February Beans!

You don't know beans....about beans?  Here's your chance to try out some new ideas!
Not so romantic maybe, but wow did we enjoy some tasty beans in February at our Kingston Foodie's  night out at the home of Wilma Krause!  I had no idea there were so many yummy ways to prepare those little nuggets of goodness!  Our group is growing, so there are lots of recipes to share!

The Recipes

Corena Jacob: Cookie Dough Dip

• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas or white beans (1 can, drained and rinsed very well) (250 g after draining)
• 1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
• just over 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup nut butter of your choice (if you use peanut butter, it will have a slight pb cookie dough taste)
• up to 1/4 cup milk of choice, only if needed
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 2 to 3 tbsp. oats (ground flax will also work)

Add all ingredients (except for chocolate chips) to a good food processor, and process until very smooth.  Then mix in the chocolate ships.  Some commenters have had success with a blender, but I did ot.  Try that at your own risk, and know the results will be better in a high-quality food processor such as a Cuisinart.)  If made correctly and blended long enough, this should have the exact texture of real cookie dough!

Claudette Burt:  Refried Beans

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp chili powder, or cumin
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 2/3 cup chicken broth, plus more if needed
• salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and chili powder and cook for another minute.  Stir in the beans and chicken broth and cook until the beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes.  Mash the beans coarsely wih the back of a wooden spoon, adding more chicken broth to moisten,  if needed.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Kristie Burt: Pasta E Fagioli

• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1/3 of a large red onion, chopped
• 1cup carrots, cut very fine (the larger the chunks the longer the cook time)
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 3/4 of a 16.5 ounce jar red pasta sauce
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt (this was with low sodium broth and may not be necessary if using regular)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry ditalini (small tube pasta), other small pastas could be substituted if needed

Brown the meat, then drain well.  Chop veggies to desired sizes --the larger the carrots, the longer the cook time.  Add all ingredients except the pasta to your slow cooker.  Cook on low for about 6 hours, check veggies for tenderness.  If the veggies are just about ready, add the pasta and cook for one more hour.  Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Wilma Krause: Homemade Corn Tortillas and Honduran Black Beans

Marie Johnatakis: Sloppy Joe Lentils

Lentil Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:


1 cup uncooked lentils


4 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil


1 medium yellow onion, diced small


2 cloves garlic, minced


1/2 – 1 Tablespoons chili powder 


1 1/2 teaspoons oregano


1 teaspoon salt


8 oz. can tomato sauce


1/4 cup tomato paste


3 tablespoons maple syrup


1-2 tablespoons yellow mustard (wet mustard)

4 to 6 kaiser rolls or sesame buns

Directions:

Put the lentils in a small sauce pot and pour in 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

About 10 minutes before the lentils are done boiling, preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and sauté a minute more.

Add the cooked lentils, the chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through.

Turn the heat off and let sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld, or go ahead and eat immediately if you can’t wait. I like to serve these open faced, with a scoop of snobby joe on each slice of the bun.

 

Amy Harding: Black Bean Flautas

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Juice of 1 large lime
• 1 (16 ounce) can spicy vegetarian refried black beans
• 16 white corn tortillas, warmed (see note)
•  Grape seed, vegetable, or canola oil for pan frying
• avocado dipping sauce (see below)
• chopped lettuce, cilantro, Cojita cheese, hot sauce, and lime wedges for serving

1. In a small bowl, combine the red onion, chopped cilantro, and lime juice.   Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally.

2. In a large heavy skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil over medium heat.  Working with one tortilla at a time, spread 1 heaping tablespoon of refried black beans and 1/2 tablespoon of the onion, cilantro, and lime mixture evenly along one side of the tortilla.  Gently roll the tortilla tightly beginning on the side with the filling.  Use a tooth pick to secure the flauta so it doesn't unroll while cooking. (Corn tortillas have a tendency to dry out quickly and split, so I rolled 4 flautas then placed them in the hot pan and rolled 4 more while the others were cooking until they are all finished.)

3. Place the prepared flautas seam side down in the hot oil and cook, rotating with tongs, until they are golden brown and crispy on all sides,  approximately 4-5 minutes per batch.  Continue to cook the rest of the flautas in batches, adding more oil as needed.  Remove the toothpicks after you have fried them and serve with Avocado Dipping Sauce, lettuce, cilantro, cheese, hot sauce, and lime wedges.

Avocado Dipping Sauce:

Amy Harding:  Lentil Soup

• 1 pound lentils

• 1 bay leaf
• 
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cups crushed tomatoes (1 can)
• 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste


1.    Pick over lentils to remove any stones, dirt, or other foreign objects. Rinse them well in cold water and place

in a large pot with enough cold water to cover lentils by a couple of  inches. Add the bay leaf. 



2.    Bring to a boil, skim off foam, lower heat, and boil gently, partially covered, until lentils are just tooth-tender, 20-30 minutes. 


3.    Add carrots, celery, and onion to the lentils. Cook partially covered till carrots are tender, about 20-30 minutes. 



4.    Add crushed tomatoes, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, partially covered, until lentils become very creamy and soft. Stir occasionally and add boiling water if necessary to prevent sticking. 


5.    Remove bay leaf before serving.

 

Michelle Epperson and Vivianne Epperson: Brazilian Beans  (tried and tried, but no actual recipe!  I hope to add this one later but here are the basic ingredients she used!:)

• Pinto Beans


• Broth or chicken bouillion


• Cumin


• Paprika

Denise Roundy: White Chicken Chili

• 2 C dry great northern or white beans

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (still frozen is fine)

• 2 14-oz cans chicken broth

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 onion, finely diced

• 1 tsp ground oregano

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 4 cups water

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 4-oz can diced green chilies

Place all ingredients except green chilies in slow cooker.  If chicken is thawed, cook on 6-7 hours on high or 10-12 hours on low.  If chicken is frozen, 8-9 hours on high.  During last hour, shred chicken and add green chilies. Serve with tortilla chips, grated cheese, sour cream.

Peggy Bullock: White Chicken Chili

• 1/2 Chicken Breast
• 1/2 of a medium yellow onion
• 1 small can green chilis, chopped
• 1 packet chicken or turkey gravy
• Green Enchilada sauce to taste
• 2 cans cannoli beans

Brown onion and chicken together in skillet.  (I tend to use frozen chicken so I do not use oil.) Add can of green chilis, beans and packet of gravy.  Add water (up to a cup) and stir together until thickened.  Add green enchilada sauce to sauce (this is what gives it the bump in flavor). Serve straight up or over rice!
 
Morgan Carlson: Black Bean Soup
Laurie Beth Burt: Crockot Ham Hock and Beans!

• 1 ham hock
• 1 pound of pinto beans
• 5 c water (more or less depending on your preference
• half onion cup up
• 1/2 cup orange bell pepper diced

Put all ingredients into crockpot on low for 8 hours.  When beas are done, remove ham hock and pick off meaty pieces and add those back into beans.  Also add salt and pepper and cumin to taste for seasoning.

Gina Cooper:  Taste tester of the night:

Notes from our discussion about beans:

• Costco right now has beautiful pinto beans #25 for about $15. 
• Cash and Carry has a variety of beans in bulk on a rotating basis.  Check often.
• Winco has beans in bulk.
• For the convenience  of canned beans without all of cost and extra stuff like salt: Soak and cook beans, rinse and freeze in serving size portions in self-seal (Ziplock) bags.
• If you have really old beans, you can grind them into flour using a food mill and use 1/4 cup in whatever you are baking, or you can add some bean flour to thicken sauces and gravies.
• Adding 1/4 tsp baking soda in cooking water will help extra hard (old) beans soften up
• Red Beans and Kidney beans need a quick boil and rinse before cooking to remove possible toxins.

BEAN FACTS
What food is high in protein, has virtually no fat and has more fiber than most whole grain
foods? The answer is beans! Now a new U.S. dietary guidance message says that diets
including beans may reduce your risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
DID YOU KNOW?
Beans are one of natures healthiest foods, they are naturally low in total fat, contain no
saturated fat or cholesterol, and provide important nutrients such as fiber, protein, calcium, iron,
folic acid and potassium.
National and international expert bodies, including the National Research Council, the World
Health Organization, the World Cancer Relief Fund, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have reviewed scientific evidence and concluded that
eating beans can be an important ally in maintaining health and may reduce the risk of heart
disease and certain cancers. Other studies suggest beans are useful in managing diabetes, may cut
risk for high blood pressure and may help in losing weight.
The USDA recommends that adults eat more than three cups of beans each week for maximum
health benefits three times more than the current average American consumption.

So eat those beans!