Back to Basics - BEANS

[Stephanie]

It's just about a guarantee that once you start prepping, you'll find yourself considering stocking up on dehydrated beans.

 

After all, they don't require refrigeration, they store easily and for a long time, they are inexpensive and a great source of protein.

 

We've had so many discussion about beans here at MrsS and stil, we continue to have questions, recipes, methods, answers often.

 

So, I've created this thread. And every time I come across something about dried beans, I'm putting it here.

 

Be free to add to it, I'm glad that Cat recently bumped several bean threads, and hoping to get those linked here too.

[Stephanie]

Here's a copy of a post I did in this thread...

 

 

http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?sh...mp;#entry315975

 

 

Here's what we did with Pintos yesterday and today. I've been teaching my 14 yr old son to cook with dried beans and so he was the primary cook with me looking over his shoulder instructing. wink.gif

 

First we put our beans on a flat surface to sort them. I don't always do this, but for teaching the kids, it works well. The point of this is to look for rocks and clumps of dirt. You will likely find some and you surely don't want them in your pot of beans! grinning-smiley-044.gif

 

Then after sorting, we rinse really well in a collander to remove any dust and small trash pieces that we may have missed.

 

Next, I put the beans into a heavy large (dutch oven type) pot and cover with water (you want plenty of water because they will expand as they soak and then cook).

 

I put on the lid and bring to a boil (NO SEASONINGS), let boil for 3 minutes, turn off the fire, leave on the lid, and let soak for 2-3 hours. This is just one method of soaking, called Quick Soak. You can also let the beans sit overnight in cold water for the same result.

 

I usually pour off the water that they have soaked in, but, if water were an issue, like in a crisis, you wouldn't HAVE to. You will see how big they have expanded at that point. Cover them once again with water, this time just covered should do. You're going to cook them at a good simmer for a couple of hours, just keep watching them and if you need to add water, only add a small amount at a time.

 

In a couple of hours, test the beans, if they are done (you can easily tell) go ahead and add the seasonings that you prefer. They can be fatback (saltpork/bacon) or sometimes I throw in a beef bouillon cube, I usually add garlic, we like garlic a lot and I often put in a bit of my homemade salsa for a bit of zest, salt,pepper, cumin...your choice. I usually add dehydrated onions and bell peppers as well.

 

We took half of the beans that we cooked and mashed them with a potato masher, they were still quite chunky, and made homemade flour tortillas...nothing but good! We don't even add cheese any more, it's not needed.

 

So, tonight here's what we did with these beans that were left over from dinner. I poured them in a casserole dish and topped it with browned and seasoned ground venison. threw in a bit of cheese and poured my cornbread over the top. Baked until the cornbread was golden crispy...yum.

[Stephanie]

and....

 

here's a copy of deerslayer's recipe in the same thread...

 

The greatest pinto bean recipe ever...

 

In large bowl soak overnight...8 cups pinto beans (sorted and washed)

 

drain and rinse beans

into large pan...soaked beans

1tsp sugar

2TBLS salt

1TBSP chili powder

1 TBSP garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper

cover with water

add 1/2 pound salt pork

3 TBSP bacon grease or crisco

1 medium onion--peeled

 

cover bring to a boil and cook on medium heat adding more water as needed until beans are done--remove from heat and add 1/2 can coca-cola--stir and serve--this can also be frozen for later use

 

[Stephanie]

Beans can be pressure cooked, saving time and fuel...this could be important to have on your list of skills. At present I don't mind letting a pot of beans simmer for a couple of hours, but the day could come when I feel differently.

 

Here is a link to Miss Vickies, she has great info on cooking beans!!

 

http://missvickie.com/howto/beans/howtobeantypes.html

[Stephanie]

Here's the Pizza Bean thread!

 

http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15704

 

 

 

 

Here's a Bean Soup thread!

 

http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8922

 

 

 

And! Don't forget Bean Sprouts, another way to eat beans!

 

http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?sh...&hl=lentils

 

 

 

This is Westbrooks Bean Thread, lots of recipes here!

 

http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?sh...&hl=lentils

[ROBIE]

Holy frijolies thats alot of beans!

 

Your not going to be able to blame the aftermath of this on the dog.....

[Deerslayer]

OK--I can't seem to find my recipe for hoppin john--I guess it's at the house--anyone got a favorite????

[Mt_Rider]

MtRider is busy COPY/PASTE/PRINTing today. Anasazi beans soaking.

 

 

Thanks for setting up this thread, Steph. And thanks to all for recipe contribution. Beans&Grains...the other protein.

 

 

 

[nmchick]

I just had to mention that the black bean brownies are WONDERFUL! They turned out kind of chocolate mousse-ish. Recipe is in Westie's bean thread.

 

(BTW, bean thread is good stuff too, but I haven't figured out how to make that yet. Some one know? )

 

 

 

 

[Stephanie]

Deerslayer, sorry I didn't see this until now. I don't make hopping john often as my dh loves blackeyed peas just like they are. If you discovered and tried a good recipe for it, be sure to share.

 

MtRider, I've never heard of Anasazi beans, how did they turn out? any success?

 

nmchick, I have got to try those one day, I wonder what the nutritional value would be? Very interesting.

 

Now, for another thread that Cat recently bumped up....this one is about cold bean recipes. I'm going to try to link them here every time I see any thing about beans. I'm on a mission.

 

http://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?sh...mp;#entry316280

[Mt_Rider]

Anasazi....as in those ancient people from the Southwest. Moderns were able to revive this heirloom stock and it's for sale everywhere now. I kinda watched the availability grow thru the years. Just cuz I was intrigued whenever we find an ancient variety of anything, like in the Egyptians pyramids, etc. So when our local grocer began to carry both Anasazi and pinto beans in 15# gunny sacks, I grabbed some of each. Better buy than the 3 - 5# bags. This is the first I've tried them.

 

They are white and maroon - colorful. The red fades in the boiling somewhat. Here's a description from MissVickie's site: "...related to, and similar in size and shape [& use] to pinto beans, but sweeter and more flavorful. Holds shape when cooked. Very digestible due to the 25% less complex sugars. ...."

 

I've had trouble [possibly altitude?] getting beans to cook thoroughly, so I soaked for 24+hrs and cooked in new water for an hour+ and then added 1/2lb bacon, salt, 3 big cloves of home-grown garlic, small onion & a bit of beef broth powder. Had to add more hot water as this cooked a while. I DID find the beans breaking down to a somewhat 'refried' texture after all that. But I was pouring it over/mixing-with hot rice, so it didn't matter. Whoa! That filled us up more than we'd expected. And we've had beans and rice many times. Wonder why we noticed? I'll buy more of them.

 

 

Another bean we've done a bit with is Adzuki red bean. This is the small Asian 'sweet' bean that is used in the filling of their 'buns'. It's also used in a Korean hot-sweet bean paste..... a seasoning. { g/ko chu jong }

 

Red Bean Rice

3 1/2 c. rice

5 c. water

1/2 c. dry red (Adzuki) beans

 

Wash and soak beans for at least 3 hrs. Parboil beans 5 minutes in a generous amount of water, rinse and drain. Boil beans uncovered in 2 qts water for 10 minutes or until crisp-tender. The red cooking water can be used to cook the rice if pink rice is desired. Cook rice but add partially cooked red beans after bringing rice to a boil. Rice and beans are simmered together. 4-6 servings.

------------------------------------

 

These are easy to make and would even work over a fireplace/campfire. Yummy in both meat and sweet bean filling. {well, it's a bit of a texture change for Westerners to eat our sweets made out of beans but it IS good! } The meat mixture can be altered to any taste you prefer. The dough is easy to work with and steams up very nicely. I've used it for pizza dough. Steamer can be made using nearly anything, including a metal veggie steamer. ***Spray any steamer bottom, sides, and lid with cooking spray. Or wipe with thin coat of oil, shortening. Can also use parchment paper on the bottom.

 

Korean Steamed Buns

 

Dough:

5 c. flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon dry yeast

2 Tablespoon shortening

1 1/4 c. lukewarm water {CO alteration is to add 1/4 to 1/2 c. more water}

 

Will make 12 large buns

*******************

 

Meat Filling:

1/4 lb. ground pork {you can use sausage of any flavoring if you leave out some of the other seasonings listed here}

2 Chinese cabbage leaves, chopped fine {I've subbed regular cabbage, and other greens would work too}

1 slice ginger root, minced

1/2 green onion, chopped [or regular onion but...you know it does change it without the green part]

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sesame oil {a Korean flavor....substitute if you wish}

 

....makes 6 buns large enough to just fit in the palm of a man's large hand. I increase the meat to a pound, and everything else [by sight, sorry] too. About 1/2 - 1 teasp. ginger.

********************

 

Sweet Bean Paste Filling:

3/4 c. sweetened red bean paste

1/2 teaspoon salt [optional]

 

Will make 6 large buns

 

Note #1: my bean paste can from the Asian market listed these ingredients:

water, sugar, red beans, salt, Vit C (as antioxidant), citric acid. So, tho I haven't had a chance yet to try this, I'd assume you just cook the dry red beans normally and add honey or sugar and a bit of salt to taste as you mash them.

Note #2: You can sub in any sweet for this bun: Apple 'dumpling' thing, any fruit filling, date & nut filling, jam, brown sugar/cinnamon/butter/raisins, [wonder what a pudding filling would do?]....

********************

 

Prepare dough by dissolving yeast & sugar in warm water. Combine sifted flour, salt and cut in the shortening. Mix well with the liquid ingredients, stirring to form a workable dough. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. [my note: Don't panic if dough goofs - after it sets, it will be fine.] Place dough in oiled bowl, cover with damp cloth and let rise until double in size. Punch down. Roll dough into a log [about 24" long] and cut into 12 two-inch pieces. Allow to rest ten minutes. [my note: These pieces rise rapidly and do tend to stick to each other a bit] Roll each piece of dough into a five-inch round. These can also be worked [better, I think] with your hands instead of a rolling pin. Place a spoonful of filling in center and gather the edges, closing bun with a twist-pinch. [they look like small drawstring bags]

 

Arrange buns in steamer...allow some room for expanding further. Steam meat-filled buns for 20 minutes and bean-filled buns for 15 minutes. I have a double bamboo steamer rack and I can only do 6-8 per batch. We've reheated leftovers or eaten them cold...but we're not picky.

 

 

MtRider [having leftover Anasazi beans&rice for lunch just now. yum ]

[Stephanie]

Here's one of my favorites.... Lentil Stew! This our supper tonight!

 

[CrabGrassAcres]

I gotta try the black bean brownies. I had ordered 25 # of pintos and they mixed up my order and sent 25# of black beans. WAY more black beans than I'm likely to eat in a lifetime! LOL

[Stephanie]

I've grown very fond of black beans and ya' know Darlene has a great Black Bean soup recipe .

 

With the leftover lentils from tonight, I'm saving enough for lunch tomorrow and using the rest in a Lentil/Rice Loaf recipe. We tried it once before and all my family thought it was meatloaf, no kidding. They asked for it again tonight to have for supper tomorrow night.

[Deerslayer]

ok--i couldn't fin my hoppin john recipe--so i looked up some--this one looks pretty close to mine--it is from paula deen

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

Garlic powder

2 cups black-eye peas, cooked

2 cups cooked rice

House Seasoning, recipe follows

 

Directions

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic powder, to taste, and cook for 5 minutes. Add peas and rice and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook; this dish is best if the bell pepper and onion still have a crunch to them. Add House Seasoning, to taste.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

 

 

mine also has bacon in the black-eyed peas--

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

[nini2033a]

If you haven't already been there, check out www.justbeanrecipes.com they have like 500 recipes just for Lentils alone. They separate all their recipes by the bean type. You could try something different every day for years and years....

[Ambergris]

New address for SproutPeople http://sproutpeople.org/

[Ambergris]

Multi-posting this, from the Utah Extension:

 

Softening Old Beans

The older the bean the tougher it is and less digestible. Following are a few tips to soften old

beans.

1. Cook and freeze. The freezing moisture in the bean helps to rupture the cell wall and create a

more palatable product.

2. Pressure cook. Follow manufacturer’s directions for using pressure cooker. Increase cooking

time as needed to produce a desired texture.

3. Pressure-can beans. This method makes a readily usable product as well as softens beans.

[Ambergris]

Lentil Pie

 

half a pound red lentils

1.5 cups water

1 large onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 TBSP butter

1 egg

1 eggshell-full breadcrumbs, or half a crumbled biscuit

salt and pepper to taste

Bacon grease or shortening to grease pan

 

Simmer the lentils until soft and until they take up all the water. (Solar is good for this.)

Melt the onion and garlic in the butter. Stir butter, onion, and garlic into lentils.

Grease pie pan. Mash lentil mix into it.

Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.

Cut into wedges. You can serve it hot or cold. Ignore the boys who drown it in ketchup or barbecue sauce. It's also good served with salsa and tortilla chips.

[Girl Next Door]

I'll admit I am a lousy cook, but, where do you use the bread crumbs/biscuit?

[Ambergris]

Lentil Pie

 

half a pound red lentils

1.5 cups water

1 large onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 TBSP butter

1 egg

1 eggshell-full breadcrumbs, or half a crumbled biscuit

salt and pepper to taste

Bacon grease or shortening to grease pan

 

Simmer the lentils until soft and until they take up all the water. (Solar is good for this.)

Melt the onion and garlic in the butter. Stir crumbs, butter, onion, and garlic into lentils.

Grease pie pan. Mash lentil mix into it.

Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.

Cut into wedges. You can serve it hot or cold. Ignore the boys who drown it in ketchup or barbecue sauce. It's also good served with salsa and tortilla chips.

edited to explain crumbs

[Ambergris]

I'll admit I am a lousy cook, but, where do you use the bread crumbs/biscuit?

 

Sorry--I added them in. They lighten the lentil goop a bit, and give it a slightly different texture.