February: BEANS

Dry Beans: pinto beans, lima beans, black eyed peas, lima beans, black beans, chickpea (garbanzo beans), kidney beans, OTHER LEGUMES ARE ALSO PROVIDE VARIETY (i.e., split peas, lentils, peanuts, soy beans)

Benefits of Beans: Beans offer variety to your food storage options and a money saving option for meat. Beans are low in fat (no saturated fat or cholesterol), provide fiber, protein, calcium, iron, folic acid and potassium. Current research from the U.S. Surgeon General suggests that beans reduce your risk for heart disease and certain cancers.

Food Storage Guidelines: When stored in tightly sealed containers, in low moisture (less than 10%) and in a place free from insects, dry beans are good for 30+years. Store 5 lbs per adult per month (see providentliving.com for a calculator for your family). Cooked beans can be stored up to 5 days in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer.

How do you prevent intestinal discomfort from eating beans?
*The more often you have beans in your diet, the less intestinal discomfort you will have.
*Overnight soaking and cooking of beans break down the starches which make them ore digestible. After the overnight soak, rinse beans, discard soaking water and cook beans with fresh water.
*Drink plenty of fluids. This helps your body handle the dietary fiber.
*Chew your food well and chew slowly.
*Beano or similar products may also eliminate gas from beans.
Let’s Eat Beans!
Cooking dry beans: Sort through beans, and discard rocks and any beans that are discolored or damaged. For each cup (250 ml; ½ lb) of beans add three cups (750 ml) of water (at room temperature) and soak overnight (about 10 hours); this will yield about 3 cups of cooked beans. To cook the beans, drain them, rinse them thoroughly, and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer for one or two hours or until the beans are tender. Adding one tablespoon (15 ml) of oil to the water will reduce foaming during cooking. Do not add salt or anything acidic until the beans have softened adequately. Spices, seasonings and aromatics can be added to beans when starting to cook them. The longer dry beans are stored the longer they take to cook. When beans don’t soften with normal soaking and cooking, add three cups (750 ml) of water and ⅜ teaspoon (2 ml) of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) for each cup (250 ml) of dry beans. Let them soak overnight. More baking soda may be required for older beans or hard water. Pressure cooking will decrease the cooking time. Dry beans will cook in about 15 minutes, depending on the age of the beans. The cooking time increases by approximately one-third if the beans are not soaked before they are cooked.

Ways to Add Beans to Your Meals: Use cooked, dry beans or canned beans
*To Soups/stews (ex. pinto beans, navy beans, black beans, lentils, split peas)
*Top salads with beans (ex. chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, navy or other white bean)
*Fill tacos with beans (ex. pinto beans, kidney beans, chickpeas). Add your favorite topping (salsa, tomato, lettuce, cheese).
*Season canned beans. Add vegetables and spices and your favorite sauces (tomato, molasses).
*Use beans as a meat substitute. Replace the meat with beans (ex. kidney beans in chili, lentils in curry or meatloaf, white beans in stew, etc.)
*Add beans to your favorite rice dishes.
*Substitute mashed white beans for shortening or margarine in your favorite baked goods recipe. To maintain the texture and flavor, you may want to substitute only half of the shortening for mashed beans.



Beans a La Charra
shared by Margaret Hanson
1 lb. cooked pinto beans, rinsed, soaked overnight (or simmered 1 ½ hrs.) and drained
8 c. water
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, coined
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 t. ground cumin
½ t. oregano
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes.

Sauté onions and garlic in a little butter then add to beans along with remaining ingredients except the tomatoes. Simmer 2 ½ hours with lid ajar. Add tomatoes. Simmer one hour more. Feel free to add salt pork, cooked bacon, or cilantro for variety.

Refried Beans
shared by Margaret Hanson
Follow the recipe above or leave out carrots and celery. Once beans are cooked and cooled slightly, pour 3-4 cups at a time into a blender. Blend until smooth. Spray a skillet or pot with non-stick cooking spray and add blended beans. Cook over medium heat until desired consistency is reached, stirring occasionally. If you like chunkier refried beans, mash 1-2 cups of beans with a fork and add to pot with blended beans.

Three-Bean Salad
shared by Melissa Finck
1 lb fresh green beans
1 red onion
½ c. rice wine vinegar
½ c grapeseed oil, or salad oil
salt and pepper
1 ½ c. garbanzo beans
1 ½ c. dark red kidney beans

Cut the fresh green beans into 1” pieces, then steam and let them cool. Dice the red onion. Whisk the vinegar, oil and salt and pepper together in a bowl with a tight fitting lid, then add the green beans, garbanzo beans, red kidney beans, and onion and seal with the lid. Shake gently to coat the beans and then refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled as a salad or side dish.

Tortilla Soup
shared by Angela Garmendia
3 cans of refried beans
1 can mild tomatoes with chilies
4 cans chicken broth
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1/packet of taco seasonings
3 cooked chicken breasts, cubed

Simmer 30 min. Serve and top with toasted, corn tortilla strips, cheese and sour cream.

Green Lentil, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Feta Salad
shared by Melissa Finck
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. white wine vinegar
¼ t. dried thyme, crumbled
¼ c. finely chopped sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
1 c. lentilles du Puy (French green lentils), cleaned
½ c. crumbled Feta cheese (about 2 ounces)

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, thyme, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Add lentils to a large saucepan of salted water and bring water to boil. Cook lentils at a bare simmer until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain lentils in a sieve and rinse gently. Toss lentils well with dressing and gently stir in Feta.

Caldo de Feijão (Brazilian Bean Soup)
shared by Monica Perez
1 ½ c. or 2 cans pinto beans (drained)
2 cans refried beans
1 pkg bacon (I used ½ pkg of turkey bacon)
1 package sausage (sage flavor or smoked)
1 onion (diced)
2-3 cloves garlic minced
salt to taste
cilantro

In a blender, mix 1 can pinto beans, 1 can refried beans, and up to one can water (depending on the desired thickness of soup). Blend beans well, and put in a large pot with other 2 cans of beans (unblended). Add water if necessary. Put on medium heat.

In saucepan, fry sausage and bacon. When fully cooked, remove meat, and sauté onion and garlic in grease from meat. If bacon and sausage leave a large amount of grease, you may want to remove grease and add later to soup if necessary. Don’t use regular oil because the bacon grease give the soup its taste.

In sauce pan, put several scoops of soup and onion, garlic and grease. DO NOT put the grease into the soup (because it will splatter). Leave the soup in saucepan to simmer for 3-5 minutes (for the taste to absorb into the beans). Add sauté mix and beans to large pot with the rest of the beans. Also add sausage and bacon to pot. Simmer for at least 15 minutes.