These Plant-Powered Baked Beans Will Help You Crush the Spartan Whole-Food Challenge
Spartan CEO and founder Joe De Sena has been thriving on a whole-food plant-based diet since the 1970s, which is why he created Spartan's 14-day whole-food meal challenge. On a recent episode of the Spartan Up! podcast, Joe interviewed Dr. Alan Desmond, a medical doctor and gut microbiome expert, about his mission to help people optimize their health with one simple solution: eating more plants.
More Plant-Powered Recipes: Spicy Parsnip and Lentil Winter Soup | Wild Rice Super Salad | Chocolate Beanie Brownies | Plant-Powered Stew With Braised Chickpeas and Couscous
He's given us five great recipes that are packed with the diversity of whole plants, the dietary fiber, and the healthy protein that you need to crush the Spartan whole-food cleanse and smash that next Spartan race. Each of these recipes is featured in Dr. Desmond's new book, The Plant-Based Diet Revolution: 28 Days to a Happier Gut and a Healthier You.
Today's recipe is a plant-powered spicy baked beans and sweet potato farls.
Spicy Baked Beans and Sweet Potato Farls
This recipe takes beans on toast to a whole new level. Try adding a little oregano or thyme to the farl dough for extra flavor. If you’re gluten-free, the beans can be made with tamari and will go great with a baked sweet potato or a lightly toasted slice of oat bread.
Serves two; Prep and cook time: 35 minutes
Plant score: 7
Fiber per serving: 16 grams
Protein per serving: 17 grams
Gluten-Free: The farls are NOT. The beans ARE, if you use tamari instead of soy sauce.
What You Need
1 red onion, sliced
Extra virgin olive oil (optional)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 14-ounce can of haricot beans, drained and rinsed
1¼ cup of passata
1 tablespoon of harissa, or to taste (optional)
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of tamari or soy sauce
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Small handful of fresh parsley, freshly chopped, to garnish
For the Farls:
2 cups of sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
⅓ cup of wholemeal flour
Extra virgin olive oil (optional)
How to Make It
1. Place the sweet potato for the farls in a saucepan of cold water and bring it to a boil. Simmer until completely tender (about 15 minutes or so), then drain.
2. Meanwhile, put the onion in a large saucepan with ½ tablespoon of olive oil (if using) or water and fry it for 10 minutes, until it's soft and starting to caramelize. If they look like they're catching or burning, add an extra dash of water every so often to help them along.
3. Add the garlic to the onions and cook for two more minutes, then add in the beans, passata, harissa (if using), vinegar, and tamari. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 15 minutes, until the sauce is rich and thick.
4. While the beans cook, roughly mash the sweet potatoes and season lightly with salt and pepper. Fold in the flour until the mixture forms a rough dough. You might need to add a little more flour if it feels a bit sticky.
5. Put a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. A rub of olive oil will help to prevent sticking. Put the dough into the pan and press it into a flat circle about ¼-inch thick. Use a spatula to divide it into quarters. Cook for four to five minutes on each side, until nicely colored and piping hot.
6. Taste the beans and tweak the harissa (if used) to your liking. If you want a thicker texture, whizz a quarter of the beans in a blender until smooth, then mix them back into the pan.
7. Serve each person two farls, generously topped with the beans and a scattering of parsley to finish.
This recipe was originally published in Dr. Alan Desmond's book, The Plant-Based Diet Revolution: 28 Days to a Happier Gut and a Healthier You, featuring 80 vegan recipes by Bob Andrew and published by Yellow Kite. Photos are credited to Dan Jones.