Yes, I’ve discussed the benefits of the humble legume on
many occasions but since I’ve retired from the day job and inflation still
keeping most cuts of beef in the double digit per pound range and chicken well
above $5 per pound, what better source of affordable protein is there? Not to
mention that animal proteins aren’t fortified with healthy soluble fibers and
lower glycemic index starches whereas that humble legume is packed with them.
Just balance your legumes with other complimentary plant proteins like those
found in wheat, seeds and nuts and you now have a food source with protein
rivaling animal protein packed with additional nutrients while also being cost
effective! Sounds like a Win, Win, Win proposition to me!
Starting the Year
Right
I actually start the first meal of the New Year with
beans. Black soybeans or kuromame. Naturally, the first food of the New
Year is always a bowl of ozoni but that’s quickly followed by kuromame
(I was taught to always consume at least your age in beans – I’m not sure why)
and konbu maki. And though my konbu maki does cut corners by
purchasing pre-tied konbu from Marukai Market, both the ozoni and
kuromame are totally made from scratch. And while ozoni does take
some time to prepare from creating the osumashi (clear broth) to
julienne slices of carrot, daikon (white turnip), hasu (lotus
root), mizuna (water cabbage) and gobo (burdock root), making
your own kuromame hardly takes any effort. You simply pressure cook the
dried beans – yes, this recipe works without pre-soaking your beans. Supposedly
adding an iron nail helps to maintain the dark black color of the beans but
I’ve never tried it as our local hardware store only sells galvanized nails
which are zinc plated. So you literally add all the ingredients then set it and
forget it… until the pressure is naturally released.
Kuromame
4 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp shoyu
1/2 tsp baking soda
~1 lb. kuromame (black soybeans)
One clean iron nail if available
Put water, sugar, shoyu, and baking soda in a 6qt
pressure cooker pot. Add a clean old nail. Cook on high pressure for 90 minutes.
Let the pressure dissipate naturally and let it sit until cool.
Spread the Beans
Since I’ve highlighted several of my bean spreads over
the years from Edamame Hummus (May 2008) to a Refried Bean Spread
(October 2008) to an updated version of the Refried Bean Spread (April 2016) to
my Smoked Natto-Mus with both azuki and natto, I won’t
re-hash any of those recipes here. I will reiterate that mashing any type of
bean – either by hand or in a food processor – gives you food versatility like
no other spread. For starters, mashed beans can substitute for mayonnaise or
mustard in any sandwich but unlike those spread, they also function as sandwich
“glue” that prevent your tomatoes, lettuce or pickles from squirting out the
back end of your sandwich after the first bite. And if you combine the mashed
beans with tahini (sesame paste) and other grains (wheat, quinoa, amaranth),
you now have a protein that’s almost as good as any animal protein but unlike
cold cuts, contain a lot less saturated fat, salt and nitrates.
My Latest Bean
Binge
Right before the actual holiday season started (when the
sales actually start), I started looking for a ceramic bean pot like the type
used in Boston Baked Beans. However, I gave up that quest as reviews of many of
these ceramic pots usually turned up the occasional 1 star rating as the vessel
cracked during baking leaving a mess in the oven. And I realized that I already
a better cooking device, my cast iron Dutch oven which sealed in the moisture
than any ceramic device. But if you find your kitchen lacking any of these
devices whether ceramic or cast iron, just make my No-Bake “baked” bean recipe.
I first published this recipe in the May 2003 column but since I’ve changed it
over the years, here it is again…
Ryan’s Seven Bean
Not-Baked Baked Beans
1 can each kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, cannellini
beans, garbanzo beans and pinquito
beans
2 cans vegetarian or pork-n-beans (save liquid from
vegetarian or pork-n-beans)
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 each green, red, yellow and orange bell peppers,
chopped to bite sized pieces
1 large red onion, chopped to bite sized pieces
1 clove chopped garlic
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp yellow mustard
¼ cup dark molasses
¼ cup or 4 heaping tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp olive or canola oil
Heat oil in a five-quart Dutch oven and add onion, garlic
and chopped peppers and sauté until the
vegetables are softened, about 2 to 5 minutes. Add rinsed
beans, tomatoes, chili powder, mustard,
brown sugar and liquid from vegetarian or pork-n-beans. Simmer
until the vegetables are soft and
the liquid has thickened, about 10 to l5 minutes. Add
water if sauce gets too thick and stir constantly as the sugar can burn if the
pot is left unattended.
I recently started making changes to the spicing of the
traditional baked beans which always has a sweet component from the molasses,
brown sugar and pork-n-beans/vegetarian beans. Since retiring, I’ve planted a
limited herb and vegetable garden and while many of my plantings prematurely
die, my rosemary and sage are going gang busters. So I thought, how about an
Italian version of baked beans? Searching the internet proved that many other
home chefs thought about this well before I did…
Italian Baked
Beans
4 15oz cans cannellini, white or Borlotti beans, drained
and rinsed
2 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes
1 6oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup diced pancetta
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3oz sweet marsala wine
Salt and fresh black pepper to taste
½ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2oz olive oil
About 2 tsp Italian seasoning
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
In a medium saucepan, brown the pancetta, about 5 to 7
minutes over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for another 3 to 5
minutes. Add the beans, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and bring up to a
simmer then add the fresh herbs, balsamic vinegar and marsala. Mix the bread
crumbs, Parmesan cheese, olive oil and dried seasoning and set aside. Pour the
bean mixture into a greased baking dish then evenly top with the bread crumb
mixture and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture is bubbly and the
topping is browned.
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