Beans!

somethingnew987

somethingnew987

New member
This is how I make my beans to get all important fiber....its a very simple recipe, I'm sure Mal could give some advice on how to spice it up a little. I actually don't measure much either lol, so this might be a really pointless post, but oh well, its all just doing it to your taste. I personally LOVE cumin, so i load that in. I think I actually saw a bean recipe from Mal somewhere in the recipe section.

I personally HATE canned beans, so I make them the long way and soak them overnight. There are directions for doing this on the bag of the beans.

-I just use either pinto or black beans....however much you plan on eating in the next couple days
-1/2 to 1 whole onion chopped
-Garlic to your taste (I usually put about 5 cloves) chopped
-serrano or jalapeno pepper chopped-sometimes I will use two if I want it spicier.
-As far as the cumin goes, I really have no idea how much I put in there....I just kind of shake the container for a long time. I usually keep adding cumin throughout the cooking process. I believe the cumin is what really makes the beans tasty, so don't be scared of it.
-Sometimes I will add a LITTLE bit of cayenne pepper- it all depends on how much you like spicy foods.....I live in Texas so I LOVE spicy foods
-I just use water to cook it in, but I imagine you could use stock (vegetable or chicken) or a mix of water and stock.
-salt to taste- it is best to wait until near the end to add the salt so that you don't add more than you need. I read somewhere that as salt cooks it loses its flavor, so you are still getting the sodium, but not the flavor, causing you to add more salt = more sodium = bad for blood pressure.

The actual cooking process is pretty straighforward. take the soaked beans and drain them from the water they soaked in and add new water (I'm not sure this is necessary, but its what I do). Add enough water to cover the beans and still have about 2 inches more above them as this will allow for the hours of cooking and evaporation. Pretty much just put everything in (except the salt) bring it to a simmer and cover. It usually takes 2-3 hours for the beans to cook. I don't like them real mushy, so I stop cooking them as soon as they are no longer hard.

Sorry for the lack of specifics, but thats my very simple version of bean soup....it's literally 6-7 ingredients, which works for me :)
 
ake the soaked beans and drain them from the water they soaked in and add new water (I'm not sure this is necessary, but its what I do
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I don't know if it's urban legend or not - mythbusters hasn't done an episode on this yet... but draining the water prevents gaseousness...

try adding in a few chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce - adds a layer of flavor w/ just alitle bit ofheat

and the real reason why you don't want to add salt to the beans whle the cook is it makes them tougher...
 
Some people also like to soak them in sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) overnight to help prevent teh gas. Be sure to drain, of course. I don't get gas, so I don't do this, but I tried it once and it tasted funny to me, so I dunno.

The salt thing is really important. Took me ages to figure out. -_-

Try this: Black-Eyed Peas, rinse soak etc. Crockpot, roughly 4-5 hours (no salt or anything, just the peas), drain, mix with cooked buckwheat groats (not kashi, that roasted shit is nasty) or quinoa, cayenne pepper, salt and dill to taste, a tablespoon or two of the yummy lemon-flavored kind of fish oil (nutrasea for example tastes awesome and has excellent epa:dha ratios). Makes a lovely, highly nutritious (tons of potassium and fiber, 1:3 protein:carb ratio), and most importantly, very tasty (to me) snack. I eat it almost every other day lately. :)
 
I love my baked beans. I have heard chewing them more helps in the digestion and prevents gas. I think Alton Brown had an episode on them and he blames our bodies for not being able to digest them properly rather than the beans themselves. Bush's Original is my favorite.
 
Carthonn - get yourself a crockpot -and some dried beans... you'll never go back to canned again...

I think a lot of people have trouble with beans because their bodies just aren't used to big doses of fiber - though broccoli supposedly has the same reaction in some people..
 
Yeah I have always wanted to try to make homemade because of the dang high fructose corn syrup in those canned brands. That stuff is scary.
 
maleficent said:
Carthonn - get yourself a crockpot -and some dried beans... you'll never go back to canned again...

I think a lot of people have trouble with beans because their bodies just aren't used to big doses of fiber - though broccoli supposedly has the same reaction in some people..
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When I was a vegetarian I ate a LOT of beans, usually for lunch and dinner, and they honestly did not affect me gastro-intestinal wise. I think you're right in that people don't eat much fiber, so their bodies aren't used to it, but if you start eating a lot of it your body will adjust.
 
maleficent said:
I don't know if it's urban legend or not - mythbusters hasn't done an episode on this yet... but draining the water prevents gaseousness...

try adding in a few chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce - adds a layer of flavor w/ just alitle bit ofheat

and the real reason why you don't want to add salt to the beans whle the cook is it makes them tougher...
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I bought a bag of black beans today and they're soaking. I plan on trying to cook them pretty much as somethingnew has directed...but I also bought a can of the chipotles in adobo sauce. I'm soaking about 1 1/2 cups of beans. Do I want to add the entire can of chipotles?

TIA
 
I have pretty much an asbestos mouth and don't find chipotles in adobo sauce to be hot... they have a little bit of heat but they aren't hot to me - others might find them too spicey..

When I crock pot the beans -I will add a few different types of peppers, a poblano (fairly mild), a fresh jalapeno or two, and the entire can of chipotle peppers, chopped up and let them cook for about 12 hours...

I think it's the cooking process that makes them more mild but you get 'layers' of flavor and heat... and I add cumin and ground coriander throughout the process.

at the end -just before serving a few squeezes of fresh lime juice and some fresh cilantro really brighten up the beans...
 
Thanks....got the beans started and it's already smelling good. I only used about 1/2 of the canned chipotles. I like foods spicey, but BF can't handle the heat.
 
Okay...made the beans, but they are too hot for BF so I've got more than I can consume by myself. Can I possibly freeze individual portions for later use?
 
Judyb said:
Okay...made the beans, but they are too hot for BF so I've got more than I can consume by myself. Can I possibly freeze individual portions for later use?
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too hot? :D I'll refrain from namecalling :)

You can freeze beans, but I've found that when you do so -the texture changes on them on the thaw out process - not horribly so but it just changes.. they become better suited for black bean sauces or soups rather than just having them by themselves...
 
maleficent said:
too hot? :D I'll refrain from namecalling :)

You can freeze beans, but I've found that when you do so -the texture changes on them on the thaw out process - not horribly so but it just changes.. they become better suited for black bean sauces or soups rather than just having them by themselves...
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LOL My BF is a woosy-weenie boy when it comes to hot foods or cold water. :)

I've frozen leftover chili before, so I guess I'll try freezing the leftover beans.

Thanks for your input!
 
I have been considering incorporating beans into my families diet for a while now, but really have no idea...

I dont know what kind to buy, or how to cook them.

We are a pretty bland family, we like flavour just not big on the hot spices.

Any ideas??? something easy to start out with.
 
Lentils are a nice way to start with non-bean eaters - do some searching on recipes that sound appealing to you.. .you can also make a meatloaf substitute with lentils (search lentil loaf and google will return you a ton of hits)

White beans (cannelinni beans) are also nice - especially in soups - there's a wonderful italian soup white bean and escarole - (that you can subsitute spinach for escarole)and jsut use a chicken broth... it's fantastic...
 
One of the easiest lentil recipes I've done... are lentil patties

1 can of lentils, drained and rinsed (eliminates some sodium)
2 cups mashed potatoes (the instant variety are fine - garlic mashed potatoes are even better - mashed sweet potatoes are quite good in this too)
1 small onion, minced (or 2 shallots)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 green/orange/red/yellow bell pepper (your choice) diced

Mix all ingredients together...

Form mixture into patties...

(Dust with flour or breadcrumbs - or not)

Cook in lightly oiled skillet til browned...
 
for a tasty dip - youc an take a can of white beans, drain and rinse 'em

Throw 'em in a food processor with some garlic, basil, and a bit of olive oil - and some black pepper if you like - or some roasted red peppers and process until smooth.

Serve with pita wedges or cut up vegetables..
 
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