Recipes

[Kachina624]

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@IamMrsG wrote:

Soaking beans, whether overnight in cold water or for an hour in water brought to a boil, serves two purposes:  It shortens the cooking time and removes some of their gaseousness.  The new school of thought is that it also reduces flavor.

If you use dried beans, you must understand they are dirty and the bag can contain small rocks.  The beans must be picked over before using.  I have found it is easiest to pour a bag onto a cookie sheet and rake them a few at a time into a bowl, looking for rocks.  

If you choose to soak the beans, do not use the soaking water.  Instead, drain and rinse them before using. Again, dry beans are dirty.  

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I think modern processing methods and FDA regulations have forced bean growers to clean up their act.  I haven't found a rock in beans in years nor do they seem to be dirty.  If somebody crunched down on a rock nowdays, the bean processor would undoubtedly get royally sued.

[mima]

I LOVE beans and have my whole life.  I was in seventh heaven with a beanie weenie tv dinner as a kid.  LOL

I love navy beans, pinto beans, baked beans, garbanzo beans, refried beans, red beans, green beans, kidney beans and black beans.  There are probably more that I'm forgetting.

[nrm]

I've always ordered black bean at a Mexican restaurant and love them. I also buy canned black beans at the supermarket. My favorite beans are homemade Boston style baked beans. I prefer soldier or yellow eye beans. If you have a crockpot they're very easy to prepare. 

[PINKdogWOOD]

@BaileyBop  Ms Bop, we too LOVE cole slaw.  I was at a friend's house on Saturday who made a new slaw recipe for some dinner guests she/hubby had over.  I immediately went home and made the same recipe.  It was FABULOUS!  Here it is, btw if you google 'allrecipes.com' you'll find this one. 

I'm posting without amounts so you'll probably want to check this recipe online.  Just watching my friend make this, I 'winged' it at home.

Cole Slaw (she used the whole bag, I used 1/2 bag that's all I had)

Based on my 1/2 bag - 1/2 lemon juice but I added a little more

Tbsp mayo (I swear by Hellmann's)

a little olive oil

Pepper and a pinch of salt if you choose

Crumbled blue cheese-add as much or little as you like

Mix together

The blue cheese in this recipe totally up's this by a lot.  We thought this was one killer new slaw!  I hope you enjoy this one - I hope you love to use blue cheese as this is what makes this GREAT!

[IamMrsG]

I do not intend to create discord; however, when it comes to food, mis-information or mis-guided opinions can lead to injury, illness or worse. Many of us are seasoned cooks, but the young or novice among us may rely for guidance on what they read from us. For that sole reason, I continue:

The FDA allows up to 4% “foreign material” in dried beans. Besides pesticides, soil, weeds, twigs or stones, that foreign material can also include insects and fecal matter.

The following caution is taken directly off a bag of beans I randomly pulled from my pantry, “Although we carefully clean these beans, stones and debris may be present. Please remove any debris and rinse with water before using.” While stones may be few and far between, there is a reason why these instructions to examine beans are printed on the back of every bag. The FDA permits stones up to 2mm in size, which sounds very small – until you bite down on one and crack a tooth. The United States Department of Agriculture gives on their Household USDA Foods Fact Sheet this instruction:
          “PREPARATION/COOK
• Dry beans should be sorted to remove small stones or other objects. Check the beans, a handful at a time, and throw away dirt, small rocks, or beans that are broken, discolored, or shriveled.
• Once sorted, place beans in a pot or strainer and rinse a few times under cold running water.”

Further down on the sheet, before cooking begins, it also says to, “Drain the soaked beans; rinse with clean water and drain again.”

Again, my only intention is to relay reliable, useful information.

Edited to correct a typo.

[chessylady]

I am from the South and enjoy eating beans. I have been hearing about Rancho Gordo beans whose specialty is heirloom beans. They get many of their beans from independent farmers in Mexico. Their effort with these farmers have enabled them to make a living and do what they do best. I finally put in an order today for a sampler of five bags. Can't wait to get them.