Advice from all who cook with pulses please

[shirlthegirl43]

Shirl, if you like beans you can add a tin of Flagelot or Barlottie beans to a casserole or the mince. Very tasty and makes the meat go further.

The whole point is I don't like beans or pulses, but with meat being the price it is and cash being scarce (to say the least) I thought I would give it another try. I know lots of people use beans and pulses all the time but I ain't even a big lover of the staple baked bean!

[Hilary B]

The whole point is I don't like beans or pulses, but with meat being the price it is and cash being scarce (to say the least) I thought I would give it another try. I know lots of people use beans and pulses all the time but I ain't even a big lover of the staple baked bean!

If you add red lentils to a mince dish, they will cook down until you don't know they are there. Since most of us could stay perfectly healthy on half the meat we use, the alternative is Bulgar wheat, which, if cooked in with mince, soaks up a lot of stock, and ends up indistinguishable from the mince. I often make mince go further that way, including for cottage pie. I learned such lessons when I had to feed 2 adults and 2 growing kids on as little money as possible (although I got some of it from my Mum who was expert at making the pennies stretch)

[Flummery]

Red lentils with the mince extends a bolognaise sauce and also helps it to coat the pasta. I love them - slightly peppery in flavour I always think.

[Hilary B]

For 'not a fan of beans' try cassoulet, which started out as a way to make a big meal from a little (but strong flavoured) meat. Recipe on the 'bean recipes' thread. (but I intend to adapt it to use a ham knuckle I got cheap in Waitrose, and the remains of our roast chicken from the other night). I'm none to keen on 'beans' and OH even more so(although we both like chilli with red beans in, I usually cheat and use tinned), but of late I have been adding flageolet beans to quite a few things, and if they are cooked in a well-flavoured stock, they are pretty good.

[shirlthegirl43]

Cheers ladies. If putting red lentils in a mince dish, do they just get rinsed and bunged in to cook after the meat has been browned?

[Hilary B]

Cheers ladies. If putting red lentils in a mince dish, do they just get rinsed and bunged in to cook after the meat has been browned?

Rinse them, and add with some liquid. Make sure there is ENOUGH liquid(measure the lentils by volume, and at least twice that volume of liquid) if you don't want the lentils to be obvious (I don't).

[shirlthegirl43]

Thank you. Mince for tea tomorrow, might see if I can smuggle some lentils in

[Eyren]

None of the things in your mix actually need soaking, Shirl, just rinsing.

They will all cook perfectly well in 30mins ... they don't need any longer, but will do if needs be.

Having used Tesco's broth mix, I beg to differ - the whole peas really do need soaking or they stay hard as bullets!

TBH I wouldn't buy it in future (Mr E bought it, I think) - even if you soak it, the lentils and pearl barley go soggy long before the peas are edible. Better to buy the separate ingredients, soak the peas and then add them to the pot with unsoaked lentils and barley...

(Plus you can leave out anything you hate!)

[Two_Sheds]

Having used Tesco's broth mix, I beg to differ - the whole peas really do need soaking or they stay hard as bullets!

Oh yes, they would! I didn't realise there were whole peas in it. How daft is that? pick them out!

[Two_Sheds]

Mince for tea tomorrow, might see if I can smuggle some lentils in

Brilliant... you can really stretch a meal out with (red split) lentils. The brown or green or Puy lentils are not invisible in a sauce, but equally delicious.
They will cook perfectly well in tinned tomatoes, which adds a little more flavour than just water alone

[Flummery]

Red lentils are one of my favourite ingredients. They make sauces and soups so thick and rich (the way we like our men eh?)

[yoanbob]

I love pearl barley but not in sausage casserole. Im with the others, just boil your soup mix for 30 mins and rinse before adding

But really, butter beans, flagelot and canneloni or barlotti would be much better in saus cass, and you can buy them tinned, just rinse and add, quite cheap too.