Bean & Bacon Soup
10 strips of crispy bacon
1 medium sized onion chopped
2 Tbls. flour
2 cups milk
2 cups beef stock (or 2 cups water and 2 tsp beef bullion)
4 cups white bean puree (not too thin still chunky)
1 cube Knorr vegetable bullion
salt and pepper
Fry bacon. Cook onion in bacon drippings until golden in color. Blend flour with onions and fat. Add puree and milk/stock gradually. Crumble bacon and add to soup. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until thickened and onions are cooked through.
Garnish with cheese and green onion if desired.
White Bean Hummus
1 cup cooked navy beans
2 tablespoons tahini
Freshly squeezed juice of ½ a lemon
1 small clove of garlic
1/8 tsp salt
Extra virgin olive oil to serve
Pinch of smoked paprika, to serve
Pita, flatbread or sliced vegetables to serve
• Add the ingredients to the bowl of your food processor or blender. Process until the beans become a smooth paste. (Add a small amount of water from the beans if consistency is too thick)
• Spoon the hummus into a dish. Sprinkle the paprika on top and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
• Serve with your choice of bread, chips or cut up vegetables.
Refried Beans
4 cups dried pinto beans
8-10 cups water
2 Tbls. salt
2 Tbls minced garlic
1/4 cup oil
Rinse and drain beans. Add water, salt, and garlic. When water begins to boil, reduce heat and cover. Stir frequently, making sure that there is plenty of water in the pot. Add more water if needed.
Simmer until beans are tender. This will take about 2 ½ to 3 hours depending on your preference.
If you wish to refry beans. Drain water from beans (set water aside). Put beans in the blender on puree. You will need to add water, but not too much!
Place pureed beans back into the pot they were boiled in. Simmer and keep beans hot. In a small saucepan heat 1/4 cup of oil. When oil is hot, pour into beans, stir and simmer for 15 minutes stirring frequently.
Mashing Beans as a substitute for Butter, Margarine, or Oil
Soak, cook, and drain beans as instructed for refried bean, except with NO SALT, and NO Garlic, reserving the cooking water.
Substitue beans for oil, margarine, or butter in baked goods, using the same amount of cooked beans as the type of fat called for.
For recipes where butter or margarine is creamed with sugar, simply place whole, cooked beans with the sugar, then cream together.
NOTE: The dough may be moister than usual
**If the recipe is for cookies, be sure to grease the cookie sheet**
For recipes calling for oil, make a bean puree by placing cooked beans in a blender, then adding just enough water to blend beans into a smooth, thick paste with NO chunks.
Match the bean with the color of the treat you’re making, so that the color of the treat doesn’t change. For example, black beans work great in chocolate-based baked goods, and white beans work great in yellow cake.
**Exerpt from I Can’t Believe It’s Food Storage by Crystal Godfrey**
White Bean Bruschetta
2 cups white beans, cooked
1 tsp. granulated or powdered garlic
1 tsp. dried rosemary
¼ C. oil (olive or regular)
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
Sliced Bread cut into 2 inch pieces
Mix all ingredients together and allow to sit at room temperature for several hours. Toast or grill bread. Top with white bean bruschetta and drizzle with a little oil.
Reduced Fat Chocolate-Chip Cookies
1 cup butter (1 cup white beans)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1-2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all purpose white flour (or whole wheat)
1 ½-3 cups old-fashioned oats (pulverized in blender)
¾ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
12 oz. chocolate chips
• Cream together butter (beans) and sugars.
• Add eggs and vanilla.
• Mix flour, oatmeal, salt, baking soda, and baking powder into creamed mixture.
NOTE: If dough is too dry using beans, slowly add in small amounts of water until dough is thick and slightly moist. (Dough will be sticky)
• Slowly stir in chocolate chips.
• Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.