Health and Wellness More Health & Wellness Healthy Recipes from Temecula Farmhouse
| Healthy Recipes from Temecula Farmhouse |
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| Written by Anna Lee |
| Thursday, 01 July 2010 14:55 |
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Ahh, summer and holidays like 4th of July usually mean lots of fun and barbeques! I can’t think of another dish that says all-American than a big dish of bubbly baked beans! What? No oven? For a switch try this …bake them in a covered, cast-iron skillet or pot on your BBQ, with indirect heat and the lid closed! Beans are rich in minerals, B vitamins and omega fatty acids, are satisfying, and full of fiber and protein. They also contain complex sugars, phytic acid, and enzyme inhibitors which can cause difficult digestion if not prepared properly. Soaking and thoroughly cooking them assures your body will enjoy their many benefits. If you opt to use (4 ) 15 oz. cans of pre-cooked beans, make sure you rinse and strain them. Remember though, the processing and chemicals used to coat the inside of most of our canned foods means bad news for our health, so I suggest using canned items sparingly. Just plan ahead a little! 4th of July Bean Bake 2 lbs. dried pink or white beans which you will cover with water and add ¼ C lemon juice or whey (this is the liquid that is strained from your yoghurt, which leaves you with ‘Greek-style yoghurt or yoghurt ‘cheese’. Just strain in a coffee filter.) Let the beans soak in this for 12 to 24 hours. Then strain the liquid, cover with fresh water, cover the pot and simmer for 2-4 hours until tender, skimming any gunk that floats to the top. Drain the beans again reserving about 2C of their cooking liquid. Put them in a liberally buttered casserole dish about 8 x 12 in size. Now, in your blender or food processor chop and then puree the following: 1 yellow onion, which is peeled and quartered 3 cloves of garlic 1T olive oil Pureeing the onion and garlic separate allows them to be coated in the oil, which means a richer, sweeter flavor. Just saving you the sautéing step Next, add and puree: 12 soft, pitted dates (soak in water to soften, if necessary) 6 fresh tomatoes or 1 ½C canned tomatoes 1-2C reserved bean water ¼ C each of honey and either maple syrup or sorghum molasses 2T apple cider vinegar 1 jalapeno or ¼ t cayenne pepper 2 t sea salt 1 t ground cinnamon ½ t ground cumin 1/8 t ground allspice Pour over beans, cover and bake at 325 for about 1 ½ hrs, uncover and (if desired), top with cooked, uncured bacon or pancetta and thinly sliced or diced bell peppers, then bake another 30 minutes. Beans are delicious served with fermented foods such as sauerkraut or pickles! Try this simple recipe to accompany your 4th of July Baked Beans and (heaven forbid) hot dogs! Simple (but real) Pickles! Slice 5 pickling cucumbers into ¼ inch pieces and put them in a mason jar. Combine 1C water with 2T fresh chopped dill, 1T mustard seeds, 1T sea salt and 4T whey (drained from your store bought, plain yoghurt). Add enough water to cover, but keep 1 inch below the top of jar. Cover tight and keep at room temperature for a few days, then transfer to the fridge. Yummm, yummm! Enjoy! Anna can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
