The usefulness of beans

I'm a little ashamed that I haven't taken full advantage of dried beans yet. They're not as convenient as canned beans, true, but they're so cheap! Get yourself a bean cookbook, or experiment on your own, and you're set. I tend to stick to cookbooks because I'm afraid of failure.

Creamy Vegetables and Beans
Ingredients:
1 Cup cooked white beans
1 Cup cooked kidney beans
2 Cups potatoes, sliced thin or grated
1 Cup sliced cabbage, cauliflower, or broccoli
1 Cup onion, diced or shredded
1 Cup corn
1 quart boiling water
1/3 Cup wheat flour or white bean flour

Preparation:
If using dry beans, wash them and place them in a bowl covered by two inches of water. (Note that beans will increase in size by a factor of two to three after soaking, so half a Cup of dried beans will become one Cup of soaked beans.) Let soak for 8 hours before using. When ready, microwave for 8-10 minutes or until boiling, then reduce power to 50% and microwave for 20-40 minutes or until tender.

While the beans cook, slice up your veggies. Bring the quart of water to a boil on the stovetop, add the vegetables and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat. Mix in the flour or bean flour, it should make a watery paste. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to taste.

Stir in the cooked beans and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Serve with bread, or over a bowl of brown rice.



Enjoy!