We all should be eating more beans and legumes, but not sure how?\u00a0 They are so versatile it is easier than you think to include in main and side dishes,\u00a0 savoury and sweet.<\/p>\n
Pulses are the edible seeds of leguminous plants, such as beans, peas and lentils. Usually filling, full of flavour and inexpensive.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n- They are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours and can be stored for long periods.<\/li>\n
- Buy a variety of legumes like split peas, lentils, chick peas, red kidney beans, navy (haricot) beans, four bean mix and baked beans.<\/li>\n
- If you don\u2019t have the time to soak and cook legumes, use canned varieties, available in the canned food section of\u00a0 supermarkets, or those packed in vacuum sealed bags, often from the health food section of the supermarket.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"Kofta\"](\"http:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/Bankstown-Pressure-Cooks-2-14-Nov-2009-110-300x225.jpg\" "\\"Bankstown")
Kofta – can be made with ground meat and\/or legumes<\/p><\/div>\n
Why are they good to include for a healthy diet?<\/span><\/h2>\nLegumes and beans are perfect staples for a healthy diet.<\/p>\n
\n- high in fibre and protein<\/li>\n
- low in fat<\/li>\n
- low GI so digested slowly & raise blood sugar level gently, so often recommended for diabetics<\/li>\n
- The protein in legumes is incomplete, but when combined with grains, present a perfectly balanced protein, making beans and grains dishes ideal food for vegans and vegetarians.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Buying and Storing Beans and Legumes<\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\nHow are they sold?<\/strong><\/span> Dried, canned, vacuumed sealed packs.<\/h3>\nWhat\u2019s the shelf life?<\/span><\/h2>\nDried legumes, beans and lentils have a shelf life of a year, but do get drier, less flavour and tougher as they age, so older beans will require more soaking and longer cook times. They will have less flavour than fresh dried legumes and lentils.<\/p>\n
How should they be stored?<\/span><\/h2>\nStore in a cool, dry place in a covered container.<\/p>\n
Do dried beans need soaking before cooking?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Dried beans and legumes should be rinsed, checked for stones or debris, and then soaked in cold water for 4 to 24 hours. Lentils require no soaking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Beans with thin skins require less soaking, eg. adzuki , black-eyed beans and mung beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- You won\u2019t have to soak your beans but it helps speed up cooking time considerably. The easiest method is to place the beans in a bowl, and cover them with water. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- To speed the soaking process<\/strong><\/span>:<\/span> <\/span>heat a pan of beans or legumes in water to boiling, boil for two to three minutes, remove from the heat, cover and soak\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 them for an hour in the water. Drain and cook.\u00a0 While this quick method works well, it may result in some of the beans breaking apart or skins splitting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Never soak dried beans for more than 24 hours unless specifically directed by a recipe. Soaking beans for too long can cause fermentation. Fermentation can cause digestion issues resulting in discomfort and gas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
\n- Never cook beans in the same water they are soaked in as the water may contain gas producing sugars that can cause digestive problems. Discard the used water, rinse the beans and place them in a saucepan filled with fresh water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Add enough water to cover beans by about 5cm water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- To help soften a full pack of dried product, add 2 teaspoons of Bi-Carb soda to the water whilst soaking the product (water level should cover the product by 5cms).\u00a0 After soaking, rinse off thoroughly before cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Should dried beans be cooked with salt?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nDon\u2019t add salt or the skins will toughen and lengthens the cooking time.<\/p>\n
Cooking dried beans<\/span><\/h1>\n\n- Cover the soaked beans with cold water (covering beans by 5cm), slowly bring to a boil, then simmer until tender.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Note: Red kidney beans should be boiled for 10 minutes, change the water and simmer in fresh water for 45-60 minutes, until tender.<\/p>\n
\n- Suggested cooking time is usually between 40 \u2013 60 minutes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Beans increase in size by about 2-3 times after cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Dried beans can also be cooked in a pressure cooker, microwave or slow cooker.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- If you have hard water, add a bit of baking soda to the water to soften the beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Can canned be substituted for dried beans?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Many types of beans and legumes are available canned, ready to add to dishes or simply heated and served as a side dish.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Canned beans don\u2019t need to be soaked or cooked, just rinsed and heated through.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Some brands use more salt than others, so always check the label.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Canned beans tend to be saltier with less flavour than reconstituted dried beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How long can beans be kept once cooked?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Cooked beans and lentils can be refrigerated for four to five days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Once opened, canned legumes can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for seven days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Freeze cooked beans and lentils for 3 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lentils<\/span><\/h1>\nThe lentil plant (Lens Culinaris) belongs to the family Leguminosae<\/em> (legume)\u00a0 and is a cousin to peas. The plants are grown for their seeds, which are contained in pods.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
![\"Dahi](\"http:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/Bankstown-Pressure-Cooks-2-14-Nov-2009-118-300x225.jpg\" "\\"Bankstown")
Dahi Vada or Dahi Bara – an Indian dish made with urad dal ( black lentils without skin) washed and soaked for 3-4 hours or overnight<\/p><\/div>\n
How to Cook Lentils<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nOne advantage of lentils over other legumes is that they do not require soaking. They can be soaked for a few hours but is not really necessary. Soaking will reduce the cooking time by about half.<\/p>\n
Before cooking<\/strong> <\/span>lentils, rinse them in cold water and pick through them for any debris or small stones.\u00a0 When cooking lentils by themselves, use 3 times the amount of water to lentils and avoid cooking with anything acidic, such as vinegar, as it retards the cooking process.\u00a0 One type of lentil can be substituted for another in recipes but cooking time may need to be adjusted.<\/p>\nCooking times <\/strong><\/span>will depend on preferred texture. Well cook lentils & mash, shorter cooking time lentils will keep their shape.<\/p>\nCooking times for the main three types of lentils are:<\/p>\n
Brown Lentils – 35 minutes<\/p>\n
Red Lentils – 10-15 minutes<\/p>\n
Puy (green) Lentils – 20 minutes<\/p>\n
Lentils cook more slowly if they’re combined with salt or acidic ingredients, so add these last.\u00a0 Bigger or older lentils take longer to cook.<\/p>\n
Store<\/span> <\/strong>dried lentils for up to a year in a cool, dry place.<\/p>\nKnow Your Beans and Legumes<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nBlack Beans<\/strong>
\nBlack beans are famous as the mainstay in black bean soup, a natural accompaniment to rice and a filling in burritos and other Latin food. They\u2019re available both canned and dried in most grocery stores.<\/p>\nBlack-Eyed Peas<\/strong>
\nBlack-eyed peas are commonly used in South American dishes and as side dishes.<\/p>\nBroad Beans<\/strong> \u2013 see fava beans<\/p>\nCannellini bean = white kidney bean = fazolia bean <\/strong><\/p>\nFavoured in Mediterranean dishes, salads, soups such as minestrone.<\/p>\n
Fava Beans<\/strong><\/p>\nAlso known as broad beans. These delicious beans are also an excellent source of fibre, niacin, iron and vitamin C.<\/p>\n
Fresh young fava beans need only be shelled, but mature beans must also be peeled to rid them of a waxy skin that surrounds each bean.\u00a0\u00a0The best way to do this is to blanch the shelled beans for a minute in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water, and then pull off the skins.<\/p>\n
To prepare broad beans simply remove the pods from the shell and boil or microwave until just tender. Broad beans are delicious, served simply with a little butter and pepper, in salads, casseroles or soups.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Garbanzo Beans<\/strong>
\nAlso called chickpeas. These acorn-shaped, yellow legumes are used in soups and as the base for hummus, a popular Middle Eastern spread.<\/p>\nHaricot Bean<\/strong><\/p>\nThese small white beans are commonly used to make baked beans, but they’re also good in soups and salads and the classic French Cassoulet dish.\u00a0 They are relatively difficult to digest. Also known as Boston or Navy Bean.<\/p>\n
Kidney Beans<\/strong>
\nVersatile kidney beans come in a variety of colors: red, dark red and white. The red varieties are mealy, slightly sweet and are typically used in chilli dishes, as fillers in soups, salads and in refried beans.<\/p>\nThe white variety is milder and can become creamy when cooked well. This variety is used in Italian dishes.<\/p>\n
Lentils<\/strong>
\nTiny, available in different colours with a nutty taste. No need to soak lentils before cooking. Used in casseroles, stews, soups and salads.<\/p>\nPuy Lentils <\/strong>(French style Lentils)<\/p>\nFrench style Lentils are a lentil variety now grown in Australia. Renowed for their deep nutty flavour and holding their shape when cooked these lentils are perfect for salads or served with meat or fish.<\/p>\n
Lima Beans<\/strong>
\nButtery flavour, large and can be either light green or cream coloured. Often cooked with bacon and served as a side dish.<\/p>\nThe biggest downside is that lima beans are harder to digest than other beans.<\/p>\n
Mung Beans<\/strong>
\nTiny beans commonly used in Asian dishes. Whole mung beans are small and green, and they’re often sprouted to make bean sprouts.\u00a0 When skinned and split, the beans are flat and yellow, and called moong dal.<\/p>\nMung beans available in several colours, such as green, black, brown and red. The red beans, also called Adzuki beans, are used to make bean paste, a sweet paste used in Asian pastries.<\/p>\n
Navy Bean <\/strong>\u2013 see haricot bean<\/p>\nSoya Beans<\/h3>\n
The beans need to be soaked a long time and are somewhat hard to digest, but they’re extremely nutritious and\u00a0extremely versatile. It is used to make salad oil, tofu, soy sauce, meat substitutes, soy milk, cheese and tempeh.<\/p>\n
Split Peas<\/strong>
\nUsed as the basis of split pea soup with ham, onion, bay leaf. Available in yellow or green.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Suggestions for Adding More Beans and Legumes in Your Diet<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nRecipe suggestions:<\/span><\/h3>\n\n- Spinach chickpea dip (or Hummus)<\/li>\n
- Couscous, chickpeas & roasted pumpkin<\/li>\n
- Pumpkin & lentil curry (from Rice Cooker<\/em> book by Brigid Treloar)<\/li>\n
- Salad of new potatoes, crumbled pancetta, broadbeans and mint<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n- Use pureed lentils and beans to thicken soups and sauces.<\/li>\n
- Add beans and legumes to almost any soup eg. Split pea soup with ham<\/li>\n
- As a substitute for meat in many dishes<\/li>\n
- Beans are the perfect accompaniment to many Mexican dishes (eg. burritos, tacos and enchiladas)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Add to Middle Eastern dishes (eg. on their own or with couscous) or to the French Cassoulet dish<\/li>\n
- Cold bean salads are refreshing in the summer<\/li>\n
- Baked beans as an accompaniment to barbequed ribs<\/li>\n
- Try the classic red beans and rice seasoned with sausage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How to prepare, cook & store legumes, dried beans, lentils. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,68,7],"tags":[71,93,69,70,4],"class_list":["post-443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-easy-recipes","category-information","category-radio-food-segments","tag-dried-beans","tag-food-information","tag-legumes","tag-lentils","tag-radio"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1194,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions\/1194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Kofta – can be made with ground meat and\/or legumes<\/p><\/div>\n
Why are they good to include for a healthy diet?<\/span><\/h2>\nLegumes and beans are perfect staples for a healthy diet.<\/p>\n
\n- high in fibre and protein<\/li>\n
- low in fat<\/li>\n
- low GI so digested slowly & raise blood sugar level gently, so often recommended for diabetics<\/li>\n
- The protein in legumes is incomplete, but when combined with grains, present a perfectly balanced protein, making beans and grains dishes ideal food for vegans and vegetarians.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Buying and Storing Beans and Legumes<\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\nHow are they sold?<\/strong><\/span> Dried, canned, vacuumed sealed packs.<\/h3>\nWhat\u2019s the shelf life?<\/span><\/h2>\nDried legumes, beans and lentils have a shelf life of a year, but do get drier, less flavour and tougher as they age, so older beans will require more soaking and longer cook times. They will have less flavour than fresh dried legumes and lentils.<\/p>\n
How should they be stored?<\/span><\/h2>\nStore in a cool, dry place in a covered container.<\/p>\n
Do dried beans need soaking before cooking?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Dried beans and legumes should be rinsed, checked for stones or debris, and then soaked in cold water for 4 to 24 hours. Lentils require no soaking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Beans with thin skins require less soaking, eg. adzuki , black-eyed beans and mung beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- You won\u2019t have to soak your beans but it helps speed up cooking time considerably. The easiest method is to place the beans in a bowl, and cover them with water. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- To speed the soaking process<\/strong><\/span>:<\/span> <\/span>heat a pan of beans or legumes in water to boiling, boil for two to three minutes, remove from the heat, cover and soak\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 them for an hour in the water. Drain and cook.\u00a0 While this quick method works well, it may result in some of the beans breaking apart or skins splitting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Never soak dried beans for more than 24 hours unless specifically directed by a recipe. Soaking beans for too long can cause fermentation. Fermentation can cause digestion issues resulting in discomfort and gas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
\n- Never cook beans in the same water they are soaked in as the water may contain gas producing sugars that can cause digestive problems. Discard the used water, rinse the beans and place them in a saucepan filled with fresh water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Add enough water to cover beans by about 5cm water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- To help soften a full pack of dried product, add 2 teaspoons of Bi-Carb soda to the water whilst soaking the product (water level should cover the product by 5cms).\u00a0 After soaking, rinse off thoroughly before cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Should dried beans be cooked with salt?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nDon\u2019t add salt or the skins will toughen and lengthens the cooking time.<\/p>\n
Cooking dried beans<\/span><\/h1>\n\n- Cover the soaked beans with cold water (covering beans by 5cm), slowly bring to a boil, then simmer until tender.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Note: Red kidney beans should be boiled for 10 minutes, change the water and simmer in fresh water for 45-60 minutes, until tender.<\/p>\n
\n- Suggested cooking time is usually between 40 \u2013 60 minutes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Beans increase in size by about 2-3 times after cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Dried beans can also be cooked in a pressure cooker, microwave or slow cooker.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- If you have hard water, add a bit of baking soda to the water to soften the beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Can canned be substituted for dried beans?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Many types of beans and legumes are available canned, ready to add to dishes or simply heated and served as a side dish.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Canned beans don\u2019t need to be soaked or cooked, just rinsed and heated through.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Some brands use more salt than others, so always check the label.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Canned beans tend to be saltier with less flavour than reconstituted dried beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How long can beans be kept once cooked?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Cooked beans and lentils can be refrigerated for four to five days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Once opened, canned legumes can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for seven days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Freeze cooked beans and lentils for 3 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lentils<\/span><\/h1>\nThe lentil plant (Lens Culinaris) belongs to the family Leguminosae<\/em> (legume)\u00a0 and is a cousin to peas. The plants are grown for their seeds, which are contained in pods.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Dahi Vada or Dahi Bara – an Indian dish made with urad dal ( black lentils without skin) washed and soaked for 3-4 hours or overnight<\/p><\/div>\n
How to Cook Lentils<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nOne advantage of lentils over other legumes is that they do not require soaking. They can be soaked for a few hours but is not really necessary. Soaking will reduce the cooking time by about half.<\/p>\n
Before cooking<\/strong> <\/span>lentils, rinse them in cold water and pick through them for any debris or small stones.\u00a0 When cooking lentils by themselves, use 3 times the amount of water to lentils and avoid cooking with anything acidic, such as vinegar, as it retards the cooking process.\u00a0 One type of lentil can be substituted for another in recipes but cooking time may need to be adjusted.<\/p>\nCooking times <\/strong><\/span>will depend on preferred texture. Well cook lentils & mash, shorter cooking time lentils will keep their shape.<\/p>\nCooking times for the main three types of lentils are:<\/p>\n
Brown Lentils – 35 minutes<\/p>\n
Red Lentils – 10-15 minutes<\/p>\n
Puy (green) Lentils – 20 minutes<\/p>\n
Lentils cook more slowly if they’re combined with salt or acidic ingredients, so add these last.\u00a0 Bigger or older lentils take longer to cook.<\/p>\n
Store<\/span> <\/strong>dried lentils for up to a year in a cool, dry place.<\/p>\nKnow Your Beans and Legumes<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nBlack Beans<\/strong>
\nBlack beans are famous as the mainstay in black bean soup, a natural accompaniment to rice and a filling in burritos and other Latin food. They\u2019re available both canned and dried in most grocery stores.<\/p>\nBlack-Eyed Peas<\/strong>
\nBlack-eyed peas are commonly used in South American dishes and as side dishes.<\/p>\nBroad Beans<\/strong> \u2013 see fava beans<\/p>\nCannellini bean = white kidney bean = fazolia bean <\/strong><\/p>\nFavoured in Mediterranean dishes, salads, soups such as minestrone.<\/p>\n
Fava Beans<\/strong><\/p>\nAlso known as broad beans. These delicious beans are also an excellent source of fibre, niacin, iron and vitamin C.<\/p>\n
Fresh young fava beans need only be shelled, but mature beans must also be peeled to rid them of a waxy skin that surrounds each bean.\u00a0\u00a0The best way to do this is to blanch the shelled beans for a minute in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water, and then pull off the skins.<\/p>\n
To prepare broad beans simply remove the pods from the shell and boil or microwave until just tender. Broad beans are delicious, served simply with a little butter and pepper, in salads, casseroles or soups.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Garbanzo Beans<\/strong>
\nAlso called chickpeas. These acorn-shaped, yellow legumes are used in soups and as the base for hummus, a popular Middle Eastern spread.<\/p>\nHaricot Bean<\/strong><\/p>\nThese small white beans are commonly used to make baked beans, but they’re also good in soups and salads and the classic French Cassoulet dish.\u00a0 They are relatively difficult to digest. Also known as Boston or Navy Bean.<\/p>\n
Kidney Beans<\/strong>
\nVersatile kidney beans come in a variety of colors: red, dark red and white. The red varieties are mealy, slightly sweet and are typically used in chilli dishes, as fillers in soups, salads and in refried beans.<\/p>\nThe white variety is milder and can become creamy when cooked well. This variety is used in Italian dishes.<\/p>\n
Lentils<\/strong>
\nTiny, available in different colours with a nutty taste. No need to soak lentils before cooking. Used in casseroles, stews, soups and salads.<\/p>\nPuy Lentils <\/strong>(French style Lentils)<\/p>\nFrench style Lentils are a lentil variety now grown in Australia. Renowed for their deep nutty flavour and holding their shape when cooked these lentils are perfect for salads or served with meat or fish.<\/p>\n
Lima Beans<\/strong>
\nButtery flavour, large and can be either light green or cream coloured. Often cooked with bacon and served as a side dish.<\/p>\nThe biggest downside is that lima beans are harder to digest than other beans.<\/p>\n
Mung Beans<\/strong>
\nTiny beans commonly used in Asian dishes. Whole mung beans are small and green, and they’re often sprouted to make bean sprouts.\u00a0 When skinned and split, the beans are flat and yellow, and called moong dal.<\/p>\nMung beans available in several colours, such as green, black, brown and red. The red beans, also called Adzuki beans, are used to make bean paste, a sweet paste used in Asian pastries.<\/p>\n
Navy Bean <\/strong>\u2013 see haricot bean<\/p>\nSoya Beans<\/h3>\n
The beans need to be soaked a long time and are somewhat hard to digest, but they’re extremely nutritious and\u00a0extremely versatile. It is used to make salad oil, tofu, soy sauce, meat substitutes, soy milk, cheese and tempeh.<\/p>\n
Split Peas<\/strong>
\nUsed as the basis of split pea soup with ham, onion, bay leaf. Available in yellow or green.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Suggestions for Adding More Beans and Legumes in Your Diet<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nRecipe suggestions:<\/span><\/h3>\n\n- Spinach chickpea dip (or Hummus)<\/li>\n
- Couscous, chickpeas & roasted pumpkin<\/li>\n
- Pumpkin & lentil curry (from Rice Cooker<\/em> book by Brigid Treloar)<\/li>\n
- Salad of new potatoes, crumbled pancetta, broadbeans and mint<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n- Use pureed lentils and beans to thicken soups and sauces.<\/li>\n
- Add beans and legumes to almost any soup eg. Split pea soup with ham<\/li>\n
- As a substitute for meat in many dishes<\/li>\n
- Beans are the perfect accompaniment to many Mexican dishes (eg. burritos, tacos and enchiladas)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Add to Middle Eastern dishes (eg. on their own or with couscous) or to the French Cassoulet dish<\/li>\n
- Cold bean salads are refreshing in the summer<\/li>\n
- Baked beans as an accompaniment to barbequed ribs<\/li>\n
- Try the classic red beans and rice seasoned with sausage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How to prepare, cook & store legumes, dried beans, lentils. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,68,7],"tags":[71,93,69,70,4],"class_list":["post-443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-easy-recipes","category-information","category-radio-food-segments","tag-dried-beans","tag-food-information","tag-legumes","tag-lentils","tag-radio"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1194,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions\/1194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Buying and Storing Beans and Legumes<\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\nHow are they sold?<\/strong><\/span> Dried, canned, vacuumed sealed packs.<\/h3>\nWhat\u2019s the shelf life?<\/span><\/h2>\nDried legumes, beans and lentils have a shelf life of a year, but do get drier, less flavour and tougher as they age, so older beans will require more soaking and longer cook times. They will have less flavour than fresh dried legumes and lentils.<\/p>\n
How should they be stored?<\/span><\/h2>\nStore in a cool, dry place in a covered container.<\/p>\n
Do dried beans need soaking before cooking?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Dried beans and legumes should be rinsed, checked for stones or debris, and then soaked in cold water for 4 to 24 hours. Lentils require no soaking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Beans with thin skins require less soaking, eg. adzuki , black-eyed beans and mung beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- You won\u2019t have to soak your beans but it helps speed up cooking time considerably. The easiest method is to place the beans in a bowl, and cover them with water. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- To speed the soaking process<\/strong><\/span>:<\/span> <\/span>heat a pan of beans or legumes in water to boiling, boil for two to three minutes, remove from the heat, cover and soak\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 them for an hour in the water. Drain and cook.\u00a0 While this quick method works well, it may result in some of the beans breaking apart or skins splitting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Never soak dried beans for more than 24 hours unless specifically directed by a recipe. Soaking beans for too long can cause fermentation. Fermentation can cause digestion issues resulting in discomfort and gas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
\n- Never cook beans in the same water they are soaked in as the water may contain gas producing sugars that can cause digestive problems. Discard the used water, rinse the beans and place them in a saucepan filled with fresh water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Add enough water to cover beans by about 5cm water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- To help soften a full pack of dried product, add 2 teaspoons of Bi-Carb soda to the water whilst soaking the product (water level should cover the product by 5cms).\u00a0 After soaking, rinse off thoroughly before cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Should dried beans be cooked with salt?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nDon\u2019t add salt or the skins will toughen and lengthens the cooking time.<\/p>\n
Cooking dried beans<\/span><\/h1>\n\n- Cover the soaked beans with cold water (covering beans by 5cm), slowly bring to a boil, then simmer until tender.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Note: Red kidney beans should be boiled for 10 minutes, change the water and simmer in fresh water for 45-60 minutes, until tender.<\/p>\n
\n- Suggested cooking time is usually between 40 \u2013 60 minutes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Beans increase in size by about 2-3 times after cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Dried beans can also be cooked in a pressure cooker, microwave or slow cooker.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- If you have hard water, add a bit of baking soda to the water to soften the beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Can canned be substituted for dried beans?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Many types of beans and legumes are available canned, ready to add to dishes or simply heated and served as a side dish.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Canned beans don\u2019t need to be soaked or cooked, just rinsed and heated through.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Some brands use more salt than others, so always check the label.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Canned beans tend to be saltier with less flavour than reconstituted dried beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How long can beans be kept once cooked?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Cooked beans and lentils can be refrigerated for four to five days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Once opened, canned legumes can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for seven days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Freeze cooked beans and lentils for 3 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lentils<\/span><\/h1>\nThe lentil plant (Lens Culinaris) belongs to the family Leguminosae<\/em> (legume)\u00a0 and is a cousin to peas. The plants are grown for their seeds, which are contained in pods.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Dahi Vada or Dahi Bara – an Indian dish made with urad dal ( black lentils without skin) washed and soaked for 3-4 hours or overnight<\/p><\/div>\n
How to Cook Lentils<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nOne advantage of lentils over other legumes is that they do not require soaking. They can be soaked for a few hours but is not really necessary. Soaking will reduce the cooking time by about half.<\/p>\n
Before cooking<\/strong> <\/span>lentils, rinse them in cold water and pick through them for any debris or small stones.\u00a0 When cooking lentils by themselves, use 3 times the amount of water to lentils and avoid cooking with anything acidic, such as vinegar, as it retards the cooking process.\u00a0 One type of lentil can be substituted for another in recipes but cooking time may need to be adjusted.<\/p>\nCooking times <\/strong><\/span>will depend on preferred texture. Well cook lentils & mash, shorter cooking time lentils will keep their shape.<\/p>\nCooking times for the main three types of lentils are:<\/p>\n
Brown Lentils – 35 minutes<\/p>\n
Red Lentils – 10-15 minutes<\/p>\n
Puy (green) Lentils – 20 minutes<\/p>\n
Lentils cook more slowly if they’re combined with salt or acidic ingredients, so add these last.\u00a0 Bigger or older lentils take longer to cook.<\/p>\n
Store<\/span> <\/strong>dried lentils for up to a year in a cool, dry place.<\/p>\nKnow Your Beans and Legumes<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nBlack Beans<\/strong>
\nBlack beans are famous as the mainstay in black bean soup, a natural accompaniment to rice and a filling in burritos and other Latin food. They\u2019re available both canned and dried in most grocery stores.<\/p>\nBlack-Eyed Peas<\/strong>
\nBlack-eyed peas are commonly used in South American dishes and as side dishes.<\/p>\nBroad Beans<\/strong> \u2013 see fava beans<\/p>\nCannellini bean = white kidney bean = fazolia bean <\/strong><\/p>\nFavoured in Mediterranean dishes, salads, soups such as minestrone.<\/p>\n
Fava Beans<\/strong><\/p>\nAlso known as broad beans. These delicious beans are also an excellent source of fibre, niacin, iron and vitamin C.<\/p>\n
Fresh young fava beans need only be shelled, but mature beans must also be peeled to rid them of a waxy skin that surrounds each bean.\u00a0\u00a0The best way to do this is to blanch the shelled beans for a minute in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water, and then pull off the skins.<\/p>\n
To prepare broad beans simply remove the pods from the shell and boil or microwave until just tender. Broad beans are delicious, served simply with a little butter and pepper, in salads, casseroles or soups.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Garbanzo Beans<\/strong>
\nAlso called chickpeas. These acorn-shaped, yellow legumes are used in soups and as the base for hummus, a popular Middle Eastern spread.<\/p>\nHaricot Bean<\/strong><\/p>\nThese small white beans are commonly used to make baked beans, but they’re also good in soups and salads and the classic French Cassoulet dish.\u00a0 They are relatively difficult to digest. Also known as Boston or Navy Bean.<\/p>\n
Kidney Beans<\/strong>
\nVersatile kidney beans come in a variety of colors: red, dark red and white. The red varieties are mealy, slightly sweet and are typically used in chilli dishes, as fillers in soups, salads and in refried beans.<\/p>\nThe white variety is milder and can become creamy when cooked well. This variety is used in Italian dishes.<\/p>\n
Lentils<\/strong>
\nTiny, available in different colours with a nutty taste. No need to soak lentils before cooking. Used in casseroles, stews, soups and salads.<\/p>\nPuy Lentils <\/strong>(French style Lentils)<\/p>\nFrench style Lentils are a lentil variety now grown in Australia. Renowed for their deep nutty flavour and holding their shape when cooked these lentils are perfect for salads or served with meat or fish.<\/p>\n
Lima Beans<\/strong>
\nButtery flavour, large and can be either light green or cream coloured. Often cooked with bacon and served as a side dish.<\/p>\nThe biggest downside is that lima beans are harder to digest than other beans.<\/p>\n
Mung Beans<\/strong>
\nTiny beans commonly used in Asian dishes. Whole mung beans are small and green, and they’re often sprouted to make bean sprouts.\u00a0 When skinned and split, the beans are flat and yellow, and called moong dal.<\/p>\nMung beans available in several colours, such as green, black, brown and red. The red beans, also called Adzuki beans, are used to make bean paste, a sweet paste used in Asian pastries.<\/p>\n
Navy Bean <\/strong>\u2013 see haricot bean<\/p>\nSoya Beans<\/h3>\n
The beans need to be soaked a long time and are somewhat hard to digest, but they’re extremely nutritious and\u00a0extremely versatile. It is used to make salad oil, tofu, soy sauce, meat substitutes, soy milk, cheese and tempeh.<\/p>\n
Split Peas<\/strong>
\nUsed as the basis of split pea soup with ham, onion, bay leaf. Available in yellow or green.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Suggestions for Adding More Beans and Legumes in Your Diet<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nRecipe suggestions:<\/span><\/h3>\n\n- Spinach chickpea dip (or Hummus)<\/li>\n
- Couscous, chickpeas & roasted pumpkin<\/li>\n
- Pumpkin & lentil curry (from Rice Cooker<\/em> book by Brigid Treloar)<\/li>\n
- Salad of new potatoes, crumbled pancetta, broadbeans and mint<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n- Use pureed lentils and beans to thicken soups and sauces.<\/li>\n
- Add beans and legumes to almost any soup eg. Split pea soup with ham<\/li>\n
- As a substitute for meat in many dishes<\/li>\n
- Beans are the perfect accompaniment to many Mexican dishes (eg. burritos, tacos and enchiladas)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Add to Middle Eastern dishes (eg. on their own or with couscous) or to the French Cassoulet dish<\/li>\n
- Cold bean salads are refreshing in the summer<\/li>\n
- Baked beans as an accompaniment to barbequed ribs<\/li>\n
- Try the classic red beans and rice seasoned with sausage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How to prepare, cook & store legumes, dried beans, lentils. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,68,7],"tags":[71,93,69,70,4],"class_list":["post-443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-easy-recipes","category-information","category-radio-food-segments","tag-dried-beans","tag-food-information","tag-legumes","tag-lentils","tag-radio"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1194,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions\/1194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
What\u2019s the shelf life?<\/span><\/h2>\nDried legumes, beans and lentils have a shelf life of a year, but do get drier, less flavour and tougher as they age, so older beans will require more soaking and longer cook times. They will have less flavour than fresh dried legumes and lentils.<\/p>\n
How should they be stored?<\/span><\/h2>\nStore in a cool, dry place in a covered container.<\/p>\n
Do dried beans need soaking before cooking?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Dried beans and legumes should be rinsed, checked for stones or debris, and then soaked in cold water for 4 to 24 hours. Lentils require no soaking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Beans with thin skins require less soaking, eg. adzuki , black-eyed beans and mung beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- You won\u2019t have to soak your beans but it helps speed up cooking time considerably. The easiest method is to place the beans in a bowl, and cover them with water. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- To speed the soaking process<\/strong><\/span>:<\/span> <\/span>heat a pan of beans or legumes in water to boiling, boil for two to three minutes, remove from the heat, cover and soak\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 them for an hour in the water. Drain and cook.\u00a0 While this quick method works well, it may result in some of the beans breaking apart or skins splitting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Never soak dried beans for more than 24 hours unless specifically directed by a recipe. Soaking beans for too long can cause fermentation. Fermentation can cause digestion issues resulting in discomfort and gas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
\n- Never cook beans in the same water they are soaked in as the water may contain gas producing sugars that can cause digestive problems. Discard the used water, rinse the beans and place them in a saucepan filled with fresh water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Add enough water to cover beans by about 5cm water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- To help soften a full pack of dried product, add 2 teaspoons of Bi-Carb soda to the water whilst soaking the product (water level should cover the product by 5cms).\u00a0 After soaking, rinse off thoroughly before cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Should dried beans be cooked with salt?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nDon\u2019t add salt or the skins will toughen and lengthens the cooking time.<\/p>\n
Cooking dried beans<\/span><\/h1>\n\n- Cover the soaked beans with cold water (covering beans by 5cm), slowly bring to a boil, then simmer until tender.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Note: Red kidney beans should be boiled for 10 minutes, change the water and simmer in fresh water for 45-60 minutes, until tender.<\/p>\n
\n- Suggested cooking time is usually between 40 \u2013 60 minutes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Beans increase in size by about 2-3 times after cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Dried beans can also be cooked in a pressure cooker, microwave or slow cooker.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- If you have hard water, add a bit of baking soda to the water to soften the beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Can canned be substituted for dried beans?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Many types of beans and legumes are available canned, ready to add to dishes or simply heated and served as a side dish.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Canned beans don\u2019t need to be soaked or cooked, just rinsed and heated through.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Some brands use more salt than others, so always check the label.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Canned beans tend to be saltier with less flavour than reconstituted dried beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How long can beans be kept once cooked?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Cooked beans and lentils can be refrigerated for four to five days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Once opened, canned legumes can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for seven days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Freeze cooked beans and lentils for 3 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lentils<\/span><\/h1>\nThe lentil plant (Lens Culinaris) belongs to the family Leguminosae<\/em> (legume)\u00a0 and is a cousin to peas. The plants are grown for their seeds, which are contained in pods.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Dahi Vada or Dahi Bara – an Indian dish made with urad dal ( black lentils without skin) washed and soaked for 3-4 hours or overnight<\/p><\/div>\n
How to Cook Lentils<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nOne advantage of lentils over other legumes is that they do not require soaking. They can be soaked for a few hours but is not really necessary. Soaking will reduce the cooking time by about half.<\/p>\n
Before cooking<\/strong> <\/span>lentils, rinse them in cold water and pick through them for any debris or small stones.\u00a0 When cooking lentils by themselves, use 3 times the amount of water to lentils and avoid cooking with anything acidic, such as vinegar, as it retards the cooking process.\u00a0 One type of lentil can be substituted for another in recipes but cooking time may need to be adjusted.<\/p>\nCooking times <\/strong><\/span>will depend on preferred texture. Well cook lentils & mash, shorter cooking time lentils will keep their shape.<\/p>\nCooking times for the main three types of lentils are:<\/p>\n
Brown Lentils – 35 minutes<\/p>\n
Red Lentils – 10-15 minutes<\/p>\n
Puy (green) Lentils – 20 minutes<\/p>\n
Lentils cook more slowly if they’re combined with salt or acidic ingredients, so add these last.\u00a0 Bigger or older lentils take longer to cook.<\/p>\n
Store<\/span> <\/strong>dried lentils for up to a year in a cool, dry place.<\/p>\nKnow Your Beans and Legumes<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nBlack Beans<\/strong>
\nBlack beans are famous as the mainstay in black bean soup, a natural accompaniment to rice and a filling in burritos and other Latin food. They\u2019re available both canned and dried in most grocery stores.<\/p>\nBlack-Eyed Peas<\/strong>
\nBlack-eyed peas are commonly used in South American dishes and as side dishes.<\/p>\nBroad Beans<\/strong> \u2013 see fava beans<\/p>\nCannellini bean = white kidney bean = fazolia bean <\/strong><\/p>\nFavoured in Mediterranean dishes, salads, soups such as minestrone.<\/p>\n
Fava Beans<\/strong><\/p>\nAlso known as broad beans. These delicious beans are also an excellent source of fibre, niacin, iron and vitamin C.<\/p>\n
Fresh young fava beans need only be shelled, but mature beans must also be peeled to rid them of a waxy skin that surrounds each bean.\u00a0\u00a0The best way to do this is to blanch the shelled beans for a minute in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water, and then pull off the skins.<\/p>\n
To prepare broad beans simply remove the pods from the shell and boil or microwave until just tender. Broad beans are delicious, served simply with a little butter and pepper, in salads, casseroles or soups.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Garbanzo Beans<\/strong>
\nAlso called chickpeas. These acorn-shaped, yellow legumes are used in soups and as the base for hummus, a popular Middle Eastern spread.<\/p>\nHaricot Bean<\/strong><\/p>\nThese small white beans are commonly used to make baked beans, but they’re also good in soups and salads and the classic French Cassoulet dish.\u00a0 They are relatively difficult to digest. Also known as Boston or Navy Bean.<\/p>\n
Kidney Beans<\/strong>
\nVersatile kidney beans come in a variety of colors: red, dark red and white. The red varieties are mealy, slightly sweet and are typically used in chilli dishes, as fillers in soups, salads and in refried beans.<\/p>\nThe white variety is milder and can become creamy when cooked well. This variety is used in Italian dishes.<\/p>\n
Lentils<\/strong>
\nTiny, available in different colours with a nutty taste. No need to soak lentils before cooking. Used in casseroles, stews, soups and salads.<\/p>\nPuy Lentils <\/strong>(French style Lentils)<\/p>\nFrench style Lentils are a lentil variety now grown in Australia. Renowed for their deep nutty flavour and holding their shape when cooked these lentils are perfect for salads or served with meat or fish.<\/p>\n
Lima Beans<\/strong>
\nButtery flavour, large and can be either light green or cream coloured. Often cooked with bacon and served as a side dish.<\/p>\nThe biggest downside is that lima beans are harder to digest than other beans.<\/p>\n
Mung Beans<\/strong>
\nTiny beans commonly used in Asian dishes. Whole mung beans are small and green, and they’re often sprouted to make bean sprouts.\u00a0 When skinned and split, the beans are flat and yellow, and called moong dal.<\/p>\nMung beans available in several colours, such as green, black, brown and red. The red beans, also called Adzuki beans, are used to make bean paste, a sweet paste used in Asian pastries.<\/p>\n
Navy Bean <\/strong>\u2013 see haricot bean<\/p>\nSoya Beans<\/h3>\n
The beans need to be soaked a long time and are somewhat hard to digest, but they’re extremely nutritious and\u00a0extremely versatile. It is used to make salad oil, tofu, soy sauce, meat substitutes, soy milk, cheese and tempeh.<\/p>\n
Split Peas<\/strong>
\nUsed as the basis of split pea soup with ham, onion, bay leaf. Available in yellow or green.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Suggestions for Adding More Beans and Legumes in Your Diet<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nRecipe suggestions:<\/span><\/h3>\n\n- Spinach chickpea dip (or Hummus)<\/li>\n
- Couscous, chickpeas & roasted pumpkin<\/li>\n
- Pumpkin & lentil curry (from Rice Cooker<\/em> book by Brigid Treloar)<\/li>\n
- Salad of new potatoes, crumbled pancetta, broadbeans and mint<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n- Use pureed lentils and beans to thicken soups and sauces.<\/li>\n
- Add beans and legumes to almost any soup eg. Split pea soup with ham<\/li>\n
- As a substitute for meat in many dishes<\/li>\n
- Beans are the perfect accompaniment to many Mexican dishes (eg. burritos, tacos and enchiladas)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Add to Middle Eastern dishes (eg. on their own or with couscous) or to the French Cassoulet dish<\/li>\n
- Cold bean salads are refreshing in the summer<\/li>\n
- Baked beans as an accompaniment to barbequed ribs<\/li>\n
- Try the classic red beans and rice seasoned with sausage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How to prepare, cook & store legumes, dried beans, lentils. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,68,7],"tags":[71,93,69,70,4],"class_list":["post-443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-easy-recipes","category-information","category-radio-food-segments","tag-dried-beans","tag-food-information","tag-legumes","tag-lentils","tag-radio"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1194,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions\/1194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Store in a cool, dry place in a covered container.<\/p>\n
Do dried beans need soaking before cooking?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Dried beans and legumes should be rinsed, checked for stones or debris, and then soaked in cold water for 4 to 24 hours. Lentils require no soaking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Beans with thin skins require less soaking, eg. adzuki , black-eyed beans and mung beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- You won\u2019t have to soak your beans but it helps speed up cooking time considerably. The easiest method is to place the beans in a bowl, and cover them with water. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- To speed the soaking process<\/strong><\/span>:<\/span> <\/span>heat a pan of beans or legumes in water to boiling, boil for two to three minutes, remove from the heat, cover and soak\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 them for an hour in the water. Drain and cook.\u00a0 While this quick method works well, it may result in some of the beans breaking apart or skins splitting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Never soak dried beans for more than 24 hours unless specifically directed by a recipe. Soaking beans for too long can cause fermentation. Fermentation can cause digestion issues resulting in discomfort and gas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
\n- Never cook beans in the same water they are soaked in as the water may contain gas producing sugars that can cause digestive problems. Discard the used water, rinse the beans and place them in a saucepan filled with fresh water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Add enough water to cover beans by about 5cm water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- To help soften a full pack of dried product, add 2 teaspoons of Bi-Carb soda to the water whilst soaking the product (water level should cover the product by 5cms).\u00a0 After soaking, rinse off thoroughly before cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Should dried beans be cooked with salt?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nDon\u2019t add salt or the skins will toughen and lengthens the cooking time.<\/p>\n
Cooking dried beans<\/span><\/h1>\n\n- Cover the soaked beans with cold water (covering beans by 5cm), slowly bring to a boil, then simmer until tender.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Note: Red kidney beans should be boiled for 10 minutes, change the water and simmer in fresh water for 45-60 minutes, until tender.<\/p>\n
\n- Suggested cooking time is usually between 40 \u2013 60 minutes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Beans increase in size by about 2-3 times after cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Dried beans can also be cooked in a pressure cooker, microwave or slow cooker.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- If you have hard water, add a bit of baking soda to the water to soften the beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Can canned be substituted for dried beans?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Many types of beans and legumes are available canned, ready to add to dishes or simply heated and served as a side dish.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Canned beans don\u2019t need to be soaked or cooked, just rinsed and heated through.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Some brands use more salt than others, so always check the label.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Canned beans tend to be saltier with less flavour than reconstituted dried beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How long can beans be kept once cooked?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n- Cooked beans and lentils can be refrigerated for four to five days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Once opened, canned legumes can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for seven days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Freeze cooked beans and lentils for 3 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lentils<\/span><\/h1>\nThe lentil plant (Lens Culinaris) belongs to the family Leguminosae<\/em> (legume)\u00a0 and is a cousin to peas. The plants are grown for their seeds, which are contained in pods.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Dahi Vada or Dahi Bara – an Indian dish made with urad dal ( black lentils without skin) washed and soaked for 3-4 hours or overnight<\/p><\/div>\n
How to Cook Lentils<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nOne advantage of lentils over other legumes is that they do not require soaking. They can be soaked for a few hours but is not really necessary. Soaking will reduce the cooking time by about half.<\/p>\n
Before cooking<\/strong> <\/span>lentils, rinse them in cold water and pick through them for any debris or small stones.\u00a0 When cooking lentils by themselves, use 3 times the amount of water to lentils and avoid cooking with anything acidic, such as vinegar, as it retards the cooking process.\u00a0 One type of lentil can be substituted for another in recipes but cooking time may need to be adjusted.<\/p>\nCooking times <\/strong><\/span>will depend on preferred texture. Well cook lentils & mash, shorter cooking time lentils will keep their shape.<\/p>\nCooking times for the main three types of lentils are:<\/p>\n
Brown Lentils – 35 minutes<\/p>\n
Red Lentils – 10-15 minutes<\/p>\n
Puy (green) Lentils – 20 minutes<\/p>\n
Lentils cook more slowly if they’re combined with salt or acidic ingredients, so add these last.\u00a0 Bigger or older lentils take longer to cook.<\/p>\n
Store<\/span> <\/strong>dried lentils for up to a year in a cool, dry place.<\/p>\nKnow Your Beans and Legumes<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nBlack Beans<\/strong>
\nBlack beans are famous as the mainstay in black bean soup, a natural accompaniment to rice and a filling in burritos and other Latin food. They\u2019re available both canned and dried in most grocery stores.<\/p>\nBlack-Eyed Peas<\/strong>
\nBlack-eyed peas are commonly used in South American dishes and as side dishes.<\/p>\nBroad Beans<\/strong> \u2013 see fava beans<\/p>\nCannellini bean = white kidney bean = fazolia bean <\/strong><\/p>\nFavoured in Mediterranean dishes, salads, soups such as minestrone.<\/p>\n
Fava Beans<\/strong><\/p>\nAlso known as broad beans. These delicious beans are also an excellent source of fibre, niacin, iron and vitamin C.<\/p>\n
Fresh young fava beans need only be shelled, but mature beans must also be peeled to rid them of a waxy skin that surrounds each bean.\u00a0\u00a0The best way to do this is to blanch the shelled beans for a minute in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water, and then pull off the skins.<\/p>\n
To prepare broad beans simply remove the pods from the shell and boil or microwave until just tender. Broad beans are delicious, served simply with a little butter and pepper, in salads, casseroles or soups.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Garbanzo Beans<\/strong>
\nAlso called chickpeas. These acorn-shaped, yellow legumes are used in soups and as the base for hummus, a popular Middle Eastern spread.<\/p>\nHaricot Bean<\/strong><\/p>\nThese small white beans are commonly used to make baked beans, but they’re also good in soups and salads and the classic French Cassoulet dish.\u00a0 They are relatively difficult to digest. Also known as Boston or Navy Bean.<\/p>\n
Kidney Beans<\/strong>
\nVersatile kidney beans come in a variety of colors: red, dark red and white. The red varieties are mealy, slightly sweet and are typically used in chilli dishes, as fillers in soups, salads and in refried beans.<\/p>\nThe white variety is milder and can become creamy when cooked well. This variety is used in Italian dishes.<\/p>\n
Lentils<\/strong>
\nTiny, available in different colours with a nutty taste. No need to soak lentils before cooking. Used in casseroles, stews, soups and salads.<\/p>\nPuy Lentils <\/strong>(French style Lentils)<\/p>\nFrench style Lentils are a lentil variety now grown in Australia. Renowed for their deep nutty flavour and holding their shape when cooked these lentils are perfect for salads or served with meat or fish.<\/p>\n
Lima Beans<\/strong>
\nButtery flavour, large and can be either light green or cream coloured. Often cooked with bacon and served as a side dish.<\/p>\nThe biggest downside is that lima beans are harder to digest than other beans.<\/p>\n
Mung Beans<\/strong>
\nTiny beans commonly used in Asian dishes. Whole mung beans are small and green, and they’re often sprouted to make bean sprouts.\u00a0 When skinned and split, the beans are flat and yellow, and called moong dal.<\/p>\nMung beans available in several colours, such as green, black, brown and red. The red beans, also called Adzuki beans, are used to make bean paste, a sweet paste used in Asian pastries.<\/p>\n
Navy Bean <\/strong>\u2013 see haricot bean<\/p>\nSoya Beans<\/h3>\n
The beans need to be soaked a long time and are somewhat hard to digest, but they’re extremely nutritious and\u00a0extremely versatile. It is used to make salad oil, tofu, soy sauce, meat substitutes, soy milk, cheese and tempeh.<\/p>\n
Split Peas<\/strong>
\nUsed as the basis of split pea soup with ham, onion, bay leaf. Available in yellow or green.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Suggestions for Adding More Beans and Legumes in Your Diet<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nRecipe suggestions:<\/span><\/h3>\n\n- Spinach chickpea dip (or Hummus)<\/li>\n
- Couscous, chickpeas & roasted pumpkin<\/li>\n
- Pumpkin & lentil curry (from Rice Cooker<\/em> book by Brigid Treloar)<\/li>\n
- Salad of new potatoes, crumbled pancetta, broadbeans and mint<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n- Use pureed lentils and beans to thicken soups and sauces.<\/li>\n
- Add beans and legumes to almost any soup eg. Split pea soup with ham<\/li>\n
- As a substitute for meat in many dishes<\/li>\n
- Beans are the perfect accompaniment to many Mexican dishes (eg. burritos, tacos and enchiladas)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Add to Middle Eastern dishes (eg. on their own or with couscous) or to the French Cassoulet dish<\/li>\n
- Cold bean salads are refreshing in the summer<\/li>\n
- Baked beans as an accompaniment to barbequed ribs<\/li>\n
- Try the classic red beans and rice seasoned with sausage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How to prepare, cook & store legumes, dried beans, lentils. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,68,7],"tags":[71,93,69,70,4],"class_list":["post-443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-easy-recipes","category-information","category-radio-food-segments","tag-dried-beans","tag-food-information","tag-legumes","tag-lentils","tag-radio"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1194,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions\/1194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- \n
- Beans with thin skins require less soaking, eg. adzuki , black-eyed beans and mung beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- You won\u2019t have to soak your beans but it helps speed up cooking time considerably. The easiest method is to place the beans in a bowl, and cover them with water. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- To speed the soaking process<\/strong><\/span>:<\/span> <\/span>heat a pan of beans or legumes in water to boiling, boil for two to three minutes, remove from the heat, cover and soak\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 them for an hour in the water. Drain and cook.\u00a0 While this quick method works well, it may result in some of the beans breaking apart or skins splitting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Never soak dried beans for more than 24 hours unless specifically directed by a recipe. Soaking beans for too long can cause fermentation. Fermentation can cause digestion issues resulting in discomfort and gas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- Never cook beans in the same water they are soaked in as the water may contain gas producing sugars that can cause digestive problems. Discard the used water, rinse the beans and place them in a saucepan filled with fresh water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Add enough water to cover beans by about 5cm water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- To help soften a full pack of dried product, add 2 teaspoons of Bi-Carb soda to the water whilst soaking the product (water level should cover the product by 5cms).\u00a0 After soaking, rinse off thoroughly before cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Should dried beans be cooked with salt?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Don\u2019t add salt or the skins will toughen and lengthens the cooking time.<\/p>\n
Cooking dried beans<\/span><\/h1>\n
- \n
- Cover the soaked beans with cold water (covering beans by 5cm), slowly bring to a boil, then simmer until tender.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Note: Red kidney beans should be boiled for 10 minutes, change the water and simmer in fresh water for 45-60 minutes, until tender.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Suggested cooking time is usually between 40 \u2013 60 minutes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Beans increase in size by about 2-3 times after cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Dried beans can also be cooked in a pressure cooker, microwave or slow cooker.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- If you have hard water, add a bit of baking soda to the water to soften the beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Can canned be substituted for dried beans?<\/span><\/h2>\n
- \n
- Many types of beans and legumes are available canned, ready to add to dishes or simply heated and served as a side dish.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Canned beans don\u2019t need to be soaked or cooked, just rinsed and heated through.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Some brands use more salt than others, so always check the label.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Canned beans tend to be saltier with less flavour than reconstituted dried beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How long can beans be kept once cooked?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
- \n
- Cooked beans and lentils can be refrigerated for four to five days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Once opened, canned legumes can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for seven days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Freeze cooked beans and lentils for 3 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lentils<\/span><\/h1>\n
The lentil plant (Lens Culinaris) belongs to the family Leguminosae<\/em> (legume)\u00a0 and is a cousin to peas. The plants are grown for their seeds, which are contained in pods.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dahi Vada or Dahi Bara – an Indian dish made with urad dal ( black lentils without skin) washed and soaked for 3-4 hours or overnight<\/p><\/div>\n
How to Cook Lentils<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
One advantage of lentils over other legumes is that they do not require soaking. They can be soaked for a few hours but is not really necessary. Soaking will reduce the cooking time by about half.<\/p>\n
Before cooking<\/strong> <\/span>lentils, rinse them in cold water and pick through them for any debris or small stones.\u00a0 When cooking lentils by themselves, use 3 times the amount of water to lentils and avoid cooking with anything acidic, such as vinegar, as it retards the cooking process.\u00a0 One type of lentil can be substituted for another in recipes but cooking time may need to be adjusted.<\/p>\n
Cooking times <\/strong><\/span>will depend on preferred texture. Well cook lentils & mash, shorter cooking time lentils will keep their shape.<\/p>\n
Cooking times for the main three types of lentils are:<\/p>\n
Brown Lentils – 35 minutes<\/p>\n
Red Lentils – 10-15 minutes<\/p>\n
Puy (green) Lentils – 20 minutes<\/p>\n
Lentils cook more slowly if they’re combined with salt or acidic ingredients, so add these last.\u00a0 Bigger or older lentils take longer to cook.<\/p>\n
Store<\/span> <\/strong>dried lentils for up to a year in a cool, dry place.<\/p>\n
Know Your Beans and Legumes<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Black Beans<\/strong>
\nBlack beans are famous as the mainstay in black bean soup, a natural accompaniment to rice and a filling in burritos and other Latin food. They\u2019re available both canned and dried in most grocery stores.<\/p>\nBlack-Eyed Peas<\/strong>
\nBlack-eyed peas are commonly used in South American dishes and as side dishes.<\/p>\nBroad Beans<\/strong> \u2013 see fava beans<\/p>\n
Cannellini bean = white kidney bean = fazolia bean <\/strong><\/p>\n
Favoured in Mediterranean dishes, salads, soups such as minestrone.<\/p>\n
Fava Beans<\/strong><\/p>\n
Also known as broad beans. These delicious beans are also an excellent source of fibre, niacin, iron and vitamin C.<\/p>\n
Fresh young fava beans need only be shelled, but mature beans must also be peeled to rid them of a waxy skin that surrounds each bean.\u00a0\u00a0The best way to do this is to blanch the shelled beans for a minute in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water, and then pull off the skins.<\/p>\n
To prepare broad beans simply remove the pods from the shell and boil or microwave until just tender. Broad beans are delicious, served simply with a little butter and pepper, in salads, casseroles or soups.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Garbanzo Beans<\/strong>
\nAlso called chickpeas. These acorn-shaped, yellow legumes are used in soups and as the base for hummus, a popular Middle Eastern spread.<\/p>\nHaricot Bean<\/strong><\/p>\n
These small white beans are commonly used to make baked beans, but they’re also good in soups and salads and the classic French Cassoulet dish.\u00a0 They are relatively difficult to digest. Also known as Boston or Navy Bean.<\/p>\n
Kidney Beans<\/strong>
\nVersatile kidney beans come in a variety of colors: red, dark red and white. The red varieties are mealy, slightly sweet and are typically used in chilli dishes, as fillers in soups, salads and in refried beans.<\/p>\nThe white variety is milder and can become creamy when cooked well. This variety is used in Italian dishes.<\/p>\n
Lentils<\/strong>
\nTiny, available in different colours with a nutty taste. No need to soak lentils before cooking. Used in casseroles, stews, soups and salads.<\/p>\nPuy Lentils <\/strong>(French style Lentils)<\/p>\n
French style Lentils are a lentil variety now grown in Australia. Renowed for their deep nutty flavour and holding their shape when cooked these lentils are perfect for salads or served with meat or fish.<\/p>\n
Lima Beans<\/strong>
\nButtery flavour, large and can be either light green or cream coloured. Often cooked with bacon and served as a side dish.<\/p>\nThe biggest downside is that lima beans are harder to digest than other beans.<\/p>\n
Mung Beans<\/strong>
\nTiny beans commonly used in Asian dishes. Whole mung beans are small and green, and they’re often sprouted to make bean sprouts.\u00a0 When skinned and split, the beans are flat and yellow, and called moong dal.<\/p>\nMung beans available in several colours, such as green, black, brown and red. The red beans, also called Adzuki beans, are used to make bean paste, a sweet paste used in Asian pastries.<\/p>\n
Navy Bean <\/strong>\u2013 see haricot bean<\/p>\n
Soya Beans<\/h3>\n
The beans need to be soaked a long time and are somewhat hard to digest, but they’re extremely nutritious and\u00a0extremely versatile. It is used to make salad oil, tofu, soy sauce, meat substitutes, soy milk, cheese and tempeh.<\/p>\n
Split Peas<\/strong>
\nUsed as the basis of split pea soup with ham, onion, bay leaf. Available in yellow or green.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Suggestions for Adding More Beans and Legumes in Your Diet<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Recipe suggestions:<\/span><\/h3>\n
- \n
- Spinach chickpea dip (or Hummus)<\/li>\n
- Couscous, chickpeas & roasted pumpkin<\/li>\n
- Pumpkin & lentil curry (from Rice Cooker<\/em> book by Brigid Treloar)<\/li>\n
- Salad of new potatoes, crumbled pancetta, broadbeans and mint<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
- \n
- Use pureed lentils and beans to thicken soups and sauces.<\/li>\n
- Add beans and legumes to almost any soup eg. Split pea soup with ham<\/li>\n
- As a substitute for meat in many dishes<\/li>\n
- Beans are the perfect accompaniment to many Mexican dishes (eg. burritos, tacos and enchiladas)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Add to Middle Eastern dishes (eg. on their own or with couscous) or to the French Cassoulet dish<\/li>\n
- Cold bean salads are refreshing in the summer<\/li>\n
- Baked beans as an accompaniment to barbequed ribs<\/li>\n
- Try the classic red beans and rice seasoned with sausage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How to prepare, cook & store legumes, dried beans, lentils. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,68,7],"tags":[71,93,69,70,4],"class_list":["post-443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-easy-recipes","category-information","category-radio-food-segments","tag-dried-beans","tag-food-information","tag-legumes","tag-lentils","tag-radio"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=443"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1194,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/443\/revisions\/1194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brigidtreloar.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Salad of new potatoes, crumbled pancetta, broadbeans and mint<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Freeze cooked beans and lentils for 3 months.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Once opened, canned legumes can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for seven days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Cooked beans and lentils can be refrigerated for four to five days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Canned beans tend to be saltier with less flavour than reconstituted dried beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Some brands use more salt than others, so always check the label.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Canned beans don\u2019t need to be soaked or cooked, just rinsed and heated through.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Many types of beans and legumes are available canned, ready to add to dishes or simply heated and served as a side dish.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- If you have hard water, add a bit of baking soda to the water to soften the beans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Dried beans can also be cooked in a pressure cooker, microwave or slow cooker.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Beans increase in size by about 2-3 times after cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Suggested cooking time is usually between 40 \u2013 60 minutes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Cover the soaked beans with cold water (covering beans by 5cm), slowly bring to a boil, then simmer until tender.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- To help soften a full pack of dried product, add 2 teaspoons of Bi-Carb soda to the water whilst soaking the product (water level should cover the product by 5cms).\u00a0 After soaking, rinse off thoroughly before cooking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Add enough water to cover beans by about 5cm water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Never cook beans in the same water they are soaked in as the water may contain gas producing sugars that can cause digestive problems. Discard the used water, rinse the beans and place them in a saucepan filled with fresh water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Never soak dried beans for more than 24 hours unless specifically directed by a recipe. Soaking beans for too long can cause fermentation. Fermentation can cause digestion issues resulting in discomfort and gas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- To speed the soaking process<\/strong><\/span>:<\/span> <\/span>heat a pan of beans or legumes in water to boiling, boil for two to three minutes, remove from the heat, cover and soak\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 them for an hour in the water. Drain and cook.\u00a0 While this quick method works well, it may result in some of the beans breaking apart or skins splitting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- You won\u2019t have to soak your beans but it helps speed up cooking time considerably. The easiest method is to place the beans in a bowl, and cover them with water. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n