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When a good friend found out I was moving into a new apartment, she wanted to know what she could do to help me settle in. As I thought about nesting in my new place, the only task I could think of was for her and other friends to come over to eat.
There's nothing like cooking to break in a new place. In the midst of unpacking boxes, it's great to have a Dutch oven on the stove, with gently simmering beans lightly scented with chiles, oregano and thyme. The earthy, warm smells immediately make a new place feel like home.
Many people shy away from beans because of the soaking and simmering, and, perhaps, the so-called musical after-effects.
Get over it. Beans are cheap, simple to prepare, and a nutritional powerhouse. Soaking is easy enough and helps prime the beans for cooking - especially important if they're old, as some supermarket-bought beans may be. The night before, simply put the beans in a bowl and cover them with water by a few inches. The beans will get larger as they absorb water and will cook quicker and more evenly.
Soaking, then draining beans is also believed by some to get rid of indigestible sugars, which can cause your body to become a one-man band. Others believe that discarding the soaking water means a loss of vitamins and minerals. Bottom line is, as the saying goes, "The more you eat, the better you feel." Your body will get used to eating beans.
Once the beans are soaked, the cooking time can vary drastically. Black beans tend to be the toughest, taking the longest to cook, while fresher cranberry beans might need only an hour. The best way to know is by tasting the beans throughout the cooking process.
Salt the beans gradually during cooking, because too much salt can toughen beans. And season away, but don't add anything acidic or tomato-based until the beans are fully cooked. These ingredients can halt the cooking process a bit, which can be very frustrating.
Once the beans are cooked, the options are endless. Strain off some of the liquid and blend the beans in a food processor with cumin, chipotle, lemon juice and olive oil. You'll have a great topping for bruschetta, with a pile of sauteed greens on top.
Make patties out of beans by coarsely chopping them in a food processor and adding egg to bind them. Throw in chopped parsley, mold into patties, and dip in panko or breadcrumbs. Broil or pan-fry them, and top with fresh salsa, or sandwich in a bun.
The beans can be added to all manners of vegetable soups, or pureed with vegetable broth for a creamy, elegant soup. You can make them into warm salads, doused with olive oil, lemon, and chopped fresh herbs.
Cookbook author (and good friend) Heidi Swanson shares my love of beans, and we've often exchanged recipes and techniques. The crusty white beans from her book, "Super Natural Cooking" (Celestial Arts; 2007), are incredible, with a crisp outside and creamy interior, complemented by fresh chard.
I put a pot of beans on every Sunday to eat throughout the week. The aromas wafts through my apartment, a mix of sweet earthiness with the spice of chiles. A few warm tortillas to scoop up the beans, creamy avocado and a decadent swirl of sour cream, or Mexican crema if I have it, make for a perfect dinner. Standing over the stove inhaling the fragrance, my home feels like home.
Steve Sando's passion for beans has also influenced my tastes. Sando owns Rancho Gordo, selling heirloom beans in some local stores, at local farmers' markets and online (ranchogordo.com). His beans are fresh enough that you don't have to soak them, and you can taste the individual flavors. I'm wild for his marrow beans, scarlet runners and borlotti. Ask him for a recipe; he always has one to spare.
Giant Crusty & Creamy White Beans with Greens
Serves 6-8
This recipe is adapted from the book "Super Natural Cooking," by Heidi Swanson (Celestial Arts; 2007). She uses corona beans, though many large white beans, such as gigantes, giant limas or cellini beans, are fine alternatives. Don't substitute canned. For an even texture, be sure to soak the beans overnight before cooking.
- 1/2 pound large dried white beans, cooked
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- -- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 6 to 7 leaves of chard, ribs removed, cut into wide ribbons and 2 stems cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- -- Freshly ground black pepper
- -- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling (optional)
- -- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping (optional)
Instructions: Drain the beans, then heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the beans to the hot pan in a single layer. (If you don't have a big enough skillet, saute in two batches.)
Stir to coat the beans with the butter and oil, then let them sit long enough to turn golden brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the beans, and allow to brown on the other side. The beans should be golden and a bit crunchy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside.
Add salt to taste, then add the onion and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, until the onion softens. Stir in the chard and cook just until it wilts. Remove from the heat and season to taste with a generous dose of salt and pepper. Drizzle with a bit of top-quality extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan, if you like.
Per serving: 150 calories, 7 g protein, 20 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat (2 g saturated), 6 mg cholesterol, 79 mg sodium, 8 g fiber.
Pot of Beans
Serves 8
You can use any type of bean in this recipe, except limas, lentils and peas, which don't need the soaking. It's a flexible and forgiving recipe, so play around with the types of chiles, or leave them out and add sprigs of fresh hearty herbs for a more Italian take on beans.
- 1 pound dried beans, such as black, pinto, cranberry, white, etc.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 dried chiles (ancho, New Mexico, chipotle, etc.)
- 1 sprig fresh oregano
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- -- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions: Put the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with water by a couple of inches either the night before or at least 4 hours before you plan to cook the beans. If you don't have time to soak the beans, they may just take a bit longer to cook.
Place a medium, heavy Dutch oven, or pot, over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion, carrot and garlic and saute for 4-5 minutes to soften. Drain the beans and rinse them under cool water. Put them in the pot and add the chiles, oregano, thyme and enough water to cover by 1 1/2-2 inches. Keep an eye on the water level - it should always be a bit above the beans. Turn up the heat, boil for a minute, then turn the heat down until it is at a low, steady simmer. Cover the beans, and cook about 1 1/2-2 hours. The cooking time varies depending on the freshness of the beans, and the variety. Black beans could take up to three hours, or more, while other beans may cook in one hour. After the one-hour mark, check the beans. When they are finished, they will be soft, but not mushy. About a half hour before the beans are finished, start adding salt, a teaspoon at a time. The beans will absorb a lot of salt, so you might need to be more liberal with the shaker than you ordinarily are. Still, taste as you go along.
When the beans are finished, there will be a beautiful pot liquor. I like the beans served with the liquid in the pot, but they can also be strained.
Serving suggestion: Warm up some corn tortillas to serve alongside the beans. Sprinkle with fresh, white cheese, a little swirl of sour cream, avocado, and a sprinkle of cilantro or green onion.
Per serving: 205 calories, 12 g protein, 35 g carbohydrate, 2 g fat (0 saturated), 0 cholesterol, 272 mg sodium, 12 g fiber.
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