Summer Carb Ideas I – Beans Recipes

Eating outdoors, even for a week night dinner, never seems to lose its appeal as a novelty. Perhaps it’s the freedom from structural confinement, maybe it’s having a reason to sit and enjoy nature and breathe fresh air or it could be the association with so many fun activities, fairs, games, trips to beaches and amusement parks, whichever the motivation, we think of eating outdoors as “fun” time. Fun times call for “fun” food, but we shouldn’t confuse fun food, or even pick-up fast food with nutritious food that can be fun to eat.

Whether it be a week-day dinner, a picnic, backyard cook-out or a candle-lit buffet on a patio, it’s just as important to plan a balanced menu as it is for a dinner indoors. The meal should include protein, fiber and carbohydrates. The trick is to choose recipes that will stand up to being served outside in hot weather. I’ve discussed fiber in the form of veggie sides, now it’s carbs turn – or I should say .turns – since the subject is too long for one posting.*

Beans are the easiest carbohydrates to convert to hot weather dishes because most of their recipes don’t contain dairy products which spoil quickly in the heat. Besides, bean dishes, generally are considered to be more in the fun category than the serious one. They love vinaigrette dressings**, pair well with vegetables and are the perfect complement for herbs and spices. Below are 6 recipes which exemplify this fact. You can use them as they are given or use them as spring-boards to create new dishes. If they haven’t been outside for more than an hour, you can incorporate them into another meal. Just remember the safety rules and never leave food out for over an hour, always use fresh wrapping and clean containers for storage. Eat safe!!!

*I deal with the subject of carbohydrates fully in my ebook How to Understand Carbohydrates—So They Don’t Go to Waist. It’s available on Kindle and soon to be available through this blog and other outlets.

** A list of several vinaigrette dressing recipes follows the bean ones at the end of this posting.

 

3 – Bean Salad: Serves 6

• (1/2) a 10 oz. bag frozen cut green beans cooked to crisp-tender
• 15oz. can cannellini beans
• 15oz. can black beans
• 1 small onion thinly sliced
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro or basil and/or oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup vinaigrette of choice—SEE NOTE AFTER BEAN RECIPES

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Rinse, drain and dry all the beans. Gently toss all the ingredients together in a bowl and serve. Any combinations of beans can be used, even limas, just keep colors contrasting.

 

Lentil Salad: Serves 4

• 1 cup dried lentils
• 3 plum tomatoes in ½ inch dice
• 4 scallions- white and light green parts in ¼ inch slices
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
• 2 Tbs. oil
• 1 Tbs. cider vinegar
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. Beef bouillon granules
• ¼ tsp. cumin powder
• Ground black pepper for garnish

Cover the lentils with water and simmer until tender, about 35-40 min. Drain well and place in a bowl with the next 3 ingredients. Whisk the oil, vinegar and seasonings and pour over lentil mix. Toss gently, garnish with the pepper and serve.

 

Chick Pea (Garbanzo) Salad: Serves 4

• (2) 15 oz. cans chick peas- rinsed and drained
• 2 plum tomatoes in medium dice
• 1 small cucumber seeded in ¼ inch slices
• 4 oz. can sliced black olives – drained
• ½ red onion thinly sliced
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
• 3 Tbs. oil
• 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. honey

Toss the first 6 ingredients in a bowl.  Mix the next 4 and toss with the contents of the bowl. Chill for several hours to meld flavors.

 

Pinto and Corn Salad: Serves 4

•  15 oz. can pinto beans-rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
• ½ red onion –diced
• 2 plum tomatoes –diced
• 1 green bell pepper – diced
• Salt and pepper- to taste
• 2 Tbs. honey
• 2 Tbs. cider vinegar
• ½ tsp. cumin powder
• ½ tsp. coriander powder
• ½ tsp. spicy brown mustard
• Pinch cayenne pepper

Mix the last 6 ingredients well to make the dressing. Toss the dressing with all the other ingredients in a salad bowl. Chill for at least 2 hours to meld flavors.

 

Tuscan Baked Beans: Serves 6

• (2) 15 oz. cans cannellini beans—drained juice reserved
• (1) 14 oz. can diced tomatoes- drained juice reserved
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 leek – white and light green parts sliced
• 3garlic cloves – minced
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh sage OR ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper

Sauté the leek, herbs and garlic in the oil 3-4 min until leek is softened. Put the beans, tomatoes, oil mix and salt and pepper to taste in a large oven-proof casserole. Add enough of the drained juices, in equal quantity to moisten the contents, about 2 Tbs. of each. Cover and bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 35-40 min. Uncover, stir, adjust seasonings and liquid content and bake for 15 min more. Serve hot or at room temperature.

 

Red Beans and Rice Salad: Serves 4

• 15 oz. can pinto beans—rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cooked white rice- preferably basmati
• 4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes in oil- drained and diced –oil reserved
• 1 small green bell pepper diced
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 summer squash diced—microwaved 30 seconds to blanch if desired
• 2 ribs of celery diced
• 6 cherry tomatoes halved—for garnish

Gently toss all the above ingredients, except the cherry tomatoes, in a bowl. Make dressing.

Dressing:

• Reserved tomato oil plus enough olive oil to make ¼ cup
• 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 4 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. dried thyme
• Pinch cayenne pepper

Whisk all ingredients until blended. Pour over salad and toss to mix. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.

 

Vinaigrette Dressings: Yield= ½ cup

• The basic model for making a vinaigrette dressing is:
• ¼ cup oil
• 2 Tbs. acid-vinegar and/or citrus juice
• 1 tsp. spicy or whole grain mustard OR ¼- ½  tsp. mustard powder (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper

NOTE: Whisk or shake the ingredients until well blended

 

Citrus Vinaigrette: Serves 4

•  3 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 Tbs. EACH lemon and orange juice
• ¼ tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. chopped cilantro, parsley or other herb of choice

 

Jam Based Vinaigrette: Serves 4

• ¼ cup fruit jam-including cranberry sauce
• 1 Tbs. oil
• 1 Tbs. white vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper

NOTE; Salads with this dressing are often enhance by a nut garnish

 

Celery Seed Dressing: Serves 4

• ¼ cup oil
• 1 Tbs. honey
• 2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
• ½ tsp. mustard
• ½ tsp. celery seed

 

Poppy Seed Dressing: Serves 6-8

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup oil
• 1 tsp. mustard
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2-3 Tbs. poppy seeds.

Mix ingredients and allow to marinate overnight in the refrigerator. This is a good dressing with a salad containing fruit especially oranges.

 

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette: Serves 4

• ¼ cup oil
• 2 Tbs. crumbled Blue cheese
• 1 Tbs. or to taste- fresh lemon juice.

Dissolve cheese in oil by mashing and shaking. Add lemon juice to taste by the teaspoon until the flavor has a lemon-cheese bite with a slight tang and no under-taste of oil.