Pantry Clean Out: Dried Beans
New year, clean pantry! Dried bean recipes plus a flavorful comfort-food cookbook & the first novel on my 2024 reading list.
Dried beans might not be the most exciting meal to start out the new year, but I’m in a thrifty and practical mood, so hear me out.
I know I’m not the only person who stared into their kitchen pantry on January 2nd and thought, “this could really use a thorough clean-out and reorganization” and then a few seconds later thought, “but I can’t deal with that right now.”
What I did manage, however, was to take a quick inventory of all the little bags and containers of dried beans on the second shelf. I had about a cup of black eyed peas, a half cup of brown lentils, a small handful of red lentils and a forgotten bag of black lentils. There were several half-empty bags of dried chickpeas and glass jar of red beans that I know have been in the pantry since last Christmas.
My goal is to use up all of the dried beans in my pantry this month. Perhaps it’s not the most ambitious new year’s resolution, but it feels like a do-able and worthy accomplishment. Maybe you also have a pantry full of dried beans that you’ve been ignoring?
Working dried beans into your meal plan this month might be easier than you think, especially if you have an Instant Pot. One of the things that an Instant Pot does best is beans.
The cooking process is very easy and very hands-off: Just combine dried beans and water, cook for the times listed below, and let the pressure naturally release. If the beans aren’t soft enough, just seal the lid and cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the beans have the texture you want.
(Lentils deserve their own separate newsletter, so today we’re just focusing on beans)
Dried Bean Cooking Times (click on the links for detailed tips and recipes. Some of the recipes also include stove top instructions)
Black beans (35 minutes)
White beans (25 to 40 minutes, depending on the variety)
Chickpeas (45 to 60 minutes)
Pinto beans (40 minutes)
Tips
As a general rule, add 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of dried beans. You can add more water if you want more broth at the end.
Soaking the beans in water overnight first will shave the cooking time down to less than half the regular time. I usually forget to do this though, so I just cook un-soaked beans longer.
I usually add 1/2 teaspoon salt for flavor. You can also add fresh or dried herbs, garlic cloves and chopped onion.
The cooking times above are guidelines that should get you close to the right texture. Different brands of beans always seem to have slightly different cooking times. Also, older beans will take longer to soften than “fresh” dried beans.
Recipes
Once the beans are cooked, they can be served plain as a side dish or added to recipes in place of canned beans. Here are some ways that I like to use up cooked beans:
Make a cold bean salad by whisking 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon with 1/3 cup olive oil. Add fresh chopped herbs and celery or grated carrot.
Add to tacos/burritos, quesadillas or rice with melted cheese on top.
Add cooked beans to any soup you’re making.
Although New Year’s Day has come and gone, it’s not too late for a batch of black-eyed peas, which are thought to bring good luck.
Stewed beans - made from dried red kidney beans, onion, bell pepper and spices.
Falafel made from dried chickpeas - recipe from Feasting at Home
Dinner Last Week
Even though my holiday decorations are still half up, Christmas already feels like a long time ago. Last week for dinner we were eating a sumptuous holiday meal of brisket, mashed potatoes, roasted fennel and salad with blue cheese and pomegranate. For the next two days we grazed on leftovers (including a big cheese plate from xmas eve).
Once the leftovers were gone, I made two “regular’ dinners last week: Tacos on Thursday and Instant Pot vegetable stew on Friday.
Cookbooks & Reading
When I flip through Half Baked Harvest cookbooks, I wish someone was in my kitchen cooking all of the recipes for me. Tieghan Gerard has a special knack for creating recipes and taking photos that make you want to eat everything she makes.
Her recipes are comfort-forward, mouthwatering and packed with flavorful ingredients. Both Every Day and Super Simple have dozens of recipes that I’ve bookmarked for family dinners. There’s a nice balance of meat and vegetarian dinners, plus breakfast and dessert.
All of the end-of-the-year book lists for fiction have added so many novels to my reading list! Thinking about all of the books I want to read is fun but overwhelming.
Curious about what I’m reading? Paid subscribers received my Favorite Books of 2023 newsletter earlier this week.
Yesterday while I sat at my daughter’s karate lesson I finally finished Winter Solstice, another delightful and very cozy book by Rosamund Pilcher. For my next novel, I’m starting the year like I usually do with the Inspector Gamache series (Book #10).
What are you reading this year? Please share what’s on your list!
As this first week of 2024 draws to a close, I’m still trying to shake off sluggishness and get motivated. I’m not starting 2024 with any grand resolutions. It feels more like a year for staying the course and making small changes.
I am, however, excited about all the new ideas that are percolating for this newsletter! Thank you for joining me here each week, it’s going to be a fun year!
Jenny