Beans Two Ways

Lately, I have been taking beans and rice to work for lunch. They're filling and I don't really care what I eat for lunch, as long as it's something, so that works out great for me. I use the cheap, bagged dried beans from the grocery store, usually the Goya Pinto or Black beans. I don't pre-soak them. I make them in the slow cooker every week, and they just get more delicious the longer they last. I put half in a tupperware to eat over the week, and divide the other half between 2 plastic freezer bags. I freeze these laying flat, so they can be stacked vertically or horizontally to save room.


Here are my two favorite ways to cook beans.

Meaty Beans

2 Ham hocks or 1 ham hock and smoked turkey necks or wings
One yellow onion, halved
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
Dried beans to cover about the bottom third of the slow cooker

Put all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover all ingredients with water until slow cooker is 3/4 full. Cook 8 hours. Season with salt, and your preferred combo of:

cayenne
paprika
garlic powder
onion powder
bacon grease
cumin
turmeric

Vegetarian Mexican Beans

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dried pinto beans, picked over, rinsed
6 cups water
1 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican
2 tsp salt

In medium skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring continuously, 5 minutes to soften.

Transfer onion mixture to slow cooker. Add beans, water and oregano. Cover and cook until skins are soft, insides are creamy and a few are beginning to crack open, about 4 to 6 hours on high heat, or 6 to 9 hours on low heat. When beans are almost done, stir in salt and cook at least 20 minutes.

Serve straight from the pot (de olla) as a main or side dish. Alternately, gently mash beans in slow cooker until creamy and still soupy.

Middle Eastern Rice with Black Beans and Chickpeas

Cole and Mandy like this simple rice dish with Middle-Eastern flavors when it's hot outside in an Arizona summer.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 quart chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 bunch chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute. Stir in rice, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, then pour in chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
Place the turkey in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown.
Gently mix cooked turkey, garbanzo beans, black beans, cilantro, parsley, and pine nuts into the cooked rice. Season with salt and pepper.