Potato and Bean Bake

Layer the thinly sliced potaoes on top of the beans and vegetables and season
The aroma of this vegetarian dish can compete with any meatbased casserole

I cooked baked it for about ten minutes longer and was rewarded with a wholesome, tasty stew

Serve hot with a green salad of your choice

During the week I suddenly felt like red kidney beans. I normally have a stock of the tinned variety in my grocery cupboard, but search as I may, I could not lay my hand on one can! As I turned from digging in the cupboard, my eyes fell on a bottle of dried speckled beans on the counter top.

Why not? I thought and promptly boiled a quantity of these legumes, They took quite a long time to soften but once they were, I drained them. Ironically that morning I’d been tidying my old magazines and came across a diet-friendly recipe for Potato and Bean Pie. It looked really tasty so I set about making it. As it doesn’t have a crust or pastry shell, I changed the name slightly.

The magazine I found it in was dated 1996.

Potato and Bean Bake (Weigh Less July/August 1996)
Serves 4
500g cooked brown beans
100g carrots, sliced
100g tomato diced
100g green beans, chopped
100g baby marrows, sliced
1 onion, sliced
Ground black pepper and salt
250ml vegetable stock
20ml Light Chutney
20ml Light Tomato Sauce
10ml Worcestershire Sauce
720g potatoes cut into thin slices
Fresh herbs (rosemary, parsley, basil)

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F
Mix beans and vegetables
Place mixture in ovenproof dish
Pour over the stock, chutney, tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce
Arrange potatoes slices in a layer on top of bean mixture
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are soft
Remove lid and bake for another 15 minutes to brown the potatoes.
Serve hot with a green salad.

Note: In South Africa we have a variety of “Light/Lite” products such as Tomato /Ketchup Sauce, Chutney, Mayonnaise, Jams and Margarine etc. Check in your country for the calorie/fat/sugar reduced products in this line. I found that the sauces really enhanced the dish. It began to smell delicious after 20 minutes in the oven and it was absolutely delicious.