The Bean Scene
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009“For most meals, choose a protein that offers the most of the nutrient for the least saturated fat. Plant-based proteins, like black beans, lentils, or navy beans, come with little fat and plentiful vitamins and minerals. They’re always a good choice.”
Cooking Light Magazine, January/February, 2009, p. 94.
When a mainstream magazine such as Cooking Light emphasizes the importance of beans, I feel happy. In the past, beans were not featured in recipes in non-vegetarian magazines, and now they are appearing in many “regular” publications, not just as side dishes, but as “center stage” entrees. That’s the good news. The bad news is that many people still shy away from beans because they find them indigestible or gas-producing.
For people unused to beans in their diets, a few months of adding beans in small amounts may help the body to adjust. Also, while the product Beano is considered a boon to bean seekers, I have found other ways to prepare beans so that they are tasty and digestible. Here are my suggestions:
1. Purchase dry beans, which are easier on the budget than canned or frozen. Rinse, and then soak overnight in more than enough water to cover. (I do keep some cans of beans in my cupboard for “emergency meals.”) Next day, drain well and spread on a pan (with sides) and allow beans to freeze. Gather into freezer baggies and use as needed. By spreading them out, they become more like marbles and are easier to separate when you are ready to cook them.
2. Sprouting is another option. Follow step one, except after the overnight soak, place soaked and drained beans in a collander over a bowl and allow to sprout. This means that the next morning and evening, you rinse the beans thoroughly and drain, placing collander over bowl to catch any leftover water. The next day, little tails should appear, and then you can follow the procedure in #1. Or, you can cook them before you freeze them if you need them, because the sprouting process hastens the cooking process. (Also, I believe the freezing and then cooking speeds up the cooking somewhat, although I have never compared the times for each.)
3. When cooking the beans, add a strip of seaweed/kelp (ex. wakame or kombu), available wherever Asian foods are sold. According to a brochure from Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, kelp added to beans while cooking helps beans cook faster and be more digestible. Sea vegetables (kelp) also add valuable minerals, trace elements, phytonutrients (See Glossary) and other nutrients. Additionally, since these veggies are naturally salty, you can reduce the salt you add to the final dish. (More on sea veggies in another posting.)
I realize that these steps may seem cumbersome to busy people, but if you soak one pound of beans each week, eventually you will have bags in your freezer ready to cook, which is almost as easy as opening a can, and much more digestible.
Here is a short list of beans you might want to try. (Beans are actually part of the legume family, which includes peas, lentils, and peanuts). Some, like lentils, don’t really need soaking, while others, like black turtle beans, need a lot more soaking.
1. Aduki Beans (also spelled azuki)- These tiny, dark red and shiny beans are commonly used in Asian cooking, but can be incorporated into any dish. Because they are so small, they may not need extensive soaking. Instead, author Anne Marie Colbin recommends placing one cup of rinsed aduki into 3 cups water with a strip of kombu, bring water to a boil , lower and cook for 1 1/2 hours. (Colbin also notes you can pressure cook them.) The red color looks great against brown rice or quinoa. 
2. Chickpeas (garbanzo beans or ceci)- These large legumes have a nutty taste and provide a good source of protein. They come in other colors, although the off-white in the photo is what is most common. Used in many cultures, I love them roasted, in hummus, or in stews and soups. 
3. Lentils – Lentils are small legumes that also comes in several colors, such as red and almost black. The brownish-green lentils are what seem to be most available. These need no soaking, but I often do so to decrease cooking time and increase digestibility. They are great in soups and stews, and sprouted, I use them in salads.
(A sprouted lentil salad might be in one of my future recipes.) 
4. Black Turtle Beans – The website: www.homegrownharvest.com gives these basic instructions for Black Turtle Beans: Add 1 cup of Black Turtle Beans to 4 cups of water. Soak the beans for 8 hours or overnight. Discard the soaking water and add 4 cups of fresh water or broth. Bring to a boil slowly, skimming off any foam that may appear on the surface. When the water or broth is at full boil, reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally and add more water if necessary. The beans are done when they can be easily mashed with a fork. (Black Soybeans are a good substitute for Black Turtle Beans, if you are not Allergic to soy.) However, I have found that Black Turtle Beans take much longer, so I would soak, drain, and allow to sprout for one day before cooking. Also, the sprouting and/or freezing seems to break down the fibers, making the beans more digestible. 
5. Pinto Beans – These pinky-shaded beans have a creamy texture and can be used in almost any bean dish. I used them in a stew or just combined with steamed greens. They are softer in texture than some of the other chewier beans. The speckles disappear when the beans are cooked. (See photo below in recipe.) I might try them in a dip for summer appetizers.
These are only a sampling of a long list of legumes for you to experiment with. Most packages of dry beans have cooking directions, but if not, the Internet is a wonderful resource to find out more about beans. Below is a simple Beans & Greens recipe.
Note: This photo is one featuring pinto beans and kale. However, you can use any bean of your liking and any green of your choice.
Utensils: Separate pots for greens and beans; cutting board and knife
Prep. Time: About 10 minutes if beans are pre-cooked.
Cooking Time: About 10 minutes if beans are pre-cooked.
Category: Vegan
Ingredients
2 cups beans ready to cook (using any of the above methods or canned beans, drained)
2 cups kale, spinach, chard, or mustard greens, cut in small pieces
one to two garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
salt & pepper
cumin and/or mustard
Directions
1. Wash and cut greens into bite-sized pieces. Place in enough water to cover and cook until wilted. (Kale may take longer than either chard or mustard greens. Check for desired doneness.) Drain, reserve the water for plants when the cooking water has cooled.
2. While the greens are cooking, warm the beans. (If using canned, warm in the liquid, then drain liquid.) If using ones that you soaked and cooked yourself, you can warm them in a small pot with a little added water. Add the spices to taste.
3. Place drained greens on a serving plate. Scoop flavored beans onto greens and serve immediately.
Note: This is an inexpensive, nutritious side dish that can be used as a main dish when chicken, fish, tofu, or tempeh, etc. is added. If beans are not pre-cooked, add 1/2 hour-one hour of cooking time, depending on whether or not they have been soaked, sprouted, or frozen.
