BEST of DRIED BEANS!
#1 Beans of ANY kind are Super-NUTRIENT-Packed!
#2 CHEAP -- usually less than $2 per pound (I often buy bulk section of from Whole Foods -- spectacular VARIETY!)!
My latest deal is less than $1 per pound (Aldi)!
Assuming $2 per pound dried, you get 4 cans worth of cooked beans for $2!
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| Handy conversions between dried, canned, and cooked beans! |
Here is a post from Andrew of Eating Rules showing how much sodium comes out with rinsing and draining, at best 45%!
#4 Free of the CHEMICALS added to canned beans to preserve them.
AS WELL AS chemicals on the plastic coating inside the can!
#5 Free of added SUGAR, ...and high fructose corn syrup, I found both in a huge (100 oz) can of beans at Gordon Foods!
#6 TASTE! Though I have never been disappointed with the taste of canned beans, and beans are often added to other tasty foods anyway, warm, freshly prepared dried beans taste, wholesome, creamy, and delightful!
#7 EASY -- this is the most surprising bonus of dried beans! Some time savers: you DON'T have to OPEN cans, or rinse and drain cooked beans. While you should rinse dried beans, cleaning the strainer afterward is a cinch with dried beans (compared to cooked beans)!
SO how to do it? I thank 100 Days of Real Food! for their simple recipe!
Here is what I do!
Homemade Refried Beans (Note: there is nothing fried about these beans!)
1 pound (2 c) dried pinto beans, rinsed (substitute almost any bean* you wish in this recipe!)
1-2 onions, halved
2 tsp garlic, minced (optional)
6 c water
Cook everything overnight (or all day) on high in a slow cooker.
Blend to desired smoothness and enjoy!
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| Homemade Refried Beans |
I use my Blendtec, but you could even do this coursely with a fork or potato masher.
Other add-ins for pinto and black beans: cumin, salt, pepper.
For other beans, of course, omit the blending.
*KIDNEY beans need to be boiled for 10 min first, then rinsed, to rid them of a toxin.
This it a great technique for Heavenly Hummus (note above conversions)!
As well as black beans for 2-Minute Friday Night Dinner (Ha! ...slow cooker for 2-minute dinner!)!
PS- lentils are lovely! Soaking or hours of cooking never needed! TRY this: Hearty Lentil Soup!
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