The Humble Bean by Wendy Esko

As well as being very delicious, beans are valuable source of protein, complex carbohydrates, iron, minerals, and vitamins. They can be combined with vegetables, sea vegetables, grains, and noodles, or can be cooked with raisins and other fruits to create appetizing desserts. Along with whole grains, beans are an important item in a natural foods diet. Below are recipes that can help you incorporate beans in your daily diet.

Azuki Beans with Squash and Kombu

1 cup azuki beans, washed and soaked 1 strip kombu, 2 to 3 inches long 1 cup hard winter squash water 1/8 to 1/4 tsp sea salt

Place the kombu on the bottom of the pot. Add squash on top of the kombu. Place the soaked azuki beans on top of the squash. Add enough water (soaking water may be included) to just cover the squash, not the beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce the flame to medium-low, cover, and cook until about 80 per-cent done (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours). Add water, occasionally, as needed, but only to just cover the beans. Season with sea salt and cook until done, which will probably take another 1/2 hour. Remove, garnish, and serve.

Lentils and Vegetables

1 cup lentils, washed 1/2 cup onions, diced 1/8 cup celery, diced 1/4 cup carrots, diced 1 strip kombu, 1 to 2 inches long, soaked and diced water sea salt

Place the kombu on the bottom of a pot. Layer the onions, celery, and carrots in that order on top of the kombu. Place the beans on top of the vegeta-bles. Add water to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce the flame to medium-low, cover, and simmer about 45 minutes to 1 hour, adding water oc-casionally as needed just to cover the beans. When the beans are 70 percent done, season with sea salt and continue to cook several more minutes until done. Do not add any more water after adding the sea salt. Remove, garnish, and serve.

Chickpeas and Kombu

1 cup chickpeas, soaked 1 strip kombu, 2 to 3 inches long, soaked and diced water sea salt 1 Tbsp chopped parsley

Place kombu in a pressure cooker. Add beans and bring up to pressure. Reduce flame to medium-low and cook for about 1 to 1/2 hours. Remove from flame and allow pressure to come down. Remove cover and season with sea salt. Leave uncovered and continue to cook until soft and most of the liquid has evaporated. Mix in the parsley and place in a serving dish.

Humus

Cook chickpeas as above. When the beans are done, puree them in a hand food mill. Place a small amount of organic roasted tahini, chopped or grated raw onion, a little umeboshi paste, and a little chopped parsley in a suribachi. Grind until smooth. Mix in the pureed chickpeas. If too thick, add a lit-tle water to produce the desired consistency. Serve with whole wheat pita or any other whole grain bread. Great for sandwiches, parties, or as a snack.

Pinto Beans with Vegetables

1 cup pinto beans, soaked 1/2 cup onions, diced or cut in wedges 1/4 cup celery, sliced on thick diagonal 1/8 cup fresh sweet corn 1/4 cup carrots, cut in chunks 1 strip kombu, 2 to 3 inches long, soaked and sliced water 1/8 to 1/4 tsp sea salt chopped scallion for garnish

Place kombu on the bottom of the pot. Layer onions, celery, corn, and carrots on top of the kombu. Place the soaked beans on top of the vegetables. Add water just to cover the beans. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the flame to medium-low. Simmer about 2 hours or until 80 percent done. Add water, occa-sionally, as needed to just cover the beans. When 80 percent done, add sea salt and continue cooking until tender, or for about 1/2 hour. Remove, garnish, and serve.