Hidden Veggies Baked Beans

When I was a poor vegan student, baked beans were an absolute staple for me (realistically, they were always a staple, I love baked bean jaffles as a kid!), and luckily for me they are a great source of protein because at the time I was uneducated about nutrition and ate very little protein.

Fast forward a few years and I realised how much sugar and thickeners were in baked beans and instead of giving them up I decided to work on my own recipe that tasted just as good as store bought baked beans. Over the years I've tweaked this recipe to get to the one that follows, which I can safely say is one of my favourite recipes and is loved by my whole family. And I love how much they love it because I know they're eating veggies they normally wouldn't eat and are getting a great hit of protein, magnesium, iron, zinc and complex carbohydrates.

I generally double this recipe and keep half for breakfasts for the week and the other half for more hectic weeks when I don't have time to cook.

I hope you enjoy my hidden veggies baked beans. x Renee

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 2 tbs reduced salt tomato paste
• 1 tin diced tomato, no added salt
• 2 tins navy beans, drained and rinsed well
• ½ tsp dried thyme or marjoram 
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbs ACV (apple cider vinegar)
• pepper to taste
• ½ zucchini grated
• 2 handfuls baby spinach or other leafy green, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1 tbs olive oil

METHOD

1. Heat the olive oil over a low flame, add onion and cook until translucent, around 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, tinned tomato, thyme/marjoram, oregano, ACV, pepper and zucchini, combine well and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes.
2. Add the leafy greens, then allow to cool for a minute. Puree the mixture using a stick mixer, or by adding to a food processor. Place back in the pan, add the navy beans and cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Will be good for in the coldest part of your fridge for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

'Cheezy' Rosemary Seed Crackers

I love a good cracker! Especially with homemade dip or a nut cheese like the phenomenal Botanical Cuisine cheeses. Seed crackers are a great way to get extra nutrition into your day, all whilst eating something delicious! These crackers are an excellent source of omega 3 from the flax and chia seeds, zinc from the pepitas and sunflower seeds, calcium from the sesame seeds and protein from all the seeds. 

You can whip these up quickly and have them on hand for whenever hungry strikes. They are also a great one to go for when you get that mid-arvo slump and want to reach for something sugary. Reach for these babies instead and stabilise your blood sugar and get an energy boost from the crunch, protein, carbs and healthy fats!

I hope you enjoy these tasty seed crackers, and check out our other recipes for dips to pair them with here.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbs buckwheat groats

• 2 tbs chia seeds

• 1/2 cup flaxseed (linseed)

• 2 tbs sesame seeds

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

• 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

• 1/2-1 tsp salt

• 3 tbs savoury yeast flakes (also called nutritional yeast)

• 1 tsp dried rosemary (crushed)

• 1 cup filtered or tap water

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Line two baking trays with baking paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.

2. Roughy chop the sunflower seeds and pepitas.

3. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Allow to set for 20-30 minutes until the water has absorbed and the seeds have become gel like.

4. Spread the mixture across both baking trays, ensuring it is evenly spread and not too thick (you want it less then 1/2 cm thick). Using a pizza cutter or knife, score the mix so the crackers will break apart easily once made (I usually make the crackers approximately 5 x 5 cm).

5. Place the trays in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until slightly brown. remove the trays from the oven, allow to cool slightly then break the crackers apart.

6. Flip the crackers over on the tray, place back in the oven and back for a further 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

7. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.