This is a recipe anyone, even my husband, can do…it’s a ‘throw it all in one pan’ recipe.

These beans are rich, smokey and comforting, but they are also really easy to make as all the elements are kitchen staples, so this is a real store cupboard quick fix. They are quite different to those tins of beans we all know and love but I feel these are a little bit more special and has a secret ingredient you might not expect…

So what’s the secret ingredient…its coffee! Yes, coffee. It brings a darkness that works with the smokey chilli to give these beans a really beautiful rounded flavour. I think there is also something about the bitter notes in the coffee that cuts through the rich creamy beans and balances the dish so well. 

                                   All you need is a scant teaspoon of coffee and a few spices to really pimp up your beans.

Ingredients

• 2 tins of cannellini beans
• 2 cartons of good quality chopped tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons of cumin and paprika 
• 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic 
• 1 small teaspoon of instance coffee
• Ancho chillies, I use about 3 or 4 but it depends on how hot you like it. 
• 3 dried red chilli
• 1/2 a cup of milk
• 50g butter
• Sea salt

What to do

Boil the kettle and make a brew; using the coffee make up half a cup of black coffee. Add all the ingredients, apart from the milk and butter, to a large saucepan mix and bring to a simmer. Cook on a low to medium heat for about 15 – 20 minutes to allow all the flavours to mix and mingle. At the end, stir in the milk and butter, this enhances the rich and creamy feel we want from the beans, and devour.