I’m back to talking about beans again. There are so many things to do with them (and I have so many of them). Obviously the bean is one of my favorite foods to store and use. I have already given tips for successfully preparing them in my previous post on “Perfect Beans”. Now I have some real every day ideas for adding them to your diet and a few recipes and links to recipes as well.
Why? The economy of dried beans:
Last I checked, a small 1 pound bag of dried beans cost around $1.25 or more in the grocery store. Part of that depends on where you shop and what type of bean you are purchasing. I can buy some types of beans at Sam’s Club in bulk for 50 to 64 cents per pound. Beans double in weight when cooked so you end up paying about 30 cents per pound of cooked beans bought in bulk or about 60 cents per pound for cooked beans bought as dry at the grocery store. So the dried bean is LOTS cheaper than canned beans, either way. (Prices for beans have gone up significantly in the past year so these prices I refer to may just be an example at this point).
Every Day Uses for the Bean - The List:
- Meat substitute (Pinto and Black) for beef in Mexican recipes. (It’s best to reduce your meat by half at first and substitute beans for the other half. The body needs to adjust to all that fiber! Then you can replace your meat completely.) In chili, which already calls for beans, I like to use half the amount of beef and increase the beans to cover the meat that I did not put in. Then I toss in the beans that were called for, as well.
-Meat substitute for Chicken (white beans and garlic can fool you).
-Soups
-Burritos, Quesadillas, Enchiladas, Tacos
-Refried Beans
-Casseroles
-Beans and Rice
-Salads
-Bean Burgers
-Pasta Sauce
-Vegetable Dip
-Baked goods – there are recipes out there for pies and brownies. I haven’t tried them so I’m not including them here. If I do I’ll certainly let you know how that goes.
-Grinding them into flour
-Bean sprouts for salads
***Please keep in mind that when adding beans to your diet, they are good sources of protein but do not make a “complete” protein without combining them with another food. Actually, very few plants are a complete protein by themselves. If you google “complete protein” you can get a list of foods to successfully combine with the bean to form a protein. There seems to be great controversy in the general public over complete proteins so I advise going to a reputable website such as the one that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) puts out on the topic. For me, I like the rule of thumb that we drink a glass of milk when we eat beans or peanut butter to form a complete protein in our meatless meals but there are other ways too.
Here are some of my favorite ways to incorporate beans into the diet for both health and $ savings. These are recipes that I have adapted to what is on my pantry shelves as well as to my own taste. Enjoy!
Some Recipes:
Corn, Bean and Rice Salad – serves 4 (easily doubles)
Served cold, this is a low calorie food I like to serve as the main course although it makes a nice side too. Easy to pack for picnics, the recipe makes great use of long term storage products combined with the fresh tastes of summer produce. It is so delicious that kids at the lunch tables beg just to lick the lids or the spoons when I send this with my kids. And just wait until you smell it with the fragrance of cilantro and lime. You won’t be able to resist either!
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 green bell pepper (or any sweet pepper)
1 celery stalk
1/3 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed (or prepared dry black beans)
1/2 red/purple onion
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1.) In large bowl, combine rice, corn, bell pepper, celery, beans, onion and cilantro.
2.) Add the rest of the ingredients over the rice mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, at least one hour for best results.
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Enchilada Casserole – makes 9x13 to feed a crowd OR two 8x8’s and freeze one!
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mild enchilada sauce
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
4 cups Pinto beans (can mix in Black)
12 flour tortillas (store bought or make your own for further savings)
Prepare beans. Mix cream of mushroom soup and enchilada sauce together with beans. Put a little bean mixture into each tortilla. Roll each up and line in greased pan. Put remaining bean mixture on top of tortillas. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake 30 minutes in a preheated 325 oven. Sprinkle top with black olives and/or sour cream if desired.
***Freezes well
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Easy Taco Soup
1 pound of ground beef or canned or prepared dry black beans
1/2 c. chopped onion or 3 Tbsp. dried minced onion
3 c. water
3 16 oz. canned tomato products (stewed, diced or sauce are all fine)
2 16 oz. cans kidney beans (or prepared dry kidney beans)
1 envelope (or recipe) Taco Seasoning
(optional; add one to two cans undrained corn)
Optional toppings include:
Cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped green onions, sliced black olives, sour cream, avocado
In a large pot brown ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Add onion and saute until soft and translucent. Drain excess fat. Add water, tomatoes, beans and taco seasoning. Simmer covered, at least 15 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.
Makes a great taco salad with leftovers so it's like a brand new meal and it helps spread the pot a little farther.
***Freezes well
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Refried Beans in the Crock Pot *** or use prepared dry beans and jump to step 2.
(No real measurement for beans here; just keep in mind they usually double in bulk and weight)
STEP 1: Fill crock pot 1/3 full of sorted and rinsed pinto beans. Fill with water until 3/4 full. Cook beans on high for about 4 hours or until tender, adding more water if necessary. Then drain, rinse well and mash.
STEP 2: In a sauce pan cook 1 clove of garlic and 1 small onion in 1 Tbsp. shortening or oil. Add mashed beans. Add oregano and salt to taste. Can freeze.
Serving suggestion: Top with cheese and/or salsa. Tastes great as a dip or roll into tortillas.
***Freezes well
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More favorites:
Black Bean Burgers – www.theprudenthomemaker.com
White Bean Alfredo Sauce – www.theprudenthomemaker.com
This is one of my favorite inspirational websites. Her recipes are easily located once you get there.
Beans Are Beans:
Beans have a very long shelf life if stored properly but a bean more than 10 years old is an “old” bean. There is still nutritional value to your beans but they are more likely to be tough even after cooking. For every cup of old hard beans add 2 1/2 c. hot tap water and 2 tsp. baking soda. Soak overnight. Drain and rinse twice. Then cover and cook 2 hours.
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