Using the Ol' Bean

Poor beans, the most neglected members of the vegetable world. We take them for granted, yet they are the supporting characters of many meals. Soups, entrees, casseroles, side dishes, and even many desserts would be thin and monotonous without the addition of beans.

Until you mash, puree, or fry them, you haven't experienced their versatility. Pureed, they can be used as a basis for sauces, "cream" soups, and baking recipes; mashed, they provide texture for sauces, casseroles, entrees, and side dishes.

Beans come in an amazing array of colors, shapes, and flavors. They can be traditionally or quickly prepared, depending on your preference. Canned beans are ready to use; just open and pour. Frozen beans (black-eyed peas, Great Northern, soy, and kidney beans in the frozen food section of the grocery) need a very short amount of cooking time. Fresh beans, such as baby limas, soybeans, and black-eyed peas, can be found at farmers' markets and in the produce section of some grocery stores. Fresh beans require very little cooking time, as they have not been dried and don't have to be rehydrated.

Dried beans do not necessarily need to be soaked. In fact, with today's harvesting techniques, dried beans tend to be fresher so they are not tough. A great deal of soaking might result in mushy beans, and a decrease in some nutrient content. Some people feel that soaking beans increases the beans' social acceptability, as it may decrease some of the fiber content, and therefore, some of the intestinal gas production (to put it politely!) associated with beans. If you choose not to soak, simply rinse beans, cover with lots of water, and allow to simmer until soft. Never cook beans quickly or over high heat, as this will toughen the skins.

If you haven't already, explore ethnic markets. All types of beans and legumes form a base for ethnic cuisines. Asian sweet beans, such as mung or red beans, are available canned. There is a Filipino dessert, halo-halo, which is made by combining sweet beans, palm seeds, and young coconut in a nonreactive (glass or plastic) bowl or container. Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes and serve over soy ice cream, sorbet, or shaved ice. Halo-halo is available canned, but it does contain sugar. You might want to purchase individual ingredients and prepare your own mix. Serve this as a dessert sauce for fruit, muffins, and quick breads (such as carrot cake or zucchini bread).

Central and South American cuisines, as well as American Southwestern, give us red beans that can be simmered with chilies, onions, and tomatoes, and mashed or pureed; black beans stewed with garlic and peppers (pureed, this an excellent sauce); and white beans used to thicken soups.

Indian, Mediterranean, and French cuisines use lentils, available in green, gray, black, yellow, and orange, each with a distinctive flavor and texture. Stew lentils with cracked black pepper and diced tomatoes, then puree and use as a sauce for baked potatoes, jasmine rice, or summer squash.

And lest we forget, the mighty garbanzo bean (also called ceci bean or chickpea) is the main ingredient in hummus. Use hummus (pureed garbanzo beans with garlic, lemon juice, and tahini paste) not just as a dip, but as a hot or cold sauce for sandwiches, cooked or chilled veggies, and for pasta (for example, penne pasta sauteed with chopped bell pepper, minced garlic, diced onions, minced parsley, and hummus!).

Beans offer fiber and protein with little or no fat or sodium (unless they're canned), with vitamins and minerals to boot. The key to bean sauces is to pair flavor and texture with the menu items. Mild items, such as pasta, rice, steamed grains, and squash will benefit from spicy, chunky sauces. Try bean salsas; prepare a tomato salsa and add cooked beans, such as black beans, baby limas, white beans, or kidney beans. Leave the salsas chunky to add texture. Another spicy sauce is a preparation of black beans cooked with fresh chilies, garlic, red pepper flakes, and onions. Leave most of the sauce whole, but puree a small amount and stir it back in for some smoothness and fluidity. Spicier or chewier menu items go well with smoother, milder sauces, such as hummus; white beans cooked with thyme, oregano, and tomatoes; or butter beans (baby limas) cooked with carrots, parsley, and celery. Puree these combinations and serve over grilled, garlicky vegetables, marinated tofu, or smoked seitan.