Beany

We’re having a bean phase at the moment. It started on Monday when we had baked beans with Little Bacon Tarts. It continued when we went on to Chilli Con Carne. We had a day off on Wednesday. Then yesterday we had Spicy Tortilla Lasagne. It continues today with runner beans as accompaniment. Saturday should see us back to baked beans with Mince & Potato Patties. All very beany.

What really struck us yesterday was how a very slight change of ingredients or way of cooking can change the outcome of a meal. Both the chilli & the lasagne were made with essentially the same ingredients – 8oz minced beef, tin chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, onion, red kidney beans - & yet the difference was incredible.

In the latter case I layered up the essentially chilli mix with tortillas, a couple on the base & sides of a casserole dish, a layer of meat, another tortilla,  another layer of meat, a final tortilla, a final layer of meat & topped with breadcrumbs. It was then put in the oven for 20 minutes. 

I'd feared why might find it rather repetitive after the chilli  on Tuesday but not at all.The tortillas softened to taste like pasta. The beans became creamy. Quite a different meal from the Chilli Con Carne of a couple of days before. It turned out delicious in fact, a real treat.