Two things to share here. One is the METHOD for degassing beans and the
second is the recipe on the back of the package of Trader Joe's Bean &
Barley Soup Mix.
#1 From Narsai David, star chef of PBS's "Cookoff America" cooking show,
from his former Radio Cooking Show on KCBS 740 A.M. in the San Francisco
Bay Area. Boy, do I miss that daily hour of cooking with Harvey
Steinman.
Mr. David's link and recipes are located at (note not many are fat free,
but can be modified to suite your needs):
http://kcbs.ftmmedia.com/external/index.html?http%3A//www2.kcbs.com/narsai/
The recipe for Degassing Beans is at:
http://www2.kcbs.com/narsai/recipes/archive/de_gassing_beans.html
"DE-GASSING BEANS
The USDA has done a lot of research to try and get the gas-causing
element out of beans. And British agriculturists are trying to breed a
new variety of beans with the same goal. USDA work has led to a really
simple procedure that eliminates fully 80% of the source of the problem.
One of the complex sugars in beans is not broken down in the human
stomach. It continues on to the lower intestine, where it causes the
problem. The cooking technique for its removal is marvelously simple.
Select a large enough pot to hold at least 3 to 4 times the volume of
beans comfortably. Bring the water to a rolling boil while you are
picking over the beans, removing pebbles and spoiled beans. Wash the
beans and add to the kettle. Boil for only two minutes.
Remove from the heat, cover, and let it rest for one hour. Drain and
discard the water. Add fresh water or broth and continue cooking (follow
recipe below). The offending sugars are reduced by at least 80%, and
very little other nutrients are lost. You may discover that you will be
cooking beans more frequently with this wonderful, easy trick."
#2 Trader Joe's Recipe
Note: It's a little self-serving as they call for using four of their
own products. I will just put a "T.J." after those ingredients. Adjust
and be creative. I noted the olive oil as an option that was left out of
my batch. Didn't need it for sauteing.
1 1/2 cups of T.J. 17 Bean and Barley Soup Mix**
1 cup of chopped sweet bell peppers, choose from a mixture of green,
red, yellow or orange etc. I used fresh, they called for their frozen 3
pepper (green yellow and red) product called "T.J. Melange a Trois
Peppers"
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. Dried Basil
1 can Marinara Sauce or Canned Tomatoes (T.J.) Note: no size was
mentioned so I went with 28 oz.
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1 garlic clove or 1 tsp. T.J. Crushed Garlic (Note: you can increase
this, or use roasted garlic)
Optional: 2 Tbl. Olive Oil. (not used in my pot of beans).
Soak Bean & Barley combination overnight, or use the above degassing
method.
In a heavy bottom pan cook until soft (in broth, water, wine or
combination): onion, celery, carrot and peppers. Add Basil and Garlic.
Add to all remaining ingredients. Add additional water, broth or other
liquids as needed for your desired consistency. (Note: If you used the
above degassing method, the beans have absorbed as much liquid as they
are going to. However, this dish could be a bean soup, or a pot of beans
depending on the amount liquids added. Adjust as desired.
Simmer covered about 1 hour (Note: could be cooked longer, depending on
your desired texture, upwards of 90-120 minutes, check for bean doneness
by tasting or squeezing a large bean. Makes about 8 hearty serving.
As a variation, I added fresh mushrooms, cut into 1/3 (or 1/4) for added
texture and mouth feel. I also added some BBQ sauce (about 2 TBL.) but
could have used some Wright's Liquid Smoke seasoning for a outdoorsy
"hickory" flavor.
**And now as a bonus the contents T.J. "17 Beans and Barley Soup"
mixture:
Baby Lima Beans, Black Turtle Beans, Blackeye Peas, Dark Red Kidney
Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Great Northern Beans, Green Lentils, Green Split
Peas, Large Lima Beans, Light Red Kidney Beans, Navy Beans, Pink Beans,
Pinto Beans, Red Lentils, Small Red Beans, Small White Beans, Yellow
Spilt Peas, Pearl Barley. 16 oz package for $.79! (Some day, I would
like to separate and weigh each legume, but at $.79 pound, I doubt if I
could duplicate this incredible value.)
andy
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