Baked Butter Beans

Baked Butter Beans with Onions,Tomatoes and Parsley.

I haven't posted a recipe for a while so I thought I would show you a dish that I made last week. I copied it from a new cookery book that my friend, Tina, bought a couple of weeks back. I scribbled the recipe down, on a scrap of paper, as we had lunch and forgot about taking details of the book.

Recipe:
500g (1lb.2 oz) Dried butter beans (Lima Beans) soak overnight
1 bay leaf
2 small red onions (finely chopped)
2 celery sticks with leaves (chopped)
3 garlic cloves( finely chopped)
650g (1lb 7oz) Ripe Tomatoes (peeled and grated {I chopped mine}) or use tinned tomatoes
4 tblsp chopped parsley
3 tblsp breadcrumbs

Method:
Drain beans put in a saucepan with bay leaf cover with cold water bring to boil. Skim scum that rises. Lower heat and cook for 1.5 hours (until tender adding extra water as necessary){I found most of the skins came off the beans in the soaking and they did not take this long to cook}
Add salt towards end of cooking time.

Pre-heat oven 180 c (350 F/gas 4)

Drain beans keeping 375ml (1.5cups) coking water & put in a large baking dish.

Heat 2 tblsp oil in frying pan. Gently sauté onions until golden and softened-stir so they don't stick. Remove from heat and mix in bowl with celery, garlic, tomatoes, parsley and remaining olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. Add reserve bean water, pour into beans and mix well.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 mins, then remove foil,stir and add extra water if drying out. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and return to oven for another 30 mins.

Beans should be tender on top & still with a little sauce. Serve warm with an extra drizzle of olive oil.

I actually has a small knob of cheese I wanted to use up so grated this on top (if you decide to do this add the cheese towards the end of coking, I overdid mine as you will see from the photo).

Next time I make this I intend to try adding some chopped bacon which I think would work well.


Archives:
2007: Bargain Price + Look what came in the post