-so-lucky to have one. If you have facebook you can can check out these and other recipes here.

Tomorrow Missy Moo and I are going to make this car snack, hopefully she loves it as it's filled with goodness (albeit a bit of sugar too!) because I'm really over giving her biscuits. I'll report back later.

Do you have any favorite versatile staples you would recommend?

HJ xo