All about beans...

I have to admit that I love beans. In addition to being great tasting, beans are cheap, nutritious and filling. WIC provides dried beans as a choice on the WIC vouchers but alot of our clients shy away from preparing dried beans because they don't know how and are not as familiar with them as canned beans.

I have personally found an easy way to prepare dried beans that takes very little time. Here is my own way that I prepare beans:

The Night Before

1. Take your bag of beans and sort through the beans and remove any stones/ stems. You would be surprised what shows up in there...


2. Put the beans in a crock pot and cover with at least 2-3 inches of water.


3. Put lid on and soak overnight.

That morning

1. Your beans will look much bigger in the morning. Pour off the old water.


2. Pour new, fresh water on the beans (about 1-2 inches worth).


3. Season your beans with salt and other spices. I like to use salt, 2 bay leaves, and garlic powder or a fresh clove of garlic.


4. Turn crock pot on "low" and go about your day. In 6-8 hours you will have nice, soft beans.

Now you have a large amount of beans. You don't have to eat them all at once. Once they have cooled down a little, take a slotted spoon (to drain off most of the liquid) and a measuring cup and put 2 cups of beans in a sandwich bag or container. If you use a bag you can flatten it out and save space in the freezer (be sure to squeeze out any air). This two cup amount equals about 1 can of beans. So if you are using a recipe that calls for a can of beans, you can reach in the freezer and pull out one of your bags.

There are other ways to prepare beans, but I prefer this way because it fits my busy schedule. I use my beans as filling for burritos, in soups, and as part of Mexican casserole. Here is my recipe for Mexican casserole (a cheap and easy meal)
Ingredients:

• 10-12 corn tortillas (cut into wedges)


• 1 yellow onion


• 1 bell pepper


• 1 jar of salsa


• 1-2 cups of shredded cheese (I like monterey jack)


• 1, 12 oz can black olives (sliced or chopped)


• 2-4 cups mashed pinto beans


• Crushed tortilla chips.

Preheat oven to 350. Chop the onion and pepper. Saute' in a little vegetable oil until soft. Lightly grease a baking dish and layer the corn tortilla wedges on the bottom (they can overlap- doesn't have to be perfect). Spread mashed beans on top. Layer sauteed onion and pepper, salsa and chopped black olives. Top with shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips. Cover with foil and bake about 30 minutes. Take foil off and bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is browned. Serve with sour cream and other toppings as desired. The great thing about this is that it doesn't have to be perfect. You can throw in leftover meats and vegetables and make it a little different everytime.

-Allison Leonard RD