Pot O'Beans!
I love beans. I know many people have certain... difficulties when it comes to eating them, but there are preparation methods that deal with that problem up front. In the spirit of the crash of our economic system, I thought I'd post my terrific bean recipe. Do not go nuts when you see some of the ingredients.
Trust me.
It works.
First you kill a rabbit get some beans. I prefer to mix pintos, kidneys, garbanzos (chickpeas) and black beans. I buy them on sale, mix them up in a big bowl and stick a bunch in the freezer and the ones I'm going to use in the next couple of weeks or months in an old peanut butter jar. I've never measured this stuff in my life, so I'm guessing on the amounts and you'll need to adjust them as desired. This works equally well in a crock pot or on the stove.
First: Remove the anti-social side-effects of eating beans.
There are two methods I'm aware of that work consistently.
Method 1: The Long Cool Soak
Put your beans in a pot or bowl and add at least two or three times as much water as beans. Let them soak overnight (or 8 hours, depending on your cooking schedule). After soaking, drain the water and wave bye-bye to those gassy enzymes.
Method 2: The Short Hot Soak
Put your beans in a pot and add at least two or three times as much water. Put them on the stove and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for one minute. Turn off the burner and cover tightly. Allow to soak for an hour. At the end of the hour, drain the water and wave bye-bye to those scalded gassy enzymes.
Second: The Cooking of the Bean
So, you've soaked your beans. Now you're ready to go. You will need the following:
Required:
beans, pre-soaked and drained
onion, chopped or dried or powered, whatever you've got
garlic, chopped, or crushed or powdered, whatever you've got
1 can of Rotel Tomatoes, (I perfer the hot) or off-brand tomatoes and green chilies
chili powder, (lots - it's the nature of the beast - it should be measured in quarter cups, not tablespoons)
cocoa, roughly one to two tablespoons - the key isn't to make it taste like chocolate, the chocolate acts as a sort of flavor binder and 'deepener'.
(Note: This looks like it should be hot, but it's not. The starch in the beans counteracts a good deal of the spiciness. Only you know what you can tolerate or what you like.)
Optional:
red wine, I use something like a quarterish cup to a halfish cup of a cheap, drinkable Merlot or Shiraz - the bottle in my fridge cost about $6 and I'll get quite a few pots of beans out of it
chicken or beef broth, a can or two of broth (homemade is even better) adds richness, not to mention complete proteins
ground beef or diced chicken or sausage this is where you pull out any leftover meat you've got, chop it up and toss it in
I've found this works *best* if you use a crock pot. In a crock pot you can easily cook this, on low, for 24 hours and the beans are *phenomenal*. You'll need to add liquid from time to time and might want to adjust the seasonings. If you don't feel right leaving it on while you go to work or school or something, stick it in the fridge and then put it back on as soon as you get home. The time in the fridge will actually help bind the flavors.
On the stovetop, you'll need a good solid eight hours of cooking time at a good simmer. Stir from time to time to make sure it's not sticking and to test if you need more liquid.
Leftovers freeze well.
Trust me.
It works.
First you kill a rabbit get some beans. I prefer to mix pintos, kidneys, garbanzos (chickpeas) and black beans. I buy them on sale, mix them up in a big bowl and stick a bunch in the freezer and the ones I'm going to use in the next couple of weeks or months in an old peanut butter jar. I've never measured this stuff in my life, so I'm guessing on the amounts and you'll need to adjust them as desired. This works equally well in a crock pot or on the stove.
First: Remove the anti-social side-effects of eating beans.
There are two methods I'm aware of that work consistently.
Method 1: The Long Cool Soak
Put your beans in a pot or bowl and add at least two or three times as much water as beans. Let them soak overnight (or 8 hours, depending on your cooking schedule). After soaking, drain the water and wave bye-bye to those gassy enzymes.
Method 2: The Short Hot Soak
Put your beans in a pot and add at least two or three times as much water. Put them on the stove and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for one minute. Turn off the burner and cover tightly. Allow to soak for an hour. At the end of the hour, drain the water and wave bye-bye to those scalded gassy enzymes.
Second: The Cooking of the Bean
So, you've soaked your beans. Now you're ready to go. You will need the following:
Required:
beans, pre-soaked and drained
onion, chopped or dried or powered, whatever you've got
garlic, chopped, or crushed or powdered, whatever you've got
1 can of Rotel Tomatoes, (I perfer the hot) or off-brand tomatoes and green chilies
chili powder, (lots - it's the nature of the beast - it should be measured in quarter cups, not tablespoons)
cocoa, roughly one to two tablespoons - the key isn't to make it taste like chocolate, the chocolate acts as a sort of flavor binder and 'deepener'.
(Note: This looks like it should be hot, but it's not. The starch in the beans counteracts a good deal of the spiciness. Only you know what you can tolerate or what you like.)
Optional:
red wine, I use something like a quarterish cup to a halfish cup of a cheap, drinkable Merlot or Shiraz - the bottle in my fridge cost about $6 and I'll get quite a few pots of beans out of it
chicken or beef broth, a can or two of broth (homemade is even better) adds richness, not to mention complete proteins
ground beef or diced chicken or sausage this is where you pull out any leftover meat you've got, chop it up and toss it in
I've found this works *best* if you use a crock pot. In a crock pot you can easily cook this, on low, for 24 hours and the beans are *phenomenal*. You'll need to add liquid from time to time and might want to adjust the seasonings. If you don't feel right leaving it on while you go to work or school or something, stick it in the fridge and then put it back on as soon as you get home. The time in the fridge will actually help bind the flavors.
On the stovetop, you'll need a good solid eight hours of cooking time at a good simmer. Stir from time to time to make sure it's not sticking and to test if you need more liquid.
Leftovers freeze well.