Pistachio and Pinto Bean Casserole

Recently, we did a Listen To Your Body post on eating – you know, recognising your cravings and trying to understand why you’re getting them. If you’re in the northern hemisphere, it’s probably starting to feel pretty wintry for you. That means your body’s telling you to stay indoors and pile on a few pounds, right? Wrong!!

OK, so it’s not all salads and sunshine but you can still eat healthily when the weather turns. Indeed, this recipe is an excellent cook and run option – chuck it in the oven, put your beanie hat and running gloves on and go out and get a few miles in while it’s cooking. Note: you probably ought to put the rest of your running gear on too.

This one has all the Ps. The pinto beans and pistachios add up to a healthy dose of protein, great for keeping those muscles in a good state of repair if you’re training through the winter months. P-p-p-perfect, eh?

Pistachio and Pinto Bean Casserole

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 leek, sliced
2 carrots, sliced finely
175g cooked pinto beans (one small tin)
50g pistachio
500g tomato passata
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped finely
1 courgette, sliced
1 vegetable stock cube
100ml red wine (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method
1 Preheat oven to 180C / 170 Fan / Gas 4 / 350F.

2  Gently saute the leek and carrots in the oil for 10 minutes, until the leek starts to become transparent..

3 Crumble in the vegetable stock cube and stir.

4 Place the rest of the ingredients in an ovenproof casserole. Add the leek and carrots and stir well. Cover with a lid or foil and cook for about 2 hours (check after 1 hour 45 minutes. It should be a deep rich red colour and the carrots should still have just a little bit of ‘bite’ to them).

Serve with grated cheese (we used hard goat’s cheese) and, if you need more carbs, some rice or crusty bread.