Bean

Rich and delicious Italian-style stew with crushed tomatoes and borlotti beans.

From the humble baked bean to the chickpea, legumes contain healthy components linked with protection against diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart problems.

A delicious French-style roast leg of lamb in a tomato stew with rosemary and white beans.

A bright and colourful summer olive salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

A quick and healthy pilaf for a busy midweek dinner.

You can use frozen soya beans, available from Asian groceries, in this recipe if fresh are hard to find. You could also use the same quantity of fresh broad beans or 2 cups of frozen broad beans instead. Note

Baby green beans can be used instead of snake beans. Note

Substitute watercress and tatsoi leaves for baby spinach and mizuna, if preferred. Note

A healthy and rich vegetable dish with smoky baked beans and tomato from Australian Women's Weekly.

A healthy and filling Mexican vegetarian dish with a rich and delicious spiced tomato and avocado salsa.

Sichuan is a province in southwest China known for its abundant use of chilli and eye-wateringly fiery dishes.

Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Stir in coriander. Note

Spice up your night with this Mexican chilli con carne with guacamole.

You can soak the beans early in the day before you want to serve them, then at night make this recipe; reheat the beans for breakfast the following day. Note

Asian-style pork and chicken stir-fry with a wonderfully rich black bean sauce.

We used hard (stir-frying) tofu; you can substitute firm tofu, if you prefer. Note

Refried beans are sold, canned, in most supermarkets, as are packaged flour tortillas. Made of pinto beans that are just parboiled then fried with various seasonings, refried beans are also known by their Mexican name of frijoles refritos. You will need to purchase one small iceberg lettuce for this recipe. Note

If you prefer, you can make a mustard sauce for the chicken, replace marsala with dry white wine and stir in 2 teaspoons of whole grain mustard into the finished sauce. Note

Round steak, gravy beef (shin) and skirt steak are all suitable meats for this recipe. Pho is a breakfast favourite throughout Vietnam, but can be eaten it any time of the day. Note

We used cannellini beans but you can use any variety of canned white beans you like. Note

Dressing can be made 1 day ahead; chill, covered. Recipe can be 3 days ahead up to step 3; store in airtight container. Note

You could buy 4 x 75g salmon fillets instead of the larger fillet. The yellow beans add some colour to the dish; if unavailable use green beans. Note

This is a complete meal in a dish, but, it doesn’t reheat or freeze well, as the breadcrumbs absorb the moisture as it stands. Packaged japanese breadcrumbs (panko) can be bought from supermarkets which stock Japanese ingredients, they’re an excellent substitute for stale breadcrumbs. Note

You need 12 skewers; if using bamboo skewers, soak them in water 1 hour before use to prevent splintering or scorching. Note

Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least an hour before using to prevent them from scorching during cooking. Cut skewers to an appropriate size using scissors, if they are too long. Note

With the help of a pressure cooker, this Mexican dish of tender chicken & chorizo sausages with kidney beans can be whipped up in no time.

A healthy and filling vegetarian casserole packed full of flavour.

Bacon option; place a halved cooked bacon rasher on top of heated beans and continue layering as above. Note

Chilli beans can be served either hot or cold. Store beans, covered, in the refrigerator for up to three days. Keep any leftover bread in the freezer to use at a later date. Note

We used a chardonnay-style wine in this recipe. This recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

Soupe au pistou is a Provencal minestrone served with a good dollop of basil pesto.

A green and healthy turkey salad with a tangy lemon mustard dressing.

You need one trimmed corn cob to get the amount of corn kernels required for this recipe; canned corn kernels or frozen corn kernels, if you prefer. Note

Ready-made tempura dipping sauce is available from most Asian grocers. Note