Full Circle Cooking Episode 4: Beanage Dream Full Circle Cooking

We’re keeping it simple at full circle cooking this month. Here’s a tangy, delicious and super filling recipe for a bean and tahini salad with roast zucchini. It’s totally customizable and I’ve included a few ideas for add-ons as well as the base recipe. Enjoy! 

The best roast zucchini you’ll ever have

• 1 zucchini
• Salt and pepper 
• Cooking oil

Trim both ends of the zucchini, then cut it in half lengthwise. Score the open side of each half, creating a checkerboard pattern. Salt the open side liberally and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Zucchinis hold a lot of water, and these steps are to draw some of it out. You’ll end up with a more flavourful zucchini that has a nicer texture.

In the meantime, preheat your oven to 390°F. After 10 minutes, droplets of water will have collected on the surface of the zucchini. Use a clean cloth to wipe these away and gently press into the zucchini to pull out any extra moisture near the surface. 

Next, bring an oven-safe pan to medium-high heat (I like stainless steel). You can test that it’s at the right temperature by pouring a tiny bit of water into the pan. It should bead up and dance around the pan instead of sputtering. Once the pan is hot, add enough oil to completely coat the surface of the pan. Gently lay the zucchini into the pan cut-side down. Leave it alone for 2-3 minutes until it’s nicely seared and golden brown. Then, transfer the pan into your preheated oven and roast for 10-15 minutes. The zucchini is done when it’s tender throughout but still holds its shape. 

Yellow bean and tomato salad with tahini yogurt dressing

For 2 full servings or 4 side servings

• 3 cups of yellow beans
• 18 cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 3 tablespoons full fat greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley or cilantro (cilantro is parsley for people who know how to party), plus more for garnish. 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Optional mix-ins

• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, dry toasted and ground
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, dry toasted and ground
• ½ teaspoon mexican oregano, crushed between your palms
• 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper with seeds removed and finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons blanched green peas
• ¼ cup peanuts or almonds, toasted and crushed

Top and tail the beans, then cut into pieces about 1 inch long. Blanch them: boil for 3 minutes or until their colour brightens up but they still feel firm. Immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water to ‘shock’ them, which stops the cooking.

Cut the tomatoes in half and set aside. 

Measure the tahini, yogurt, vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper into a bowl and mix together. This is also where you’ll add the Mexican oregano and the ground cumin and fennel seeds if you’re using them. Taste it for seasoning and acidity, then adjust if necessary. The dressing should be creamy but slightly runny. If it’s too thin, add a little more tahini and yogurt. If it’s too thick even after adjusting for acidity, add cold water a teaspoon at a time until you get the consistency you’re looking for. 

Drain and dry the yellow beans, then lightly toss them together with the tomatoes, parsley or cilantro, and the hot pepper and garlic if you’re using them. Pour the dressing over the salad and lightly toss until everything is coated. 

Move the salad into serving dishes and garnish each serving with fresh minced herbs and crushed roasted peanuts if you’re using them.

See Episode 3 of Full Circle Cooking here!