Finely chop half a red onion, and slice the other half for pickling. Put the pickle ingredients into a smalll bowl and set aside.
Chop the rest of the veg, then mix the arepa ingredients together and let stand whilst you cook the beans.
Sauté the other half of the onion with a pinch of salt for 5 min, then add the garlic, spices, a little salt, red pepper and cook down until it's starting to stick onto the bottom of the pan. Add the beans (and their juice), simmer for 10 min. Add the peanut butter, squeeze of lime and season to taste. Take off the heat.
Remove the beans and wipe out the pan. Roll the arepas with your hands to make 7-8cm disc which are about 1-1.5cm thick. Fry the arepas for 5-7 min each side or until browning and hard to the touch/tap.
Mix the guac ingredients together, blend the cashew cheese ingredients, and if using the plantain, cut into roundels and fry with a little oil until golden. Remove and pop on a paper towel, sprinkle a little sea salt.
