Meera Sodha's recipe for tahini beans with basil and pine nuts | The new vegan

"It's given me such a great sense of freedom and clarity that I was thinking: I should do the same for my recipes. This one, for example, I would file under magic, because it comes together (mostly) from the store-cupboard, both in that easy way in which you throw things into a pot until they alchemise, but also because tahini and beans, together with a lemon, can, magically, become the most soothing antidote to cold weather."

"Put the oil in a large saucepan on a medium to low heat and, when hot, add the onions, salt and the strips of lemon peel, and cook, stirring, for eight minutes, until very soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a minute or so, just until the smell of raw garlic disappears. Stir in the tomato paste and aleppo pepper, cook for four to five minutes, then tip the beans and their water into the pot."

Tahini beans with basil and pine nuts is a warming, storecupboard-friendly stew serving 2–3 that relies on butter beans, tahini, sun-dried tomato paste, garlic, lemon and Aleppo pepper. Red onions and lemon peel are softened in olive oil, followed by garlic, tomato paste and Aleppo pepper. Beans and their liquid are added, then vegetable stock, tahini, black pepper and boiling water create a creamy simmered sauce. Lemon juice is stirred in near the end. The dish is finished with toasted pine nuts, torn basil, a drizzle of olive oil and warmed flatbreads for serving.

Read at www.theguardian.com