Category: beans

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Vegetarian Hoppin’ John

Amazingly filling and hearty, and simple too.  Traditionally made on New Years’ in the South to bring good luck, but perfect on any cold winter days.  Leftovers freeze well.  If you can’t find smoked tofu, I imagine this would work well with regular tofu and more liquid smoke, or perhaps regular tofu marinated in liquid smoke.  I think this could probably also be done in a crockpot.

This recipe is based on Mark Bittman’s “Black-Eyed Peas with Smoked Tofu” from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.  I use brown rice and liquid smoke to add extra nutrition and flavor.  I also find that my version takes much less time, but this may vary based on the age and toughness of your black-eyed peas.  Collards are not traditionally used in this dish, but I added them to make this a one-pot meal.

Serves: 6-8
Time: 1-2 hours, largely unattended.

Ingredients:
1.5 c dried black-eyed peas, washed, and soaked if you like to speed cooking time.
2 quarts stock or water
14 oz smoked tofu, cut into cubes
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 T minced garlic
1.5 c short-grain brown rice
1 bunch collards, rinsed thoroughly (soak for 2 minutes and rinse) and coarsely chopped
liquid smoke to taste
salt and pepper to taste
tabasco sauce to taste

1) Put peas, stock, tofu, onions, and garlic in a large pot.  Bring to boil, then lower the heat to a slow simmer.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender.  Bittman says this takes 1-2 hours.  I found it took 30-45 minutes.  So watch carefully.
2) When beans are ready or after 45 minutes, whichever comes first, make sure you have at least 3 c liquid in the pot.  If not, add water or stock. Add the rice, salt, pepper, and collards if using.  Cover and cook until rice is ready.
3) If any liquid remains, turn the heat up to high for a few minutes to boil it off.
4) Fluff the Hoppin’ John with a fork.
5) Season with Liquid Smoke and Tabasco to taste.
6) Replace the lid.   Let the dish rest and flavors mingle for 5-15 minutes before serving.

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Aleppan White Bean and Tomato Crostini

Simple white beans are simmered to perfection in a thick, richly spiced tomato sauce to make an exotic crostini topping in a beautiful cultural culinary marriage.  Taking a page from Mark Bittman over at the Minimalist, I’ll call this a “Traditional Aleppan-Italian Dish I Made Up.”

This is not a quick recipe, but it involves only a few minutes of work and can easily be made ahead or simmered while you are doing other things.  This recipe is inspired by Poopa Dweck’s Aromas of Aleppo.  My version is quicker, vegetarian, lower in total and saturated fat, freezes well, and is perfect defrosted on toasted bread for weeks as crazy as this one.  I imagine this recipe would convert well to the crockpot, and I’ll let you know if I try it someday.

Soak the beans according to your favorite method.  I prefer the cold soak method common in most of the world, which involves simply soaking the beans for 6-8 hours or overnight in water.   But soaking is a surprisingly controversial topic, so I leave it to you to decide what works best! 

Tip: Freeze the rest of your can of tomato paste in an ice cube tray.  Transfer the frozen cubes to a ziploc freezer bag for easy access for future recipes.  No waste!

Taking a page from Mark Bittman over at the Minimalist, I’ll call this a “Traditional Aleppan-Italian Dish I Made Up.”

Total Time: 1 hour, 1 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2-4, depending on whether side dish or main.  Serve with rice, grains, or crusty bread.

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1 cup dried white beans, such as Great Northern Beans or cannelini beans, soaked according to your favorite method, drained, and rinsed
2 T tomato paste
1 8 ounce can chopped tomatoes
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t white pepper
1/4 t kosher salt or sea salt
2 quarts vegetable stock (or meat stock)
Good quality, crusty whole grain bread, sliced and toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  
2. Saute garlic and onion in a medium-sized, ovenproof saucepan for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.
3. Add all other ingredients.  Bring to a boil.
4. Transfer saucepan to oven and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are tender and sauce has thickened.
5. Adjust salt and cinnamon to taste.
6.  Spread on toasts and serve your senses.

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Beans Without Borders


These beans are spicy, tangy, and delicious. Swiss Chard adds both balancing flavor and cancer-fighting nutrition. These beans are based on a variation in Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything.” The recipe’s name is both a nod to the Mexican spices involved and what popped out of my husband’s mouth when I told him he needed to name a recipe involving beans and Swiss Chard (he was unaware that Doctors Without Borders is French-based, not Swiss). Serve with rice or a whole grain for complete protein.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Work Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2 as a main course (easily doubled)

1 onion, diced
1 T olive oil
1-2 bunches swiss chard, washed and coarsely chopped
1 14.5 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
3 peppercorns (or more, to taste)
1-2 t dried thyme leaves
chili powder, to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1) Heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook slowly until onion begins to caramelize. (Meanwhile, prep the chard and gather other ingredients).
2) Raise heat to medium-high. Add chard and sprinkle lightly with salt.
3) Stir. When chard begins to cook down, add beans and spices.
4) Salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf. Serve.

Posted on

Beans Without Borders


These beans are spicy, tangy, and delicious. Swiss Chard adds both balancing flavor and cancer-fighting nutrition. These beans are based on a variation in Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything.” The recipe’s name is both a nod to the Mexican spices involved and what popped out of my husband’s mouth when I told him he needed to name a recipe involving beans and Swiss Chard (he was unaware that Doctors Without Borders is French-based, not Swiss). Serve with rice or a whole grain for complete protein.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Work Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2 as a main course (easily doubled)

1 onion, diced
1 T olive oil
1-2 bunches swiss chard, washed and coarsely chopped
1 14.5 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
3 peppercorns (or more, to taste)
1-2 t dried thyme leaves
chili powder, to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1) Heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook slowly until onion begins to caramelize. (Meanwhile, prep the chard and gather other ingredients).
2) Raise heat to medium-high. Add chard and sprinkle lightly with salt.
3) Stir. When chard begins to cook down, add beans and spices.
4) Salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf. Serve.