What We Ate Wednesday--Magic Beans, Kale and Potatoes

Hello lovelies! I can't believe it has taken so long to write a post about Magic Beans.

I  mean....they are actually *magic*.

I  cannot take credit for Magic Beans. The idea comes from one of favourite bloggers Bonzai Aphrodite. They are magic because they are delicious, child friendly, healthy and practically made in an instant. This is great dish when you have a child (or a Spidergrrl) who is HANGRY (Hungry + Angry). You can read about what Bonzai Aphrodite has to say about it here.

This is our new go-to picnic meal. Because I cannot eat wheat, it requires different bread to make a sammich. Then Spiderman needs his own wheat-y loaf and then it gets all expensive and faffy. Enter Magic Beans. Now nobody needs bread. These are great cold or hot, so perfect for picnics.

Magic Beans can be made with any bean (or lentil), but we like to use kidney beans for their flavour and cheapness (30p a tin). Plus, the red bean and the green kale and the gold potatoes look all festive like Christmas (but in a good, nostalgic way like the memory of a happy holiday, not your local craft shop selling Christmas stuff in July sort of way).

At picnics, we just mix up the Magic Beans ans divide the into two containers, but for a meal we like to serve it with potatoes and kale. This only takes as long to put together as it does for the potatoes to boil. If you have de-stemmed and torn up your kale ahead of time, this comes together in a *snap*.

Magic Beans, Potatoes and Kale (serves 2)
You need:
400g potatoes, diced
3 tsp broth powder or a stock cube
100g of kale (4-5 cups, de-stemmed and torn into bits)

1. Chop the potatoes and put them in a pot and cover them with cold water and either the 3 tsp of broth powder or a crumbled stock cube (we want them to be really flavourful. My stock has lots of turmeric in it so my potatoes come up lovely and yellow) and then bring them to the boil.
2. Meanwhile make your magic beans.

Magic Beans
1 tin of beans or lentils, drained and rinsed
4 TB nutritional yeast
1 TB olive oil
1 TB tamari or soy sauce
Mix together.

3. When the potatoes are done and soft enough to be pierced with a knife, drain them.
4. In a large pot, stir fry your kale in a splash of water until it bright green and cooked down then add your potatoes and Magic Beans and stir together.

That's literally it. And if you are too tired and hungry to cook potatoes or kale or rice to go with it, then just eat the magic beans straight from the pot.

I won't judge.