Last weekend Putin went up to Montreal for a few days to celebrate graduating (congratulations Putin!). The upside of this for me is that he, of course, brought back some of those fantastic Montreal bagels. In fact, they were so fantastic that my friend Jack ate all three of his at once.

I couldn’t quite match that, but I did come up with this novel and delicious way to get over not being able to have lox and cream cheese on it, and I dare say it was almost as good (I’m not going to pretend I don’t miss smoked salmon!). This is a bit of a cheat’s way to make simple refried beans but who really has the time to go the traditional route in the morning? Not me!

You’ll need:
(Feeds 2)
2 vegan bagels – from Montreal if possible!
2 cups tinned kidney beans, drained
1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp paprika
1 mini cucumber
2 tbsp capers
olive oil
hot sauce (if using)

Method:
Cook the kidney beans in a pan over a medium heat with the water until very soft – about 10 minutes
When all the water has evaporated, throw in a little olive oil and the crushed garlic clove
Fry with the beans for 2-3 minutes
Mash the beans and garlic together with a wooden spoon while heating
Add in the paprika and continue mashing
When the beans have reached your desired consistency (mostly mashed) remove from the heat
Cut both the bagels in half and place until the grill (broiler if you’re North American) until lightly browned
Spread 1/4 of the bean mixture on each bagel half
Push capers into the bean mixture until all are used up
Top with thinly chopped cucumber as in the photo
For extra awesomeness, top this with a drizzle of hot sauce
Enjoy!

This makes a great breakfast with a coffee and a paper, and it’s a great way to get some all-important super healthy beans into you in the morning time. It’s also fantastic for pretending you’re in Montreal, if you play some le Peuple de l’Herbe, dress nicely and speak French with a slightly strange accent.

C’est bon!