What's in the Pot? - SRS Meeting November 5, 2009

This month we are talking all about legumes (beans & lentils). Different types of beans, the many uses for beans and how to cook beans are some of the things we discussed!

Buy it: Beans are very cheap to buy and can be bought either at the LDS Cannery or at your local grocery store.

Store it: Beans can be stored in almost any airtight container. I still have my beans from the Cannery in their #10 cans, but also love the PETE Bottles. Here is the original post on Storage Containers.

Use it: Besides making awesome soups, Did you know that you can use bean flour to replace some of your wheat flour? Did you know you can use beans to replace margarine? Click here to find out more.

Newsletter

The entire newsletter can be downloaded here. Click on the links to view our posts on Types and Benefits of Beans, How to Cook Beans, Alternate Uses for Beans, Green Living & Recipes! The link to last years (November 2008) class on beans can be found here.

The Benefits & Types of Beans

The Benefits of Beans

• Inexpensive
• Low in fat/no cholesterol
• High in protein, carbohydrates, B Vitamins and Iron
• Easy to store (dry beans will keep indefinitely if store below 70 degrees F in a tightly covered container in a dry place)

The Downside of Beans

If beans are not a regular part of your diet they are hard for your system to digest. You can over come this by eating beans more regularly, giving your body more practice in producing the enzymes needed to help digest beans.

Types of (common) Beans

• Black Beans - Most famous as the mainstay in black bean soup, a natural accompaniment to rice and a filling in burritos and other Latin food. They’re available both canned and dried in most grocery stores.
  
• Garbanzo Beans - These acorn-shaped, yellow legumes are used in soups and as the base for hummus, a popular Middle Eastern spread. They are also called chickpeas.


• Kidney Beans - These medium-sized red beans get their name from their distinctive shape. Kidney beans are a mainstay in Mexican meals, and they work equally well in soups and stews. Try mixing them with other cooked beans and tossing them in a light vinaigrette for a quick and easy, super nutritious salad.
  
• Pink - Small oval-shaped beans, pale pink in color, also known by the Spanish name Habichuelas Rosadas


• Pinto - Named for its mottled skin (compare pinto horse), hence it is a type of mottled bean. It is the most common bean in the United States and northwestern Mexico, and is most often eaten whole in broth or mashed and refried.
  
• Red Beans - Very popular in Mexico and the southwestern United States. This dark red, medium-size bean is most commonly used in Mexican cooking for Chile con Carne and refried beans. They are also delicious served with rice and are readily available in most grocery stores.
  
• White - The small, white navy bean, also called pea bean or haricot, is particularly popular in Britain and the US, featured in such dishes as baked beans and even pies, as well as in various soups such as the famous Senate Bean Soup
  
• Black Eyed Peas - Black-eyed peas are commonly used in Southern dishes and as side dishes


• Great Northern Beans - Suitable for any number of uses: salads, soups, stews, ragouts, purees. Their texture is slightly grainy, with a nutty, dense flavor. Popular in North America, Great Northerns look like white baby lima beans.
  
• Lima Beans - Famous for their buttery flavor, these beans are large and can be either light green or cream-colored. They are served as a side dish, often cooked with bits of bacon for additional flavor
  
• Soybeans - The soybean is the only legume that's a complete protein by itself, and it is the most versatile bean around - you will find soybeans in a variety of forms, from dried or toasted soybeans to tofu, miso, tempeh and tamari. Also known as Edamame.


• Split Peas - These flavorful members of the legume family come in both yellow and green varieties and make a wonderfully substantial soup that is easy to make.


• Lentils - Lentils are tiny and do not need to be soaked before cooked. They come in different colors and have a nutty taste. They are best in stews and salads.

Mayo Clinic has a some great information as well as pictures!

Cooking Beans

Soaking and cooking beans before mixing with other recipe ingredients helps to get the right tenderness and can minimize final cooking time.

Preparations: Rinse all beans and legumes in cold water. Remove all dirt, rocks and bad beans.

Overnight Soaking: For each pound of beans, dissolve 2 tsp salt in 6 cups of water. Wash beans, add to salted water and soak overnight.

Quick Soaking: For each 1 pound of beans, bring 8 cups of water to boiling. Wash beans, add to boiling water, boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and soak 1 hour.

To Cook Soaked Beans: For each 1 pound dried beans, dissolve 2 tsp salt in 6 cups hot water, bringing to a boil. Add soaked beans, boil gently, uncovered. Add water if needed to keep beans covered. Cook until tender. Yields 6 to 7 cups.

To Cook Old Hard Beans: Wash and sort to remove any discolored beans or foreign material. For each cup of dry beans, add 2 ½ cups of hot tap water and 2 tsp of baking soda and soak overnight. Drain and rinse two times, then add water to cover and cook until tender and soft (about 2 hours), adding more water as needed.

Helpful Tips:
• Adding 1/8 tsp of baking soda and 1 TBSP of oil to each cup of beans while soaking will cut down on foam as beans cook and shortens the cooking time
• Add meat, onions, celery and herbs during the cooking to add more flavor. Add tomatoes, catsup, vinegar and other acid foods after the beans are tender. The acid prevents softening of the beans.

Storing Cooked Beans
• Freeze cooked beans in zip lock bags. They will keep for 3 to 6 months.
• Store cooked beans 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Beans spoil easily so don’t keep them too long

Cooking Times

Black Beans - 1 to 1 ½ hours
Kidney Beans - 1 to 1 ½ hours
White Beans -1 to 1 ½ hours
Black Eyed Peas - 1 to 1 ½ hours
Great Northern Beans - 1 to 1 ½ hours
Lima Beans - 1 to 1 ½ hours
Pink, Pinto & Red - 1 to 2 hours
Garbanzo Beans - 2 to 2 ½ hours
Soybeans - 3 to 3 ½ hours

Split Peas, Green & Yellow - 35 to 45 minutes (no soaking required)
Lentils - 30 to 40 minutes (no soaking required)

Alternate Uses for Beans

Bean Flour: Any dry bean can be ground into flour using a hand or electric mill. Read your instructions carefully, some specifically say you cannot use beans in them.

• Bean flour can be whisked into boiling water and seasonings to make an almost instant soup or thickener. [Some kinds of raw beans and especially red and kidney beans, contain a harmful toxin (the lectin Phytohaemagglutinin) that must be destroyed by cooking. A recommended method is to boil the beans for at least ten minutes.]

• Bean flour can be used in any recipe calling for flour by replacing up to 25% of the wheat flour with any variety of bean flour (instead of 2 cups wheat flour, use ½ cup bean flour and 1 ½ cups wheat flour). The bean flour combined with the wheat flour creates a complete protein.

•White beans or fava beans have a milder taste, making white bean flour or fava bean flour suitable for use in most recipes calling for white flour. Substitute 1/4 of the white flour for bean flour.

•Bean flour made from kidney, pinto, garbanzo, chana dal or black beans has a stronger flavor and is more suitable for inclusion in meat loaf or when making vegetable patties or vegetarian loaves.

•Bean flour can be whisked into soups and stews, adding flavor and goodness. Bean flour can also be used to thicken these dishes.

Here's more information regarding Phytohaemagglutinin on Wikipedia and Your Dictionary.

Here are a couple of articles on bean flour from Emergency Essential and Suite101.

Replacing Margarine:

• Method 1: Mashed white beans replace fat cup for cup in recipes. Mash until consistency of shortening (use blender). Replace in recipes cup for cup. (Example: Recipe calls for 1 cups margarine, use 1 cup mashed beans.) Liquid may be added to adjust the consistency. Mashed beans do not keep long in the fridge, so freeze them.

• Method 2: Grind beans in your wheat grinder. Store in air-tight container. Replace fat in the recipe cup for cup. You will need to add more liquid since the ground beans will be part of the dry ingredients.

Recipes with Beans

"Do you ever allow yourself to experience the wonderful simplicity of a big ol’ pot of beans? Honestly, there are few things more fundamental than placing dried beans into a pot of water, cooking them, and serving them to hungry souls. If life ever get to be too hectic—if the 21st century ever starts to infringe upon my peace—I just throw a pot of beans on the stove and all my cares and concerns instantly melt away. They’re magical that way. "

The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Recipes can also be downloaded in a pdf format: Main Dishes, Beans & Tortillas & Desserts. Here is the link to Tonya's Video "Mexican Pinto Beans and Tortillas".

A couple other websites that have tasty recipes are Hurst Bean Blog & All About Food Storage's Bean Booklet.

Lentil Soup

2 cups lentils
1 1/2 quarts water and 6 chicken bouillon cubes
(or 3 -14 1/2 oz cans chicken broth & 3 cans water)
1 large can (no 2 1/2) stewed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, cut in chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 lb cooked ground beef

Put all ingredients except ground beef in a 4 qt kettle, bring to a boil,
and let cook until tender. Add cooked ground beef and heat. A ham
hock may be cooked with above ingredients instead of ground beef or
pieces of ham may be added at the last - makes 8-10 servings

Taco Soup

1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can chicken, drained (or 1 lb ground beef, browned and drained)
1 can stewed tomatoes
½ cup chopped onion or 1 TBSP dried onion
1 can whole kernel corn, undrained (or creamed corn for a creamier soup)
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can black beans (optional)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce

Combine all ingredients in pan. Heat slowly over medium heat. Serve
with tortillas chips, grated cheese and sour cream. You may also drain
the beans & corn, rinse, then add an equal amount of water to the soup
instead of using the juices from the can. This soup can be kept in a
crockpot on low for several hours.

15 Bean Soup

1 pkg 15 bean soup
1 lb. of ham, ham hocks, or smoked sausage
1 cup onion, chopped
1 15 oz. can stewed or diced tomatoes
1 tsp. chili powder
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Traditional Cooking Method:
Soaking: Place beans in a large pot, cover with 2 quarts of water. Allow
beans to soak overnight, or at least 8 hours. After soaking, drain water, add 2 quarts of water and meat. Bring beans to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2 ½ hours. After
simmering, add onion, tomatoes, chili powder, lemon and garlic. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Add contents of ham packet 1 to 2 minutes before cooking is completed. Salt and pepper to taste.
Yield: approximately 3 quarts. Serves 14-16

Quickcook Method:
Place rinsed beans in a pot with 3 quarts of water. Bring to a rapid boil. Reduce heat, cover and continue boiling 60-70 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. After 60 minutes, add ingredients. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add contents of flavor packet 1 to 2 minutes before cooking is completed. Salt and pepper to taste.

Bean Cookies

2 cups white beans, cooked and pureed
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
-Mix-
4 eggs (I use powdered eggs)
2 tsp vanilla
-Mix-
4 cups oat flour (You can grind up whole oat groats, or blend up rolled oats in your blender until fine--I've done it both ways and they both work great)
5 cups quick oats
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon (opt.)
1 cups coconut (opt.)
2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
2 cups white chocolate chips--this is my favorite combo. You can do all
chocolate chips, or raisin, or half and half, or half white choc. chips and
half craisins is super yummy, too. Whatever you like.
-Mix-
Drop on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 min

Black Bean Brownies

1 (19 oz) box brownie mix
1 (15 oz) can black beans

Rinse and drain the black beans. Then spoon the beans back into their can and fill the can with fresh water. Pour beans and water into a blender and puree until smooth. Add puree to the brownie mix and stir. Pour into a sprayed cake pan and follow the directions for baking as printed on the back of the brownie mix box.

Only 2 points per brownie for Weight Watchers!

Pinto Bean Fudge

1 cup cooked, soft pinto beans, drained & mashed
1/4 cup milk
1 TBSP vanilla
2 lbs powder sugar
6 oz unsweetened chocolate
6 TBSP butter or margarine
nuts (optional)

In a large bowl stir beans and milk together, adding enough milk to resemble mashed potatoes in consistency; stir in vanilla. Melt chocolate and butter and stir into bean mixture. Add nuts. Gradually stir in powdered sugar to get it well blended. Spread onto lightly buttered 9 inch baking dish or form into two 1 1/2 inch rolls chill 1 to 2 hours. Cut into pieces. Refrigerate.