Hi Linnea56: I'm getting sick of beans in soup. My favorite bean dish is more like a snack: put sticky glutinous (sweet rice) in a big bowl, put 1/3 inch. of water above the rice level. Cover. Nuke in microwave for 7 minutes. Let stand for 15 min. to absorb water. Boil water in a veggies steamer, steam the rice covered for 15 minutes. Freeze in small pouches.

Soak dry black-eyed beans in PLENTY of water overnight. Reduce water to 1 inch above the beans. Cook for 1 hour until tender, drain well. Freeze in small pouches.

Toast brown sesame seeds with medium heat, on a thick pan until fragrant. Stirring constantly, about 5 min. To eat: mix sticky rice with beans, sprinkle sesame & salt on top. That dish is staple of Buddhist monk, and that's our breakfast in Southeast Asia (other variations: sticky rice & chickpeas, sticky rice & yellow mung bean). Black-eyed beans is famous for lowering blood pressure. A sweet version is crushed peanuts & touch of salt & sugar on top.

I have that for lunch frequently for the past decade ... never get sick of that. I make a big batch of rice & beans ... freeze them separately in small pouches. It's 1 minute nuking for the sticky rice, and 2 min. nuking for the beans ... and I get my lunch.

This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Tue, Feb 25, 14 at 16:10

We love these

Cuban Black Beans

o 2 (10 ounce) cans black beans, liquid drained and reserved
o 1 medium onions, chopped
o 1 green peppers, chopped
o 4 garlic cloves, minced
o 1 teaspoon cumin powder
o 1/2 teaspoon oregano
o 1/2 teaspoon salt
o 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Fry the onion and pepper in a little oil.
2. Add the garlic and saute a little.
3. Introduce a little of the bean liquid until all previous ingredients are soft.
4. Add the beans with the remaining liquid.
5. Add spices and simmer about 30 minutes.
6. Add the vinegar just before serving.
7. These are quite good when served over a bed of rice seasoned with just lime.

I made this for lunch today, but only used the recipe as a guideline. I made enough with "leftover" ingredients (sprouted chickpeas found in the freezer, along with a few cubes of chicken broth, also from the freezer). You could use almost any bean or lentils. I've made it with chana dal before, as well as lentils. I also tossed in some mushrooms that needed a new "home", and made enough for 2 servings.

Sautéed Chickpeas with Broccoli & Parmesan
(yield: 4 servings at about 80-cents per serving)

2 T. oil
1 small thin-sliced onion
salt and pepper
About 2 c. broccoli - chopped, including stalks
1 (10.5 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
1/3 c. Parmesan shavings
(can add chicken)

In large skillet with lid, warm oil over medium heat. Add onion (garlic if using) and salt, sauté 4-5 minutes. Toss in broccoli; sauté 3 minutes. Add chickpeas, broth, pepper flakes. Stir once, cover and cook 3-minutes. Uncover. Season with black pepper, sprinkle with cheese.

186 calories
10 g. fat
9 g. protein (without chicken)
16 g. carb.
5 g. fiber
5 mg cholesterol
855 mg sodium (may vary depending on the kind of broth used)

One of my favorite bean side dishes is what we call beans 'n' greens. Chop up and steam any greens you like - collard or beet greens, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, etc. Drain and mix in sautéed in olive oil onion and/or garlic, diced tomatoes, and drained cooked beans. I usually add a splash of basalmic vinegar too.

You can reheat them in the microwave or bake along with the entree for its last 15 or 20 minutes.

Any leftovers can be drizzled with vinaigrette dressing for a lunch side dish the next day.

Cold bean salads are also a great side dish. This one is black beans, diced red onion, tomato, avocado and chopped parsley but the combinations are limited only by your imagination.

This post was edited by ruthanna on Tue, Feb 25, 14 at 16:30

We love black beans mixed with frozen corn, thawed, chopped onions, chopped kale or spinach, sauteed carrots, chipotle peppers, cumin, cayenne and mixed with or served over brown rice. Here's a pic when we had it with sausage.
I had some avocado so put some on top.

I love Ruthanna's and Jasdip's inspirational pictures ... got to try those clever combos. The glutinous rice & black-eyed beans & sesame seed lowers cholesterol as well as blood pressure. My cholesterol was 224 .. the doc wanted to put me on pills. I didn't want to spend $$$, so I ate lots of beans & sesame seed & bran cereal & dry cranberries (oatmeal was my least-eaten food) .. and got my cholesterol down to 160.

Sesame seed is a workhorse in lowering cholesterol. See excerpts from link below: "Sesame seeds, cashews and kidney beans contain plant nutrients called phytosterols, which have the ability to lower high LDL cholesterol levels.

In one recent study, one gram of beta sitosterol (type of plant sterol) reduced cholesterol absorption by 40 percent. Other research reported in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that high LDL cholesterol levels decreased approximately 14 percent when phytosterols were consumed for about one year. LDL is the bad cholesterol.

Here’s a list of the phytosterol content of foods. Sesame seeds lead the pack:

•Olive oil: 232 mg/100g
•Sesame seeds: 714 mg/100g
•Sunflower seeds: 534 mg/100g
•Soybeans: 161 mg/100g
•Cashews: 158 mg/100g
•Almonds: 143 mg/100g
•Kidney beans: 127 mg/100g
•Broad beans: 124 mg/100g
•Pecans: 108 mg/100g

**** From Straw: What I like about glutinous rice & beans is I can put an ungodly amount of brown sesame seeds (like 1/2 cup) for 1/4 cup of cooked rice, and it still tastes good. The brown sesame seeds (with intact fiber) is more potent than the white sesame seeds (stripped of fiber, less plant sterols). Walmart sells the brown sesame seed where they hang Mexican spice pouches, cheap under $5 for a large pouch.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lower High Cholesterol Levels With Phytosterols

This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Tue, Feb 25, 14 at 17:12

I've enjoyed Chickpeas with Brown Rice, Steamed Broccoli, Cherry Tomatoes, all in a large bowl, then tossed with a tsp of olive oil, pressed raw garlic, and grated Parmesean Cheese.

I've also added leftover cooked beans to any salad that I am eating.

I'm with Ruthanna on the greens and beans.

My favorite green for this is escarole. I like a little bitterness.

It can be made without tomato or, to gild the lily, add chopped, sauteed Italian sausage.

Greens and beans can be used as a pasta topping for a main dish. Small shells work well.

Jim

This Black Bean Salad is a family favorite, goes well with fish and seafood, and can be an appetizer with tortilla chips.

1 16oz. can black beans, drain, rinse well, drain again
1 8 oz. can whole kernel corn, drain (can use 1 cup frozen, thawed)
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, diced
3/4 cup green onions, chopped, green tops included
3/4 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 small red or green bell pepper, diced

dressing
3/4 cup medium hot chunky salsa
1 TB olive oil
2 TB lemon juice
1 t. ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced

Mix salad ingredients all together in a bowl.
Mix dressing ingredients well and pour over salad.
Toss well and chill several hours.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro if desired.
Serve as a summer salad with grilled meats, fish, chicken, or burgers/sandwiches.
Also good as a dip for tortilla chips or tortilla “scoops.” Will keep for at least 3 days in the fridge.

Add me to the list of people who love beans and greens, yum.

Do lentils count? I just made this recipe and Elery and I both like it a lot, although I thought it needed more spice and so added extra cumin and some turmeric. It came from a blog called "Chocolate Covered Katie", so thanks to Katie!

“1 Million Veggies” Lentil Stew

(with an option for slow-cooker lentil stew)
◾1.5 cups onion, chopped (190g)
◾1 tbsp minced garlic (15g)
◾olive oil (I used 3 tbsp, but you can get away with as little as 2 tsp. Technically you can omit if you must… but it will be much better and more flavorful if you don’t go below 2 tsp.)
◾1 1/2 cups bell peppers, sliced or diced (350g)
◾4-6 carrots, sliced (95g)
◾1 cup celery, chopped (140g)
◾6 cups sliced mushrooms (Any variety will do; feel free to mix and match. I used 300g button mushrooms, 150g portabellas, and 350g shiitakes.)
◾2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar) (30g)
◾2 tbsp tomato paste (30g)
◾2 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
◾2 tsp paprika
◾1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
◾1 1/3 cup dry lentils (200g) (See nutrition link below for all substitution notes.)
◾1 1/2 cups vegetable stock (360g)
◾2 15oz cans diced tomatoes (I used regular, not unsalted.)
◾1 tsp salt
◾1 5-oz box spinach
◾1 1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest (important)

Heat a large saucepan, then add the oil and onion. Sauté 5 minutes, until onions begin to brown. Add the garlic, peppers, carrots, and celery, and cook 5 more minutes. Then add everything else up to the cumin, and cook 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Now add all but the spinach and lemon zest. (If you have a crockpot, you can transfer the ingredients to your crockpot at this time.) Cover and cook on low until the lentils are soft and have absorbed most of the liquid��" it takes about an hour on the stovetop. Time will vary if you use a slow cooker, depending on the strength and size of your particular crock pot. Add spinach and lemon at the very end, and cook 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts. This recipe makes 8 servings.

I also like this recipe for beans, greens and gnocchi from Eating Well:

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans
Source: © EatingWell Magazine

In this one-skillet supper, we toss dark leafy greens, diced tomatoes and white beans with gnocchi and top it all with gooey mozzarella. Serve with a mixed green salad with vinaigrette.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi (see Tip)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
6 cups chopped chard leaves (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Tip: : Look for shelf-stable gnocchi near other pasta in the Italian section of most supermarkets.
DIRECTIONS

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Nutrition Information
6 servings - Facts Per Serving:

Calories: 325 Fat. Total: 7g Carbohydrates, Total: 55g
Cholesterol: 8mg Sodium: 616mg Protein: 14g
Fiber: 6g % Cal. from Fat: 19% Fat, Saturated: 2g

Annie

Next time you roast some lamb or beef, put some onions to roast too. When they're cooked, roughly chop them and add them to the meat juices in the pan with the beans. Heat through.

You might want to visit Rancho Gordo's web site for some recipe ideas. I've really enjoyed their "Heirloom Beans" cookbook. -Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Rancho Gordo

Although it contains some recipes for green beans in addition to dried, there are some good recipes on the bean Cookalong thread liked below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bean Cookalong