Beans, Beans, Beans, and Good for Your Heart:

Probably the one food that most people consider to be the ultimate expression in thrifty living is the lowly bean. Beans may be great for the budget, but they’re also a healthy fast food, earning high marks in vitamins, protein and fiber. Not only that, they’re wonderfully versatile and easy... perfect for any frantic family cooking. Recently, on one of my bargain scavenger hunts, I came across a clearance table at the market absolutely loaded down with bags of dried beans for a mere 25 cents a bag. Naturally, I bought them all and have enjoyed trying out new recipes and ideas with them. Not all have been hits, but most have been. Here is a hefty collection of some of my family’s favorites.

What other food do you know of that comes with its very own soundtrack? For most people, the “toot” of beans can be a little embarrassing and inconvenient, to say the least. So how do you get rid of the noise?  The best answer to that, believe it or not, is to build up a tolerance by eating more beans! Not everyone agrees however, and a good friend of mine tells me that a pinch of baking soda in the soak water works to get the “music” out. Another friend swears by throwing a carrot in the soak water. Maybe try all of the above and see what works.

The Great Bean Bail-Out:
The only thing required of dried beans that sometimes stops us in our tracks is the preparation. Most beans have to be pre-soaked before they can be used. In a perfect world, this wouldn’t be a problem, but for those who live in the real world, we don’t always have the forethought to remember to pre-soak the night before bean day. An easy way to combat this problem is to make it a habit of soaking your beans right when you unload them from the grocery bag. In a colander, pick through and rinse the beans as usual and place them in a pot of water (with a good inch clearance of water over the top). Let them sit overnight, drain and put them in a freezer zipper-type bag, date and label them with a felt tipped pen.  Then, when you are ready to cook with beans, the pre-soak step has already been handled.

Snappy Black Bean Soup, Serves 12

2 cups black beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons cumin
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup jarred salsa

In a crock pot, place your soaked black beans. In a skillet, heat oil and sauté onion and garlic together for 3 minutes or until onion is soft. Add this mixture to the crock pot. Then, add cumin and chicken broth and cook on low all day -about 8 hours. Stir the salsa in just before serving. You can serve this delicious soup topped with sour cream and green onions, if you like.

Chili Beans,  Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 small onion, chopped
1 small can diced chilies
1 package taco seasoning
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can chicken broth
1 (28 oz.) can pinto beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
1 (8 oz.) can corn, drained, salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic stirring often till onion is soft. Stir in taco seasoning and continue to cook for about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the beans, corn, broth and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally for an hour.

Chicken and Beans, Serves 6

The aroma of this cooking is intoxicating.

6 cups water
1 (15 oz.) can of Great Northern beans (or equivalent of homemade)
1 onion, 1/2 cut into quarters, the other half chopped
6 chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes

Place chicken in a large plastic bag. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme and rosemary and toss to coat. Let stand for 45 minutes at room temperature, turning the bag often. In the meantime, assemble your other ingredients. Heat remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in the skillet until golden brown, about 4 minutes each side. Put chicken on plate while finishing the recipe. Pour off grease from skillet. Add wine and garlic to skillet, simmering until liquid is reduced by half, scraping up the brown bits with a wire whisk, about 2 minutes. Stir in squash, canned tomatoes and beans. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and squash is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Then uncover and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes more. To serve, place chicken on plate and spoon bean mixture over the top.  Enjoy – Bird