Last updated 15:27, Sunday, 18 May 2008

THIS windy weather got us thinking about beans.

They are the ultimate fast food and under-used in our opinion, unless of course you are talking about a certain brand’s of baked beans.

There are many types out there.

They have loads of advantages, they’re good for you, they’re cheap, they are instant when bought in tins (and this is how we buy them to avoid tiresome soaking and boiling), they are a good store cupboard ingredient and they are very flexible.

These are the more popular beans that you’ll see in cans on the supermarket shelves:

Cannellini – a white bean, great in stews and salads.

Butter beans – a creamy textured large white bean. A good alternative in a chilli if you’re not too keen on kidney beans.

Haricot beans – probably the most popular bean in this country as these little white puppies are used to make baked beans, but let’s not just limit them to that recipe.

Kidney beans – most famous for using in chilli.

They have a Marmite effect on people because they either love them or hate them. They are not spicy themselves but marry extremely well with spices.

Borlotti beans – a light brown bean, similar in size to the cannellini. Great in any pork dish.

As we said, tinned beans are very convenient to use.

We are here to dispel the myth that you have to soak them overnight.

In tinned beans, all the hard work is done for you, so a simple rinse under the tap is all they’ll need.

They are a great for you as they are high in fibre and protein, relatively low in calories and half a tin provides one of your five a day portions of fruit and veg. Hey, they also taste great which is a bonus.

Here’s a dead easy, lovely mash that can go from cupboard to plate in just five minutes.

Serves 4

2 x 410g tins of white beans (you can use cannellini, butter or haricot; or a combination of those) drained and rinsed

2 heaped tablespoons of low fat fromage frais

100ml skimmed milk

1 handful fresh chopped herbs – chives, tarragon, coriander or parsley- you choose

Salt and pepper

Put the beans, fromage frais and milk in a sauce pan. Cook until piping hot. Mash with a traditional manual masher or hand blender. Add the fresh herbs and check the seasoning.

You could add one clove of crushed garlic at the start of the cooking process if you like. You could also substitute full fat cream for the milk and fromage frais if you prefer an indulgent treat.

This mash goes with virtually anything. Think of a time when you’d have mashed potato and just substitute this in instead. Try serving to friends, family and children, we bet they’ll love it. No more peeling potatoes for you.

And here’s a really quick, easy teatime dish from the store cupboard.

Serves 2

Splash of olive oil

1 red onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

75-100g chorizo sausage, sliced or diced

1 tin borlotti beans drained and rinsed

400g passata with herbs (passata is a blend of sieved tomatoes, ready to use)

Pinch of dried chilli flakes

Pinch of paprika

Salt and pepper

Put just a small amount of olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the onion, garlic and chorizo and begin to fry over a medium heat. The oil will turn a lovely red colour as the flavours seep from the frying chorizo.

Once the onion and chorizo have coloured slightly, add the chilli flakes, paprika and beans. Stir all the ingredients together. Add the passata and bring to a simmer. Cook for five minutes. If the texture is a little thick, add some vegetable stock or just water to let it down a little.

Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Great on its own or served with rice, pasta, on a jacket potato or with a salad.