Beans: What Can’t You Do With Them?

Beans and fiber. There’s a frenzy about both at the moment.

I’m not surprised that the lowly legume family is returning to popularity. After all, beans are a fat-free, amino-acid-rich, high-energy food. Eating them in combination with grains produces a kind of protein that neither can supply alone.

From a strictly culinary point of view, beans have a terrific texture and soak up the flavor of whatever they’re cooked with. Beans are at the core of most of the world’s cuisines, especially in Mediterranean Europe, and are the base of some of the most beloved dishes: cassoulet from France, pasta e fagioli and minestrone from Italy, ollas and cocidos from Spain. And, of course, there’s our own franks and beans.

Dishes based on beans are endearing, especially at this time of year - steamy stews, cooked long and slow, the starch from the beans bleeding into the liquid to create a lightly thickened, creamy-textured sauce.

Bean lovers know they should start a dish with either fresh or dried beans, not canned. Soak the beans overnight in a generous amount of water to hasten the cooking. Don’t salt your pot of beans until they are soft.

Add only enough water to cover the beans, then add more as necessary. A good bean “gravy” is the secret to the success of all bean dishes. And remember that the amount of time it takes for dried beans to cook varies from 1-1/2 to 3 or 4 hours, depending on the dryness of the bean.

Casseroles and stews based on beans are real kitchen cupboard fare. Using common sense as your guide, you can throw in any variety of ingredients from the pantry or fridge.

You can keep it simple, adding only a slab of bacon or some sausage, or you can make a stupendous cassoulet with any combination of lamb, pork, duck or goose and sausages. There are no authentic versions to these peasant dishes, only an authentic spirit. So, improvise, improvise, improvise.

Beans are so substantial that you can create vegetarian dishes around them without fear of an incomplete main course. I’m especially fond of combining beans with other starches - rice and pasta, mostly - to create a casserole that’s rib-sticking good, yet low in fat and high in fiber.

Pasta e Fagioli

A perfectly simple green salad is all that is needed with this dish to make you very, very happy.

Beans:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 celery stalk, finely minced (about cup)

1 small carrot, finely minced (about cup)

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

6 cups vegetable or chicken broth

3/4 cup dried white beans (preferably flageolet or cannellini)

4 sprigs fresh marjoram, or 1 tablespoon dried

4 plum tomatoes

3/4 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

Garnishes:

3/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1 small onion, finely minced (about cup)

Freshly ground pepper

Virgin olive oil

To prepare beans, heat olive oil in Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pan over medium heat. Add celery, carrot and garlic and cook, stirring, 3 minutes.

Add broth, beans and marjoram. Cover and bring to boil. Transfer pan to oven and bake, covered, at 350 degrees 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

Meanwhile, using small paring knife, cut off tip and stem of tomatoes. Remove seeds and core, leaving only firm, outer pulp. Slice 1 side of tomato and place it flat on work surface. Cut into 1/4-inch lengthwise strips. Pile up strips and cut across into 1/4-inch pieces. Reserve on plate until needed.

Add macaroni to casserole. Return to oven and bake, covered, 25 minutes longer or until pasta is tender.

Remove fresh herb sprigs and add tomatoes. Transfer to large tureen or divide among individual soup bowls. Offer grated cheese, minced onion, pepper and olive oil as garnishes at table.

Yield: 6 servings.

Cocido

2 cups garbanzo beans

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 pound bacon, diced

2 medium onions, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 pound pork, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 tablespoon paprika

1 whole garlic head

Water

2 chorizos or other spicy dried sausage (about 1/2 pound), sliced

1 Morcilla or blood sausage, sliced, optional

1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and diced

1 green pepper, seeded and chopped

Salt

Soak garbanzo beans overnight in water to cover. Next day, drain and set aside.

Heat oil over medium heat in heavy pan. Add bacon, onions, pork and paprika. Cook, stirring, 10 minutes. Add garbanzo beans, garlic head and enough water to cover. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce to low. Cover and simmer 1 hour.

When beans are soft but not tender, add chorizos and continue to cook 1 hour longer. Add Morcilla, potatoes, green pepper and salt to taste. Cook another 20 minutes.

Remove garlic head and serve cocido in soup bowls with crusty bread. Accompany with sliced tomatoes dressed with olive oil and sherry vinegar.

Yield: 8 servings.

Franks and Baked Beans

3 cups (1-1/2 pounds) dried white beans

1/2 cup molasses

2 tablespoons dry mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 ham hocks

Water

2 teaspoons salt or to taste

20 frankfurters

Soak beans in water 3 hours to soften slightly, then drain and discard water.

Place beans in heavy lidded ovenproof casserole and add molasses, mustard, ketchup, cloves and pepper and mix well. Add ham hocks and enough water to cover beans by 2 inches.

Bake in oven, covered, at 275 degrees 2 hours. Add salt and more water if beans are getting too dry.

Return to oven and continue to bake another 6 hours. Check beans every hour or so, adding more water if necessary.

About 45 minutes before serving, cut frankfurters into 3/4-inch rounds and add to beans. Bake 45 minutes.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.