Editor’s note: Today we begin a series on food basics. Whether you are a pro in the kitchen or just a newbie, we hope you’ll learn something to make your time with food more enjoyable and rewarding. This series will run every other week through April 14.
Beans, also known as legumes, are healthy, great tasting, nutritious, affordable, convenient and versatile. They are a familiar food known around the world and have fed cultures for centuries.
Beans are a great addition to our diet and are heart healthy. They contain no cholesterol, are low in sodium, unless salt is added during canning or cooking, and virtually fat free.
We all know the old schoolyard song that goes along with beans — Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit, the more you eat . . . well, it is a fact that beans cause gas. However, there are ways of reducing the potency of the problem. Proper handling of dry beans before and during cooking can improve digestibility and lessen the rumble. Use one of these soaking methods:
• Slow soak: Cover beans in water for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
• Hot soak: Bring beans to a boil, cover and set aside for 2 to 3 hours.
• Quick soak: Bring beans to a boil, cover and set aside for 1 hour.
After soaking, drain off the soaking water and replace with fresh water then proceed with your recipe. Add salt only after the beans are soft. The best news is that beans come in an incredible variety of colors, shapes and flavors.
Try black beans with your eggs for a Mexican-style breakfast or a mix of kidney beans, lentils and chickpeas in some vegetable soup for lunch.
Here are a few tips for adding more beans to your diet:
• Keep beans in your pantry. If you don’t have time to cook packaged dry beans, use canned beans instead.
• Use beans instead of, or in addition to, meat in your main dish.
• Add beans to soups or stuffing.
• Top salads with beans.
• Mix beans with rice.
• Stir beans into your favorite pasta sauce.
• Fill a tortilla or flat bread with beans and other complimentary ingredients, such as rice, meat, cheese and vegetables.
• Use convenient prepared bean spreads (hummus, refried beans), or make your own by mashing cooked beans and adding spices for a healthy dip or spread.
• Beans are often thought of as a side dish; however, they make excellent meat-free entrees.
You have really missed out if you have never enjoyed a good fresh pot of homemade beans served with a side of rice and skillet of fresh-baked corn bread.
You don’t have to be a vegetarian to reap the benefits of legumes.
Quick Black Bean Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 cups chopped onion (1 large)
2 cups thinly sliced carrots (4-5 medium)
1 cup thinly sliced celery (2 stalks)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cans (15 oz. each) black beans
1 can (14.5 oz.) low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup beer or substitute 1/2 cup chicken broth or water
1-1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Condiments
Lemon or lime slices
Sour cream or plain yogurt
Salsa
Cooked white or yellow rice
Shredded Cheddar cheese
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat; sauté onion, carrots, celery and garlic for 3 minutes. Cover; cook 10 minutes, stirring several times until the vegetables are very soft.
Transfer the vegetables to a food processor or blender. Add 2 cans of undrained beans. Purée the mixture until it is very smooth. Return mixture to saucepan.
Drain and rinse the remaining can of beans; add to the soup. Stir in the broth, beer, cumin and cayenne. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook uncovered 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Serve with squeeze of lemon or lime, or choice of condiments. Makes about 7 cups. Serves 6
Source: California Dry Bean Board Recipe
Hummus
4 garlic cloves, mashed
2 (15-ounce) cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2/3 cup of tahini (roasted, not raw)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Pine nuts (toasted) and parsley (chopped) for garnish
In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, and olive oil. Process the mixture until it is smooth. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste.
Spoon the hummus into a serving dish and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.
Serve with crackers, raw vegetables such as carrots or celery, or with pita bread.
You can cut the pita bread into thin triangles, brush with olive oil and toast for 10 minutes in a 400-degree oven to make pita chips with which to serve the hummus.
Makes about 3 cups.
Source: Simply Recipes
Easy Red Beans And Rice
1 package (4-1/2 ounces) Cajun-style rice and sauce mix (I use Knorr or Zatarain’s)
1 cup fresh or frozen chopped onions/bell peppers and celery
1 tablespoon butter
2 fully cooked Cajun-style or spicy smoked sausage links, thinly sliced (2-1/2 to 3 ounces from a 16 ounce package)
1 can (15 to 16 ounces) dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Heat the butter in a large skillet. Add the frozen vegetables and sauté until soften.
Stir in the water, rice mix, and sausage and heat to boiling; reduce heat to low and cook uncovered about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until rice is tender. Stir in the beans; heat 1 minute. Makes 4 servings.
Source: Adapted from Betty Crocker’s Good and Easy Cookbook
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