Beans and pulses and I have this strange relationship - I've never been able to eat them - not even the baked kind. It's not about the taste, but completely about the texture; sometimes they can have that rather powdery mouth-feel that I find a bit, well, odd.

Sticking to my rule though I found that one good experience can switch it all around - a dish of channa masala, spicy curried chickpeas, was the problem solver.

Somehow the textures just worked and even though the first few mouthfuls of whole chickpea were a bit of a - erm - mouthful, after that I was a convert, taking in lentils, gigantes, kidney beans and everything in between. Although, embarrassingly, I'm not quite into baked beans yet.

This recipe comes from Arch One restaurant right next to London's Waterloo station. They also do very, very good chips. It makes a great starter for a dinner party.

Mixed Seafood on borlotti beans with rocket and red onion salad 

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 50 grams of cooked borlotti beans
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 scallops
• 2 cleaned baby squid
• 3 tiger prawns
• 25 grams butter
• 1/4 sliced red onion
• Small bunch rocket leaves

To garnish

• lemon wedge
• 4 cherry tomatoes

Method

Melt the butter in a pan and add garlic, cook over a gentle heat for 1 minute.

Add prawns, squid and scallops. Turn seafood for approx 2 minutes until almost cooked and season

Add the beans and cook for a further minute.

Serve on a plate, topped with rocket leaves mixed with thinly sliced red onion.

Serve garnished with a lemon wedge and several halves of cherry tomatoes.