A Unique Child: Nutrition - How to make the most of ... Pulses

Pulses have every advantage: as well as having immense health benefits, they are filling, convenient, versatile and, if bought dried in bulk, they can be a huge saving. And as they're such an international food, there are endless tasty recipes.

Nutritional value

As a group, pulses (peas, beans and lentils) are extremely nutritious. They are a good source of B vitamins, iron, folate, potassium, magnesium, various phytonutrients and fibre, and are low or very low in fat and saturates.

Their complex carbohydrate provides slow-burning energy, thus helping regulate blood sugar levels, a benefit to diabetics. They also help to protect against cancer and heart disease.

When eaten with a grain food such as bread, pasta or rice, they create first-class protein and so are useful in vegetarian and vegan diets.

Soybeans are slightly different and almost a complete protein in themselves. Their fat contains beneficial omega-3 oils, and their isoflavones may aid bone density and protect against cancer. The small green frozen ones, though pricier than dried, are tasty and easy to cook.

People unused to eating pulses may experience some flatulence for a short time. Soaking and cooking the beans thoroughly as below and introducing them gradually into the menus helps offset this.

TO COOK DRIED BEANS

Discard any discoloured beans or any stones. Wash, then soak in lots of water overnight. Drain, rinse, then place in a saucepan well covered with water. Bring them slowly to the boil, and then simmer gently, uncovered, until soft. This could take from 30 minutes to over an hour, depending on the age of the beans. Beans over a year old can be too hard to use.

Remember not to add salt or anything acidic such as tomatoes until the beans are soft. Acidity and saltiness stop the beans ever becoming creamily soft. A pressure cooker is an invaluable time-saver for cooking beans.

- Chickpeas need at least 24 hours soaking

- Soybeans take about two hours to cook.

Note that red kidney beans must be boiled fast for ten minutes before simmering in order to kill their inherent toxins (tinned ones are already boiled). All tinned beans should be rinsed before using.

To bring out pulses' gentle flavour, flavour them well with onions, herbs and spices, and serve with well- flavoured sauces and so on.

USING BEANS

- Make a hearty main-course minestrone: cook thinly sliced carrot, onion, celery and cabbage and lots of tomatoes in meat or vegetable stock to make a thick broth. Add mixed herbs, a little sugar, tomato puree, cooked pasta and cooked haricot or soy beans. Serve with grated cheese.

- Stew together chopped, peeled tomatoes, thinly sliced onions, carrot and celery, add thyme and a pinch of sugar. Then add lots of cooked haricot beans. Good with sausages or lamb.

- Make nursery cassoulet: slowly bake together pieces of lamb, chicken, sliced sausages, stock and lots of tomatoes and cooked haricot beans. Cover the top with a thick layer of breadcrumbs; stir it in when it's browned and repeat this three times before leaving it to crisp. A useful one-pot dish.

- Heat baked beans with lots of chopped tomatoes and a dab of butter. Or make Polish-style beans: mix them with cooked, shredded beetroot for purple (dragon's!) beans.

- Make a salad of cooked/tinned red beans, peeled and diced tomatoes, parsley, mayonnaise and creme fraiche.

- Halve the amount of meat in a casserole recipe and replace with soaked beans.

- Make falafel with soft-cooked chickpeas.

TO COOK LENTILS

Red lentils are quickest and don't need soaking. Check for any grit, rinse well in a sieve, then throw into lots of fast-boiling water. Return to the boil, then simmer to a moist puree. Stir often, especially towards the end, to prevent sticking.

USING LENTILS

- Greek lentil soup: cook the lentils as above, season lightly with salt and pepper, then top with lots of sliced onions, fried slowly in olive oil until soft and caramelised.

- English lentil soup: cook the lentils with thinly sliced onion and carrot and, traditionally, a ham bone.

- Make leek and lentil pie: On a layer of cooked potato slices, put a thick layer of cooked, thinly sliced leeks mixed with cooked lentils and butter-fried chopped onion. Add a few tomato slices and top with sliced potato and grated cheese.

- Use to add bulk, protein or texture to soups and stews, curries or pasta sauces.

- Make lentil-burgers and bean-burgers.

Bean and cauliflower bake

Serve this tasty and useful vegetarian dish with a little potato for a complete and economical meal; 35 servings.

Ingredients
680g (1 1/4lb) white beans, cooked as above and drained;
4 tbsp oil for frying;
3 medium-sized onions, thinly sliced;
4 cloves garlic, chopped;
225g (8oz) each of: grated carrot, diced celery, diced peppers and
chopped mushrooms;
400g tin tomatoes;
4 tbsp tomato puree;
3 tsp mixed dried herbs;
1/4tsp black pepper.
Topping:
1 litre 140ml (2 pints) milk;
90g (3 1/4 oz) butter;
75g (3 oz) flour;
2 cauliflowers;
450g (1lb) grated cheese;
2 cups breadcrumbs

Method

- Break the cauliflower into small florets and cook until just done. Drain.

- Fry the sliced onion in the oil for two minutes. Stir in the carrots and celery and cook for five minutes.

- Add the garlic, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato puree and herbs and cook for ten minutes. Stir in the beans.

- Meanwhile, make a cheese sauce: whisk the milk, butter and flour together over medium heat until thickened; then boil and whisk for two minutes.

- Stir in the black pepper and 225g (8oz) of the cheese.

- Spread the bean mixture over the base of a 65mm baking tin. Arrange the cauliflower florets over it and cover with cheese sauce.

- Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and the breadcrumbs. Bake at gas 6, 200 degsC for 35 minutes.

Best frozen peas

Throw into fast-boiling water, return to the boil, cover, turn out the heat and leave for six minutes. Drain; toss in a little butter.