Andy McGregor: Beans and lentils are the perfect winter warmers

Published on Saturday 7 November 2009 10:52

WITH months of chilly dark nights laying ahead, the notion of escaping to somewhere warm and sunny is an appealing one. For most of us though, the idea of disappearing to some semi-tropical coastline will remain a mere fantasy – we'll just have to batten down the hatches and struggle through another Scottish winter.

The winter will be rife with bugs and viruses, so November is the ideal time to reappraise your diet and make sure you're getting enough vitamins. While eating more fish and green vegetables won't do any harm, a trip down to your local wholefood shop in order to stock up your kitchen cupboard with a healthy supply of pulses could also help fight the winter chills.

If beans on toast has hitherto been about as far as you've ventured into the world of pulses then now would be a good time to see what you've been missing. As they absorb flavour extremely well you can be fairly bold when combining with spices or other strong ingredients, and though they are a mainstay of vegetarian cuisine peas, beans and lentils can work really well alongside certain meats, in particular lamb or Spanish sausages like chorizo or morcilla.

Pulses are best bought dried and will keep in your larder for ages provided they are stored properly in airtight containers. However, as they require soaking overnight before cooking you'll need to be fairly organised in your menu planning.

Tinned pulses are a quicker alternative as they will have already been soaked and cooked, though you should take care to rinse them off and heat them gently as they will be quite soft. The exception would be chickpeas which, either tinned or dried, are virtually impossible to overcook. Their nutty flavour and robust texture makes them the ideal fallback ingredient, great in curries, soups and salads, or pureed with garlic and tahini to make hummus.

While they may sometimes struggle for recognition as a main course ingredient, the area where pulses meet with universal approval has to be soups.

A lentil broth, whether using the traditional brine from a boiled ham or made with vegetable stock, is an age-old winter favourite. Or a Spanish mixed bean and chorizo soup is a classic meal in a bowl that's hearty and healthy in equal measures.

Certain confirmed carnivores will put recipes involving the likes of lentils and chickpeas alongside nettle tea and tree-hugging on their list of things not to try.

If you know someone like this and enjoy a culinary challenge, making a reassuringly-shaped veggie burger from beans and tofu could provide them with a tasty surprise and begin to change their mind.

Once you've proved that pulses can be fun, a chickpea curry with all the usual accompaniments could continue to nudge their diet in a healthier direction.

Who knows, nettle tea might not prove that bad after all.

Andy McGregor is chef/proprietor at Blonde Restaurant, 75 St Leonard's Street, 0131-668 2917