Baked lima beans with fresh dill.

Tags

baked beans, butter beans, cream, fresh dill, gigantes, lima beans, mashed potatoes, Scandinavian flavors

I created this dish of lima beans with dill specifically to go with baked salmon, wanting something creamy and mild flavored, seasoned with spring herbs, and reminiscent of mashed potatoes, without extra starch and butter. I like this dish so much, we won’t be waiting for another salmon dinner to have it again! Poor lima beans have such a bad reputation, and I just don’t understand why. They are nutritious- high in fiber, folate, protein, potassium, and vitamin B1- and serve exactly the purpose I intended, acting as a neutral vehicle for a variety of flavors, similar to how you might use potatoes, parsnips, or even rice. I noticed recently an increase in recipes for “butter beans” and “gigantes”, which are both less-stigmatized ways to say lima beans. (Would anyone care for a dried plum?) I say, from now on, call them whatever you like, but get them into your meals. Here’s an easy place to start.

To make this dish, you can begin with frozen lima beans, canned, fresh, or dried. The first two options will be easiest to find; you will probably have the option of baby lima beans in the freezer section, or the aforementioned butter beans in canned form. Fresh limas are wonderful but difficult to find; look for them in farmers’ markets in late summer or early fall. Dried lima beans have finally earned a spot in the bulk section of our grocery store, perhaps due to the popularity of other wide, flat legumes like Scarlet Runner beans and favas. In the bulk section, they are often labelled gigantes, and sometimes you can find cooked gigantes in the deli or salad bar. Again, whatever they’re called, they will work for this dish. I would avoid deli gigantes in a vinaigrette; it might not be bad… but I wouldn’t risk the possibility that the acidic marinade might overpower the delicate dill flavor and curdle the cream. If you are starting with dry beans, just soak overnight, put in fresh water, and boil for 30-40 mins. until tender. You could also use a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. You can add cooked lima beans to salads and soups if you make extra.

I wanted to take advantage of the inherent mildness of the beans to show off the flavor of fresh dill. I have been reading Scandinavian cookbooks recently, and salmon is often paired with three ingredients/flavors: fresh dill, cream, and new or mashed potatoes. Those elements were the inspirations for this dish. The lima beans have the perfect texture to seem creamy without the need for a lot of extra dairy fat. I do use cream here, but just a touch, and less than I would use for a comparable plate of mashed root vegetables. If you wanted to try something with or instead of dill, chives, sorrel, or tarragon would all be delicious. In addition to salmon, these beans would be great alongside steak or roasted chicken, or as a light vegetarian option served with cooked greens, broccoli, or asparagus.

I have written before about my ongoing challenge to incorporate legumes into our diet; finding that we really like lima beans was pretty exciting. I have so many ideas for how to use them. In addition to baked sides like this, I look forward to putting them in soups (anywhere I have used cannellini beans or chickpeas before), salads (nicoise, chop salad, or a hearty fresh kale salad), and other warm dishes like my baked Scarlet runner beans. Ignore those childhood rumors that lima beans are unworthy and give them a try!

Baked Lima Beans with Fresh Dill

• 2 c. cooked lima beans
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• generous amount of fresh cracked black pepper
• 3 – 4 T. fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and minced (optional)
• 2 T. finely minced chives (optional)
• 1/3 c. cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the cooked beans into a 2 1/2 qt baking dish, or similar ovenproof dish. If you’re using frozen limas, defrost them completely or blanch for 1-2 mins. in boiling water. For canned beans, drain and rinse off the canning liquid. Dried beans should be cooked at least to al dente state; you can add 1-2 T. of cooking liquid with them if you like.

Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Bake for 25-30 mins., until the sauce is bubbling and the beans are completely heated through. Serve immediately.

Leftover beans can be reheated or served cold, and will keep in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

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Baked scarlet runner beans.

Tags

baked beans, bean supper, cowboy beans, dried beans, fava beans, lima beans, scarlet runner beans, tomato, vegetarian barbecue sides

In Maine, there are bean suppers (I wanted badly to type ‘suppahs’…) on Saturday nights. With a bit of planning, you can find a bean supper to sample most weeks of the year. A suppah (I had to) is a communal meal for a nominal fee, sometimes at a church, often at a Grange or Elks hall, featuring hot dogs (or ham if you’re lucky), biscuits, cold salads and slaws, condiments and pickles, and a homestyle dessert like cobbler, shortcake or pie. Of course, as the name suggests, the star of these meals is the homemade baked beans, often two or three different kinds to suit various needs: pea beans and navy beans, because bean type preferences run deep; maybe a pot made without sugar; perhaps one a little on the spicy side. Bean suppers are also a family tradition, an excuse to get together with our extended family to catch up and share a meal. If dinner is hosted by my Mom, a pot or two of beans goes in the oven Saturday morning for dinner, made by Mom or Aunt Elaine, and they smell as good while they slowly cook as they will eventually taste. These are the baked beans I like, the ones I will always eat. They are tender, well-seasoned and hearty. They are the holy grail of baked beans, and the reason I have been trying for months to make something even partially as good… I think these baked scarlet runner beans are it.

My baked scarlet runner beans are similar in flavor to cowboy beans, slightly sweet thanks to Vidalia onion and tomatoes, and with enough smoked paprika to make you think they could have come off a slow campfire.  The beans are tender but still hold their shape. The breadcrumb topping does double duty, soaking up some excess cooking liquid while retaining a nice chewy bite. I used the end of a loaf of plain homemade bread that was on the stale side; I simply cut a few slices into very small cubes, spread them into a single layer on a baking sheet and toasted quickly, before topping the beans. You coould use small, lightly-seasoned croutons as well. Back to the tomatoes for a second: I used a mixture of plain tomato sauce and cherry tomatoes because I wanted the depth of flavor the canned sauce gives and the sweetness and texture of the cherry tomatoes. You can replace some or all of either with canned chopped tomatoes or roughly cut fresh tomatoes. Keep in mind that sauciness is welcome here, so if you choose to use fresh only, make sure they are ripe and juicy.

So why scarlet runner beans? They are a little more expensive and sometimes harder to find. In short, because of taste and texture. Scarlet runner beans have a mild flavor and that wonderful creamy, soft texture that many big, flat dried beans have. I do not care for hard, mealy baked beans– who does? If scarlet runners are hard to find, dried fava or lima beans will do nicely here.

I should say that my Mom’s or Aunt Elaine’s baked beans and my baked scarlet runners are very different. I add a little smoky spice with Spanish smoked paprika and stay away from sweetness, other than what comes from the vegetables. I didn’t hunt for salt pork; in fact, these are vegan beans. Mom’s are pure tradition, down to the molasses, thick hunks of salt pork, halved or quartered onion, and ketchup. I compare our recipes not for ingredient lists, but because they both hit that coveted note of comfort food: simple food done so well it makes you sigh out loud… and reach for a second helping.

Whether you’re looking for a hearty barbecue side dish, a new play on baked beans, or a delicious vegetarian main course, add these baked scarlet runner beans to your to-make list. They keep well and taste even better reheated the next day! I’m already scheming how to adapt them to be cooked or warmed over a campfire this summer, and I’m tempted to host my very own bean supper!

Baked Scarlet Runner Beans (serves 6-8 as a side dish)

• 1 c. dried scarlet runner beans, soaked overnight (reserve 1 c. bean cooking water)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 T. olive oil, divided
• 1 c. chopped Vidalia onion
• 1 c. tomato sauce
• 1 c. cherry tomatoes
• 2 large cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• kosher salt & pepper
• 1 c. homemade breadcrumbs, toasted, or small croutons

Soak the scarlet runner beans in cool water overnight. Drain thoroughly and remove any bits of chaff, etc. that might have risen to the top. Place soaked beans in a 3 – 4 qt. pot and cover again with cool water, twice the volume of beans. Add the bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 1 1/2 hrs. Remove from the heat; carefully measure and set aside 1 c. cooking liquid. Strain the beans and add to a 3 qt. glass or ceramic (nonreactive) baking dish. Season with kosher salt; discard the bay leaf.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until translucent and just starting to turn golden brown. Add the cooked onion, and all other ingredients except the breadcrumbs, including reserved cooking liquid, to the baking dish. Cover with tin foil and bake for 45 mins. Remove from the oven, carefully uncover– watch out for escaping steam– and top with breadcrumbs. At this point the beans will look like they have too much liquid, but it’s alright. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 30 mins. Most of the liquid will be absorbed by the time they are done cooking; keep an eye on them around the 20 min. mark so they don’t dry out completely. Serve immediately.

Leftover beans will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Braised beans & leeks.

Tags

baked beans, beans, braised beans, leeks, Sprouted Kitchen

Cooking with beans is a challenge for me. I feel comfortable using them in soups, and to a lesser degree, in burritos and wraps. After those avenues are exhausted, I am usually out of ideas. A few years ago I found a recipe (more of a cooking method, actually) from Jose Andres for simmering white beans with lots and lots of garlic, a bit of rosemary, some pepper and a healthy splash of olive oil. We ate those beans alongside chicken, pork, squash, etc. until both R & I felt like we never wanted to see a cannellini bean again, ever, regardless of how delicious it might be. I went through the white bean hummus phase, also short-lived, and a brief obsession with fresh lima beans. The reason I keep try, trying again is that I know beans are good for me, a versatile, low-fat, nutrient-dense, protein-rich substitute for the animal proteins I am trying to cut down on in our weekly meals. The problems? I never remember to soak them in time. The texture of an improperly-cooked bean is especially off-putting to my husband and we have different opinions about cooked vs. mush. Why not buy canned beans? Concerns about BPA and costs of canned beans vs. their dry, bulk counterparts mean that isn’t always an answer for me.

I hate the fact that I have so many excuses, and I am a stubborn lady, so I will keep on trying to incorporate beans into more meals. I am learning to use my pressure cooker to avoid hours and hours of cooking. I write sticky notes to myself reminding me to “Soak those beans!” and “Remember you have beans soaking!” I keep using beans as a substitute in favorite dishes where they make sense to me– even when those recipes are another soup, stew or wrap. I continue searching for new bean-centric recipes, which is how I found this gem: braised beans with leeks, from the lovely cookbook The Sprouted Kitchen by Sara Forte. This book makes sense to me; her cooking style is similar to mine and the recipes gravitate toward the same ingredients and preparations I use most often. The photographs, taken by her husband Hugh, are attractive and appealing. The recipe for braised beans with leeks stood out because it just looked so good, and approachable, and reminded me distantly of the all-day-in-the-oven baked beans my Mom and aunt are famous for. Maybe this could be my version of baked beans!

I really, truly enjoy these braised beans; my husband loves them and asked me to make them often (which is just shocking) and they were so easy to make. The leeks and other vegetables essentially dissolve into the broth to make the most incredible cooking liquid; the finished dish is almost stew-like, smells delicious and is hearty and filling. You really just need time and some good ingredients, and patience. Below is the recipe for my take on this delicious dish; I highly recommend that you find a copy of The Sprouted Kitchen and try Sara’s recipe as well (it features different seasonings and cheeses), which will also give you the chance to flip through and find more meals to make. Her website, Sprouted Kitchen, is also a wonderful resource for recipes and information on cooking whole foods. As far as my personal battle adventure with beans, feel free to send me other recipes or links you think I might enjoy; I am not going to stop trying. I know there are more gems like this out there!

Braised Beans and Leeks (adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen)

• 1 lb. dried orca beans, also known as yin-yang beans, or use cannellini beans
• 2 T. butter
• 3 leeks, light green and white parts only, washed and sliced thinly
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 T. dried thyme
• 2 tsp. El Greco seasoning (or 1 tsp. each dried oregano and basil)
• salt & pepper 
• 4 c. chicken broth
• 3/4 c. shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1/2 c. shredded Iberico cheese (pecorino romano would be a suitable replacement)

Day 1: Soak the beans overnight in three times their volume of cool, clean water.

Day 2: Pick out any debris that floats to the top of the soaking beans and check for rocks or other undesirable elements. Drain and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. In a large, ovenproof Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat and cook the leeks, celery and garlic until soft and fragrant, about 7 mins. Add the thyme and El Greco (or equivalent spices) along with a generous few grinds of pepper and a pinch of salt and mix well. Add the beans and broth to the pot. Cover the pot and carefully transfer to the oven; braise the beans for 3-4 hours. Check for doneness by tasting a bean or by smashing it (gently) against the side of the pot; if it is cooked it should yield to pressure and become paste (not crumble) without a great deal of force. When the beans are cooked to your satisfaction, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary, then sprinkle the top with cheese. Increase the heat of the oven to 500 degrees and broil, with the cover off, for 8-10 mins., until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Serve the braised beans as an entree with crusty bread or as a side dish. This recipe makes a ton; leftovers are as tasty, though the cheese becomes incorporated and is no longer a crusty, delicious topping. If you want to freeze the dish, I recommend doing so before adding cheese.