Beans, beans...

In honor of my first post, the Turkey Chili recipe, I thought I'd write a blurb about beans. You know you're really turning into a health food nut when you decide to cook your own beans. Errrrrrr... Wait, people cook their own beans??! Yep, and as of 2 years ago I became one of them. They taste SO much better than beans in a can. In the Turkey Chili recipe I suggest using canned beans. This is a huge convenience with chili when you're not tasting the beans themselves much anyway. The first couple times I soaked them overnight, but then I discovered a"quick method" in one of my cookbooks. This approach is easy and more effective in breaking down the oligosaccharides(complex sugars) that our stomach enzymes can't break down. Side note: beans are infamously gassy because these sugars, undigested, move into the intestine where resident bacteria feed on them and produce gas. Just so you know:)

So...if you're ever up the task, buy your beans dried. All your recipes will taste better and you don't have to stay at home after eating them! To add even more flavor: in addition to the sea salt add 1/2 cup yellow onion, 2 cloves minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons ground cumin and a pinch of cayenne pepper. These beans are seasoned perfectly to go with rice or any Mexican or Tex-Mex style dish.

Simple Homemade Beans

Time: 1 hour 10 minutes (plus 1 hour of swell time) Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 cup dried black beans (kidney, pinto and Great Northern also work well)

1 quart plus 5 cups of cold water

1 strip of kombu (a dried seaweed available in Whole Foods and health food stores...responsible for breaking down those sugars!)

sea salt

1. Sort through the beans and discard any shriveled or broken pieces. Rinse them in cold running water and strain.

2. Place beans in a medium to large saucepan with 1 quart of the water. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and allow the beans to swell for 1 hour.

4. Drain and rinse the beans then put them in a pot with the kombu and the 5 cups of cold water.

5. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Let them simmer for about an hour until the beans and kombu are tender.

6. Add the sea salt to taste and simmer uncovered for a few more minutes. Drain and use in any recipe or keep in the cooking liquid to make a soup or stew. If you're storing any leftover beans it's best to keep them in the cooking liquid to preserve their freshness.