Delicious recipe from Chef Christina Chan

of

Stepney City Farm Cafe 

 

And why Christina Chan just got sneaky!

We agree with her that most children really enjoy beans, so when she suggests sneaking some greens into them, we say Great Idea.   This is her very own bean dip. Over to you Christina….

“It can be dressed up or down depending on your child’s (and your) tastes, and goes well with crackers, toast, or on a veggie sandwich.  Here is the recipe in its most basic form with a few ideas for variations.

 

Chard and Cannellini

Bean Dip

 

Ingredients:

 

• 2 tins cannellini beans (400g), drained and rinsed
• 250g chard, leaves only, cut into ribbons
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

• 1. Add some extra virgin olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant, and add chard.  Cook chard until wilted but still vibrant in colour, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.
• 2. Place beans, lemon juice, and sauteed chard in the work bowl of a food processor* fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to start to bring the mixture together.
• 3. Drizzle in olive oil while continuing to pulse until desired consistency is reached.  You know your child’s tastes best- some may prefer it chunkier while others like their foods to appear homogenous.
• 4. Transfer bean mixture to a small bowl. Stir in lemon zest and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with crackers or toast.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

 

Short on time? Use frozen spinach instead of chard.  Defrost first in a pan or microwave before adding to the beans.

Feeling adventurous? Try adding different aromatics, such as 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary, roasted garlic, or a flavour infused olive oil such as basil.  Or perhaps give it a Mexican twist: replace the lemon juice with lime juice, and add a pinch of cayenne pepper and ½ tsp ground cumin, topped with coriander leaves.

Dress it up: Grate some parmesan or cheddar on top and give it a quick broil in the oven until cheese is melted, about 8-10 minutes.  Serve with pita chips or crackers.

 

*If you don’t have a food processor, a hand blender will work fine.  A potato masher will also do the trick, but you may need to ensure that you finely chop the chard else the end result will not be as smooth.

Like to taste this first then come over to Stepney City Farm for Riverside Cares Farm Pop Up