On the hippie trail: Bill Granger cooks with beans, lentils and chickpeas

I guess I must be a bit of a hippie at heart, because I love a pulse. I get cravings for them when I've been eating out too much and need something simple, satisfying and nutritious. Pulses are a guilt-free comfort food and are such a great canvas for other flavours – and they lend themselves more towards spices and tomato-based sauces rather than anything heavy and creamy.

They're also a good store-cupboard staple, whether tinned or dried – though the only ones I use dried are puy lentils, as the tinned ones tend to be a bit mushy.

And, of course, they're the perfect alternative to carbs when you feel like you can't look at another bowl of pasta or potatoes in any form.

Pulses will always have their brown rice and earthenware bowl associations but, they are one of the most versatile proteins that kid your tastebuds into thinking you're eating starch. What's not to like?

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Individual portions of baked beans with eggs

Give me home-made baked beans over tinned any day. This is a healthy, substantial breakfast classic that makes a great quick supper too. Add chopped spinach if you want to get some green in.

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
100g/3 oz pancetta, cubed
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 anchovies, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
tsp dried oregano
1 tsp mild curry powder
400g/13oz tin chopped tomatoes
2 x 400g/13oz tins cannellini beans, rinsed
4 eggs
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt

To garnish

Flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the pancetta and garlic and fry until the pancetta is golden. Add the anchovies, thyme, oregano, curry powder and tomatoes. Cook the sauce until it thickens, add the cannellini beans and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until the sauce coats the beans. Season to taste. Divide the bean mixture between four 200ml ramekins. Carefully place a raw egg on to the top of each, place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the egg has just set.

Garnish with flat-leaf parsley and a sprinkling of ground black pepper and sea salt. Serve immediately.

Merguez sausages with lentils and harissa

This is a hearty rustic dish perfect for a chilly evening or Sunday lunch. I like the smokiness of the merguez, but you can easily use chorizo or any other sausage that has a bit of flavour and spice.

Serves 4

250g/8oz puy lentils
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500ml/17fl oz chicken stock
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil
450g/14 oz merguez sausages
250g/8oz baby spinach leaves

To serve

Harissa

Rinse the lentils under cold running water and drain then place in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic and pour over the stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender and the stock absorbed. Remove from the heat and season to taste.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sausages and fry for 4-5 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

Just before serving, fold the spinach through the warm lentils so it wilts and serve with the sausages and harissa.

Fish tagine

I've used the word tagine loosely, here; it's really just an incredibly simple fish stew tinged with North African flavours.

Serves 4

1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch of cayenne pepper
400g/13oz tin chopped tomatoes
500g/1lb firm white fish fillets, cut into chunks
400g/13oz tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp honey
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt

To serve

Flaked almonds, lightly toasted

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric and cinnamon and fry, stirring, for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the cayenne, salt, tomatoes and 250ml-300ml/8fl oz- pint water and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the fish and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the fish is cooked. Add the chickpeas and honey and cook for 2-3 minutes. Season to taste. Garnish with flaked almonds and serve.

Soft tacos with frijoles and salsa

This might look like a lot of ingredients, but the joy of tacos is in the extras and making them exactly how you like them. And they really are so quick to make, too.

Serves 4

for the white-onion salsa
1 small white onion, diced
3 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped (optional)
2 tbsp lime juice
tsp caster sugar
tsp sea salt

For the avocado salsa

1 ripe avocado, diced
Juice of 1 lime
Freshly ground black pepper
For the beans (Frijoles)
400g/13oz black beans, drained and rinsed
75g/3oz Emmenthal, provolone or other mild semi-hard cheese, grated or diced
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp lime juice
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
4 flour tortillas
1-2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

To serve

Sour cream

Place the ingredients for the onion salsa in a bowl and stir together. Season to taste. Cover and chill until needed. Do the same for the avocado salsa.

Put the black beans, cheese, cumin, lime juice and freshly ground black pepper and good pinch of sea salt in a bowl and stir gently to combine.

Divide the black-bean mixture between the tortillas and fold each in half. In a large frying pan, over a medium heat, add the oil and cook the tortillas, two at a time, for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden on both sides. Serve with the the two salsas and sour cream.