Beans are Nutritious?
 

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Hi All,

I have come up with a recipe which involves beans. I want a critique of whether it's a nutritious meal:

Chile:

1 pound Beans, rinsed, soaked and cooked

1.5 pounds red Bell Peppers, diced and sauteed

2 pounds ground Beef, sauteed

28 ounce can of crushed Tomatoes.

24 ounce jar of Tomato Sauce

2 teaspoons Salt

2 teaspoons Cayenne Red Pepper

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 teaspoon Garlic powder

Add Onions if you like Onions.

Serve with shredded cheese as a garnish

--------------------------------------

I am really getting into making beans. Soaking and boiling the beans instead of buying canned beans.
So this is the recipe I've come up with. I have tried small white beans, pink beans, pinto beans, great northern beans, and I plan to try navy beans.

Question: Should I try to make this Chile with TWO pounds of beans? And is prepared chile powder any better than straight Cayenne?

Calculate it ...

http://www.nutritiondata.com/

I take it that the recipe means one pound of dry beans that has been soaked and cooked, which yields more than a pound of cooked beans. If that's true, I'd say that this recipe sounds about right. Two pounds of dried beans (two bags if you're buying packaged, not bulk) is a heck of a lot of beans!

Chili powder isn't cayenne- the former is a blend of (usually) several different types of chiles, plus spices and salt, while the former is simply ground cayenne pepper. If you're serious about chili, why not think of making your own? Get a nice mix of three or four different kinds of dried chiles (a good mix is Anaheim (mild), Ancho (hotter, but nice flavor too), Chipotle (for a nice smokiness), and Guajillo (adds a nice dark complexity). Break 'em up, put 'em in a coffee grinder (you should dedicate it as a spice grinder- you really don't want all this in your coffee!), and you'll have a nice custom made chili powder the likes of which you can't buy anywhere except in fancy Mexican shops (which you can easily find in NY, but hey, it's fun to make your own...). Check out this web site to get familiar with the many chiles out there.

BTW, I'd add cumin to that recipe.

Have fun!

Yes, I forgot, I used Cumin. I have whole seed Cumin in a little spice grinder, like a pepper mill. I also added Garlic powder.

I number of years ago I grew my own Habanero's . I think Habanero peppers are like a hazardous substance, ten times hotter than pepper spray. Jalapeno's are mild compared to Habanero's.

Yeah, that's right, the Beans weigh more than a pound after they've been cooked.

I will try some experiments to see how hot I can make the Chile. Thanks for your input.

Glad to help. Actually, thank you for reminding me that it's been too long since I made my stuffed peppers and quinoa casserole with special chili sauce (made from reconstituted dried Cascabel, Anaheim, and Guajillo chiles with garlic, lime juice, and tomato paste, all blenderized to a smooth consistency). Just finished that for dinner tonight.

Ground beef usually has quite a bit of fat. You could try it with either ground turkey breast or ground chicken breast. You will end up with a lot less fat and fewer calories. The downsides in a culinary sense are 2: the texture of the poultry will not be quite the same as ground beef and the flavor will not be quite the same. You can pretty much get the flavor by using some beef base for the beef flavor. I think the poultry works pretty well because chili is generally spicey enought that the difference between beef and poultry will not be that big a deal. Of course, you are the one eating this so it is YOUR call.

Yes, beans are nutritious. :thumb:

Make sure you rinse the beans after soaking them. That will reduce their "gas-producing" effects.

You can also use leaner ground beef. Grass fed beef would even increase the level of omega 3s.

Yes, I rinsed the beans, soaked them, and rinsed them again before cooking.

The fat from the beef was scooped up with a ladle from the frying pan and into an old can.

I will try again with different peppers, and different beans. What about Black Beans? Kidney Beans? Black Eyed Peas? Lima Beans?

Yes on black beans or kidney beans.

Black-eyed peas and lima beans are nutritious, but they might be a little odd in a chili.

Actually, garbanzos are a nice bean in chili- I like to do a mix: equal parts black, small red, and garbanzos. I also add corn, but another thing that's really tasty is hominy (pozole, not grits). I'm not a slave to combining proteins, but it just so happens that beans and corn are a natural combo. And, you can omit the meat :).

BTW, don't salt the cooking water- it will make the beans (the skins, actually) tough- garbanzos and kidneys are especially prone to this problem. You can always salt after cooking.

kidney and black beans in a chili! white kidney beans (canneloni) if you want to mix it up a bit.

speaking of combining beans and corn: would you get the same effect by combining beans and masa harina flour (a corn flour)?

You'd get the same protein combination (beans and grain), but I'd think it would be a bit weird looking and have a gummy texture if you just put the flour in there without doing something to it first. Dumplings made from the flour would be a good choice, but so would arepas (mmmmm, arepas!). Or you could make tortillas, cut into strips, fry 'em and then serve the chili on top- as long as you use hot oil (375) and drain them well, they really aren't that fattening, and it's a combination made in heaven.

The first chilis, made way, way back, were made with masa harina! I'm not saying load it in, but 1/4 cup in a big pot of chili would thicken it up nicely, I think.

True that- I didn't think you meant a small amount.

I was about to go off on a rant about how that recipe isn't even close to chili and looks more like spaghetti sauce with beans in it. Then i re-read the post and realized it was a recipe for "chile" instead, and i don't know what that is...

I make a hamburger-based dish similar to yours -but I add rice and a generous amount of salsa.

The hamburger is cooked before everything else, and any water, and or most fat is drained off the meat before adding beans, rice and salsa.

Essential it's a big taco-mixture which I sometimes put in tortilla or dip with chips from a bowl.

"Nutritious" can be defined many ways. I prefer the the more specific phrase - "nutrient density."

Nutrient dense foods contain a high level of nutrients for their given caloric value. Most natural, unprocessed foods are considered nutrient "dense." Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are good examples. Processed foods, like TV dinners, and Big Macs are considered less "nutrient dense" because of their tremendous caloric value.

Nutritious is whatever you think it is.

I was so hungry, I ate an entire South American Country...

CHILI is the correct spelling.

I might have added some Wondra flour , when reheating, to thicken it up.

http://allrecipes.com/Search/Recipes...WithTerm=chili

There are lots of ways to make chili.

If you want hot,just buy a bottle of Dave's Insanity.It makes Scotch Bonnet peppers (habaneros) taste like candy! It will clean the grease off the driveway too!

I gather your NOT from Texas.God forbid you mention beans and chili in the same breath.

Beans without Chili:

1 Pound Beans, rinsed, soaked and boiled.

Make the sauce as follows:

1 cup Water

2 Tablespoons Flour

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Cumin

1 Teaspoon Garlic powder

1 Teaspoon Oregano

1 Teaspoon Cayenne

Stir and simmer until sauce thickens, then add

1 Eight ounce can of Tomato Sauce

Then put the sauce on the Beans



I came up with this recipe by experimentation, on account the store-bought "pork & beans" contains a lot of sugar. I am trying to keep the sugar in my diet to a minimum.

So forget the Chili, I am trying to eat more beans, without the sugar of the store-bought canned beans (whether it's brown sugar or corn syrup).

As the old song goes (we sang this as schoolchildren):

"Beans, beans, they're good for your heart

The more you eat, the more you fart

The more you fart, the better you feel

so eat some beans with every meal

2nd verse:

Beans, beans, the musical fruit

The more you eat, the more you toot

The more you toot, the better you feel

so eat some beans with every meal "

From Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beans,_..._Magical_Fruit

Coupla bean recipes
 

Here are a couple recipes for beans. The first is relatively cheap and nutritious. The second is a little more time consuming but worth it.

Basic Beans.

1 lb beans, soak overnight with 1 TBS salt (keeps the beans intact)
(my personal favorite is cranberry beans).

Drain and wash off with lots of fresh water before cooking.

Ham hock, bacon, cheap hunk of sausage or some other smoky piece of meat.

1 onion, chopped, maybe 2
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chilies, maybe 2 cans
5-6 (or more) cloves garlic
Couple boullion cubes

Cover beans, ham hock (or whatever ) with water, add everything else in pressure cooker and let her rip for 20 minutes at 15 pounds.

Serve with cornbread.

Second recipe is my modified version of minestrone. This recipe came out great.

1 cup dried cranberry beans
1 cup dried garbanzo beans
1 cup dried cannellini beans

Soak overnight, change water, over with water and cook for 1-1 ½ hrs until tender

2 slices pancetta, about 3/8 inch thick, diced

3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 8 oz package button mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
Small handful porcini mushrooms, soaked, soaking liquid reserved

Two tbs good olive oil in a stockpot along with 1 ½ tbs butter. Saute pancetta, then vegetable mixture until onions are soft, about 10 min

Add 3 quarts chicken stock. I used Swanson 99% fat free.

1 bunch Swiss Chard, de-stemmed, rough chopped
2 Zucchini, quartered and sliced into small chunks
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 leeks, rinsed and sliced into ½” pieces
1 potato, peeled and cubed
1 28 oz can tomatoes, roughly chopped, juice included
1 tsp pepper flakes
1 Knorr chicken bullion cube
1 Knorr beef bullion cube
1 sprig rosemary or to taste
3 sprigs thyme or to taste

Add to pot

Add 1 small can tomato paste

Add beans and cooking liquid (liquid should be thickened)

Salt and pepper to taste

Add 1 box small shells shortly before serving. Adjust consistency of broth as needed.

Makes a lot.

If you get cumin seed and grind it fresh, it tastes a lot better.

There are whole books of nothing but chile recipes. But they tend to be about adding something different, a tsp of cocoa, a dash of coffee, a little molasses, usually dark flavors. Not all at once, of course.

You can make beans a complete protein by adding a grain. Gluten is wheat protein, and I add a little when I bake something. I suppose you try adding it to the chile, but I've never done it. Besides, I've always done corn muffins with chile.

Late wrote: "If you get cumin seed and grind it fresh, it tastes a lot better..."

I already said I ground my own Cumin. Yes, it tastes better, gotta agree.

And if you gently toast the seeds in a dry fry pan before grinding, they'll taste that much better. Actually, most spices benefit from this treatment- something an Indian friend taught me...

Okay, I bought Ham Hocks yesterday afternoon, Made Pork & Beans!

I used my own recipe though, but thanks for the Ham Hock suggestion.

One thing to keep in mind with beans is that acidic components like tomatoes should be added toward the end of cooking because if you put acids in early the beans may not soften up. Don't know if that holds true if you're using a pressure cooker.

I've also heard it said that adding salt early will prevent the beans from softening, but that's a myth. Salting beans early is fine.

I'm not sure I agree with salted beans not softening a myth. I've had problems if I add salt to beans while cooking. Maybe it depends on the bean, I don't know.

The salt in the pressure cooked version seems to keep the beans together, but it's only used during the soaking stage, and the beans are thoroughly washed before cooking . Pressure cooking soaked beans sometimes turns them to mush. This seems to prevent that. Cooking time and of course the type of bean you're using also has an effect.

The Ro-Tel tomatoes used in the recipe I posted don't seem to have a hardening effect on the beans. Probably because they don't cook but for 20 minutes.