<p>I have been seeing all the cooking threads, and they inspired me to ask this question.</p>
<p>I am a relatively recent vegetarian (about 4 years). I would like to eat a more balanced diet - right now, my diet is definitely skewed a lot towards carbs. I am not looking for anything with restrictive calories or avoiding any ingredients (except meat, obviously) - just nutritionally balanced. Specifically, I am curious about beans.</p>
<p>They seem like a great food for a vegetarian, and yet, while I like Mexican food and have tried them before, I never liked them very much and eat them very rarely (again, probably just when I have Mexican food).</p>
<p>I would love to hear how you cook your beans. Do you use canned or some other type?</p>
<p>I would especially like ideas for someone who is not a huge fan of the usual refried beans you get with many meals.</p>
<p>I am also not a cook at all, so the simpler the recipe the better, although if you have a complicated by really tasty idea, I would be curious to see it too!</p>
<p>Look into Indian dal dishes. (Lentils and/or beans.) Beans are generally better if you start with dry and cook them yourself, adding an onion, a couple cloves of garlic, a couple of bay leaves, a dried hot pepper, maybe a carrot… You could do a vegetarian version of cassoulet. Very fond of white bean and escarole/kale/spinach soup. Salad of rice, corn, and black beans with scallions and minced jalapenos and a spicy dressing (oil/lime juice/cumin/curry powder, etc)</p>
<p>My favorite bean dish is black bean soup. It takes a bit of time since you are starting with dried beans, but it is not complicated to make. The recipe makes a large batch, so I like to freeze some of it in individual portion sizes so I can eat it over time.</p>
<p>This is my favorite black bean soup recipe:</p>
<p>I think beans are better cooked yourself, (firmer and less salt), I have been known to use canned. If it’s just you you can cook a bunch and then freeze more reasonable portions.</p>
<p>Cannellini beans, cooked till tender with a few cloves of garlic, salt and a bay leaf. Serve over toasted french bread with a bit of the liquid. Top that with chopped tomatoes, basil, a little fresh onion and drizzled olive oil.</p>
<p>A while back I tried making a Korean bean side dish called kongjang/kongjorim. It’s become one of my favorite side dishes to have when I make a stir fry or just want a few little nibbles. You leave the beans fairly firm (I like mine to the point you need to chew a bit), so there’s a bit more texture than typical bean dishes have.</p>
<p>That website has the recipe I’ve followed a few times. Be careful to watch the sauce as it reduces like a hawk, since if you let it go for a minute or two too long the sugar can burn. The sauce also thickens as it cools, so you don’t have to reduce all of it away. I tend to make a double batch because I like it so much. It also gives you an excuse to make toasted sesame seeds, which are a delicious.</p>
<p>Garbanzo bean salad…add almost any veg…tomatoes and cucs and purple onions are nice with a bit of greek seasoning/EVOO and lemon…maybe feta or olives…the longer it sits the better it is.</p>
<p>I also like “ranch beans” that you see a lot at potlucks…crockpots full of mixed beans with a sweet and vinigery tomato sauce (many have bacon or hamburger but you could omit)</p>
<p>I make a white bean dip (though if you don’t like the texture of refried beans you may not like this. I tend to cook all my beans in the crock pot so it is easy.</p>
<p>I love beans and that makes me happy because I know that they are nutritionally packed. I could easily make them my main source of protein if only my family would allow it. </p>
<p>Koreans use red beans (adzuki) in their desserts. There is a red bean ice cream which is very popular. It does require a little bit of effort, but if you are looking for a tasty, yet nutritious dessert, this is one to try. (Or you could go to the Asian grocery and just buy it.)</p>
<p>Pour two tablespoons of olive oil into a saucepan. Add two cloves of minced garlic and a few flakes of red pepper. Saute for a minute. Chop up a head of escarole, kale, or a large bag of baby spinach and add to the pan. Stir until wilted over high heat. Add a can of drained, rinsed cannellini beans ( or soaked and cooked dried). Stir until the beans are heated through and season with salt and pepper. You can also add a chopped fresh tomato with the garlic.</p>