beans

basic beans

Category
Yields6 Servings
ingredients
 1 cup dried beans, peas, or lentils
 water to cover
 1 1" strip dried kelp (optional, can be found in Asian section of most grocery stores)
 1 bay leaf
 5 peppercorns
 1 tsp coriander seeds (optional)
 1 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
 1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
 1 pinch baking soda
method
1

Sort the beans carefully: you may find small pebbles in the mix! Rinse well and place in a bowl with enough water to cover the beans by at least an inch.

2

Soak the beans a minimum of 8 hours (up to 24 is okay), rinsing the beans and changing the water occasionally if you can.

3

Drain and rinse the beans, then place in a pot, adding enough cold water to cover by at least 1–2 inches.

4

Add all the remaining ingredients except the baking soda directly to the beans or tie them in a bit of cheesecloth for easy retrieval.

5

Cover partially and bring to a boil—watch carefully, or the beans will raise the lid and overflow when they reach the initial boil. If your water is particularly hard (full of minerals), once the beans have boiled, add just a pinch of baking soda and stir.

6

Reduce the heat so that the water barely simmers when partially covered—boiling too rapidly will split the beans and result in mush. Don't ever let the water go below the top of the beans. You may need to add more water to keep the beans covered—bring back to a boil and reduce to a simmer if this happens.

7

Depending on the size of the beans and how long they were soaked, they will usually cook in 30 minutes to 1½ hours. Lentils can take as little as 10–15 minutes! Start testing peas or beans after 30 minutes—the only sure test for doneness is to cut or bite one open—there should be no grainy, lighter-colored center. The skins should be tender and the centers creamy.

8

Cool to room temperature in the cooking liquid, then use in a recipe or season to taste and eat them plain!

variations
9

Try cooking the beans in a variety of liquids—unsalted homemade stock or broth is wonderful for increasing flavor.

10

You can add a variety of dried herbs—this is a good place to use those stems from thyme and rosemary that you’ve used in other recipes.

do ahead
11

Beans can be cooked ahead of time and stored for up to a week refrigerated in their cooking liquid (even longer if you strain off the liquid and add fresh water). After being refrigerated overnight, they can be frozen for up to 6 months although they will be mushier once frozen and thawed.

t!ps + tr!cks
12

Do not add salt to the beans until they are fully cooked or until you season the dish they go in—adding salt during cooking toughens the skins and won’t allow the beans to cook through. This is also why you can only cook them in unsalted stock or broth.

13

Knowing how to cook beans properly (long soaking, cooking with spices, etc.) will vastly reduce the gas they cause. If you don’t often eat beans, introduce them into your diet gradually, be sure to chew them thoroughly, and start with smaller varieties (such as black beans), moving gradually up to larger (pinto beans) and larger ones (kidney beans).

copyright + resources
14

© 2016, Elizabeth A. Baker, LLC. All rights reserved.

15

Read more about beans on the blog at https://simply-healthcoaching.com/are-beans-instagram-worthy.

16

Like this recipe? Get a PDF version of the Fl!p Your K!tchen cookbook at https://simply-healthcoaching.com/shop.

Ingredients

ingredients
 1 cup dried beans, peas, or lentils
 water to cover
 1 1" strip dried kelp (optional, can be found in Asian section of most grocery stores)
 1 bay leaf
 5 peppercorns
 1 tsp coriander seeds (optional)
 1 tsp cumin seeds (optional)
 1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
 1 pinch baking soda

Directions

method
1

Sort the beans carefully: you may find small pebbles in the mix! Rinse well and place in a bowl with enough water to cover the beans by at least an inch.

2

Soak the beans a minimum of 8 hours (up to 24 is okay), rinsing the beans and changing the water occasionally if you can.

3

Drain and rinse the beans, then place in a pot, adding enough cold water to cover by at least 1–2 inches.

4

Add all the remaining ingredients except the baking soda directly to the beans or tie them in a bit of cheesecloth for easy retrieval.

5

Cover partially and bring to a boil—watch carefully, or the beans will raise the lid and overflow when they reach the initial boil. If your water is particularly hard (full of minerals), once the beans have boiled, add just a pinch of baking soda and stir.

6

Reduce the heat so that the water barely simmers when partially covered—boiling too rapidly will split the beans and result in mush. Don't ever let the water go below the top of the beans. You may need to add more water to keep the beans covered—bring back to a boil and reduce to a simmer if this happens.

7

Depending on the size of the beans and how long they were soaked, they will usually cook in 30 minutes to 1½ hours. Lentils can take as little as 10–15 minutes! Start testing peas or beans after 30 minutes—the only sure test for doneness is to cut or bite one open—there should be no grainy, lighter-colored center. The skins should be tender and the centers creamy.

8

Cool to room temperature in the cooking liquid, then use in a recipe or season to taste and eat them plain!

variations
9

Try cooking the beans in a variety of liquids—unsalted homemade stock or broth is wonderful for increasing flavor.

10

You can add a variety of dried herbs—this is a good place to use those stems from thyme and rosemary that you’ve used in other recipes.

do ahead
11

Beans can be cooked ahead of time and stored for up to a week refrigerated in their cooking liquid (even longer if you strain off the liquid and add fresh water). After being refrigerated overnight, they can be frozen for up to 6 months although they will be mushier once frozen and thawed.

t!ps + tr!cks
12

Do not add salt to the beans until they are fully cooked or until you season the dish they go in—adding salt during cooking toughens the skins and won’t allow the beans to cook through. This is also why you can only cook them in unsalted stock or broth.

13

Knowing how to cook beans properly (long soaking, cooking with spices, etc.) will vastly reduce the gas they cause. If you don’t often eat beans, introduce them into your diet gradually, be sure to chew them thoroughly, and start with smaller varieties (such as black beans), moving gradually up to larger (pinto beans) and larger ones (kidney beans).

copyright + resources
14

© 2016, Elizabeth A. Baker, LLC. All rights reserved.

15

Read more about beans on the blog at https://simply-healthcoaching.com/are-beans-instagram-worthy.

16

Like this recipe? Get a PDF version of the Fl!p Your K!tchen cookbook at https://simply-healthcoaching.com/shop.

basic beans

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