May 21, 2009 Emergency Preparedness monthly class on Beans

On May 21, 2009 Shawna Johnson from Nibley 8th Ward presented a wonderful lesson on beans and covered the nutritional aspects, preparing and using beans, some information on canning beans, using bean purees, bean recipes for desserts, candy, side dishes and main dishes. She also included a way to use vegetable purees in foods normally eaten by children or those who don't especially eat certain vegetables. Several of the sisters from the Nibley 6th ward graciously made many of the recipes so that those present could taste them. So many times we collect recipes and never try them. I felt that by actually tasting all of them, then there would be a greater chance that they would be incorporated into our repertoire of recipes we use on a regular basis. Shawna pointed out that she makes at least one recipe calling for beans each week.

This concept of trying to incorporate foods that are nutritious, store long-term and cost less than prepared or canned foods is important in gaining a year's supply of food. On Friday night my middle son and his wife called at a prearranged time to go over starting a home storage plan. I went over the particulars of a three month supply of foods they usually eat as opposed to long-term storage.

As we constructed a menu for a week, it was determined that the entire family enjoys eating oatmeal for breakfast. They only use the instant variety which is presweetened. It was determined that for the three of them that they would need 104 packets based on the amount of times eaten and number of packets eaten by each family member for the three month's supply. The cost for 13 boxes (104 servings )of this instant cereal would be in round figures $19.50 if a box cost $1.50. If rolled oats were purchaed from the cannery at a cost of $9.80 for 25 pounds of oatmeal, then there would be 266 servings of hot oatmeal for half the cost of purchasing the instant kind. Granted, they would have to factor in the cost of the brown sugar to add to the longer cook kind of oatmeal so that they would have the same taste as the instant variety they enjoy eating, but the cost would be minimal. The storage of 13 boxes of presweetened instant oatmeal would take about the same amount of room to store as the 25 pound bag of oatmeal, but they could be saving almost half of what the prepackaged product would cost and would also be gaining 161 extra servings of oatmeal for the half the price. Just to carry this out one step further: If my son purchased 2 and 1/2 bags of oatmeal for a cost of $24.50, they would then have a year's supply of oatmeal which they eat twice weekly. So for five dollars more than buying a 3 month supply of prepackaged presweetened oatmeal, they could have a year's supply of this breakfast item. If they purchased a year's supply of the prepackaged stuff, it would cost $78.00. By purchasing the bag of oatmeal, they would have an extra $50 to spend on other home storage items. It makes so much more sense to begin forcing yourself to find ways to incorporate long-term storage foods into your diet. You see the cost savings.

In my last post I elaborated on the information I have received regarding the canning of butter. Please be sure to read the warnings from the food safety expert that contacted me. It is extremely important. As a result, I have pulled the information on canning butter and cheese as a safety precaution. This just goes to show you that you can't always trust what is in print even though it has been carried out by others for years. I did not get my information from the internet or from a trusted friends, but from published sources. So please, always trust your first reaction or instincts or the promptings you receive when given any information.

The following is the hand-out emailed to those who attended the class on beans or to any requesting it:

BEANS
Bean Nutrition
A serving of beans and legumes is considered to be 1 cup cooked. They are high in fiber, low in fat, and a good source of protein, carbohydrates, folate, and many trace minerals.

COOKING BEANS
Beans will double to triple in size during soaking and cooking. In other words, 1 cup dry beans will produce 2-3 cups of cooked beans. The slower the beans are cooked the easier they are to digest. Slow cooker cooking on low for 6-10 hours is perfect.

SOAKING BEANS for Canning (helps dissolve some of the gas-causing substances)
QUICK SOAK METHOD: Cover beans with twice as much water as beans, bring to a boil and boil 2 minutes, remove from heat and allow soaking at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Discard the soaking liquid.

TRADITIONAL OVERNIGHT SOAK METHOD: Cover with twice as much water as beans and soak 8-18 hours in a cool place. Discard soaking water.
Do not salt soaking liquid. It will toughen the beans. It is not necessary to soak split peas and lentils.

HOME CANNED DRIED BEANS
(USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Bulletin #359)
Approximately 1¼ cups (dry measure) per quart. (5 lbs. will produce 7 quart jars, 3¼ lbs. for 9 pint jars)
1. Wash and sort beans.
2. Hydrate by soak method of your choice. Drain water.
3. Cover beans soaked by either method with fresh water. Boil 30 minutes.
4. Fill warm jars with beans and cooking liquid, leaving 1-inch head space. Top 1 inch should be cooking liquid.
5. Add ½ tsp of salt per pint or 1 tsp. per quart jar if desired for flavor.
6. Adjust lids and bands and process in pressure canner for 90 minutes for quarts or 75 minutes for pints at 13 lbs of pressure. If pressure canner has a weight only, process at 15 lbs. of pressure.

BEAN PUREE
**This can be substituted for shortening or oil in baking recipes and can also be added to cream soups, gravies or any recipe you desire.
1 cup cooked beans
¼ to ½ c water or liquid from canned beans if possible
Puree in blender until very smooth. Add water as needed for desired consistency. Not adding enough water can burn up your blender.

Ginger Snaps
1/2 c. oil or alternative ½ c. molasses 2 tsp. soda 1 tsp. ginger
1 c. white bean puree 2 eggs 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. salt
2 c. sugar 5 ½ c. flour 1 tsp. cloves
Cream oil, beans and sugar. Add molasses and eggs. Mix flour and spices in a separate container and then add to the first mixture. Roll into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Black Bean Salsa
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed 1 avocado chopped
1 can black-eyed peas (or fresh), drained and rinsed Cilantro
1 can white or yellow corn Olives
5 Roma tomatos, chopped ¼ to ½ c. Italian Dressing
1 green pepper, chopped few drops Tabasco Sauce
¼ red onion, chopped
Mix all ingredients together and serve with tortilla chips

Southwestern Chicken-Bean Salad
2 green onions, chopped ½ medium red pepper, chopped
½ medium green pepper, chopped 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. corn or 2 cobbs corn, kernels removed 2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbls. olive oil 8 oz. chicken breast, cooked and diced
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning, about half a packet 4 Tbsp. cilantro (optional)
Combine green onions, peppers, beans and corn ina large bowl. Toss until well mixed. Add lime juice and oil to bean mixture; toss to coat. Add chicken, taco seasoning and cilantro. Toss and serve. Makes 4-1 ½ c servings.

White Chili
1 Tbsp. canola oil 1 lg. onion
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped 3 c. chicken broth
½ tsp. ground coriander 2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. cumin ½ tsp. dried oregano
2 cans (16oz) great northern beans 2 c. chopped cooked chicken breast
Heat oil in a 4 quart pan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil, stirring constantly until onion is tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except chicken. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer uncovered or 20 minutes. Stir in chicken and simmer until hot.

Summer Chili
Brown 1 lb. ground turkey or hamburger. Then add:
1 can corn drained 2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
½ cup salsa 1 cup uncooked rice (or more if desired)
1 ½ tsp. garlic salt ½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
3 cans chicken broth (14 oz.) or 5 cups broth (use chicken bouillon cubes)
Cook about 1 hour or until rice is done. Add 1-2 quarts water to make sure the rice gets cooked. Can eat as soup or thicken for a chip dip.

Quick Chili
1 lb. ground beef ½ c. chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper (opt.)
1-28 ounce can tomatoes (stewed, whole or diced) 1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
4 cups prepared pinto beans (1 ½-2 c. dry)
1 to 2 1.25 oz package chili seasoning mix.
Brown hamburger with green pepper and onion, drain and add all but beans. Simmer 20 minutes. Add beans and simmer 10 more minutes.

Chili Seasoning Mix
3 Tbl. Flour 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. sugar
2 Tbl. dried onion 1 ½ tsp. chili powder ½ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. garlic powder ½ dried red pepper (opt.)

Taco Seasoning Mix
2 tsp. instant minced onion 1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder ½ tsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. crushed dried red pepper ½ tsp. minced garlic (powder)
¼ tsp. dried oregano ½ tsp. ground cumin

Sloppy Joe Seasoning Mix
1 Tbl. Minced onion 1 tsp. green pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. minced garlic ½ tsp. dry mustard
¼ tsp. celery seed ¼ tsp. chili powder

Spaghetti Seasoning Mix
1 Tbl. minced onion 1 tsp. green pepper flakes
1 tsp. cornstarch ½ tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. sugar 1 ½ tsp. salt
1 Tbl. parsley flakes ¾ tsp. Italian Seasoning

Baked White Beans
2 cups white beans 1 tsp. salt
1 onion chopped 1/8 lb. bacon (ham also works)
¾ c brown sugar ¼ c. catsup
1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tbl. soy sauce
Cover beans with cold water and add salt. Soak overnight. Drain and add beans to crock-pot barely covering with water. Add remaining ingredients. Top with bacon strips. Cook all day in crock-pot on low.

Pioneer Stew
½ pound dried pinto or kidney beans 1 tsp. salt
3 c. cold water ½ c. chopped onion
*1/2 to 1 lb. ground beef ½ c. finely diced green pepper (opt.)
1 can (16 oz.) whole kernel corn, undrained ½ cup shredded cheese
1 can (16 oz.) tomatoes, undrained ½ tsp. chili powder
In large saucepan place washed and drained beans, cold water, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. Return to heat and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes. (this can also be done in a crock-pot on low during the day) In skillet cook ground beef, chopped onion, and green pepper until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat. Add meat mixture, corn, tomatoes, chili powder and salt to taste to beans. Simmer 20 minutes. Combine 1 tbl. flour and 2 tbl. water. Stir into stew. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese. *1 can of chunk turkey or beef can be used.

COOKING WITH PUREES
A great way to add nutrition to your food without compromising flavor!!!
Veggies to puree
butternut squash zucchini (peeled) Broccoli
Cauliflower spinach yellow squash
Carrots peas sweet potatoes
Pumpkin white beans applesauce
To puree your veggies, steam (preferred) or boil them, place in a food processor or blender until smooth. Sometimes you will need to add a few tablespoons of water. Freeze purees or keep in fridge for up to 1 week.

Tips
*any puree can be a fat replacer; you can substitute purees for ½ of the fat (butter, oil, etc.) in anything baked.
*For any baked food that calls for white flour, replace two thirds with an equal mixture of wheat germ and whole wheat flour.
*Try to match colors of puree with the color of your food.
*Add a puree to each dish you make. Especially favorites like: pancakes, Alfredo, Spanish rice, spaghetti, cakes and cookies.

Pancakes
1 c. flour 1 T. sugar 1 tsp. b. powder
½ tsp. b. soda ¼ tsp. salt 1 egg
1 c. buttermilk 1 T. oil ½ c. butternut squash puree
½ c. blueberries (opt)
Mix flour, sugar, b. powder, soda, salt and set aside. In smaller bowl, mix egg, buttermilk, oil, and puree. Add to dry ingredients. Gently fold in blueberries.

“Buttered” Noodles (Deceptively Delicious)
8 oz. pasta cooked noodles ½ c. yellow squash or butternut squash puree
2 T. butter ¼ c. milk
2 T. parmesan cheese ¼ t. salt
Cook noodles according to package. Drain and return to pot. Stir in puree (make sure it is creamy), milk, butter, cheese and salt. Heat through and enjoy.


Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
½ c. peanut butter ½ c. carrot puree ½ c. packed br. sugar
2 T. butter or marg. ½ c. plain yogurt 1 large egg
1 c. flour 1 tsp. b powder 1 tsp. soda
½ tsp. salt ½ c. jam or jelly any flavor Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat muffin tin with spray or use baking cups. In a large bowl, beat peanut butter, carrot puree, sugar and butter until well blended. Stir in yogurt and egg. Add flour, b. powder, soda and salt. Stir until just combined, but do not over mix. Batter should be lumpy. Divide batter among muffin cups; drop a spoonful of jam on top of each. Bake 20-25 minutes or until tops of muffins are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Nutritional Facts from the Idaho Bean Commission
Protein
• Each half-cup serving of dry beans provides six to seven grams of protein, meets at least 10% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein, yet costs about 20 cents per serving.
• A single half-cup serving of cooked dry beans counts as one, one-ounce serving of lean meat in the USDA Food Pyramid Meat and Beans group, and as a full serving of vegetables in the Vegetables group.
• The quality and digestibility of beans can be improved by consuming them with cereal grains. Beans are a rich source in lysine, but a poor source of methionine. Cereal grains are a poor source of lysine, but high in methionine and other sulfur amino acids. When beans and grains are served together in dishes like beans and rice, or tortillas and refried beans, they provide a complimentary protein profile.
Kcalories
• There are only 100 to 120 kcalories in a half-cup serving of beans. However, Kcalories and other nutrients are diluted in canned beans because the moisture content is higher.
Carbohydrates
• Beans contain an average of 25 grams of carbohydrates per serving. The carbohydrates in cooked beans are mainly starch, a complex carbohydrate, and less than 1% of simple sugars, mostly Sucrose.
• Discarding the soaking and cooking water helps remove oligosaccharides and reduces flatulence. Hot soaking removes about 50% of these sugars. Extended soaking removes more, but reduces vitamins and minerals. Canned beans may contain up to 4% sucrose as a flavor enhancer.
Fiber
• A half-cup serving of cooked dry beans provides about 25-30% of the Daily Value of dietary fiber. About 75% of the fiber is insoluble which may reduce the risk of colon cancer. The remaining 25% of the fiber is soluble fiber which may reduce blood cholesterol. Studies have confirmed that beans are effective hypochoesterolemic agents when added to the diet.
• Consumption of beans produces a moderate increase in blood glucose and insulin levels which may be helpful in the metabolic control of diabetes. The American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association include beans in the exchange system.
• The slower release of glucose and the increased satiety from beans may also to enhance the effectiveness of weight-reducing diets.
Lipids
• A half-cup serving of beans contains less than 0.5 grams of mostly polyunsaturated fat and no cholesterol. Pinto bean lipid is 84% polyunsaturated fatty acids. Most of this fatty acid is linoleic acid.
Vitamins & Folacin
• Although some B vitamins are lost in preparation, cooked dry beans retain more than 70% of these vitamins after hot soaking and cooking. Extended cooking times will result in greater B vitamin losses. One half-cup serving of beans provides 36% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of 400 micrograms of folacin and 11% of the RDI for thiamin.
Minerals
• One half-cup serving of cooked dry beans contains large amounts of iron, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, potassium, copper, calcium, and zinc.
• The iron and calcium content can increase slightly when hard water is used for home preparation. Canned beans sometimes contain added calcium to increase firmness.
• The bioavailability of these minerals is somewhat lower due to the presence of fiber, phenolic compounds and phytic acid, which decreases their absorption. The absorption of the nonheme form of iron in beans can be increased by consuming beans with a source of vitamin C, or with small amounts of meat.
• One half-cup serving of cooked, unsalted dry beans contains 500 mg of potassium and small amounts of sodium. The level of potassium may be useful in a hypertensive diet.
• One half-cup serving of salted beans provides nearly 20% of the Daily Value for sodium on a 2,000-calorie diet. Most commercially prepared canned and dried beans contain added sodium for flavor. Check the label to determine sodium content.
How do I cook old dry beans?The longer dry beans are stored, the longer they may take to cook. First, sort and rinse the beans. For each cup of beans, bring 3 cups of water to boil, add the beans to the boiling water, and boil for two minutes. Next, add 3/8 teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) for each cup of beans, cover, and soak for 1 hour or more. More baking soda may be required for older beans. Next, drain and rinse the beans thoroughly, cover with water, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1-2 hours or until tender. Do not add salt or other ingredients until the beans have softened adequately. See All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage Basic Recipes for additional information.

Bean Vegetable Lasagna – Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked Great Northern Beans ½ teaspoon
2 tablespoons butter or margarine ¼ tsp. pepper
2 tablespoons flour 1 Tablespoon minced parsley
1 quart skim milk, divided ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed 1 and ½ cups ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded low fat mozarella cheese 12 ounces lasagna noodles, uncooked

Preparation: Melt butter in saucepan; stir in flour, add 2 cups milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick. Combine beans, vegetables, remaining 2 cups milk, white sauce, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper; mix well. Cover bottom of greased 13x8x2-inch pan with 1/4 of the noodles and 1/4 each of bean mixture, ricotta, and mozarella cheese. Repeat layers 3 times. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Cover pan and bake at 375 degrees F., 1 to 1-1/4 hours, or until noodles are tender. Remove cover; bake 10 minutes or until top browns. Let stand 15 min.
Notes: Canned beans may be used. Noodles may be cooked before assembling lasagna. Bake 350 F. oven 30-45 minutes or until heated. Prepared marinara sauce may be served with lasagna.
Idaho’s Pinto Bean Pie – Serves 8
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 heaping cup of mashed Pinto Beans*
1 3/4 cups whole pecans 9 inch, unbaked pie shell
Preparation: Beat butter until creamy; add sugar, brown sugar and beaten eggs, beating well after each addition. Add pinto beans and blend well. Pour into 9 inch, unbaked pie shell. Decorate top with whole pecans. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 20 minutes, then at 350 degrees F. for an additional 25 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Notes: *1 1/2 cup cooked beans equals about 1 cup of mashed beans.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – makes 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 can (15-ounce) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
6 ounces chocolate chips
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Preparation: Preheat oven to 375 F. Puree beans in food processor or mixer with 1/4 cup water until smooth.
Cream beans, butter and sugars in mixer. Add eggs, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, salt, flour, cinnamon, and oatmeal; mix thoroughly.
Mix in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop dough by rounded teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until golden. Cool on cookie sheet for one minute. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
NUTRITION FACTS

Amount Per Serving
Cals: 147.3 From Fat: 32.5
Total Fat: 5.4g
Cholesterol: 12mg
Sodium: 48mg
Total Carb: 23.2
Dietary Fiber: 1.7g
Sugars: na
Protein: 2,1g

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked Idaho Pinto beans
3/4 cup milk
2 egg whites ¾ cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 cup cooked pinto beans
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or 3/4 cup each whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup raisins
Preparation: Puree beans with milk in blender or food processor until smooth; transfer to bowl. Beat in egg whites, oil, and brown sugar. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and raisins. Fold into bean mixture, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake in preheated 400 degree F. oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Raisin Bean Muffins
NUTRITION FACTS

Amount Per Serving
Cals: na From Fat: na
Total Fat: na
Cholesterol: na
Sodium: na
Total Carb: na
Dietary Fiber: na
Sugars: na
Protein: na


Beananza BarsIngredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup natural wheat and barley cereal (Grape Nuts)
1 can (15 ounces each) Pinto or Great Northern beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked dry-packaged Pinto or Great Northern beans, rinsed, well drained, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup dark raisins
3/4 cup chopped dates
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or almonds
7 tablespoons melted margarine
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt Preparation: Combine flour, brown sugar, oats, cereal, beans, raisins, dates, coconut, and walnuts in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Press mixture evenly into greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350º F. until bars are browned and firm to touch in center, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.



Taco Soup1 can (15 oz.) corn, undrained
2 cans kidney beans, undrained
1 can pork and beans
1 small can green chiles
1 large onion, diced
1 envelope Taco seasoning
1 and ½ cups water
1 can (14 oz.) tomatoes (diced or other)
1 can (16 oz.) tomato sauce
I can refried beans
1 pound hamburger, lightly browned
Combine all ingredients and simmer 15 to 20 minutes
Serve with crumbled tortilla chips and with shredded cheese

Pinto Bean Fudge

1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup baking cocoa
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine 7-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla 1 cup chopped nuts
Directions:
Mash beans with fork until smooth. Cover and heat in microwave for 1-1/2 minutes until warmed. Add cocoa, melted butter and vanilla (it will be thick). Slowly mix in sugar; add nuts. Spray 8x8-inch pan and press mixture in into pan. Cover and refrigerate until firm. Cut into 1-inch pieces.