Toot, Toot! We’re Going To Beantown! Recipes from Mary Makes It Easy
When it comes to versatility, beans slap! Board the bean train with recipes like Black Bean Brownies or Linguini with White Bean Cream Sauce. Stream full episodes of Mary Makes It Easy at CTV.ca and the CTV app.
Pizza Beans
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes (if using canned beans) to 2 hours and 30 minutes (if using dry)
Total Time: 35 minutes (if using canned beans) to 3 hours and 45 minutes (if using dry)
Serves: 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ cups (270 g) dry white beans or 2 (540 ml each) cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Olive oil
1 red onion, diced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 ½ teaspoons dry Italian seasoning
¼—½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (796 ml) can tomatoes, crushed, diced, or whole
2—3 handfuls dark leafy greens
2 ½ cups (285 g) grated mozzarella cheese, smoked or plain
2 tablespoons (30 ml) prepared basil pesto
Crusty bread or ½ ball store bought pizza dough, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
If using dried beans, you’ll need to soak them overnight for up to 24 hours. Simply cover the beans with about 4-inches of cool water and leave on the counter overnight. Alternatively, you can quick soak the beans by rinsing and adding to a large pot. Cover with a few inches of cool water, season with salt, place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 2 minutes. Remove the beans from the heat, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and let the beans soak for 1 hour. Whether you’ve soaked the beans overnight or using the quick method, drain the beans before cooking.
To cook soaked beans, transfer to a pot and cover with a few inches of water. If desired, you can add some flavourings to the water like a few smashed garlic cloves, bay leaves, spices, or veggie scraps. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for up to 2 hours until tender but not mushy, checking the beans every 15 minutes or so after the first half hour. When tender, drain and season with salt. Use immediately or store cooked beans in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
For the pizza beans, place a cast iron or oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add in 1 tablespoon of oil along with the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened and lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and continue to cook for 30 seconds.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan along with the beans and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the beans have picked up a little colour and the skins are just starting to burst. Carefully add the canned tomatoes, using the back of a spoon to break up the tomatoes if using whole. Place an off-kilter lid over the pan to avoid splatter and cook for 10 minutes to bring the flavours together. Add in the greens and stir to wilt.
Remove the pan from the heat and scatter over the grated cheese. Transfer to the centre rack of your oven and turn the broiler on to high. Broil until the cheese is melted and lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes. Dollop with pesto.
If serving with crusty bread, the dish is good to go but, to really lean into the pizza vibes, divide a ball of store-bought pizza dough in half and store one half for a later use. Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add in a little oil. Divide the dough into four equal pieces, roll out into a thin oval and fry one piece at a time until lightly golden on each side.
Tahini Caesar Salad with Pan-Fried Chickpeas
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 17 minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
Chickpeas
1 (540 ml) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dry Italian seasoning
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Tahini Caesar Salad
¼ cup (60 g) tahini
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2—4 tablespoons water
¼ cup (20 g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, optional
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head romaine lettuce, torn and washed
DIRECTIONS:
For the chickpeas, line a sheet pan with a few layers of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Transfer the chickpeas onto the prepared pan and pat dry.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in the oil and chickpeas. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp. Remove from the heat and add in the garlic powder and Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, make the Tahini Caesar by whisking together the tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, and red wine vinegar Add the oil, 2 tablespoons of water, and the cheese, if using, and season with salt and pepper. If needed, add more water a tablespoon at a time to reach a thick and saucy consistency.
Add in the lettuce and toss well to evenly coat each piece with the dressing. Transfer the salad to a platter or serving dish, scatter with the pan-fried chickpeas, and finish with a little extra pepper and parm, if desired.
Black Bean Brownies
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour (including cooling)
Makes: 12
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups (500 ml) canned black beans, drained and rinsed
3 eggs
¼ cup (60 ml) canola oil
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon instant espresso or instant coffee powder
¾ cup (90 g) cocoa powder
2/3 cup (133 g) sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
50 g (about 1/3 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup (about 30 g) chopped nuts
Flaky sea salt
DIRECTIONS:
Heat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
Add the beans to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and blitz until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs, oil, vanilla, and instant espresso or coffee and blitz to combine.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the food processor and pulse to combine, scraping down the bowl once or twice.
Divide the batter into the prepared muffin tin and scatter the tops of each brownie with chocolate, nuts, and a small pinch of flaky sea salt.
Bake the brownies for 22 to 25 minutes or until the edges are set but the centre is still a bit fudgy. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan. Store at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe Note: Can sizes vary in different countries – here in Canada, they’re around 540 ml, in the US, they’re a bit smaller (around 15.5 oz aka 458-ish ml). In recipes where a little more or less won’t hurt, I’ve just indicated the number of cans and the approx. size/the size of can I’d find at the market. For recipes like these brownies, I’ve indicated cups. In places like the US, 2 cups is around a can. In Canada, I guess we like big beans so you’ll want to measure them out and you’ll be left with about an extra ¼ cup or so. Just pop them in your fridge for future use, toss them into your next salad , or add a dash of hot sauce and dig in.
Linguini with White Bean Cream Sauce
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 head garlic
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (540 ml) can white kidney beans
1 ½ cups (375 ml) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
300 g dry linguini
½ cup (40 g) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or 1—2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 lemon, zested and juiced
½ cup (58 g) sundried tomatoes, sliced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Heat your oven to 400°F. Using a sharp knife, cut the top of the head of garlic off to expose the cloves and place on a piece of aluminum foil, cut side up. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and tightly wrap the aluminum foil around the garlic. Roast the garlic in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until soft and lightly golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly. If looking to get ahead, the roasted garlic can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
While the garlic roasts, drain and rinse the kidney beans. Add them to a medium saucepan and pour over the broth. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a low boil. Cook the beans for 20 to 25 minutes or until the beans are very soft. Remove from the heat and allow the beans to cool slightly.
While the beans cool, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat and cook the linguini according to the package directions. Reserve about 1 ½ cups of the pasta cooking liquid then drain and return the pasta to the pot.
Using either a traditional stand blender or immersion blender, blitz the beans and broth until smooth. If using a stand blender, don’t forget to remove the vent cap and cover loosely with a towel before blitzing! Add in the cheese or nutritional yeast, squeeze in the cooled garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and crushed red pepper flakes and blitz to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the sauce over the noodles, adding the pasta cooking liquid about ¼ cup at a time until the sauce reaches a creamy, saucy consistency that isn’t too claggy and thick. The trick here is to add a bit more of the pasta cooking liquid than you think you’ll need as the starch in the beans and pasta will cause the sauce to tighten up once it’s plated. Stir in the sundried tomatoes, parsley and season to taste with salt, pepper, and more cheese, if needed.