You just gotta love beans. 

They are nutritious and delicious. 

Rich in minerals, B vitamins, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

And another added bonus, is that they are inexpensive. For a tight budget, beans are an excellent choice! We buy dried beans in bulk. Dried beans are the way to go, in my opinion. Canned beans are too expensive and not nearly as good. Also, beans are so easy to make which is another plus.

I make a large batch of beans weekly. Since this is a recipe we make so often and since beans are such a huge part of our diet, I felt like sharing this simple recipe. We eat them on tostados and as a side dish for lunch and dinner.Our favorite lately is Pinto Beans, which are pictured above (aren’t they pretty?) We also like Black Beans and were delighted to find some that were grown locally on a small farm.

Here is the recipe that I’ve slightly adapted for basic beans from ‘Nourishing Traditions’:

4 cups beans (black, kidney, pinto, black-eyed peas or white)

warm filtered water

4 Tbsp. whey or lemon juice (for black beans only)

6 cloves garlic, peeled & mashed (optional)

sea salt and pepper

Cover beans with warm water. (For black beans stir in whey or lemon juice.) Leave in warm place for 12-24 hours, depending on the size of the bean. Drain, rinse, place in a large pot and add water to cover beans. Bring to a boil and skim off foam. Reduce heat and add optional garlic. Simmer, covered, for 4-8 hours. Check occasionally and add more water as necessary. Season to taste.

So there you go, the recipe for basic beans! I always soak our beans for 24 hours and in the winter time, I put them by the woodstove to keep them warm while they soak. I increased this recipe because we eat so many beans, but you can reduce it to a smaller amount. Our friend Lara gave us a jar of her homemade lard. We love to add this to our beans, it gives them the most incredible flavor.

You know the song: Beans Beans the magical fruit, the more you eat, the more you toot, the more you toot, the better you feel, let’s have beans for every meal ?

Well, I must say, that soaking your beans first makes the magical tooting disappear. But you can still sing that song if you want, for old time’s sake.