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Is there any food as filling as beans?! We think not. They might not be the obvious choice for a sandwich, but we discovered throughout the course of this newsletter that they make not only brilliant veggie alternatives where needed (hello, chickpea melt) but that those alternatives were just as good in their own right. OK, so hummus is well established, but we surprised ourselves with the Boursin and butter bean number. While it might seem at first like a way of diluting the sacred Boursin, the creaminess of the beans compliments the cheese well. Of course, it also makes something more substantial. OTHER GARLIC AND HERB CREAM CHEESES ARE AVAILABLE.
Bit hard to apply the usual rules here, as we’re using flatbread for hummus and toasted sourdough for the butter beans. It’s worth saying though that the beans seem to appreciate something warm.
Try chickpeas - like this chickpea melt and this coronation chickpea filling. But also try butter beans, which have the right amount of creaminess. Avoid anything hard, like black eyed peas. Lentils could work but will need a lot of SAUCE, e.g. salsa verde, tapenade, something like that and will do best in small quantities - more of a garnish. A lentil garnish! LOL.
Hummus kawarma flatbread
Serves 1 You could also use torn oyster mushrooms here for a veggie alternative. Pickled chillies would be a very good addition.
Flatbreads (find our recipe in our xx newsletter)Â
Hummus for spreading
50g lamb mince
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, grated to a paste
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Dill fronds, to garnish
Extra virgin olive oil
Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan over medium heat and when hot, add the onion. Cook until softened, around 15 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the garlic and spices and cook for a minute or so, stirring.
Add the lamb mince and cook, breaking it up into small pieces, until it’s all well cooked and almost crispy.
Warm the flatbread in a pan or under a grill then top with a swirl of hummus followed by the lamb mixture, the dill and a good swoosh of olive oil.
Creamy bean and Boursin with fennel coleslaw
Serves 2 As we said, the beans enhance the creaminess of the cheese, providing you don’t overdo it by adding too many. A Y shaped peeler is good for doing the veg if you don’t have a mandoline.
4 slices sourdough bread, lightly toasted
â…› white cabbage, trimmed and very finely shredded
½ fennel bulb, trimmed and very finely shredded
1 small bunch chives, very finely chopped
About a tablespoon of white wine vinegar - you want it to be nice and tangy
Small dash of olive oil
½ small red chilli, finely sliced
½ tin butter beans, drainedÂ
1 Boursin cheese
Combine the cabbage, fennel, chives, white wine vinegar, olive oil, chilli and some saalt and pepper and mix well.
Mash the beans roughly with the Boursin and a pinch of salt.
Combine into a sandwich!