Bean and chick pea salad Recipe: Low Fat, Low Sugar

Pressure cooking is especially useful for pulses and dried beans, as it reduces the cooking time so much. It also thoroughly destroys the toxins found in some dried beans.

Serves 4

4 oz / 100 g dried red kidney beans

4 oz / 100 g chick peas

4 oz / 100 g haricot beans

Olive oil and herb dressing

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped basil

1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped marjoram

1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander

1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme

1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

1 onion, chopped

• Soak the peas and beans overnight, keeping the kidney beans separate. (The soaking time can be shortened to 1 hour by using boiling water.) Drain.
• Put the kidney beans in the unperforated basket in the pressure cooker and cover with fresh water. Put the haricot beans and chick peas in the remaining part of the cooker together and cover with water. Season both sections. The trivet is not needed.
• Cook under high pressure (15lbs) for 20 minutes. Slowly cool.
• Make the dressing by blending all the ingredients together using a pestle and mortar or a blender.
• Drain the beans when cool enough to handle and mix together in a bowl. Add the chopped onion. Toss the beans in the dressing and leave to cool.
• Serve cold.