I remember the first time I encountered a lima bean. I was in elementary school at the time and sat down for dinner after playing outside. I looked at my plate and saw a small pile of mixed vegetables. I noticed a pale green round thing poking out from the chopped carrots and other mixed vegetables in the pile.
“What is THAT?” I thought to myself. I decided to ask my mother, who replied, “Just try it, it’s a lima bean.”
Since my experience with other beans up to that point had been good, I popped the big green bean in my mouth and immediately decided I was not going to have a friendship with lima beans.
I chewed it a couple of times and much to my mother’s dismay, I spit it out.
The unusual texture and bland taste moved them right to the top of the list of foods I planned to never eat again, which included other things like steamed clams and canned beets.
Thankfully my adventurous palate persisted and I remained open to trying new foods — including different kinds of beans. In fact, beans have made their way into meals at my house a couple of times a week whether it’s baked beans or my new favorite, lupini beans.
Beans are an inexpensive protein, especially if you make them from scratch. From a cost and convenience perspective, canned beans are an excellent food to keep in your pantry because you can add them to soups, stews, rice and other dishes and have a boost of protein without having to cook any meat.
Beans belong to the legume family, which also includes lentils, peas, peanuts and soy beans. The top five beans produced in the United States are pinto beans, black beans, navy beans, kidney beans and small red beans. American farmers produce about twice as many pinto beans as any other variety.
Beans are a solid choice for anyone trying to add more fiber to their diet — they’re rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber and they’re also a great source of complex carbohydrates. A serving of beans contains essential vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, B6 and folic acid. Beans contain 21% to 25% protein by weight, much more than any other vegetable protein.
Several months ago I was shopping at a grocery store that was so big, it made my local grocery store seem like a gas station convenience store. There were many unfamiliar brands and way more options for basic items — like beans — so I decided to try some new things. I added some lupini beans to my haul and also grabbed a couple of cans of Central American red beans.
One night, in a hurry to get some dinner together, I mixed a ready-to-heat package of roasted garlic and olive oil rice and a couple of cans of the red beans together with some spices and had a nutritious meal in five minutes. The Central American red beans have a little more flavor than other beans and their hearty texture makes them filling and delicious.
I was a little skeptical of the lupini beans because their size and shape are similar to limas, but I gave them a chance anyway. They were packaged in a jar with a watery liquid and were already cooked. I looked up some information on them and learned they’re typically served pickled around the Mediterranean.
You can eat lupini beans straight from the jar — they have a firm, almost crunchy texture and have a faintly sweet, nutty taste. Although their size and shape may slightly resemble a lima bean, lupini beans have a golden yellow color and their texture and flavor are totally different.
Sometimes I mix them in with a fresh, pico de gallo-style salsa and eat them with tortilla chips. They’re also tasty when mixed with some pesto, capers, crispy minced veggies like red peppers and a splash of vinegar or lemon to brighten up the flavors.
Another spectacular way to enjoy beans is to add them to Asian noodle dishes — black beans are an especially good option. I made a lo mein noodle dish with air-fryer Chinese sweet sausage, snap peas, onions, and carrots and stirred in some black beans and teriyaki sauce.
It was an easy meal to pull together and the sausage was a surprise hit — if you haven’t tried it before, give it a shot. When you cook it in an air fryer it gets a little crispy on the outside and remains tender on the inside. If you’re a gluten-free person, you can always swap out the Lo Mein noodles for rice noodles, or skip the noodles altogether and serve the sausage dish over rice.
Red Beans with Roasted Garlic Rice.
JANINE LADEMAN
Red Beans with Roasted Garlic Rice
2 (15.5-ounce) cans red beans, such as Central American reds
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (8.8-ounce) packages heat-and-serve rice, such as roasted garlic and olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish if desired
Empty the beans into a colander and rinse under cool water.
Drain and set aside.
Add the olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is warmed, add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, then stir in the chicken, chicken stock, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and beans.
Simmer for about five minutes or until the beans are heated throughout, then remove from heat.
Heat the rice according to package directions, then transfer to a serving dish and top with the bean mixture.
Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.
Chinese Sausage and Black Bean Lo Mein
Chinese Sausage and Black Bean Lo Mein.
JANINE LADEMAN
10-ounce package Chinese sweet sausage
1 pound fresh lo mein noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into discs
1 sweet onion, peeled and sliced
2 cups oyster mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chicken stock
15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cups teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped, if desired for garnish
Note: Chinese sausage is dried, but not cooked. It should be cooked before eating.
Slice the sausages into discs and set aside. Spray the basket of an air fryer and heat it to 350 degrees, then add the sausage slices and air fry for 8 to 10 minutes, stopping halfway to flip the sausages. The sausages are done when the outside begins to turn crispy on the edges and the insides are cooked. Set the cooked sausages aside.
Bring a pot of water to boil on the stove top and add the noodles. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the noodles have slightly softened, then drain and set aside.
Add the olive and sesame oil to a deep skillet or wok and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is warmed, add the garlic, carrots, onion and mushrooms, and sauté until the vegetables are softened.
Stir in the chicken stock and black beans and cook for about two minutes to warm the beans.
Stir in the teriyaki sauce, noodles and sausage and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes or until all the ingredients are heated throughout.
Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Lupini Beans with Pesto and Capers
8-ounce jar lupini beans, drained
1/4 cup fresh onion, minced
1/2 cup fresh red pepper, minced
2 tablespoon pesto
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons capers
Sea salt to taste
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine. Let the mixture set for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to develop. Season with sea salt before serving.
