Welcome to Lotti Beans
Hello and welcome to Lotti Beans, home to nourishing bean and vegetable forward recipes that are honest, real and unfussy.
I’m Megan Futcher chef, recipe creator and food storyteller. I’m inspired by beans of all kinds, pantry staples and fresh seasonal produce. A turn towards good health after a lifetime of bad eating, has seen me enjoying more vegetables, simple plant proteins and carefully chosen whole grains. Over time I’ve naturally moved towards eating meat less often and ultra processed food hardly at all. Seeing vegetables and beans as the star of a recipe has me rethinking how I cook and wanting to share it all.
Lotti Beans is my food journal and now yours. Enjoy!
Featured Recipe
Leeky Beans
Quick comfort springs to mind when I think about this bowl of beans. Leeks cooked down until soft and caramelised with allium sisters, onion and garlic create a mellow, almost melty base for a humble tin of beans. Cannellini are a staple in my pantry, but feel free to use butter beans, navy beans or any white bean variety instead.
And don’t be put off by the bean juice. It’s just water, salt, bean starch and goodness. Finish the dish with a spoon of thick Greek yoghurt and a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds.
Latest Recipies
Leeky Beans
Leek and beans cooked until soft and mellow. Quick comfort food doesn’t get any better than this.
Ratatouille Pasta Sauce
Zucchini, red capsicum, aubergine and tomato cooked into a vibrant roasted vegetable tomato sauce, add cannellini beans for extra hidden goodness.
Roasted Vegetable Tomato Sauce and Pasta
Toss this vibrant hidden vegetable tomato sauce through pasta for your next plant powered family dinner.
Veggie Nuggets
Crispy, yet soft on the inside and lightly seasoned, these veggie nuggets tick all the right texture and flavour boxes.
Why Beans?
It’s no secret that beans and other members of the pulse family - lentils, chickpeas and dried peas are good for you. They are fondly referred to as a nutritional powerhouse and boast rich sources of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, slow releasing complex carbohydrates and antioxidants. Eating beans every day is proven to improve overall health. Beans are an affordable protein source, providing valuable nutrients for a low price. They have a long shelf-life, reducing waste and upping convenience. Beans, lentils and chickpeas are delicious when cooked well and I’ll wager even more versatile than animal proteins. They can be cooked dozens of ways and are incredible in stews, soups, salads or simply sauteed with salt and pepper. I love them in dips, spreads and in bakes and treats. Bean and other pulse crops are gentle on the earth. They enrich the soil with nitrogen, greatly reducing the need for nasty chemical fertilizers while creating healthy soil for sustainable crop rotation. They also need less water to grow, reducing their carbon footprint and showcasing their ability to thrive in arid and drought conditions.
Pantry Staples
Opening a well stocked pantry is a thing of beauty, full of possibilities. It solves the dreaded ‘what’s for dinner’ dilemma and enables me to cook at home. It also means I know exactly what’s going into the food my family and I are eating. A stocked pantry reduces food wastage, stops fast food binges and unnecessary trips to the shop buying food for a single meal or an ingredient I’ll only use once before it’s forgotten at the back of the cupboard. Keeping the pantry full is a massive time saver - think weekly favourites, digging into the freezer stash for a quick fix or getting creative with leftovers. Curious to see what’s in the Lotti Beans pantry?
Seasonal Produce
Cooking seasonal fruit and vegetables is simple. It’s eating perfectly ripe produce bursting with flavour, nutrients and colour. Seasonal is supporting local farmers and buying food that hasn’t travelled across the world. It’s creative, focused and grounding to cook with what’s available. Seasonal is marking the passage of time, patience and looking forward to enjoying recipes and produce only a few times a year. It’s funny how seasonal produce dictates exactly what we want to eat. Steamed asparagus and figs in spring. Autumn apples and pumpkins. Leeks and citrus in winter. Tomatoes and strawberries in the height of summer.