Beans

I know that there are a lot of people that have an allergy to beans, but "so far" that is not an issue for our family.  We love beans and eat a lot of them around here, so I thought I would share some of our favorite ways to eat them.

To start with I usually keep several quart bags of already cooked  and seasoned beans in the freezer to use in various recipes.   To cook the beans for the freezer I rinse them and then soak them overnight in water and kefir (or lemon juice, vinegar, whey, etc.) using 1 tablespoon of kefir per cup of water used for soaking.  After soaking I rinse the beans again and put in a stockpot with enough water to cover the beans.  I add chopped onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and any other seasoning that sounds good at the time.  I cook them until the beans are tender.  After cooling, bagging and freezing the beans they are ready to use in a variety of ways.

Some of the recipes I use beans in are:

Chicken, Rice, and Bean Casserole
Beans & Rice
Bean Dip
Burritos
Soup
Beans and Cornbread
Crockpot Baked Beans
Taco Salad
Stir Fry
Eggs, Rice & Beans

Beans are very economical and a really good choice for those on a tight budget.   Below are a couple of recipes that we like using beans.  Hope you enjoy!

BEAN DIP

I simply take a bag of precooked beans from the freezer and thaw.   I then take my stick blender and blend the beans until smooth.   At this point you can add different things to the beans before eating (cheese, salsa, sour cream, etc.).   The beans can be eaten with chips or spread on soft tortillas for a bean burrito.  

CHICKEN, RICE, and BEAN CASSEROLE

Amounts will vary depending on the size of your family.  This is what I used.

4 cups cooked rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped chicken
2 cups cooked beans (drained)
milk (as needed)
Mozzarella cheese
salt & pepper to taste

I use leftover rice from the freezer, thaw and mix with chicken broth (you can use more or less), chicken, and beans.  Stir together and if too thick add milk (or more broth) to give a "juicy" texture to finished casserole.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Place in casserole dish and cover with mozzarella cheese (or whatever cheese you have on hand).   Bake at 350 degrees until casserole is hot and cheese is melted. 


*I usually mix several types of beans (pinto, red, kidney, and northern) together when cooking for the freezer.