What are beans:
Beans are legume vegetables
that carry plant protein and fiber. They are versatile and commonly eaten in
many different ways. They are easy to
prepare and great to store. There are many different types and uses for them
and they provide great nutritional value.
Nutrition:
They are low in fat and high
in fiber, high in protein, rich in vitamins and minerals. To meet the U.S. Dietary
Guidelines for Americans it is said we should eat 3 cups of beans each week. It
will help our body fight against obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
Types:
Black beans, black-eyed peas,
cannellini, chick peas, great northern beans, kidney, lima, pinto, and navy.
Storage:
Beans can be stored in many
different ways. Dry beans will last the longest and you get more for your
money. They can last 1 or more years in
the bag from the store. To store longer, package them in #10 cans with oxygen
absorbers. Doing so will allow them to last 30 or more years.
For more information on
this visit. (Usu.edu/foodstorage/htm/dry-beans.org.)
Type beans. Grocery stores have canned beans that will last 1 year. Once cooked,
beans can also be stored in the freezer. Defrost and use as needed. Pureed
beans can also freeze well.
Cooking:
All beans require rinsing,
soaking, and cooking. It is important to
do each step to help your body digest them better. The older the bean is, the
longer it will require to re-hydrate and cook. If they do not re-hydrate use
them for bean flour. Just grind in a wheat grinder. While rinsing, make sure
you look for rocks and broken parts to discard. Put beans in a large enough
saucepan because the beans will expand 3 times larger.
1 c. of dry beans to 3 c.
water.
One 15 oz can= 1 1/2 c. cooked
beans
One cup of dry beans = 3 c. cooked
beans, drained
1 lb. dry beans=6 c. cooked
beans, drained
Follow recommended cooking on
the back of the package. Or follow these simple instructions: http://www.theleangreenbean.com/how-to-cook-and-freeze-beans/
Uses:
Dry beans can be ground into
flour to add to baked goods.
Cooked beans can go in many
different styles of recipes.
Puree beans to add to baked
goods for extra fiber, and protein. Pureed beans will replace oil and some of
the eggs. Using pureed beans, I like to use navy or great northern. They hide
in every recipe. You can use pinto or black beans for darker colored recipes
such as banana bread or chocolate cake. The pinto beans would hide well in the
bread and the black beans would hide in the chocolate cake.
Recipes:
Chickpea Stuffed Shells
18 cooked jumbo pasta shells 1/3 c.
grated Parmesan cheese
1 can(15 oz) garbanzo beans 1
small onion
2 egg whites 1 garlic clove,
minced
1 carton (15) oz ricotta
cheese 1
jar (28 oz) spaghetti sauce
1/2 c minced fresh parsley 1 1/2 c.
Mozerella cheese
In food processor, combine
beans and egg whites until smooth. Add ricotta, parsley Parmesan cheese, onion,
and garlic. Blend. Pour 1 1/4 c. spaghetti sauce in 9x13 greased pan. Stuff the
shells with bean mixture and place on top of spaghetti sauce. Once all shells
are stuffed, cover with remaining spaghetti sauce. Bake uncovered at 350° for
30 min. Sprinkle with cheese and bake an additional 5-10 min until cheese is
melted and bubbly.
Quesadilla Casserole
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato
sauce
1 can (15 ounces) black
beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (8 3/4 ounces) whole
kernel corn, undrained
1 can (4 1/2 ounces) chopped
green chiles, undrained
2 teaspoons McCormick® Chili
Powder
1 teaspoon McCormick® Cumin,
Ground
1 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic,
Minced
1/2 teaspoon McCormick®
Oregano Leaves
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Red
Pepper, Crushed
6 flour tortillas, (8-inch)
2 cups shredded Cheddar
cheese
Preheat oven to 350°. Brown
beef and onion in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add tomato sauce,
beans, corn and green chiles; mix well. Stir in all of the seasonings. Bring to
boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes. Spread 1/2 cup of the beef mixture
on bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Top
with 3 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed. Layer with 1/2 of the remaining
beef mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef
mixture, and cheese. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and
casserole is heated through.
Zucchini Brownies
1/4 c. oil
3 c. sugar
4 eggs
1/2 c. black beans, pureed
1/2 c. applesauce
1/2 c. cocoa powder
3 t. vanilla
2 t. salt
3 t. baking soda
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. white flour
4 c. zucchini, grated
2 c. melted milk and semi
chocolate chips
Mix oil, sugar, eggs, beans,
applesauce, cocoa, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. In another bowl, combine
flours and baking soda, combine with liquid mixture. Add zucchini, and melted
chocolate chips until combined. Pour in large sprayed cookie sheet till desired
thickness. There is usually extra so I put some in a 9x9 pan to bake. Bake
350° 30-40 min. They are done when a tooth pick comes out clean.
