I got this from a newspaper.  No idea who wrote the recipe but it’s delicious and so fast, and comforting.  It has become a favorite and we often eat it with quinoa and a steamed green veggie for a filling dinner.  I often don’t bother with the avocado and yoghurt and it’s still lovely.  Also nice as a bean salad served cold, I find.

Bean mixture:
1 large onion, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
A 400g can of any of these beans: black, black eyed, kidney or borlotti (or  mugful/200g dried beans: soak overnight in clean water, drain, cover with boiling water and boil hard till tender – this gives you a larger quantity of beans in the finished dish but it still works)
1 dsp tomato puree
2 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika or smoked paprika

To serve:
Little gem lettuce leaves and the following which are optional:
A dollop of natural or Greek yoghurt (if you avoid dairy, use natural soya yoghurt)
Chopped avocado
Lime juice (or lemon juice)
A little Himalayan salt or Atlantic sea salt

1. Steam-fry the onion in a dessertspoon of coconut oil and a spash of water.  This means covering the pan with a lid or plate, letting the onions steam until translucent and softened).
   Add the beans, tomato puree, garlic, cumin and smoked paprika.  Simmer 5 minutes.
2. Spoon into little gem lettuce leaves along with a dollop of (dairy-free or dairy) yoghurt, some chopped avocado, and plenty of lime juice and a little Himalayan salt.

Alternative dinner idea:
Serve with quinoa and a steamed green e.g. broccoli, runner beans or peas.

Packed lunch idea
Bring the leftover bean filling, little gem lettuce leaves, a lime or lemon, and an avocado to work.  Reheat the filling (or not), chop or mash the avocado and mix with lemon or lime juice and a little salt.  Spoon the filling onto the lettuce leaves and enjoy the avocado mix on the side.

Why this is good for you
Onions and beans contain soluble fibre.  This feeds beneficial bacteria in your gut, which are responsible for 80% of detoxification.  And scientists used to think that your liver with it’s 5,000+ chemical reactions every day was the main organ of detox!  This detox is really important for your skin, your energy and hormone balance – in fact every aspect of your health.  Extra virgin olive oil, garlic and spices are anti-inflammatory and help suppress overgrowth of  “bad” bacteria in your gut.  This can have a dramatically improving effect on digestion and much more…