Pesto Cannellini Beans Food

GRILLED VEGETABLES WITH CANNELLINI BEANS & VEGAN PESTO

Steps:

• Light the barbecue. For the pesto, blitz the basil, parsley, garlic, lemon zest and juice, 30g pine nuts and nutritional yeast together in a food processor. Mix in the olive oil to loosen and season to taste.
• When the coals are ashen, place the aubergine and courgette slices on the grill. Cook for 2-3 mins, then turn and cook for 2-3 mins more until the veg is softened and slightly shrunken. Add the tomatoes to the grill and cook, turning often until the skins have split and the tomatoes soften. Immediately remove from the grill along with the other veg.
• Drain the cannellini beans, reserving the liquid from the can, and tip the beans onto a serving platter. Add 2 tbsp of pesto and mix, loosening the bean mixture with some of their reserved liquid.
• Add the aubergine and courgette slices to the platter and mix gently until lightly coated in the pesto. Scatter the tomatoes on top, then drizzle with more pesto (you can loosen this with more of the reserved bean liquid, if needed). Sprinkle with the extra 1 tbsp pine nuts and serve with crusty bread.

PESTO, CANNELLINI BEAN & TUNA JACKETS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Pierce the potatoes a few times, then bake for 40 mins, or until really soft. Alternatively, microwave on High for 7 mins.
• Mix the beans, pesto, cream cheese, tuna, red onion, lemon zest and some seasoning. Split the baked potatoes and stuff with the tuna filling. Top with the pine nuts and basil leaves.

PESTO BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat, 30 seconds. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir the cannellini beans and 1 cup of water into the skillet. Simmer over medium heat until the mixture is just thickened, 8 minutes. Stir in the pesto and Parmesan.
• Add the chicken broth and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the celery is tender, 15 minutes. Stir in the olives and roasted peppers to combine.

PESTO CANNELLINI BEANS

Steps:

• Heat oil and cook onion and garlic until soft.
• Add beans and stir until heated through.
• Stir in pesto & parsley to serve.

WHITE BEAN PESTO

Steps:

• Remove the basil leaves from the thick stalks. Add basil to the food processor.
• Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and garlic powder to the basil in the food processor. Process on high about 1 minute to break up the basil well.
• Add the spinach to the food processor and process on high about 1 minute to incorporate the spinach with the basil.
• Rinse and drain the can of white beans. Add the drained white beans to the food processor and process on high 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Test the texture and consistency of the white bean pesto. It will continue to thicken as it sits. If you want a thinner sauce, add water 1-2 tbsp. at a time and process again until you have the right consistency.

PESTO SALMON & BEAN GRATINS

Steps:

• Divide the spinach between six individual baking dishes (make sure the dishes are safe to use from the freezer to the oven). Spoon over the beans and tomatoes and drizzle with the oil. Scatter over a little of the lemon zest and squeeze over some juice, then season well. Toss everything together with your hands, like you would a salad.
• Mix the soft cheese and pesto together in one bowl, and the breadcrumbs, parmesan and pine nuts in another. Season the salmon fillets and lay one in each dish, then spread the soft cheese mix over the fillets. Scatter with the cheesy breadcrumbs, pressing onto the salmon (it's okay if it also gets on the veg and beans a little).
• If you want to cook straightaway, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake for 20-25 mins, or until the salmon is cooked through and the crumbs are golden.
• Alternatively, cover the dishes well and freeze for up to two months - it's a good idea to write the name of the dish and the cooking instructions on the lid. To cook from frozen, uncover and bake for 30-35 mins at 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Serve the gratins with some crusty bread for mopping up the juices, if you like.

BEAN & PESTO MASH

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the beans and cook for 3-4 mins until hot through. Lightly mash with a potato masher for a chunky texture. Stir through the pesto and season. To serve, drizzle with a little olive oil, if you like.

COURGETTE, PEA & PESTO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Cook the garlic for a few seconds, then add the courgettes and cook for 3 mins until they start to soften. Stir in the peas and cannellini beans, pour on the hot stock and cook for a further 3 mins.
• Stir the pesto through the soup with some seasoning, then ladle into bowls and serve with crusty brown bread, if you like. Or pop in a flask to take to work.

PESTO PASTA WITH WHITE BEANS AND HALLOUMI

Steps:

• Prepare the pasta: Add the oil to a large, lidded sauté pan, and then place it over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the garlic and chile, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the garlic is nicely golden. Stir in the thyme, beans, pasta, stock, 2 teaspoons salt and plenty of pepper, and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, with the lid off, for about 5 to 10 minutes. This will help it absorb more of the liquid.
• As the pasta cooks, make the pesto: To a food processor, add the nuts, garlic, arugula (rocket), parsley, half the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Pulse a few times, scraping down the sides and pulsing again until you have a coarse paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the remaining olive oil, adding a touch extra if needed to loosen the pesto.
• When ready to serve, stir the lemon juice and half the pesto into the pasta (discard the chile, if you wish) and transfer to a large serving bowl or platter with a lip. Sprinkle over about half the halloumi, and serve with the extra halloumi and pesto to eat alongside.