Soak it up
Let me guess - you don’t even bother cooking your own beans because it takes too much time? Or maybe the only oatmeal you’ve ever had is the portion sized instant formula?
Did you know that whole grains, beans, nut and seeds contain antinutritients, such as phytates and enzyme inhibitors, that actually can deplete our body for minerals. I know, this sounds very dramatic, and I hear you; people have eaten these foods for ages! Yes, it’s all true. The difference is that your great-great grandma soaked her own beans, baked her own bread using freshly grounded flour and maybe even “fermented” it and made sourdough bread. Today, we often consume these foods in a highly processed form (cookies, pastries, wonder bread, soymilk & soyproteins etc) and for convenience sake, we buy our beans in cans (with lots of sodium) and grains that are “quick-cooking” or microwaveable. These foods are harder to digest (giving beans a bad rep!), lacking in nutrients and not really good for us.
Well, here’s a newsflash - real whole grains and fresh or dried beans are so much more nutritious and delicious. And SO easy to make! Oh, and always cook a big batch when you’re at it. Leave it in the fridge and add it soups, stews, stir fries and salad throughout the week. Trust me, after eating home-cooked beans - you’ll never want another canned bean in your life!
Start with the smaller beans and lentils and work your way up! I love adzuki beans,
How to cook beans:
1. Rinse the beans first and then cover them with water and let sit for at least 6 hours or just overnight. This is what we call soaking! I often out mine in water before leaving the house in the morning and then they’re soaked and ready for cooking when I get home.
2. Drain, rins and through out any loose “skins”.
3. Put the beans in a pot and add 3-4 cups of water for every one cup of beans. Bring it to a boil and then skim off the foam that gathers on top.
4. Through in a piece of kombu (seaweed) and some garlic to improve digestibility and flavor.
5. Add 1 tsp of sea salt when there’s 10 minutes left of the cooking time.
(Added bonus tip: Add a little apple cider vinegar to the cooking water for the last 20 minutes of cooking… It will help softens the beans and breaks down protein chains and indigestible compounds!)
Ta Da!
Tell me, what’s your favorite bean dish? Maybe I’ll have a recipe for you…
