Something fishy is going on around here. Or maybe I should say, something veggie is going on around here. Hmm, doesn’t really have the same ring to it.

And I guess it’s not really “around here,” more like “around there.” As in, over at my parents house in OH-IO. If you’ve been following along with my Recipes for Mom posts, you know my intentions were to help my mom learn some veggie-loving basics. Both she + my dad are excellent in the kitchen, but they aren’t as familiar with centering the meal around veggie protein. Daughter to the rescue!!

They have been outstanding parents, so helping them in the kitchen from 1,400 miles away is the least I can do!

For the past few months, there has been a lot less meat-eating at their house and recently my mom even decided to do “meatless Mondays.”

When you first start eating less meat, or cutting your meat consumption altogether, it’s quite a change. It takes a little getting used to, but soon feels like second nature.

Beans are a major staple in my diet. I love them. I could eat them everyday. Especially chickpeas. Man do I love my chickpeas. I actually used to hate them. I avoided them like the plague in the salad bar lineup. Now, I pile them on. I eat them by the handful. I snack on them like they are candy.

Point? Stock up on canned beans? Nope – too expensive. I’ve spent enough money on canned beans.

I’m done!

Time to commit to cooking beans myself. I know a lot of you already do this, so feel free to hit the snooze button and come back tomorrow. But for those of you who don’t, listen up!

I buy organic canned beans. They cost about $1.39/15oz-can at Whole Foods. At Natural Grocers, I can buy 2lb of organic chickpeas for about $3.

So, 2lbs of raw and 2 cans of cooked are about the same cost.

Now check this out…

2lbs = ~15-17c cooked beans

[2] 15oz can = 3c cooked beans

Undeniable savings. Oh my word.

I even have the solution to help with the *ahem* gassiness, you may experience.

Ever heard of kombu?

It’s a dried sea vegetable, that you can find in the Asian aisle of your grocery store. A bag will cost you about $6, but it will last you for a LOT of bean cooking.

So what does kombu do?

When cooked with beans it…

adds flavor
adds nutrients
reduces gas
eases digestion

It’s not necessary, but I never cook beans without it!

I also like to add a little salt + oil to the pot, to keep things tender + flavorful.

Oh, and I use a slow cooker. It’s not just for meat, people!

Slow cookers are a great kitchen tool and they are pretty affordable. You don’t need anything fancy!

Cooking your own beans, couldn’t be easier and they’re much fresher tasting than from a can. It’s much easier in a slow cooker, than in a large pot on the stove. You can leave these to cook while you’re at work and there is no boil-over mess or stirring to deal with.

Slow Cooker Beans

1c dried beans [ = appx. 3c cooked beans = 2, 15oz cans]
water
1/2t salt
1/2T oil [opt]
2” strip of kombu [opt]

Pick over dried beans, making sure there is no debri.
Rinse them well and place in a large bowl covered with water, by a few inches.
Let soak in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, rinse the beans thoroughly and place in your slow cooker.
Cover with water by 2-3”
Add salt + oil, and give a quick stir.
Add the strip of kombu, cover + set to low for 5-7hrs.
Remove + discard kombu. [You mix it into the beans, but I like to remove it.]
Drain water + rinse again thoroughly.

The soaking + rinsing is very important!

If you’re looking for “out-of-the-can” texture, aim for a cook time of 6hrs. If you are adding them to chili or stew and they’re going to be cooking longer, take them out at the 5hr mark. If you want to speed up the process, turn beans to high for 1 hour, then set back to low for 3hrs.

Now from here, you can store in the fridge for 3-5 days. If they become slimy or smell, I would toss them. They’ve never lasted more than 3 days around here, but not because of spoilage. I just went through 6c in 2 days. No lie.

What to do with all the beans!

use right away in a recipe
refrigerate
freeze

I’ve tried freezing beans before and the outcome is okay. All you do is let the beans dry a bit on a towel, add them to a freezer-safe bag, squeeze the air out, then seal + freeze. Stick the bag in the fridge the night before you want to use them and freeze typical quantities in the bags. ie: 1.5c = 1 can beans

The texture once thawed is decent, but I don’t like to eat them plain [salad, by the handful, etc]. They’re good when mixed into recipes, but they just lose a bit of their bite. Maybe letting them dry longer on a towel would help?

One way to use them right away? Roasting! Nothing new. First learned this trick from Mama Pea and now I’m hooked.

The other night for dinner, I was craving something grilled + with BBQ flavor.

Enter BBQ roasted chickpeas.

These couldn’t have been easier.

And the outcome? Oh my.

Crunchy, chewy bites of BBQ goodness!

BBQ Grilled Chickpeas

3c cooked chickpeas
1/3c BBQ sauce
1 large garlic clove
1/2T sunflower oil [or other high heat oil]
black pepper
1/8t salt

Preheat your grill to med-high, ~375-400. [or your oven to 400*]
Toss all ingredients together in a bowl.
On a pan [line with parchment if you don’t want a mess to clean!] spread chickpeas in a single layer.
Grill for 30-40min, until blackened + crunchy, tossing 3-4 times.
Remove from heat + serve.

Prepare to crush your BBQ chicken craving. Feelin’ a little saucier? Swap the BBQ sauce for buffalo sauce!

Did I lose you in all the text? [Sometimes, I’m so chatty. What can I say? I’m just excited!]

If so…go back and re-read if you want to learn…

how to save money
how to cook beans
what to do with cooked beans

My canned bean buying days are O-V-E-R!

And now I go to B-E-D.

A-S-H-L-E-Y

Catching up?

Let’s talk about beans!!! I’m trying to avoid buying canned beans, for a few reasons.

Buying bulk beans is SO MUCH cheaper.
There is typically quite a bit of sodium added in canned beans + sometimes other ingredients as well.
They taste better.
You can cook + freeze in whatever portion size you want.
You control the processing from their raw to cooked state.

I do realize there are a lot of healthy brands of beans out there though! And don’t get me wrong, it’s so nice + easy to just pop open a can! However, cooking beans at home, is just something I’m trying to get into the habit of doing now. :)

This is the “quick” method to for cooking beans. No overnight soaking required! But it does require a few hours of you being at home to watch over them. Here are a few step-by-step photos with an explanation at the end.

This was a new-to-me ingredient, until reading the cookbook Clean Food, by Terry Walters. I loved all of the ingredient information she provided in the beginning of the book. I always boil beans with kombu, as it helps with [ahem] GAS! Kombu [which I talk about more here] tenderizes the beans, aids in easier digestion, adds flavor + nutrients + minerals. You can find this in the Asian section of most larger grocery stores, or an specialty Asian store.

Bean Tutorial – cooking time varies, depending on bean type

Rinse dry beans + check for small debris [like pebbles].
Add to a pot and cover with 2” of water.
Bring to a boil for 10 min uncovered [removes toxins].
Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1hr.
Drain and rinse beans until water is running clear.
Cover with a few inches of water and bring to a boil.

Add 2” strip of kombu, per 1c of beans before boiling, if desired.
Add salt or other seasonings here, if desired, before boiling.

Reduce to a simmer for 1-2hrs until tender, adding water when necessary to keep the beans covered. [boiling dries out beans]
Discard kombu, and drain beans. Store in the fridge or freezer, to use at your convenience.

We’ve covered the beans, now onto the squash!

Spaghetti squash to be exact.

I baked it whole, for about 1hr 20min. I don’t advise this though, as it was really hard to cut through! The skin was tough, while also wanting to cave in, because the inside was so tender. Oooops. At least it looked cool! I’ll follow with directions below. :)

That would be Kenna’s big schnoz in the photo.

I decided to go Mexican style with this spaghetti squash. I typically do Italian, but wanted to try something new.

Stuffed + topped with pepperjack cheese + crumbled tortilla chips.

Add jalapenos on top, if that’s your thaaang. This would be Chris’s!

Ohhhhh my this was delicious!!!

Even more delicious with the tomato adobo sauce I made from the poblano feast night! I definitely recommend making a sauce to go with this. Topping with salsa would be delicious too…or guac…mmmm

Mexican Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

1.5c cooked black beans
1 spaghetti squash [cooked, cut and de-seeded]
1-2 green peppers, diced [or any color]
1 medium size onion, diced [yellow or red]
1T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1c, frozen or fresh corn
1/4t sea salt
1.5t cumin
1.5t chili powder
1/8-1/2t cayenne [depending on how much spice you like]
1/2t coriander
1/4t oregano
cheese + tortilla chips [optional]

[add more seasonings to taste]

Preheat oven to 350*
In a large sauté pan, add olive oil and head over medium heat.
Add onion + garlic + seasonings and sauté for about 5min, until the onion is tender.
Add corn + peppers. Cook about 2-3min [or longer if desired, I like the peppers to keep their crunch].
Add beans [canned or boiled at home] and cook until heated through, 1-2min.
Fill each half of the de-seeded squash, place in a deep baking dish, and bake for 10-15min.
Add cheese + chips and broil for 2-3min, watching closely.

Top with salsa, tomato-adobo sauce, or something delicious like Averie’s vegan cheeze sauce [sooo amazing].

Spaghetti Squash

Set oven to 400*
Bake squash in a baking dish for 30min, until slightly tender.
Cut lengthwise, de-seed, coat lightly with oil, and bake for another 30-45min [until squash is very tender]. The squash strands will stay crunchy, but they will pull apart easily from the squash with a fork. The squash will feel soft, throughout.

There are other methods, like boiling, so just google it, if you’re curious!

I think I covered everything!! We both LOVED this meal!

Oh, by the way…I tried to bake bread to bring home for the family and had a total FAIL. Just wanted to share. ;)

Earth to Ashley. Stop making a million substitutions when baking bread. You are not a bread baker. Follow the ingredient list!