It was in one of those moments. With that knawing emptiness and grumble from your stomach. One’s that bring you to think up of the oddest of things. Or the ones that had crossed your mind once. What would it taste like? Or Should I mix those two and add a sweet sauce. This time, I thought many, many hours ahead.
I thought about Beans.
Odd things they are. But, what can you do with them? So I came up with something simple. I was excited about this meal. And I get to make some homemade Beans paste! What is the paste really called? Food! Well you can’t really make beans. Ha Ha You grow them. But, you can also cook them. Normally, always soak them for 5 to 8 or even 10 hours. Then, to boil them on low for 1 ½ to 2 hours till they are soft. That’s a long while…
As my middle sister is learning to be a nutritionalist, she had told me, that if you have beans with rice it creates a protein. Awesome right?
Since I have tried it once before and felt fuller then I did eating another meal. So long as I had some vegetables with it. But, the meal was a little off.
It was the Beans!
I had gotten them in a can. Now I wanted to make them fresh! I have only ever made it once, by my own hands. Instead of assisting FCCLA “Family Carrier And Community Leaders of America”. Which was when I was in Junior High School. Back then, it was for a burrito fund raiser.
This is what you will need.
You know those iles that are full of rice, bags of different beans, and noodles?
Well, you will need to pick the beans you want!
But, do you know what beans there are? There are many different types of beans. It may get confusing. First off, beans are part of the legume family. Which consists of -
(lentils, Peas, Beans, Peanuts, & Soy Beans)
* Pinto Beans - Are the most common. Ranges from a light, sometimes reddish brown spots.
* Kidney Beans - Are solid red beans.
* Black Beans - Are literally solid black.
* Navy Beans - Are solid white beans.
* Large Lima Beans - Are larger solid white beans.
And many more!
From what I have found out, Kidney Beans are sweeter then the others. Normally used for deserts. I’ll be trying black beans soon!
½ pound of beans = 4 bowls full with half rice and half beans.
When you let soak them, make sure to leave at least 1 to 2 inches of water above the beans. You can use a crock pot or just a regular pot. Either way, both of them work well. But, the main thing is that when choosing a pot, it depends on how much you want to make.
Then, the lovely waiting.
O.O or the dreaded waiting.
Depending on how hungry you are for beans!
On the back of the bag of beans, it will give you the instructions for the shorter soaking period. Though I have found, that the beans are softer and easier to smash when you let them soak longer. When you start boiling the beans, make sure to lower the temperature so that they don’t burn on the bottom.
Stir on occasion.
This is when you can add as much salt as you like. Even chopped onions, garlic powder, or a little bit of onion powder instead of chopped onions. The closer you get to 1 ½ hours, the closer you have to keep an eye on it. Stirring more.
If the water gets too low you can just add more.
Slowly smushing the beans with a fork or with a potato smasher.
Once it’s soft and at the consistency you like, you can turn off the heat. Wait till it cools a little. And enjoy! Do you have a favorite recipe with beans? So, what are you cooking?
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