Beans, more than just a magical fruit!

Beans are cheap, healthy and store for a very long time!   But how the heck can I get the kidlets to eat them!?!?!?!  Well, one of our favorite recipes is to simply roast garbanzo beans(chick peas), we just lightly coat them in canola oil, and sprinkle salt and pepper over them, and roast on low heat for a few minutes until golden brown and crispy on the outside!  Sometimes we throw a bit a parmesan on them too! My diabetic son eats them like popcorn!, whenever we watch a movie for family night, roasted 'banzos are in! (Besides, he works at a theater, he's over the popcorn thing!)


Some of the other faves are bean cookies!!! (because I love cookies!). 

• 1 can of white beans (I used Great Northern Beans).
• Placed them in a food processor
• Blended until smooth (I did not add any water).  It turned out the consistency of shortening
• I used the puree in this cookie recipe, replacing 75% of the fat for white beans.  So, the original recipe used 1 cup of butter.  I used 1/4 cup of butter and 3/4 cup of the white beans.

White Bean Chocolate Chip Cookies

• · ¾ C Pureed White beans
• 1/4 c butter
• · 1 C brown sugar
• · 1 C white sugar
• · 2 Eggs
• · 1 tsp vanilla
• · 1 cup whole wheat flour
• · 1 ¼ cup White flour
• · 1 TBL baking soda
• · 1 tsp baking powder
• · 2 ½ cup oat flour, rice flour works too for fluffier cookies 
• · Chocolate chips

Mix pureed beans, butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla thoroughly. Mix dry ingredients together. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix softly with wooden spoon just until all flour is mixed in.  Bake at 400 for 6 minutes. Makes 3 Dozen cookies

YUMMY!

Black Bean Brownies Recipe:

• 1 15 ounce can of black beans, or 1 1/2 cups pre cooked black beans.
• 1/2 cup cocoa (100%)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Rinse beans!  Mix all ingredients together.  Pour into an 8X8 inch greased pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes

Of course, there are the standard dips as well, bean dips, hummus, soups (which only one kid will eat),  there's refired beans (yes, we call them refired beans) mixed in with our taco meat for a mexican fiesta night, but really? do kids eat enough beans?  At my house, green beans in any form/fashion are out!  bean sprouts are not a hit either......so, disguising beans has been a tough haul!  Pureed beans molded into patties or nuggets are pretty good, but sooooo  much work for a working mom who gets home after 8p-ish.  Besides, my guys...........PICKY! They will dissect every morsel of edible food checking for "what they don't like" before they'll even taste it! 

 Beans are easy to store (as long as you keep them dry), are nutrient-dense and are very inexpensive (particularly if you buy them in bulk). Beans contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, yet they are low in fat. When times are bad and you can’t afford beef, chicken, pork, fish or other high-protein foods, beans are a nutritious alternative.

Beans can drastically save in the family food budget, and fill those empty tummies with sustenance that will 'stick to their bones!'  Recently, my little guy has sampled 'soybeans' at school.  Because its local staple, he was able to tell me all about the soy crayons, soy milk, soybeans as salad toppers, and so many more 'soy' alternatives.  So Soy it is!!!

Soybeans are my new endeavor. Locally grown, kids already interested and excited, and cheap! (i hope!)