A good bowl of beans

I love beans for so many reasons. For instance:
1) They are hearty and satisfying
2) They are high in protein and fiber
3) They are low in fat
4) They provide a blank slate for my culinary imagination

The soybean is a super food, but we don't typically eat it in its whole food form. I sing the praises of tofu, tempeh, miso, etc. but here I am referring to dried beans, or legumes, which are available in a vast array of colors and sizes in the bulk bins at my natural food store (and at any supermarket).

Yesterday another storm blew in, bringing cold and rain, and I wanted something warming and hearty for dinner. Beans came immediately to mind, so I rummaged in my pantry and came up with a bag of aduki beans, small red-black beans that are particularly high in protein and low in gas-producing compounds (you'll notice they produce very little foam while cooking).

I started with an old nutrition-school trick of adding a big strip of kombu, a sea vegetable purchased at said natural food store, to the boiling water along with the beans. Kombu is dense with health-promoting minerals and is said to promote good digestion, minimizing the musical effect of legumes. Didn't add any salt at this point; many "old wives" believe it toughens the beans to salt them too early.

When the beans were almost tender (this took about an hour), I added other ingredients. For this stew, I called on the basics of Tex-mex cooking, chile and cumin powders. I also added plenty of garlic and some freshly grated ginger (for their warming and immune-boosting properties), some finely diced carrots and kale, canned tomatoes, red wine, salt and quite a bit of black pepper. Another 30 minutes or so of boiling and the beans were ready.

I served it forth, garnished with a dollop of sour cream (here blended 50/50 with plain nonfat yogurt), a scattering of fresh cilantro leaves, and a dusting of smoked paprika.

The stew was delicious and filling and chased away the chill. I'm already planning my next batch of beans...

Blessings and bon appetit!

Tags: beans legumes vegetarian cooking kombu