Avocado and beans

We have the flu back in the house (Max only). The kids haven't got big appetites for a change and seem to be craving baked beans and fried eggs on toast. Nic and I really have no interest in eating breakfast for dinner (but it has been known to happen I confess), so to keep arguments with sick children to a minimum I gave in and they had their eggs on toast, I didn't have baked beans so gave them a big helping of lemon buttered green beans instead and they were a huge success.

Right, with the boys all fed and bathed by 6-pm it was my turn to cook dinner for Nic and I. We were sitting in the lounge huddling around the lone heater when I asked Nic what he would like-"Something rustic and yummy' was his reply.

I started thinking mash spuds and beans then remembered I didn't have any meat to go with it like sausages, chops or steak; Nic said oven roasted chips would be good.

As I headed into the kitchen and opened the fridge to see what I had, no inspiration came to me (even thought I had done a massive shop that day and the fridge was chockers!). I remembered I had a tin of cannelloni beans in the cupboard so I worked around that. I was to produce a veggie delight and along a rustic theme. I started thinking Italian then pulled out a half mangled red capsicum (this is real life people!) that needed to be used asap. I started a sauce of olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar and onion on a medium heat then added my sliced red pepper (capsicum) with some salt and pepper and simmered it to soften the peppers. I then added green beans, you know real Italian style.

With the beans in and lid on, the sauce was coming together. I'd add the cannelloni beans 5 minutes before serving so they don't turn into mush but I still thought the dish needed something else. My oven chips were seasoned with a salt and chilli pepper seasoning so the dish had a bit of spice to it; I opened the fridge again for further inspiration and a pack of four avocados caught my eye, I wonder.....

Nic and I use to eat avocado halves the old fashion way with balsamic or red wine vinegar and olive oil in the middle then seasoned with a good flaky sea salt and pepper- so delicious and simple. I started to think avocado could be my perfect missing piece to the meal, after all the bean sauce was an olive oil and vinegar based sauce.

The end result was fantastic! The creamy, smooth texture of the avocado complimented the spicy oven chips and balanced out the beans to perfection if I do say so myself.

I really do love it when my kitchen hodge podge ideas come together and I produce a delicious meal I will come back to again.