My daughter and I both love a large bowl of beans. Add some cornbread, and you have a meal that is tasty and high in protein and fiber. Beans are also good sources of iron, B vitamins, and calcium, as well as complex carbohydrates. Most people will simply soak their dried beans overnight in water, drain, and cook slowly in water with some salt pork added for flavor. There are some other things that you can add to your beans to give them an even more interesting flavor and which will make them even healthier.
Instead of cooking your beans in plain water, use a beef, chicken, or vegetable stock instead.
Season your beans with onions and garlic. These two ingredients can give your beans a nice, rich flavor. For a little more zing, add some finely-grated lemon or orange rind. Warning: Do not add lemon juice — or any type of acidic juice, such as tomato, for that matter — to your beans while they are cooking. The acid in the juice will make the beans tough. If you wish to add either lemon or tomato juice to your beans, do so right at the end of the cooking time, allowing just long enough to warm up the juice.
Use herbs and spices to flavor your beans.
If using fresh herbs, wait until the beans are almost done before adding. (The delicate flavors of fresh herbs will be lost if they are cooked with the beans.) Dried herbs and/or spices can be added at the very beginning. Some herbs/spices that are particularly good with beans include: caraway seeds, chili power, cumin seeds, dry mustard, garlic, ginger, oregano, paprika, and rosemary. You might also consider adding some soy or teriyaki sauce for a bit of an Asian flavor. I have also been known to add some spicy picante sauce to my beans. (I like a little bit of heat. If you feel the same, you can even had some chopped hot peppers.)
Add some crunch to your cooked beans.
I always like to add chopped onions to mine, which is rather traditional. Perhaps not so traditional is to add some of your favorite raw vegetables. You can also include toasted seeds or chopped nuts, if you prefer. If you want a little fresher taste, do not hesitate to add some fresh fruit. (Apples and pears are good choices, in my opinion. They give just the right amount of sweetness and have a nice crunch.)
Tip: Cooked beans can also be coated with a marinade of your favorite herb vinegar and a little extra virgin olive oil. You can then add them to a salad or mix with your favorite vegetables.
Dried beans should be included in any healthy diet. They are great for people with high blood pressure and/or any type of heart problem. In addition, they are good cancer-fighters, a good food choice for diabetics, great for people battling chronic fatigue, and actually a good meal for people trying to lose weight. You also have a variety from which to choose; i.e., black beans, black-eyed peas, chick peas, fava beans, lentils, lima beans, navy or northern beans, soybeans, and pinto beans. With all of these choices and with the different means of flavoring them, there is no reason you should not include beans in your diet.
Reference:
Rogers, Jean, ed. The Healing Foods Cookbook. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1991.
