Beans Please

About 3 months ago I planted a single BLACK bean from my kitchen... well to my surprise it grew!! Below are the beans straight from the stalk, pretty amazing right?!?

Turns out a few of my fellow reader's have requested the recipe for BEANS, so here it is :-). Now that I have covered the basic sides for most Mexican dishes, we will move into entrees (main dishes).

RECIPE: 4 servings

1/4 a cup of BEANS (1 palmful per person)

6 cups of water (remember that amount fills up my 2.5 Qt Pot) 

1 TB of salt

1 large garlic clove

My trusty 2.5 Qt. Pot

As far as exact measurements, we can't get anymore precise than your own hands, right? Anyways, I usually measure out a handful per person (which equals out to 1/4 of a cup). Depending on the amount of people your feeding that should be enough, furthermore, I add an additional 2 palms fulls (of beans) for extras.

*** Important: remember to wash those babies (in a colander/strainer) and look for ugly beans ;)

Now pour the beans into your pot!

• Add about 6 cups of water to the pot, leaving about 1 1/2 inches from the rim. (The pot will only contain about 1/4 beans and the rest water.. may look like alot of water, but you don't want dry beans (or burnt beans for that matter).

• Add in salt, garlic and turn on heat to medium high and COVER! Once water comes to an even boil, turn heat down to low/ medium and let those bad boys cook away for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (check a bean after 2 hours for tenderness) Your best bet will be to simmer the beans low and slow, trust me I've managed to burn these before.

TIP: If you notice the beans look dry, as if too much water has evaporated, then it's fine to add some extra water (if there's still an hour left of cooking time and adjust seasonings accordingly)

. ** For BLACK beans allow an extra 1/2 to 1 hour

Enjoy!

QUOTE: Beans, (also known as legumes or pulses) are often called "poor people's meat", but they should really be called "healthy people's meat" considering the health benefits of beans.