From Dry to Edible

Dry pinto bean, a bean after the first "cook," and an edible bean. Aren't they amazing?

Last year my New Year's resolution was to stop using canned beans. Why would I choose to give up the convenience of just opening a can? Three reasons: 1) dry beans are much cheaper, 2) canned foods contain BPA, which I want to avoid, and 3) the taste of dry beans is so much better (plus you can add whatever flavors you like!). I also discovered that there is a way of cooking beans that is much faster than the old soak for hours method my mom used to do.

You put your dry (picked over and rinsed) beans in a pot with about an inch of water over them (so, water up to the top of the beans and then an inch more). In a covered pot, bring them to a boil, then remove them from the heat and let them sit, still covered, for an hour. Then drain them, rinse them, rinse the pot (this helps to cut down on flatulence), then put them back in, again with an inch of water on top and bring to a boil again. Simmer for an hour and voila! Delicious cooked beans! Some beans take an hour and a half of simmering (like garbanzos). Do not add salt till the cooking is complete (I use a teaspoonful for each pound of dried beans that I started with), but you can add garlic or cumin or onion or a combination of all three (or anything else you might like) on the second time in the pot.

We had burritos for dinner last night. The whole family had a hand in cooking! I was in charge of the pinto beans, romaine lettuce, and onions. My son sliced the black olives. My husband grated cheddar and colby and heated the (store bought) whole wheat tortillas in a 12" pan. We also had (storebought) reduced-fat sour cream, (fat free) salsa, and hot sauce. When setting the table for burrito night we don't bother with forks or spoons--we just put a napkin at each plate (normally we do forks but don't bother with napkins). Everyone fills her/his tortilla with whatever combination of fillings desired and we all enjoy our messy meal.

I had two whole-wheat tortillas, about 6 black olives, 2/3 cup of beans, and one ounce of grated cheese. I topped off with lettuce, onions, 2 tablespoons of sour cream, salsa, and hot sauce! According to my calculations, this meal was worth 14 WW points plus.