Dry bean ideas . ..

[NotchJohnson]

If nyou use dry beans, what do you do with them? Do you eat them alone, with rice, in soup?

[emilycat]

You can use dry beans for anything, and a lot of people think they taste better than using canned -- the only downside to using them is how long they take to soak(sometimes overnight, although you can use a quick-soak method, too) and cook. Some of the recipes I have, in fact call specifically for dry beans, while most call for either/or. There's really no special way to use them; canned beans are just a substitute. However, I think dry beans do much better in slow-cooking soups, because they hold up better. Hope some of this helps! Sorry I have no definitive answers http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif
Em

[lanie]

If I don't put the beans into a recipe, I love cooked navy beans with butter and salt and pepper, yummy! I just serve them instead of potatoes or rice - so good for you too!

[Ohioan]

Hi, NotchJohnson --

Beans are wonderful with anything! You can put them in soup or chili, flavor them like (and instead of) your favorite meat dish, toss them in a salad, or just put some seasoning on them and eat them plain. I always cook up enough for two or three times so I can flavor them differently for each meal. A pot of beans will keep well in the refrigerator for almost a week.

I don't bother to presoak my beans, either. I set a kettle of water to boil while I rinse the beans and cut up a few slices of onion and a clove or two of garlic. Then I put the beans, onion, and garlic into a Dutch oven, pour the boiling water over them, put the lid on, and simmer them over a low heat for about two hours (depending on the size and age of the beans), stirring at the hour mark and then every 15 minutes thereafter. When the beans have softened, I scoop out whatever I'm going to save for next time, and I season what's left in the pot the way I want for that night. The rest goes in the fridge.

Would you like the names of some good bean cookbooks? Let me know and I'll post them.

Cheers, Phoebe