BEANS, BEANS, BEANS...

            Does anyone read all those magazine articles about how to lose weight, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol and avoid “metabolic syndrome inflammation” which leads to a vast array of woes including diabetes? Me, too.

            Lately, I have been reading a lot about beans.  I have always known that beans were a good source of fiber and protein. But now they are being touted as almost a miracle cure.  The last article I read said that I could lose some phenomenal amount of weight and inches (mostly belly fat – that deep, dark adipose kind) just by adding five cups of beans to my diet each week.  I could keep eating everything else I wanted (look out Edy’s Slow Churned Caramel Delight), just add the beans.  They even out your blood sugar, drop your blood pressure, and, they have a lot of fiber. 

            Five cups a week is about three quarters of a cup a day.  I don’t know if you realize how filling beans are, but if you eat that many beans, your appetite should take a direct hit. I always thought that beans were bad if you had a problem with sugar, but now I learn that they are one of the highest rated insulin resistant foods.  Who knew? I read a while ago that if you cooked potatoes then let them cool before eating, they also became insulin resistant.  That gave me a reason to go back for seconds on the potato salad! But back to the bean thing.

            Red meat comes under fire a lot and beans are one of the substitutes recommended in your diet. They are right up there with salmon and sardines! I’m not kidding.  Skip the burger – skip the steak – skip the prime rib roast. Who could feel deprived with sardines on crackers, blackened orange fish or a big bowl of baby limas waiting for them? Surely, not me. Snicker, snicker.

            But I do like beans. I am in the chili with beans camp.  I order the rice and beans at the Mexican place (to go with my beef entrée usually).  Garbanzos mashed with roasted garlic and olive oil then spread on toasted French bread baguettes is awesome. Maybe we should all give this bean thing a try.  The ham and bean soup I make is a pretty drawn out affair as I think that nothing beats the taste of a soup that starts with a bone in a stock pot and ends after all day simmering on the back burner. I do also like a light easy version of a Chicken and Bean Soup that I make at home sometimes. 

I must add that if you are a fan of the “Fresco” thing, with all the fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro at that fast Mexican place, you should try using black beans on your tacos, burritos or salad. Open a can of black beans and wash them first in a colander or mesh strainer.  Everything will turn bean black if you don’t. Dice up some onion and tomato and add to the beans. Squeeze in some lime juice and it’s all the better if you have some fresh cilantro leaves to add.  It tastes, “bright”, that is the word I will use.  Long live the bean! Or is it live long with beans?

 

Chicken and Bean Soup

1 14 ounce can of chicken broth

1 tsp olive oil

½ cup each diced carrots, celery and onion

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional, if you like some heat)

1 14 ounce can of cannelini beans (Italian white beans) or any white bean

1 6 – 8 ounce can cooked chicken

Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add diced vegetables and stir until the onion begins to turn translucent and carrot and celery soften.  Add broth, beans and seasonings and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add chicken and continue to simmer till warm.

*This is a nice base soup to build from if you wish.  You can use a broth with roasted garlic if that flavor makes you happy. Add a can of petite diced tomatoes with the broth and beans and cook just a bit longer to meld the flavors. Use a spoon of those green diced chili peppers that come out of the Mexican food cans. Leave out the chicken for a real vegetarian meal.  Float some crunchy croutons on top instead of the normal saltines.