big baked beans (gigantes plaki) and a simple tomato salsa

Giant Beans

Serves 6

3 x 400g tins Giant Beans/Kidney Beans/Pinto Beans plus juices

Cumin

Paprika

250g Vine Tomatoes

Tomato Paste

Salt

Lemon Juice

My take on the Greek Gigandes Plaki but with loads of cumin and I cook them longer so they're not in such a loose tomato sauce..

Depending on what beans you can get hold of. Place the beans and their juices in a large saucepan, add some cumin, paprika, salt and some cherry vine tomatoes which will slowly break down in the sauce. Add the tomato puree and stir. I absolutely love cumin so I go overboard with it and add more but you should defiantly keep tasting to see if you like the flavour.

Serve on chunky sourdough with some avocado or tomato salsa or watercress on top.

Tomato Salsa

Serves 6

500g vine tomatoes

Big handful parsley | coriander roughly chopped

Red onion diced or cut into thin half moons (use a mandoline if you have one)

Salt

Pepper

Lemon juice

Sumac (if you have some)

Swig of juice from any jar of pickles you have in the fridge olives | jalapeños | capers | gherkins (or a 1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar)

A big glug of good quality olive oil to finish

Soak the red onion for at least half an hour. Deseed the tomatoes and dice into small cubes - they can be as irregular as you like. Chop the parsley and / or coriander including the stalks, add the diced red onion, lemon juice, sumac, juices, salt and pepper. Keep tasting for salt and acidity levels.