From The Very Best of
Vegetarian Cooking, ed Janet Hunt, Thorsons, 1991.
This recipe was listed as a family favourite so should have
been a tasty dish but as I made it I had more and more doubts. These, however,
were dispelled when it was eaten.
A green capsicum, a couple of celery sticks and two carrots
were chopped finely and sautéed in a pan while the beans were cooking.
The beans and the sautéed vegetables were mixed together and
a little less than 300ml of stock added. This was my second concern as it
seemed far too much liquid. A teaspoon of mixed dried herbs was stirred in with
salt and freshly ground black pepper. About 80g of grated cheddar cheese was
also added. The lot now went into a casserole and into a 200ºC oven for half an
hour. The recipe called for a 20 minute cooking time but when I tasted it the
bean skins needed a bit longer.
It now had about 30g grated cheddar sprinkled on top and
it went back into the oven for anther 10 minutes.
This actually turned out to be quite a tasty dish. It was
still very watery, rather like vegetables in broth. It won’t become a family
favourite but it was pleasant for a change.
The recipe comes from a compilation book. Recipes from The
Best of Vegetarian Cooking series had been culled and brought together in this
book so they come from a variety of chefs. Each recipe, unusually, has the
ingredients list in two columns, one English and the other American. When you
first look at the recipe you think it has a large list of ingredients until you
realise you have two lists. I have not used it much before but must investigate
further. Flipping through the pages I came across what appears to be a recipe
of cultural clash: Chow Mein with Ratatouille Sauce. That could be more
confusion than fusion.
Taste: ✔✔✔
Ease of
cooking: ✔✔✔✔
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