“Beans, Beans the Musical Fruit…”
When I started my plant-based eating journey, I quickly learned about an excellent staple for my eating plan. Legumes! Lima, black beans, black-eyed peas, soybeans, kidney, garbanzo, navy, pinto and red beans are some of my favorites to use in recipes.
Nutrient-dense, dried beans contain nearly double the folate (to make red blood cells) than canned beans, so it is better to cook them from their dried form for that and many other reasons! They also contain zinc, iron, magnesium, and fiber. They are antioxidant-rich and heart-healthy food, plus they help to control appetite. I feel far more sated after a meal with beans included. The trick is to add them to your diet slowly and rinse, rinse, rinse to ward of stomach bloating and flatulence.
I love using an electric pressure cooker (any pressure cooker will do the trick) for this reason, as you don’t have to pre-soak the beans overnight. In addition, the pressure cooker heat destroys all the harmful lectin and gas-producing elements.
I make a big pot of beans and freeze them in freezer bags in 1½ cup increments, equal to a (15-oz) can of beans.
What you need:
2 c. beans, rinsed with cold water
6 c. of water
Mix these ingredients (do not be tempted to season with salt at this time, as this retards cooking). You will want to wait until after they cook to salt. Set the pressure cooker on the “manual” setting for 25 minutes.
When the timer goes off, let the steam release naturally for 20 minutes before opening.
Recipe Note: *Drain the liquid, aka “aquafaba” and save to use for meringue or in other recipes as a substitution for eggs and rinse the beans off with cold water until no longer foamy. Prepare to use beans or store in the refrigerator or freeze for future recipes.
Cool, Healthy Tip:*Pour the cooled aquafaba (bean juice) into plastic ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, remove the cubes from the tray into a freezer bag and store in the freezer.
Approximately 1-2 cubes=one egg, (depending on ice cube tray size.) Just thaw and whip for whipped topping or meringue or add to a recipe in place of an egg.
