Giant's Plaque

In Greece (and in general in the Mediterranean) you often eat legumes such as beans, lentils and chickpeas. Legumes are super healthy as they are full of vitamins and minerals, they are good for digestion and they give a good feeling of satiety that lasts a long time!

This recipe uses large white beans called Gigantes, which means giants. The beans are actually quite a bit larger than the ones you may be familiar with, and they have a wonderful, soft texture inside. Dried beans give the best flavor and texture, but if you want to cut down on cooking time, you can also use canned cooked beans such as butter beans or lima beans. However, the authentic, dried giant beans are definitely worth the time!

Plaki refers to dishes cooked in delicious Greek tomato sauce, and these beans are swimming in it! Feel free to finish the dish with crumbled feta on top and plenty of wonderful, fresh herbs. The dish is used as a side dish, a so-called side dish, but can also stand on its own as a delicious, warm vegetarian lunch. For example, serve them with a flatbread and a big bowl of creamy tzatziki!

Kali orexi from Elena's!

This recipe serves as a side dish for 4-6 people.

Ingredients:

• 500g Greek giant beans, for example these from 3ALFA
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes, for example this one from Pummaro
• A good olive oil, for example this one from AGROCRETA
• A block of delicious, Greek feta
• A handful of fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper

Course of action:

1. Soak the beans the night before in a bowl of cold water, make sure all the beans are covered.
   
   
2. On the day, the beans are thoroughly rinsed in a strainer, and then the beans are boiled in a large pot with plenty of lightly salted water for approx. 2 hours until tender. They just have to simmer on the stove at medium to low heat, if necessary use the time to prepare the remaining elements for your meal, such as a wonderful culotte roast. Such a perfect match for this dish!
   
   
3. When the beans are almost cooked, preheat the oven to 220 degrees and prepare the tomato sauce.
   
   
4. Heat a few tablespoons of cooking olive oil in a pan and sauté the vegetables until the onions are translucent and the carrots are slightly tender. The garlic is added at the end so that they don't become rancid, nobody likes burnt garlic!
   
   
5. Now add the chopped tomatoes, stir everything and season with salt and pepper.
   
6. When all the elements are ready and the oven is hot, put everything together in a dish and bake in the oven for approx. 30-40 min. Here all the flavors come together and the beans become tender, creamy and delicious right up until the last part!
   
   
7. Finally, the beautiful Gigantes Plaki are served on a plate with plenty of crumbled feta and chopped parsley on top. Enjoy this fantastic dish as a side dish to meat, as part of a meze table or just as it is with a good piece of bread! Bon appetite!

The warmest Greek food greetings, Maria from Elenas.dk