Cheap and Easy Cooking: Beans

We are all looking for ways to save money these days and one of the main places I am doing it is in the kitchen.  I have dug out as many of my money saving tricks as possible.  One of them is pre-soaked beans.

 

Beans, beans, the more you eat the more you……..  But the truth of the mater is, beans are loaded with wonderful healthy things and also fill you up.  They are also super cheap!  Even cheaper if you by them in bulk dried.  Your local supermarket probably carries them; they are hiding down on the bottom of a shelf in your canned goods isle. 

 

We eat a lot of beans at my house, mainly due to the fact that they are high in fiber, super filling, and easy to cook with.  When I buy them, I usually purchase the canned ones (I have a sweet spot for baked beans) and find they run about $1.50-$2.50 a can depending on brand and style.  You can buy dried bulk beans for about $1.50 a pound!  It is a lot cheaper, and with just a little effort, you can create tons of great recipes with hardly any extra work!

 

The first thing to do when you get your bulk beans home is to make sure you store them well.  Use an airtight bag or container to keep them fresh.  You just have to plan ahead when you are ready to do some cooking with your beans.  It takes about 24 hours get them ready to go.  What I usually do is measure out a serving of beans – about 1 cup dried beans should serve 4 people well – and put them in a deep bowl.  Cover the beans with cool water and cover with a kitchen towel.  You can leave them on the counter over night or in the fridge.  The next morning you will find some happy soaked beans!  Why pre-soak beans you might ask?  Much better on your digestive system – trust me, your family will thank you for it!

 

Rinse your beans off and get out a medium sized stockpot, one large enough to hold 4-6 cups of water.  Put beans in the pot and cover with 4-6 cups of water and 1-teaspoon salt.  Cover and lightly boil beans for around 2-3 hours.  Check a bean to make sure it is to your liking and then drain.  Your beans are ready to eat – but you might want to make them even better!

 

A couple ways to spice up your beans are to add some fun finishing ingredients.  After your beans have cooked, you can finish them off hundreds of ways.  Some of my favorites are:

-add in 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce and cook for a couple more minutes.

-mix in 1Tablespoon garlic and some fresh spinach and mix well until spinach is wilted.

-caramelize an onion and mix in with beans along with 1 Tablespoon sour cream.

-sauté chopped bacon and add beans into pan with bacon and cook for a few minutes.

-mash beans and add 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa.

 

There are so many fun and easy ways to make your beans!  If you have leftovers, beans keep well in the fridge.  If you want to make a large batch of beans and store them ready to use for the future, you can separate cooked beans into bags and keep them in the freezer.  You can use them at any time!  Don’t be afraid of cooking with dried beans – they might take a bit longer, but they are so much cheaper and you can create your own unique dishes with little effort!