Beans on the Menu -It’s Music to My Ears

I really love beans, especially pinto beans. My favorite way to eat them is also the simplest to prepare. I measure about 2 cups dry beans, rinse and clean them, and soak them overnight. The next morning they have expanded quite a bit! I give them another rinse, put rinsed beans in my crockpot, and fill the crockpot (with the beans inside) almost to the top with water. Then I turn the slow cooker on “low” and cook them for eight hours or longer.

This makes a yummy bean soup. The bean broth is thick and rich. True, it is rather bland (to me at least), so I salt it to my preference. Served with whole wheat toast, and maybe over a little left-over rice, I find this simple meal to be delicious and satisfying.

But this is just the dish that keeps on giving. This makes A LOT of pinto beans, even after I’ve had my fill of bean soup. So next I freeze the beans in one or two cup portions. This gives me probably about five cups of beans to freeze. I use Ziploc sandwich bags (which I wash and reuse, of course). I always have a supply of beans on hand when I need them (with a little planning to defrost).

Though I really like beans, my husband thinks that they are just so-so. He’s more the carnivore type, while I’m not that crazy about meat - chicken and turkey are “compromise” meats for us. Sometimes there are days, though, when I just don’t want to eat meat at all. On those days I will make one of our favorite regular-rotation meals. This is a bean-based meatless meal that even my carnivore hubby really enjoys. He will go back for seconds and thirds; very rarely are there any left-overs (and there are only two of us!).

This recipe is from the cookbook Extending the Table by Joetta Handrich Schlabach. If you want to buy it, it is available from amazon.com (that’s where I got it!), or the library, of course.

Here it is: Milk Beans

In a large saucepan, saute 2-3 minutes in 1 TBSP oil 1cup onions, chopped and 1 cup fresh or canned tomatoes, chopped; or tomato sauce.

Add: 2 cups cooked pinto, kidney, or other beans with a bit of liquid, 2/3 cup milk for gravylike consistency, 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste.

Add 1 or more of the following spices: 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp curry powder, 1 1/2 tsp chili powder

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes to blend flavors. Serve over rice.

I use all the recommended spices, and that gives this a lot of flavor. I will typically serve homemade cornbread on the side (mexican style, with one cup frozen corn kernels and 1tsp chili powder added to the batter, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese melted on top - spicy!). This meal is delicious and very easy. You can get this, including the cornbread, on the table is an hour from start to finish (probably less if you’re really good). It is even better the next day, in the unlikely event of leftovers, because the spices have even more of a chance to blend. I also prefer chopped or canned diced tomatoes over tomato sauce (just because I like chopped tomatoes!).

If you feel like trying out a bean dish on your non-bean-eating family, this might be a good place to start. I know that there is a lot of “controversy” over the adverse gassy effects of beans, but all I can say to that is that is not an issue for me. This could be because of the long soaking period I typically subject my beans to, or maybe my intestinal tract is fully acclimated after so many years of happy bean eating. Who knows? But, in any case, I highly recommend this recipe, and suggest you give it a try.

I hear some folks are stocking up on beans because of soaring food prices. Yes, beans are a good value for the money. But really, it’s silly to stock up on them for that reason alone. Even economical beans are a complete waste of money if you don’t use them. Buy them (in a SMALL package) and try them. If you still just don’t like them, don’t bother. But it’s worth finding out if you do like them because they pack a lot of nutrition for the money (don’t forget to buy them on sale!).

Last week, my husband and I enjoyed one of our favorite meals, Milk Beans and Mexican Cornbread. There weren’t any leftover beans, but plenty of leftover cornbread. I promptly froze the remaining portions, to be used to accompany some future meal. It goes well with lots of different dishes (like meatloaf!).

On the Frugal Child-Rearing front, my sister e-mailed me a great tip. (I don’t have kids, so I rely on her to fill in the gaps in my knowledge in this area). She says that you can make a great homemade ‘talc’ by baking cornstarch in the oven until golden brown. She says that this is the BEST remedy for diaper rash. She didn’t mention at what degree to set your oven, but I always say you can’t go wrong with 350 when in doubt. Just as an interesting aside, my sister doesn’t like beans. She would be a great candidate to try this recipe. Maybe she will someday, and give y’all her honest assessment of this recipe.