I have cooked this dish before when I first got Rick Stein’s book Venice to Istanbul, but I usually use fresh spinach. This time because of budget I used frozen, but to tell the truth there wasn’t much in the look or flavour. Also unlike Rick’s version I also use tinned butter beans, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.

This is a hearty warming dish and very filling, We had a little bread with our to mop up the juices, but you don’t need it

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Breakfast
Toast or Porridge

Lunch
Cheese salad sandwich

Dinner
Butter Beans with Tomatoes and Spinach

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Butter Beans with Tomatoes and Spinach  
Adapted from Rick Stein From Venice to Istanbul

Ingredients

1 x 400g tin Butter beans
1 red onion, chopped
1 garlic cloves, chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil
½ Teaspoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoons tomato pureé
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 large handfuls of frozen spinach
Small handful fresh parsley, chopped
Small handful fresh mint, chopped
Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C or Gas Mark 3.

Gently soften the onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil for 5 minutes.

When soft, stir in the paprika, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, 100ml water, salt and pepper.

Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes.

Stir in the spinach and butter beans and take off the heat.

Add the chopped herbs.

Transfer the beans to a casserole pan, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and bake for  about 25-30 minutes until the beans are tender and the sauce thickened and bubbling.

Serve with bread or rolls

Save a little of this dish back as it goes really well with the following days’ evening meal.