To any Spaniards reading this, my apologies. It's not really very Spanish this dish, just something I put together one night having srambled around in my cupboards for a bit in search of inspiration. But the paprika and allspice here are one of my favourite spice combos, and the mix always reminds me of Moorish cuisine . And, as ever, the tinned beans make this a dead easy one.
What's the A to V?
Onions are often forgotten - a bit of a 'non-food' - but they're actually a good source of vitamin C. As for the beans, as ever these are a fabulous source of numerous minerals, including magnesium, and vitamin B6.
Ingredients (serves 3-4):
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped into rounds
1 dried chilli
1 large (or 2 small) red peppers
400g tin of white beans (cannellini, white kidney etc)
400g tinned tomatoes
1 tbsp of tomato puree
A generous handful of spinach
1 tbsp of paprika
1 tsp of allspice
(optional) - 100g chorizo, diced
(optional) - splash of white wine
Salt and pepper to season
Method
In a shallow pan, heat your olive oil, and add the onion, garlic and chilli to the pan. Season with salt, and cook on a medium heat for at least 5 minutes until soft.
Then add your pepper to the pan along with all your spices, and stir well. If you're adding chorizo and wine to the recipe now is the time to go big. Cook for around 5 minutes before adding your beans. Stir, then add your tinned tomato and tomato puree to the pan. Season.
Turn the heat down to medium-low until the pan is gently simmering. You may need to add a splash of water to the pan at this stage to make sure there's no sticking to the bottom of the pan situation. Cook for a further 15-20 minutes, adding your spinach to the pan about 5 minutes before everything's done.
Finish with a sprinkle of herbs, and serve with rice, a hunk of bread, or just on its own.