Full of Beans!
Stephanie Kelley
Because of this outstanding protein and fibre combination, beans provide health benefits for the digestive tract, blood sugar regulatory system, and the cardiovascular system.
The idea of digestive tract support from beans may surprise you. Many people think of beans as problem causing foods in the digestive system because of gas production. But recent research has shown that black beans in particular contain the perfect mix of substances for allowing bacteria in the colon to produce butyric acid. The cells lining the inside of the colon use this substance to keep the lower digestive tract functioning properly.
One cup of black beans provides over 4 grams of soluble fibre, which is the type that researchers have found helps to lower blood cholesterol levels. Decreased risk of coronary heart disease and heart attacks have both been associated with increased intake of soluble fibre from legumes.
On top of all of these tremendous health benefits, black beans are also delicious. They are an important staple in the cuisines of Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. They are inexpensive and they store well. And, they are not genetically modified!
You can purchase them in bulk and store them in an airtight container in a cool, dark and dry place where they will keep for up to a year.
Cooked beans will keep in the fridge for about 3 days. I like to cook extra and freeze portions for future meals.
Unlike canned vegetables which lose many valuable nutrients in the canning process, beans hold their nutritional value. They are convenient, and certainly a time saver, but of course are not nearly as economical as cooking with dried beans, and then there’s that pesky BPA issue.
The canning process uses a chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) to help prevent spoilage in resin based can liners. BPA is referred to as an endocrine disruptor because of its ability to alter fertility and increased risk of reproductive system related cancers later in life. Even food that is labelled organic can be sold in cans containing BPA.
In my ongoing personal campaign to avoid GMO crap, and to boycott evil corporations I have shifted to a more vegetarian diet.
But we need protein in our diets, which beans provide plenty of and luckily, I happen to love the flavours and textures of all the different types of legumes.
A couple of weeks ago I was hankering for the taste of a nice, fiery batch of chilli. Before my conversion, I would have made a pot of traditional chili, with ground meat, or a kettle of cowboy pinto beans with some salt pork to enhance the flavour.
This batch of chilli was going to be all vegetarian, though, so I hit my cook book collection for inspiration. Googling for recipes is great, but I wanted a recipe from a gourmet vegetarian source, and so I pulled my Greens cook books down.
I have two cook books featuring recipes from this celebrated San Francisco restaurant. For more than 20 years, Greens Restaurant has revolutionized vegetarian cuisine, and I’ve enjoyed every Greens recipe I’ve tried so far.
I had not yet tried the Greens version of Black Bean Chili, and so thought it was high time to try it. I conveniently had all the ingredients on hand, including one last smidgen of Chipotle Jalapeno Peppers in Adobo Sauce.
Chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce have a marvellous, deep, rich, smoky and earthy flavour. They are also quite hot….a little bit goes a long way with these peppers!
You can get them at larger local supermarkets in little cans. (BPA. Yeah, I know!) After you open a new can, store the unused peppers in the sauce in a small glass jar in the refrigerator. You can also puree them first for future convenience, they will last practically forever! But, if you like the flavour as much as I do they won’t be hanging around that long…. Chipotle peppers are a delicious addition to many dishes. They were a key ingredient in this chilli recipe….they complemented the beans beautifully and made the flavours so complex and robust I thought this was about the best chilli I’d ever tasted! Never even missed the meat.
The recipe calls for pre-soaking the beans overnight but you can also do the quickie pre-soak method: Bring your pot of beans to a boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to stand covered for an hour. After an hour, drain and rinse the beans and they are ready to go.
This chilli will freeze well, and is thick enough to use in burritos, enchiladas and chilaquiles.
Bon appetit!
Greens Restaurant Black Bean Chili
2 cups black turtle beans, soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
4 teaspoons cumin seeds
4 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
4 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons oil
3 medium yellow onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ pounds ripe or canned tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped; juice reserved
1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle chili in adobo chopped or pureed
About 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoons cilantro chopped
Garnishes:
Grated cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, muenster)
Fresh roasted or canned green chilies
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Chopped cilantro
Diced red onion
Diced avocado
Sort and clean beans, rinse well, cover generously with water and let them soak overnight. Next day, drain the beans, cover with fresh water by a couple of inches, and bring to a boil with the bay leaf. Lower the heat and let the beans simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Heat a small heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, and when they begin to colour, add the oregano leaves. Shake and stir frequently so the herbs don’t scorch. As soon as the fragrance is strong and robust, remove the pan from the heat and add the paprika and cayenne. Give everything a quick stir, then remove from the pan. The paprika and cayenne only need a few seconds to toast. Grind in a mortar or spice mill to make a coarse powder.
Heat the oil in a large skillet, and sauté the onions over medium heat until they soften. Add the garlic, salt, the ground herbs and the chili powder and cook another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, their juice, and about 1 teaspoon of the chipotle chilies. Simmer for about 15 minutes, then add this mixture to the beans, and if necessary, enough water so the beans are covered by at least 1 inch. Continue cooking the beans slowly until they are soft, an hour or longer.
When the beans are cooked, taste them, and add more chipotle chili if desired. Season to taste with the vinegar, additional salt if needed, and the cilantro.
Ladle the chili into bowls and top with your choice of garnishes. This chili is quite thick, thick enough to serve on a plate with cornbread or fritters. Or, you can thin it with a bit of stock, water or tomato juice if you like.
