More Recipes for Using Dried Beans

More Dishes for using Dried beans

Well, as I said in my last blog, I am providing a few more recipes for using dried beans. It takes me a little while as I have to develop tasty recipes using the vegetables and beans that I grow on my allotment or in my poly-tunnel. Of course, there are many alternatives and lots of options from my plot I haven’t used.

My interest is, as always, in how to use my produce to maintain a healthy and varied diet thorough the year.

It also means I have to re-create some dishes for photographic purposes as I have been making some of these for a few years before I started my Blog and feel the need to illustrate the dishes - well, a couple of them anyway. That said, if I were taking photos for a cookery book I would have to be a great deal more careful, instead of just photographing what I am about to have for dinner. Oh well! You can't have everything!

The recipes I am providing use, as far as possible, the vegetables, herbs and spices I am growing on my plot but many other vegetables can be used – frozen, tinned, dried or bought fresh from your local vegetable shop or supermarket.

There is a huge range of dried beans, chickpeas, etc, available to buy. There are many more available tinned though they will be MUCH more expensive and are not suitable for all recipes.

Over-winter, there are other vegetables available, which I don’t grow but are so suitable to be added to these recipes – mushrooms [always]. Celeriac is wonderful [use celery if you can’t find celeriac, swede and turnip – excellent. If you have an allotment and grow winter vegetables different from my suggestions, do try them in these recipes – there are so many variations available – different herbs, different spices, different cheese toppings!

Spicy Bean Soup

6 oz [ 150gm] dried beans – borlotto, black beans, butter beans, Yinyang, etc

1 large onion – finely chopped

2 Tblsp, good quality olive oil

1 – medium beetroot – peeled and grated or finely chopped

2 medium carrots – washed, peeled and chopped into small pieces

4 large tomatoes – washed, skinned and chopped

1 – 2 good-sized red peppers – washed, seeded and chopped

2 – 3 slices of bacon or ham [uncooked] – minced or finely chopped – if you can get a ham hock bone that would be good

4 cloves of garlic – peeled and well crushed or finely chopped

1 – 2 medium heat chillies – leave the seeds out if you don’t like it too hot

2 leeks – trimmed and well washed, then sliced thinly

2 pints beef or chicken stock

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

½ tsp smoked paprika pepper

1 Tblsp finely chopped parsley

Double cream for serving - optional

Method

·         On the previous day pick over and wash the beans of your choice – put into a container large enough to allow the beans to triple in size. Put a tsp. of baking soda [bicarbonate of soda] in the water, if you live in a hard water area.

·         Before preparing the soup, drain the beans and wash well with clean water.

·         Heat the oil in a large pan [don’t allow it to smoke], add the onions, leeks, beetroot, bacon, chillies and carrots, peppers and sweat [cook without colouring], until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and cook gently.

·         Add the beans, stock, black and paprika peppers and bring to the boil.

·         Simmer gently until the beans and vegetables are softened and the flavours have blended – 45mins to 1 hour. Test the beans by taking one out of the pan and tasting it. If it is not soft continue cooking for a further 15 minutes then, test again.

·         Check your soup for seasoning then add the chopped parsley. You may want to mash the beans and vegetables a little, using a potato masher, to reduce the ‘chunkiness’ of the soup.

·         Optional – add a swirl of double cream to the top of the tureen or individual bowls before serving and add a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

·         Serve with hot crusty bread.

Beans au Gratin

4 oz [100gm] dried beans – kidney, borlotto, Yinyang, chickpeas, etc

2 - 3 leeks – trimmed, washed and sliced

2 onions – finely chopped

3 – 4 cloves of garlic

2 smallish courgettes – I use Orelia which is dryer and denser than Zucchini

3 oz [75gm]sweetcorn kernels – fresh, frozen or a small tin

3 oz [75gm]shelled peas – you can use frozen

1 large red bell pepper – washed and seeded then, chopped

A small head of cauliflower – washed and broken into small florettes

3oz [ 75gm]  butter

3 oz [ 75gm ] plain flour100gm

1 pt [ 570ml] hot chicken or vegetable stock [if you are vegetarian]

Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon

1 good Tblsp. chopped parsley

Seasalt and freshly ground black pepper

2 oz [50gm] fresh breadcrumbs – brown or white

2 oz [50gm] grated cheddar cheese

Sauce

·         Pick over, wash and soak the beans the previous day or at least 4 hours in advance. Use baking soda [bicarbonate of soda] in the soaking water if you live in a hard water area.

·         Rinse the beans well and using fresh water, cover the beans, bring to the boil and simmer until soft.

·         Melt the butter with the seasoning and lemon rind. Sweat the onions, and garlic then add the leeks, red pepper, cauliflower and courgettes. Cook gently until the vegetables are soft, taking care not to brown them.

·         Add the flour and cook gently until the flour is cooked out without allowing it to brown.

·         Gradually add the stock, stirring all the time until you have a smooth sauce around the vegetables. Add the sweetcorn and peas and simmer gently for a further 3 minutes.

·         Drain the beans and add them to the mixture along with the lemon juice and chopped parsley. Check the seasoning.

·         Pour the mixture into an oven proof dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and grated cheese and bake in a medium to hot oven - 180°C, No 6 Gas for 15 – 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

·         Serve immediately with hot crusty bread. – this dish will keep in the fridge to be reheated if necessary.

Bean Pie [or Gardeners Pie] – like Shepherd’s Pie, which uses minces lamb, or Cottage Pie, which uses minced beef, this pie is for vegetables or for Bean Pie – Beans with Vegetables.

You can also top this with Puff pastry – also very yummy!

6 oz [ 175gm] – dried beans of your choice – or chick peas or blackeyed beans or black eyed peas [which are not really beans, but a sub-species of ‘cowpea’] – delicious, nutritious and very useful nonetheless.

3oz [75gm] butter

3oz [75gm] flour

1 large onion – finely chopped           

3 medium sized leeks – trimmed, washed and sliced thinly

1 medium sized parsnip – washed, peeled and chopped finely

2 – 3 good-sized carrots – washed, peeled and sliced finely

1 medium sized green cabbage – trimmed, washed and sliced

A good slice from a medium sized squash or pumpkin – peeled and cut into chunks

3 oz [ 75gm] sweetcorn kernels – fresh, frozen or a small tin

4 large garlic cloves – peeled and well crushed or chopped

1 pt [ 570ml] hot chicken or vegetable stock

6 large tomatoes – skinned and chopped [you can also use frozen or tinned chopped tomatoes]

Chopped fresh herbs – tsp. each of tarragon, lemon thyme, oregano

¼ tsp chopped rosemary,                              1 good handful chopped parsley

Sea salt and freshly crushed black pepper

For the Topping

2 lb [1 kg] potatoes – preferably floury or ‘general purpose’ potatoes

5fluid oz, ¼ pt [ 150ml] hot milk

1 oz [25gm] butter

Seasoning

Method

·         Pick over the beans, wash and put in a container large enough to allow the beans to triple in size. Cover with water and leave overnight or for at least 4 hours. If you live in a hard water area, add 1 tsp baking soda [Bicarbonate of soda] to the water.

·         When the beans have soaked, wash them well, then cover with fresh water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 – 45mins and taste one of the beans to see if it is cooked. If not continue for another 15 mins or so and test again.

·         Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion, carrot, leeks and parsnips and sweat [cook without colour], add the garlic, herbs and flour. Cook gently until the flour is cooked out but without colouring.

·         Gradually add the hot stock until a non-lumpy vegetable sauce is attained – allowing for the vegetables. Add the sweetcorn , tomatoes and chopped cabbage. Stir well, check the seasoning.

·         Drain and add the cooked beans. Put into an oven-proof dish. Allow to cool

·         Wash and peel the potatoes and cook until soft – taking care that they don’t disintegrate.

·         Drain well, mash thoroughly and add seasoning, hot milk and butter. Mix well.

·         Pipe or spread the potato mixture on top of the bean filling.

·         Bake in a medium hot oven - 180°C, No 6 gas, for 30 – 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

·         I love this with pickled beetroot and or a good sharp, spicy chutney or relish.