2 February 2020

Mediterranean Veg & Butter Bean Mash


Fragrant, herby roasted Mediterranean veg with vine tomatoes, fresh basil and creamy butter bean mash. A delicious, healthy meal that's ready in just 30 minutes. A great dish for any time and the leftovers make a delicious lunch too! 


Butter bean mash is really easy to make and a great, more nutritious alternative to potato mash. It's super creamy and a little fluffy too, a great way to get more beans into your diet. Beans are loaded with protein and fibre and are low in fat too - they have plenty of vitamins and minerals and will help to regulate your blood sugar, also keeping you fuller for longer. 


The veg is coated in a little extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, crushed garlic, dried Italian herbs and a good pinch of salt before being roasted to perfection. They should be a little charred on the outside and a melt-in-your-mouth texture throughout. The tart red wine vinegar really compliments the sweet nature of the veg, coming together with the fragrant fresh basil and adding a lovely contrast to the rich, creamy mash. 



Mediterranean Veg & Butter Bean Mash | Serves: 4 | Time: 30 mins

You'll need

  • Chopping board
  • Knife
  • Large baking tray
  • Greaseproof paper
  • Sauté pan
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Medium bowl
  • Sieve
  • Measuring cups & spoons
  • Potato masher

Ingredients

Veg:
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 large courgette
  • 1 large aubergine
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
  • Good pinch salt
  • Black pepper
  • 200g on the vine cherry tomatoes
Butter bean mash:
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 2 cans butter beans, in unsalted water
  • Juice 1/2 lemon
  • Good pinch salt
  • Black pepper
To garnish:
  • Olive oil
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Black pepper

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C fan and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. 
  2. Dice the onion and pepper into 2-3cm pieces and slice the aubergine and courgette into quarters lengthways, then into about 1cm slices and add to the mixing bowl. Crush the garlic and add this to the bowl along with the red wine vinegar, olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer on the lined baking tray. Cook for 10 minutes, then make a space on the baking tray, add the vine tomatoes and cook for a further 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, peel and dice the onion and add to a sauté pan on a medium heat with a splash of oil, cook for about 5 minutes, then crush in the garlic, finely chop the rosemary and add this too, cook for a few more minutes, stirring often. 
  4. Using a sieve over a bowl, drain the beans, reserving the liquid in the bowl. Add the beans and 1/2 cup of the liquid into the sautee pan, along with the juice of 1/2 a lemon and a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Then remove from the heat and mash the beans until they've reached your desired consistency, adding more bean water a little at a time to thin out the mash as required. Check for seasoning and adjust as required. 
  5. Serve up the mash and veg, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with fresh basil leaves and black pepper and enjoy! 
Cassidy xx