A classic I return to every fall/winter.
I cooked up a big pot of kidney beans. I didn't salt-soak them, but they turned out nice and tender. I get so frustrated with beans. I just don't know what I do that works or doesn't work from one time to the next. This time, I soaked them for about 5 hours, then brought to a boil on top of the stove. I threw in an onion and a carrot, boiled hard for 5 minutes, and then put them into a 250" oven (covered) for about an hour. I checked on them at that point, added a couple teaspoons of salt, and then I think I put them back in for 15 minutes.
Maybe it's the nice, even, consistent heat of the oven that made them turn out well this time. Or maybe this particular batch from the store was just fresher or whatever.
Anyway. I will keep experimenting, because I really love all the benefits of cooking my own beans.
1 onion, chopped
2cloves garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp Aleppo pepper
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 heaping cups cooked kidney beans
1.5 cups kidney bean broth
1.5 cup frozen corn kernels
1 16-oz jar crushed tomatoes (yes, my own home-canned ones -- I am using them so fast! Next year, I'm SO doing more. Phantom, I'm looking at you!!)
Saute onions and a couple of pinches of salt till soft; add squash and corn and saute another 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and spices and stir constantly for another minute. Add tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Simmer gently, covered, till squash is tender, and then stir in the beans.
As with many bean dishes, this one's even better the next day.
4 comments:
If you're wondering why your page keeps reloading from one particular reader tonight, it's b/c I'm cooking this right now! Thanks for the inspiration.
Susan, you've made my day! Fall weather just cries out for this kind of meal, doesn't it?
And it was yummy! I had a 35 oz can of crushed tomatoes, so I used only 3/4 cup of broth, and I left out the pepper and halved the cumin b/c Curious Girl is off spices these days. I wanted to serve it over rice, but we only had arborio rice in the house (is it possible I used up all my other rice before we moved? apparently so), so I cooked that up in the rice cooker and served the rice on one half the bowl, and the stew on the other. I put some butter on the rice and a bit of parmesean cheese. CG put soy sauce on it all and said that was good, too.
So thanks!
I love to hear about your variations and go-withs and family preferences. I hardly ever make a recipe the same way twice, and I often make the kinds of substitutions/approximations you mention, depending on what I have on hand and who's eating it ;-)
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