Cooking Beans from Scratch

A long, long time ago I believed beans came from a can. Then I fell in love with a man from Mexico and everything changed. He taught me mexican food that doesn't involve a can opener or premade sauces and salsas. I learned quickly that fresh cooked beans have amazing flavor along with a nutrient rich broth. After eating only fresh cooked beans for a period of time, the tinny aftertaste of canned beans became noticeable on my palate and I have never bought canned beans since.
It is easy to make fresh cooked beans. There are a few steps, but with practice cooking fresh cooked beans to use in one's recipes becomes a part of the daily kitchen routine.
Many varieties of beans exist and are used throughout the worlds' cuisines. Pintos are  traditional in Mexican cuisine, often served refried style. Black Beans are popular in the Caribbean. Garbanzo beans are featured in Indian dishes and in the Meditteranean spread Hummus. Red Chile and Kidney beans are used to make hearty chili soups.
When fresh cooked beans are used in recipe preparation, the resulting dish has a deeper level of savoriness. Another benefit is that fresh cooked beans are easier on the digestive system and contain less gas causing molecules. 

COOKING BEANS FROM SCRATCH: 

There is not an exact recipe for making beans. Variables such as altitude, humidity, and bean types affect cooking times and water amount used. I have outlined the basic formula with a guideline recipe to follow. I highly recommend using a crock pot to cook the beans in. The crock pot cuts the cooking time in half and protects the beans from overcooking or burning. It also allows the cook the ability to leave the kitchen and not have to babysit the beans. High altitude climates require longer cooking times, usually around 4-6 hours. At sea level, beans take about 1-3 hours to cook. Pinto beans are a great beginner bean to try out. They have a shorter cooking time and almost foolproof results. 

Ingredients:
2 cups beans

7-10 cups water

1-2T sea salt

optional: fresh herbs, garlic, or onion

 1. Bring beans and water to a boil in large pot.

 2. Place heated beans and water in a crock pot of appropriate size. Turn

heat to high, and cook covered. Lower heat if leaving the house or cooking overnight.

Check on beans occasionally to make sure there is enough water. Beans need a lot of 

water to thoroughly cook. Add water as needed. 

Beans are done when they are soft and slightly mushy.

3. Take beans out of crock pot and drain in colander.  

Rinse beans to get rid of impurities and gas causing molecules.

4. Place cooked beans and enough water to just cover them in a pot.

Now is the time to add salt to taste and any other additional seasonings.

Whole cloves of garlic and fresh sprigs of herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and 

oregano are delicious additions. Let beans simmer for at 30-60 minutes, in order

 to make a flavorful broth. 

Using your Fresh Cooked Beans:

Beans can be eaten whole in their own broth or served with rice. Of course there are many variations and uses for fresh cooked beans. Refried syle pinto beans are creamy and satisfying. Hummus from fresh cooked garbanzos tastes amazing. Red chile and kidney beans can easily become the basis for a delicious vegetarian chili stew. Here are some of my favorite recipes:

CREAMY PERUVIAN YELLOW BEANS

with ROSEMARY and GARLIC

HEALTHY REFRIED BEANS

BEST SEVEN LAYER DIP EVER

 CARIBBEAN STYLE BLACK BEANS

Healthy Refried Beans

HEALTHY REFRIED BEANS

Creating delicious, creamy, and healthy refried beans 

begins with this first step: cooking beans from scratch. Yes, 

it takes a little bit more time and effort. However, the

result of using the highest quality and freshest cooked beans

possible is savory beyond compare. An option is to purchase

fresh cooked whole beans from a mexican restaurant. Ask for

'frijoles del olla' or 'frijoles enteros'. 

Check out my know how blog for making fresh cooked beans:

Cooking Beans from Scratch

1. Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of Coconut or Olive Oil in a skillet. 

Minced garlic or onion can be added to the oil if desired. 

2. Add 1-2 cups whole beans, adding just enough of their 

broth so beans don't get dry, over medium heat.

3. Mash the beans with a bean masher kitchen tool OR use the bottom of a wide mouthed coffee cup or jar to mash the beans. I find the latter method easier and faster. 

Adjust thickness by adding more broth or whole beans as needed. Additional salt and seasonings can also be added at this time. Take off heat and serve.

Creamy Peruvian Yellow Beans with Rosemary and Garlic

Rosemary Garlic Peruvian Yellow Beans

Despite the name, Peruvian Yellow Beans come from Mexico. However,they are commonly cultivated in Peru. These beans are prized for their creamy and soft texture. They have a rich and somewhat buttery taste and are delicious served refried style. They are very popular in Mexico and the bean of choice for many mexican families there. When I lived in Mexico, one wonderful winter many years ago, I only prepared Peruvian Yellow Beans. It was the bean most readily available and proved to be a delightful departure from the pinto beans I knew. Back home in the U.S. I purchase mine from my favorite mercado, located on Federal Blvd. in Denver, Colorado. A mercado is a latin and/or mexican grocery store. It is worth a trip to the spanish speaking side of your city as many lesser known and specialty ingredients are found in these markets. I go to the mercado regularly and enjoy practicing my spanish while getting the freshest and cheapest citrus fruits, chiles, spices, tortillas, and mexican cheese that Denver has to offer.

Purchase peruvian yellow beans at mexican grocery stores, called 'mercados'

Prepare Beans 'from scratch' style. Check out 
my know how blog: Cooking Beans from Scratch 
for instructions


During final cooking stage of bean cooking: 
add sea salt to taste, fresh sprigs of rosemary 
OR
 dried rosemary (about 1/2t per cup beans),
whole cloves of crushed garlic with peel removed
(about 1 clove per cup beans) 

1. Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of Coconut or Olive Oil in a skillet. 

2. Add 1-2 cups cooked whole yellow peruvian beans, 

adding just enough of their broth so beans

 don't get dry, over medium heat. Be sure to include

some of the rosemary and cooked garlic from 

the specially prepared beans.

3. Mash the beans with a bean masher kitchen tool OR use the bottom of a wide mouthed coffee cup or jar to mash the beans. I find the latter method easier and faster. 

Adjust thickness by adding more broth or whole beans as needed. Additional salt can also be added at this time to taste.Take off heat and serve.

Best Seven Layer Dip Ever

BEST SEVEN LAYER DIP EVER

This dip is really good. Fresh cooked beans pureed to perfect creaminess form the base layer. Then comes chile infused salsa, sour cream, chopped black olives, green onions, shredded cheddar, and chopped tomatos. Like I said before, this dip is really good! 

The secret to making the best 7 layer dip lies within the ingredients. All ingredients called for are of the highest quality. Do not compromise or get lazy on this step! 

The beans MUST be fresh cooked. No canned beans allowed in this recipe. You can prepare the beans yourself or go to your local mexican restaurant and order a pint or two of whole beans to go. 

The salsa is fresh made. You can make your own salsa or purchase some from your local farmer's market or favorite mexican restaurant. It is important to use organic sour cream and cheddar cheese for maximum flavor. Tillamook Cheddar is rgbh hormone free (a gross gmo growth hormone banned all over the world) and is a good cheese to use for this dip. Buy naturally cured black olives from the specialty olive bar at your grocery store or Whole Foods. Slicing olives yourself results in better tasting olives. Use Organic tomatoes as they have a better texture and more flavor. Commercially grown tomatoes have a funky mealy texture and minimal flavor. 

An extra effort is required in order to experience the "Best Seven Layer Dip Ever". All those lucky people who get to eat it with you will be incredibly thankful and full of oohs and ahhs. So go for it!

This recipe makes a 8 x 8 square pan or a 9 inch pie pan. Double the recipe for a 9x13 pan or a 10 x 10 square pan. Glass pyrex is a great choice as it shows off the dips beautiful layers.

Ingredients:

1 Pint fresh cooked beans, see cooking beans from scratch

1 cup fresh made salsa of choice, see salsa recipes

8oz Organic sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, preferably organic and/or rBGH free*

1/2 cup naturally cured olives, get at a fresh olive bar or sometimes found canned

2 green onions, chopped

1 organic and/or vine ripened tomato, chopped, romas are a good choice

preparation:

Puree beans in a blender or food processor. Add just enough of their juice so that a thick, yet creamy consistency is achieved. If using a blender, you may need to stop it and stir a few times with a rubber spatula. The goal is to achieve a bean puree consistency that will stay put on a tortilla chip but not break the chip during the dipping process of eating.

Spread pureed beans into pan. Spread sour cream evenly on top of bean layer, using a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon. Add salsa and spread gently, being carefully not to mix it with the sour cream. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese liberally and evenly over salsa layer. Slice olives and place evenly on top of cheese layer along with chopped onions and tomatoes. 

Keep refrigerated until serving time. Serve with Corn Chips, preferably Organic.

*I emphasize using dairy that is artificial growth hormone free and/or Organic for many reasons. Organic and sustainably produced dairy products taste better and are produced in a way that is more in harmony with our environment. Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) is a synthetic (man-made) hormone used by the dairy industry to increase milk production in cows. This artificial milk production increase leads to diseased cows resulting in heavy antibiotic use. These antibiotics and hormones are passed onto us, the consumer, when we eat dairy products produced in this way. Here is link from the American Cancer Society for further information on rBGH: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/recombinant-bovine-growth-hormone

Look for dairy products that state that they are Organic or rBGH free. If the label doesn't state this, then it is most likely produced in this unnatural fashion.

Classic Chile Relleno in Herbed Red Pepper Tomato Sauce

CLASSIC CHILE RELLENO in HERBED RED PEPPER TOMATO SAUCE:

An earthy, roasted poblano pepper filled with mexican asadero cheese and then baked to perfection smothered in an herbed fresh cooked tomato sauce... Oh my!

Chile Rellenos are one of those dishes that can be incredibly divine or greased up gross. It all depends on the cook and their tecnique. I prefer to forgo the traditional egg batter and deep frying process so often used for this dish's preparation. This simplified version lets the poblano's deep flavor shine through. The sauce is brothy and cooked minimally in order to let the fresh herbs and red pepper sweetness embrace every succulent bite. Serve with fresh made whole pinto beans and cooked quinoa for 

a complete meal.

Ingredients:

4 lg. roasted poblano peppers*

8oz Asadero or Jack Cheese

1 Batch Herbed Red Pepper Tomato Sauce, recipe follows

*see blog: Preparation and Roasting of Peppers

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Before proceeding, make sure that all skin is removed from the poblano pepper. Carefully make a long slit in pepper, leaving stem attached to pepper. Gently clean out all seeds. It helps to do this under running water. Stuff each pepper with 2oz of cheese. Cheese can be grated or cut into chunks. Place peppers seam side up on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake peppers until cheese is thoroughly melted and bubbly, about 8-10 minutes. 

To serve: Ladle 1/4 cup of sauce onto plate. Place pepper over sauce and ladle another 1/8 cup of sauce over pepper. Garnish with crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco. 

HERBED RED PEPPER TOMATO SAUCE:

Saute in small saucepan:

2T red pepper, chopped

1T onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2t olive oil

Add:

1/2 can (7.5oz) fire roasted tomatoes, pureed in blender

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1T fresh cilantro, chopped

1T fresh basil, chopped

1/2 t dried oregano or 2T fresh oregano, chopped

3/4t sea salt

Let sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes. Simmer long enough for the flavors to meld without cooking out the freshness of ingredients. Take off heat.