Bean and plantain stew

1 small onion
1 carrot
1 celery stick
1 clove garlic
1/8^th scotch bonnet chilli or ½ x 5ml spoon chilli flakes
1 plantain
400g kidney beans
Spray oil
200g canned chopped tomatoes
1 vegetable stock cube
125ml water
1 x 15ml spoon dried thyme
½ x 15ml spoon All purpose seasoning
Black pepper

Chopping board, vegetable knife, garlic press, colander/sieve, large saucepan, mixing spoon, measuring jug, measuring spoons.

1. Prepare the ingredients:
   - peel and finely dice the onion;
   - peel and finely dice the carrot;
   - finely dice the celery;
   - peel and finely chop or crush the garlic;
   - deseed and finely chop the scotch bonnet, if using;
   - peel and slice the plantain;
   - drain and rinse the kidney beans;
   - roughly chop the parsley, if using.
2. Spray the saucepan with oil and add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and the fresh or dried chilli.
3. Fry gently for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the plantain, kidney beans and chopped tomatoes.
5. Crumble over the stock cube and add the water.
6. Bring to the boil and add the dried thyme and All purpose seasoning. Season with black pepper.
7. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the plantain is soft.
8. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley, if using.

• The plantain in this recipe can be replaced with a large unripe banana, a potato, yam, sweet potato or breadfruit, or canned jackfruit. Additional cooking time may be required, particularly if using potato or sweet potato.
• When preparing chilli peppers, do not to touch the eyes or similar areas that can be affected by the capsaicin (an irritant) that rubs off on hands. Wash your hands immediately after handling chilli peppers.
• To prepare remove the stem and slice the chilli pepper in half. With a teaspoon, carefully remove the ribs and seeds then slice or dice as needed.
• If Scotch Bonnet chillies are not available, they can be substituted with habanero peppers, serrano chillies, Thai red chillies, African bird’s eye peppers or dried chili flakes.

Why not use the Explore Food calculator, the British Nutrition Foundation's free online nutritional analysis programme, to calculate the nutritional information for this and other Food - a fact of life recipes?