Pulses
We're constantly being urged to eat more chickpeas, cannellini beans, lentils and other pulses, as they're extremely nutritious as well as being cheap and easy to cook. Delia has masses of recipes that bring out their flavour and add texture to other foods.
Serves 6 as a starter or 4 as a main courseChickpea, Chilli and Coriander Cakes with Marinated Red Onion Salad
These are served at Norwich City Football Club and are always enjoyed by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. They can be made in advance, if entertaining, and are a brilliant way to incorporate healthy pulses in the diet.
Serves 4Chicken and Chick Peas
Adding chick peas to this wintry chicken casserole allows you to feed four people very well for very little money without sacrificing flavour and nutritious value in the process.
Servse 6-8Black Bean and Jalapeno Dip
Spicy, unusual and made in minutes, this dip is a great addition to your repertoire when you want some interesting nibbles. Serve it with potato wedges, crudites or strips of toasted pitta bread.
Butter Bean, Bacon and Parsley Soup
Butter beans, boiled on their own (as I remember them at school) tend to be dull, but they make a good, thick, creamy soup and have the great virtue of being able to absorb other flavours really well.
Serves 4Black Bean Soup with Black Bean Salsa
This soup is simply stunning, one you'll want to make over and over again. Black beans don't have a strong flavour of their own but they do carry other flavours superbly, while at the same time yielding a unique velvety texture. If you forget to soak
Serves 4 generouslyBroad Bean Salad with Pancetta and Sherry Vinegar
The fresh broad bean season seems to be so short, I always feel the need to feast as much as possible when I can, hence this salad. It's good as a first course or to serve alongside other salads in a cold buffet. Remember, when buying broad beans in
Serves 4Boston Baked Beans
This is how baked beans should be – the real American sort and not a bit like the ones that come in tins.
Serves 2Braised Lamb Shanks with Cannellini Beans
This is delightfully simple as everything goes into one pot, no accompaniments are needed, and it provides a complete menu for two people. It is also very good with flageolet or borlotti beans.
Serves 2-3Braised Sausages with Borlotti Beans, Rosemary and Sage
You can use any beans in this recipe, but borlotti are the best of all. The smokiness of the pancetta is also important, but if you can’t get it, use smoked bacon.
Serves 4Braised Lamb with Flageolet Beans
Neck fillet of lamb provides very sweet meat that responds perfectly to long, slow cooking and if you add pre-soaked dried green flageolets to cook alongside it these, too, absorb the sweet flavours of the lamb.
