Tasty ways to make dried beans

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We are trying to add more beans to our diet. They are healthy and cheap. I know how to sort, rinse and cook them. Looking for ways to make them taste good. I haven’t adventured much farther than butter, salt and pepper. The fewer ingredients the better. Thank you.
 
At this blog she has the BEST refried beans recipe:

crockpot365.blogspot.com/

We are big bean people.

Bean chili we substitute black beans for beef in chili recipes.

Navy or Pinto beans cooked with a ham bone, served with cornbread and peppers on the side.

BBQ’d beans

Baked beans -

The yummy list goes on and on.

Another good website is www.allrecipes.com
 
I dunno about recipes… but you can make them soften quicker by adding baking soda to the water when you boil them… like a tsp per pound of beans… I have a great bean soup recipe but it is at home…
 
I make an easy navy bean soup:

1 lb navy beans
1 pkg smoked pork neck bones or hocks (2-3 lbs.)
6-8 cups water
2 lg onions
2 or 3 carrots
2 or 3 celery stalks
2 or 3 cloves garlic
salt & pepper

Soak the beans as usual. Put beans in pot, cover with water, add smoked bones/hocks. Bring to a boil and simmer for recommended time on package. When beans are almost done, remove the bones/hocks with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Chop the vegetables and garlic, saute about 5 minutes in a skillet with a little canola oil, then add them to the soup. By the time you finish that, the bones should be cool enough to handle. Pick off the little bits of meat and add them back into the soup. Simmer about 10 minutes more, check the seasoning, and serve! This is good with fresh buttermilk cornbread.

I also sometimes make this in my crock pot. Just use a little less water. 🙂
 
I love my pressure cooker for cooking dried beans. If you have plans to make beans at all frequently, a pressure cooker is a must!

The other night when getting home from work, I had a craving for refried black beans. I threw a few handfuls of dried beans in the pressure cooker (no, I didn’t pre-soak them) with some chicken broth in the fridge and bay leaf (I think some cumin too), and cooked them for 20 minutes. I poured the cooked beans in a colander to drain and sautéed some diced onions in olive oil and bacon fat until soft, added the beans again and mashed away.

I was amazed at how good these were!

I also love “baked” navy beans in the pressure cooker. I don’t have the recipe in front of me, but I know it contains bacon (or just reserved bacon fat), molasses and ketchup (I use tomato paste instead). Yum!
 
I soak them overnight, and then simmer them for an hour or so with garlic powder and salt. When they’re done, I stick them in the fridge, along with their broth, and add them to whatever I’m cooking. They’re so cheap and simple!

Black beans are my personal favorite – they are great in burritos, or just mixed with rice, corn, and cheese. My mom also makes a southwestern chicken casserole: black beans, rice, corn, chicken, taco seasoning (the kind that comes in little packets) and salsa, with lots of cheese on top.

The secret to making beans as gas-free as possible is to soak them and cook them for long enough. They might be soft enough to eat sooner, but their proteins aren’t broken down enough, and that I guess is what causes the trouble.
 
Here’s a question: I’ve tried to make dried beans a couple times. I used the quick soaking method, where I boil the beans for a few minutes on high, then cover and let them sit for 3-4 hours. I also tried where I put them in water and let them sit overnight. Both times the beans come out very hard and crunchy. I am following the directions on the package. Could it be my water or something?
 
wynd said:
Here’s a question: I’ve tried to make dried beans a couple times. I used the quick soaking method, where I boil the beans for a few minutes on high, then cover and let them sit for 3-4 hours. I also tried where I put them in water and let them sit overnight. Both times the beans come out very hard and crunchy. I am following the directions on the package. Could it be my water or something?
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They have to simmer for 3/4 hours, not just sit. After overnight soaking, you also have to cook them.

Put the beans in water, and let sit overnight in the fridge.

Take them out, drain the water off - then add more water (enough to cover them and stand a couple of inches above the beans) or broth and your seasonings and cook them, covered, on a simmer until they are done (time depends on kind of beans and amount of beans) or in a crock pot following the instructions in the blog I posted above.
 
I use a crockpot. I like pinto beans. I rinse them off first then fill about 1/3 full with beans the rest with water. Cook on low heat for 6 hours. Stir every so often and refill water as needed. Watch them to make sure they don’t dry out. When they’re soft and light brown I put in about a 1/3 cup of oil, crisco or cooking oil, stir then I put my seasonings…

Garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin stir then taste adjust as needed.

Sometimes I will put a small bowl of salsa in when they’re done.

You can eat them whole or smash them. Put in the fridge and you can have beans for breakfast,lunch,and dinner.

You could leave out the oil and put in some bacon.
 
I second the crockpot! Easiest way to do beans. I soak mine a long time, sometimes 12 hours, and then drain and put them in there and cook on low for about 6-8 hours. Adding a bay leaf and chopped onion helps the flavor, too. I like pinto beans done this way, and then eaten with rice and a sprinkle of cheese and hot sauce.

I have some in the fridge…i guess I know what’s for lunch! 🙂
 
I’m a few days late for this, but my family - all of them, including DH who claimed to not like beans before I started making this. Now, he says it is his favorite, and it is the only meal he makes a point to take to work the next day.

Black Beans and Rice

1 pound black beans
1 cup diced ham
5 cloves garlic
1 1/4 tsp. cumin
1 1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke (optional)

enough cooked rice for your family (I like brown rice for the nutritional advantage over white)

optional toppings:
shredded cheddar cheese
diced red bell pepper
chopped green onions
jalapeno peppers

Presoak the beans overnight, or use the quick soak method as described on the bag of beans. Discard liquid and rinse beans.
Return beans to pot. Add 7 cups water, ham, garlic, pepper, cumin, salt, bay leaf, and liquid smoke (if desired). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1.5 hours or until beans are tender.
Before serving, discard bay leaf. Serve over rice. Family members can add cheese, peppers, and onions at will.

Yields 12 servings.

Notes:
  • Some toss 1 T. red wine vinegar or cider vinegar and 2 tsp. olive or canola oil in the beans before serving. I do not, and we love it as is. Give both ways a try.
  • I usually don’t use liquid smoke, as I never have it on hand. But it is tasty.
  • A friend told me this is too labor intensive. I think what she may mean is that it takes some time - but that’s just beans simmering on the stove! I actually think of it as a time saving meal. I buy the cheese shredded. I get a thick slice of ham from the deli - tell them to set it at about a 12 setting on the slicer, or hold up a half-inch with your fingers to show them what you want - and just dice that at home. I also use jar garlic - don’t know if it’s more expensive, but I just keep a jar in my fridge and toss the stuff in whatever recipe calls for it. I’m sure it’s not a gourmet thing to do, but oh well. DH is usually happy to dice bell pepper and green onion, but even if I do it, it’s not that much work.
Give it a try on an easy day - leave about 3 hours to get it all done.

Hope you enjoy!
 
samcarter14 said:
I second the crockpot! Easiest way to do beans. I soak mine a long time, sometimes 12 hours, and then drain and put them in there and cook on low for about 6-8 hours. Adding a bay leaf and chopped onion helps the flavor, too. I like pinto beans done this way, and then eaten with rice and a sprinkle of cheese and hot sauce.

I have some in the fridge…i guess I know what’s for lunch! 🙂
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Oh yeah, we’d never do dried beans without the crockpot. I soak them overnight, and in the morning toss them in with enough liquid to cover by a few inches. I let them go on low for the whole day (usually 10-12 hours) and then when we get home, they’re ready to be refried or whatever.

One thing we really like (and what will probably be tomorrow’s dinner) is black beans, cooked in the crockpot with raw onion chunks (like a small onion, peeled and halved), two or three whole peeled garlic cloves, and a handful of fresh cilantro (add a little salt to the pot, too). Then I saute up some fresh chopped onion, garlic, and green bell pepper in a skillet, and add all of the beans with some of the cooking liquid, a couple tablespoons each of cumin and paprika, a dash or two of cayenne, salt to taste, and some more chopped fresh cilantro. I let it simmer on the stove until the liquid has cooked down and thickened. These are great just with rice, in tortillas for soft tacos or burritos, rolled up in tortillas that have been coated in enchilada sauce, topped with cheese, and baked for enchiladas, etc.
 
kage_ar said:
They have to simmer for 3/4 hours, not just sit. After overnight soaking, you also have to cook them.

Put the beans in water, and let sit overnight in the fridge.

Take them out, drain the water off - then add more water (enough to cover them and stand a couple of inches above the beans) or broth and your seasonings and cook them, covered, on a simmer until they are done (time depends on kind of beans and amount of beans) or in a crock pot following the instructions in the blog I posted above.
Click to expand...
:rotfl: oh man, that cracks me up - the idea of eating them without cooking them!!!
 
I usually soak the beans over night, then in a big pot I heat some olive oil and saute some onion, garlic, and chopped tomato. Then I add the beans, and pour in enough chicken or beef stock to cover the beans. I cook it with a couple of bay leaves, then towards the end add a little salt and pepper and maybe some herbes de provence.

Have you tried lentils? They don’t need to soak and they are soooooo good.
 
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