5 Ways to stretch your budget using baked beans

The recipes below are in quantities for a family unit of 6-7 people.

BAKED BEANS WITH TOMATO SOUP

Ingredients
1 onion
20ml oil
2 carrots
3 cloves garlic
½ cup water
5ml cumin
30g tomato paste
3 tomatoes
20ml sugar
1 tin baked beans in tomato sauce

Optional
Soup, cream of tomato

Method
1 Peel and chop onion, peel and grate carrot, peel and crush garlic. Chop tomatoes.
2 Heat oil in a pan.
3 Cook onion until brown, add garlic and cook for short time.
4 Stir in the cumin and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring all the time.
5 Add tomato paste and continue to stir for 1 – 2 minutes.
6 Add chopped tomatoes and grated carrots.
7 Add baked beans in tomato sauce.
8 Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until tomatoes and carrots are cooked.
9 Use a potato masher to mash beans and vegetables.
10 Add extra hot water if needed.
11 Add a little commercial tomato soup powder if desired, to extend or thicken soup.

BEAN SOUP WITH GREENS

Ingredients
2 Tbsp oil
150g carrots
140g onion
2 cloves garlic
400g tomatoes
1 tin baked beans in tomato sauce
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 packet vegetable soup powder
250g moroho, imifino or spinach

Method
1 Heat oil in a pot.
2 Peel and slice carrot and onion, peel and crush garlic.
3 Wash and shred moroho, imifino or spinach.
4 Add carrot and onion to oil, cook for 10 minutes until onion is light brown.
5 Add garlic, stirring frequently.
6 Add beans, tomato, herbs and soup powder and cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
7 Add moroho or spinach and cook for 5 minutes longer, just until leaves are wilted.

BUTTERNUT AND BEAN / LENTIL BOBOTIE (as main course)

Ingredients
1 tin baked beans in tomato sauce
1 tin lentils, drained
1kg butternut
300g onion
25ml oil
5 cloves garlic
10ml ginger
10ml curry powder
10ml coriander
10ml cumin
1kg tomatoes
20ml sugar
600ml milk
3 eggs

1 Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2 Peel the butternut and cut into cubes.
3 Chop the tomatoes.
4 Place oil in a pot.
5 Chop the onion and sauté in oil until soft.
6 Add the garlic, ginger and spices to the onion, cook for about 5 minutes on low heat, stirring all the time.
7 Add the butternut, beans / lentils, sugar and tomatoes, cook for a further 10 minutes.
8 Place into a large oven-proof dish.
9 Beat the eggs in the milk and pour over the butternut mixture.
10 Bake in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes.
Serve with white rice and green salad.

BEAN AND VEGETABLE CURRY

Ingredients
300g beans, dry
20ml oil
240g onion
2 cloves garlic
3ml ginger
10ml curry powder
500g carrots
100ml tomato puree
10ml sugar
500g tomatoes
500g cabbage
250g green beans
1 tin baked beans in tomato sauce
Flour (if needed)

Method
1 Heat oil in a pot.
2 Peel and chop onion, add to oil and cook until light brown.
3 Add garlic, ginger and curry and cook for a few minutes.
4 Peel and chop carrots.
5 Add carrots, tomato puree, and sugar, add water until the mix is just covered.
6 Simmer until carrots are soft.
7 Add green beans to the seasoned mix.
8 Add tomato, cabbage and baked beans and cook until the cabbage is just softened. Add water if needed.
9 Thicken with flour paste only if needed.

BEEF, BEAN AND VEGETABLE STEW

Ingredients
25ml oil
150g onion
300g beef, cubes
100g beef, bones, soup (optional)
100g tomatoes
500g carrots
1 tin baked beans in tomato sauce
12.5ml beef stock powder
50ml flour
Water, cold

Method
1 Heat oil in a pot.
2 Peel and chop onion.
3 Chop tomatoes.
4 Peel and slice carrots.
5 Cook onion in oil until light brown.
6 Add the rest of the ingredients, except beans.
7 Add water, just to cover, if needed.
8 Cook until meat is nearly tender, add beans.
9 Cook until meat and beans are tender.
10 Mix flour and cold water to a paste.
11 Slowly add flour mixture to the meat dish, stir and cook until thickened.

Read original article here: South Coast Herald