Healthy Comfort Food
Nutrient-dense dry beans are filling, economical, and delicious
Brr! It's the coldest part of the winter in our part of the world.
When it's frozen outside, comfort food can be—well, comforting. Happily,
some of the most filling and satisfying winter foods are also some of the
healthiest—beans, whole grains, and root vegetables are nutrient-dense, high
in fiber, versatile, economical, and delicious.
Beans can be eaten at every meal, from appetizers (there's a world of
bean dips!) to desserts (Candy-Cane Black Bean
Brownies,
anyone?). It's a broad topic, and the possible dishes are infinite!
In this article I'm going to share a few Kiva employees' tried-and-true
recipes for dried beans, peas, and lentils.
First, a few general notes:
Dry beans pack a nutritional wallop. A half-cup
serving of cooked beans contains 7 to 8 grams of protein. They contain a variety
of minerals, including iron, copper, phosphorus, manganese, and
magnesium. Darker beans are especially rich in
antioxidants. The vitamin list is also
impressive: thiamin, folic acid, riboflavin, and vitamin B6, to name a
few.
With all that going for them, what's not to like? Oh, yeah—
that.
You can find many
suggestions
for eliminating legumes' unfortunate side effect, most involving changing the
soaking and/or cooking water to reduce the indigestible sugars that cause the
problem. Cooking with certain
spices like fennel or cumin might help. Sherrill, our vitamin buyer, also recommends experimenting with
different digestive enzymes, such as Solaray's Super Digestaway or similar
brands, to find one that works best for you.
Two cups of dry beans usually weigh about a pound, and a pound of dry beans
cooks up into five or six cups, making them an affordable superfood.
(Canned beans also offer great nutrition, and require a lot less preparation.
The sodium content of canned beans can be
reduced significantly by
draining and rinsing, if desired, and no-salt-added brands such as
Eden are also
available.
)
A few notes about the cooking of beans in general:
Many varieties,
especially red kidney beans, contain a toxin (
phytohemagglutinin)
which must be reduced to a safe level by boiling before eating--beans eaten raw
or undercooked can result in a nasty and even dangerous form of food poisoning;
undercooking can make them even more toxic than they are raw. Directions
for the
safe preparation of beans vary, but the standard method is as follows:
1. Sort. Put the beans in a shallow pan or dish and pick them
over to remove foreign objects (sorting machinery has gotten much more
efficient in recent years, but the occasional stone, stick, or bean-sized blob
of dirt sometimes gets through). After any unwanted material is removed,
rinse the beans thoroughly to remove dust or dirt.
2. Soak. Beans should be soaked for at least 5 hours, and
preferably 8 or more. They may be soaked in the
refrigerator to reduce the possibility of fermentation.
3. Discard the soaking water, and add fresh water to cook.
4. Boil. Beans should be boiled rapidly for at least ten
minutes for safety.
These steps are especially important if you plan to cook beans in a
slow-cooker: many do not get hot enough to reduce the phytohemagglutinin
to a safe level, and cooking at too cool a temperature may increase its
level. Many bean recipes work wonderfully in a slow-cooker and are well worth
the extra steps of pre-soaking and boiling.
Southern Style Mixed Bean Soup
Pretty
much any mix of beans will work in this recipe: kidney beans, red beans, black beans,
black-eyed peas, pinto beans, cranberry beans, lima beans, green and yellow
split peas, green lentils, etc. etc.—the more the merrier. Be aware that when you cook black beans, the cooking water will turn purple due to pigment in the beans. Don't
be alarmed.
2 cups mixed beans and peas, picked, rinsed, and soaked overnight
1 hamhock or hambone
1 16-oz can diced tomatoes
2 medium onions, chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb sausage (spicy Italian is my first choice, but any tasty sausage,
either sliced links or loose, will do)
2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup parsley, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 tsp powdered bay leaf or 2 whole bay leaves
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 Tbsp salt, more or less if desired
Pepper to taste
Put beans and 3 quarts water in a heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add 1 Tbsp
salt and the spices. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, 2 1/2 to 3
hours.
Add undrained tomatoes, chopped onions, minced garlic, salt and pepper to
taste. Simmer uncovered to allow reduction, 1 1/2 hours or until
thickened.
Meanwhile, cook the sausage and chicken, let cool, and chop or slice.
Add the chicken, sausage, parsley, and wine; simmer 30 - 45 minutes.
Stir often and taste occasionally as the soup approaches being done.
It keeps well, freezes well, and is best made the day before serving, as
its taste will improve with time. Great served with crusty bread.
Split Pea Soup
This is a thick, traditional, solidly
satisfying version of split pea soup.
Dried peas and lentils don't require
pre-soaking, though cooking time can be reduced by soaking.
This is traditionally made with a ham hock
or a hambone. You can also use deli (sandwich) ham or bacon for flavoring
(remove big pieces of limp bacon before serving). I’ve never tried to make this as a
vegan dish; however, a little smoked paprika or other savory flavor ought to
lend the necessary note.
2 cups dried split peas (green or yellow)
7 - 8 cups water; can be partially replaced
with chicken or vegetable stock, or add 1 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon
Chicken Stock with the water (optional)
1 ham hock, hambone with some meat on it,
chopped ham, etc.
2 carrots
1 large or medium onion
3 stalks celery
2 - 3 Tbsp butter, olive oil, ghee, or a
blend
2 small to medium potatoes
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
Chop the onion and slice the carrots and
celery. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium
heat. Add the vegetables and meat and cook, stirring, until the vegetables’
color deepens, about 5 minutes. Add the water, split peas, Better Than
Bouillon (if using), mustard, and herbs. Stir and bring to a boil;
reduce heat until bubbles are barely rising.
Stir occasionally until the peas start to
turn into a puree, then stir more frequently to prevent scorching (which
happens easily—be vigilant!). Cooking time varies, but I find I
usually leave this soup on the stove for several hours. Freezes well.
Occasionally I've added a small dash of wine
vinegar or a little white wine to the soup to lend a little zest. Great served with whole-grain
bread and a green salad.
Gil's Spinach-Lentil Soup
An original recipe by our multi-talented
grocery-buyer Gil, this soup is zesty and lighter than many lentil recipes, and
equally good in winter or summer. Easy, delicious and unusual! The
use of the smaller and firmer French lentils is a must.
3 cups French lentils
9 cups vegetable stock
Bay leaf
Olive oil
2 onions, chopped
5 or 6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large lemon or two small ones, zested and
juiced (save juice)
Cumin
Salt
Black pepper
About three big handfuls of fresh, chopped
spinach
Half a bunch of cilantro
More salt
Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil and simmer the onions, garlic, lemon
zest, cumin, salt, and black pepper until "just so." (Gil leaves this
up to your judgement.)
Combine lentils and stock, add bay leaf and salt to taste; bring to a boil and
simmer approximately 30 minutes (test lentils for doneness).
Add spinach, cilantro, and lemon juice.
Reheat to cook the spinach. Adjust spices. Serve.
Brr! It's the coldest part of the winter in our part of the world.
When it's frozen outside, comfort food can be—well, comforting. Happily,
some of the most filling and satisfying winter foods are also some of the
healthiest—beans, whole grains, and root vegetables are nutrient-dense, high
in fiber, versatile, economical, and delicious.
