BEANS, PROTEINS, LENTILS, GARBONZA BEANS.

BEANS..BEANS..BEANS

Beans are a great source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, iron, folic acid, and amino acids. This is a great food for vegetarians and people who want variety in their foods.

Choose smooth and bright beans. Do not go for wrinkled and cracked beans. Soak beans overnight. Rinse, cook and when soft rinse and use for cooking. You can check if they are soaked enough by cutting a bean in half and if the centre is opaque, it is ready to cook.

Cooked beans should be soft so they are digestible.
The variety of beans are endless. Black beans, Dah, Adzuki, Garbonzo. Kidney. Lentils, Pinto, Peas , Soya Beans and Mung beans.

You can create exciting dishes with a variety of herbs and spices, vegetables and dried and fresh fruits.There are many recipes in the early edition of Sane and Sensible….look at Mung Beamns in SPROUTS 25th October 2008.
Lentil recipes and soups in the article of 1st November 2008.
Lentil Stew and Lentil Loaf in article of 1st September 2008..
Curried Beans, see article of 22nd March 2009

WHITE BEAN SALAD WITH A SPICY FLAVOUR.

Wash three cups of white beans and soak overnight in water. Rinse and place in a pot to cook until soft. I add a stick of KOMBU to the water to tenderize the beans. Rinse Generally one cup of dried beans equals two and a half cups of cooked beans.
Take one cup of diced onions, one cup of chopped green onions ,one cut up red pepper, one diced carrot and a diced green apple or kohlrabi. Add four chopped cloves of garlic, one teaspoon curry powder, one tablespoon honey, vegetable salt, pepper , three bay leaves and three teaspoons of soya sauce I add three tablespoons of tomato paste as well. Mix this well.
Saute all the ingredients and then add the beans and three cups of with water and cook on a medium flame for five minutes and then on a lower flame for 50 minutes . Serve as a main course with whole-wheat rice or quinoa. I put a little coconut and raisins on top and some chutney on the side . It is delicious. with a little Ricotta cheese sprinkled on top as well.

FRESH GREEN BEANS…DAIRY DISH.

Cook three cups of green beans. Place in an oven dish. Mix one cup of yogurt, half a cup of diced cheddar cheese, two tablespoons of olive oil , salt and pepper and two teaspoons of pine kernels or chopped nuts. Bake in the oven for ten minutes on a low temperature.
Serve on a bed of pasta, or rice Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.

CHICKPEAS, GARBONZA AND VEGETABLES CASSEROLE.

Cook three cups of soaked and rinsed Chickpeas. You can calculate one cup of beans to four cups of water. I add a piece of kombu to the pot when cooking them. Drain and use them for stews, to add to minestrone or make hummus with the addition of lemon juice , techina and spices.
For a casserole I use four cut up potatoes, three sweet potatoes, two onions, two zucchinis, one eggplant cut up, with the skins on, two cloves of garlic, three or four slices of ginger and half a cup of tomato puree. You can use four fresh tomatoes. Simply remove the skins by dropping the tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes. Place all the cut up vegetables and flavorings in a pot with a little olive oil and sauté for a few minutes. Then add the cooked garbanzo beans and juice of one orange, two cups of water and cook slowly. Stir occasionally and let this cook slowly until the foods are blended and cooked well. Cut up four cashew nuts and sprinkle on when serving.
Serve with brown rice, pasta or with a generous helping of a Fresh Salad.

There are some good ideas in the article of 4th October 2008 GRAINS
Have a Happy week and enjoy the warm days.
LOVE AND LIGHT
RONA