Tag: beans

Sprouting Mung Beans

Well I did it! Finally!

I’ve been wanting to try sprouting beans for so long. Months ago, I purchased a small amount of mung beans from the Whole Foods bulk isle and they have been waiting patiently for me in my cupboard.

So, in 2012, I’m making a point to try new healthy projects, like SPROUTING!

So a couple of weekends ago, I watched a few YouTube videos (again) then poured 2 Tbsp of mung beans into a large glass jar, rinsed a couple of times, added fresh water, topped with cheese cloth & elastic and stored in a dark cupboard. I set my iPhone alarm to remind me to drain and rinse every morning and night for the next few days.

Instructions suggest not to keep in sunlight, and since my kitchen has a skylight, the sun can pour in to different areas all day. I didn’t want to risk leaving it on the counter. I was thinking about keeping it in a cupboard, but then I read that it shouldn’t be in complete darkness either, because the nutrients wouldn’t develop.

Other tips were to keep in a warm place, around 70° but my house is usually much cooler than that, but I figured it would be okay, just maybe a bit slower to complete.

I ended up keeping it in my office in the daytime, then on the kitchen counter at night. It took about a week for the sprouts to finish. I think it is probably too cool in my house to grow the sprouts properly, but they were alright. They tasted a lot like raw corn on the cob! Funny! I ate them raw for lunch, my favorite was on top of warm quinoa & mushrooms.

Would I sprout again? Hmm, not sure. I think maybe in the spring I might try again. Also, I don’t know how sanitary it was to use the cheesecloth. I’m looking into buying an official sprouting jar so it would be easier.

Helpful videos and web sites:

Tammy’s Recipes
ChefInYou
Wikipedia – Sprouting

For future advanced sprouting:

http://spinningwoman.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/real-bean-sprouts-all-my-own-unvention/

Heirloom Beans Rancho Gordo Cookbook Review

Book review: Heirloom Beans: Great Recipes for Dips and Spreads, Soups and Stews, Salads and Salsas, and Much More from Rancho Gordo

I’m really loving cooking my own beans! And I’ve been learning more about wonderful heirloom beans. There’s a well-known highly regarded California heirloom bean company named Rancho Gordo. They sell their beans locally at farmer’s markets as well as through online orders.

It got me thinking about finding my own local stash of heirloom beans and I think I did find one! Baer’s Best Beans is one of the last heirloom bean growers in Massachusetts.

But anyway, I digress. This post is a review of the Rancho Gordo heirloom bean cookbook!

I think what really opened my eyes wider to how little Americans really know and understand about food was what he wrote in his Introduction. The author, Steve Sando opens with the line “Are these beans vegetarian?” and proceeds to tell the story of a woman who actually asked him that question (presumably at a Farmer’s Market). He thought he misunderstood her, that perhaps she meant to ask if the beans were organic. Nope, she wanted to know if they had “no meat, vegetarian?” – he had to assure her that yes, his heirloom beans were vegetarian.

Wow, can our country really truly be in that bad of shape, not knowing that dried beans in a bag were actually vegetarian!?? It’s very sad that so many people have no idea where real food really comes from!

But that’s what made me love this book even more! That story made me laugh and want to eat more beans!

Beans are a tremendous super food! High in protein, and loaded with fiber. And don’t forget the iron, vitamins B & A, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, and zinc. And cooking them yourself instead of buying a can is not that difficult!

To be truthful, I wasn’t always a bean lover! I always aspired to be a bean lover though, and I think that is what kept me working at it.

It’s definitely an acquired taste….if you start off gently and slowly, you can grow to enjoy and even love beans! My DH is living proof as well. He was dead-set against beans, and no, he doesn’t ADORE them now, but he does like them. He enjoys the food that I prepare with beans, and cookbooks like this with interesting and inspiring recipes are very helpful in getting to that place.

So anyway, the Rancho Gordo cookbook is loaded with all kinds of recipes. From appetizers, soups, & salads to side dishes & main dishes. There is a section that lists some of Steve’s favorite heirloom bean varieties with a short description of each. Lots of incredible photos too.

Then there is the section for “Basic Cooking Techniques for a Simple Pot of Beans”, which covers everything you need to know about soaking, flavoring, and cooking beans, along with several variations.

There’s tips on storing, along with tips and techniques on other cooking methods, ingredients, and equipment.

I’ve already read it once, and now I’m going back and reading it a second time! It’s really a great encyclopedia of beans! And it’s not just about heirloom beans, because not everyone has access to them. The tips and recipes can be applied to most any type of dried bean.

Oh it’s making me hungry for beans! Going to have to cook up a little pot tomorrow!

And for those that want to learn more about growing their own heirloom beans, Steve Sando has also written another book called “The Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Grower’s Guide: Steve Sando’s 50 Favorite Varieties”

Disclaimer:
I love reading cookbooks, like some people love reading novels! I am inspired by recipes, and enjoy learning ideas from cookbooks; I like putting my own spin on a recipe rather than exactly following it. Please keep in mind that my opinions might be completely different from the other home cooks.

Whole Foods Bulk Isle

I love the Whole Foods Market bulk isle! I love that I can buy as little or as much as I want of a product.

Keep in mind, not all bulk isles are created equal; there are some differences in products offered.

I recently visited the Whole Foods in Dedham, MA, the state of the art, environmentally-friendly, huge, Northeast flagship store and was thrilled to find bulk local honey, local maple syrup, and agave nectar. The agave was on sale, and I have never tried it, so I bought a container. (PS. I really like it!) Not all stores carry these items, and I’m on the look out! I will definitely buy all three if I can find them!

Some stores offer bulk spices, which I also really appreciate. I buy most of my spices at Penzey’s Spices, but it’s nice to know I can buy a tiny bit of a spice that I don’t use that often (like cream of tartar) or maybe a small amount of an unfamiliar spice like a curry powder. The good news is, unsanitary spice containers of the past are gone; they now offer easy pour spouts which keep out germs and keep in freshness.

I also love buying dried beans in the bulk isle. They must be really fresh, because they take no time at all to cook! I still soak the beans for a few hours, but once I start cooking, they are done in a snap! Almost as fast as the fresh cranberry beans I received in my CSA share last summer. I have been buying navy beans and black beans, along with dried garbanzo (chick peas), as well as lentils and split peas. It’s so convenient to buy a smaller amount, so I’ll always have fresh! Plus, it gives me an opportunity to try out some interesting varieties of beans, that I might not want in a full bag.

Besides beans, I also regularly purchase brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat couscous, steel cut oats, oatmeal, oat bran, sucanat sugar, rye flour, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, pecans, filberts, raisins, dates, barley, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds.

It’s almost always cheaper to buy from the bulk isle compared to commercially bagged products. And I love that most of the items are organic!

If you haven’t considered the bulk isle at your local Whole Foods, then I suggest giving it a try. Other stores like Hannaford also offer a few bulk choices as well. But I don’t believe Hannaford is as inexpensive as Whole Foods. Perhaps because the turn-around isn’t as great.