More about Beans
Bean Flour
1 cup dry beans = about 1 1/8 cups flour
Dry
beans can be ground to a fine flour using a hand grinder and strong muscles for
small quantities, or electric mill for larger quantities. A small amount of bean flour added to baked
goods increases vitamin and mineral content and contributes towards a complete
protein. Bean flour is great to have on
hand for making “instant” soups, sauces, dips, gravies and sandwich fillings,
and to add to almost everything you cook or bake. When added to boiling water, bean flours
thicken in only 1 minute; cooked 3 minutes they are ready to eat.
Baby
lima and small white beans have mildest taste.
Other favorites are pinto, small red and garbanzo. Some varieties of beans require more liquid
than others. You will have to
experiment. Store flour on cool, dark
shelf in an air-tight container. Best
used within 3 months.
Instant
Bean Soup/Gravy
Use
2 tablespoons white bean flour per cup of liquid for thin soups. 3 tablespoons
for medium-thick and 4 – 5 tablespoons for thick soups, stews or gravies. Whisk into soup stock or boiling water with 1
teaspoons bouillon or soup base per cup.
Cook 3 – 5 minutes.
Dips
and Sandwich Fillings
Stir 1 cup bean flour and 1 teaspoon salt into 2 1/2
cups boiling water. Cook 1 minute,
stirring until mixture thickens. Reduce
heat to low, cook 5 minutes. This is
fluffy; similar to refried beans. Add
spices for more flavoring.
Pinto
Bean Paste
Firm
Paste: 1 cup bean flour to 1 1/2 cups boiling water
Fluffy
Paste: 1 cup bean flour to 2 2/3 cups boiling water
Stir
bean flour into boiling water and let sit 3 minutes. This paste can be whipped with seasoning and
butter and used in place of mashed potatoes, added to patties, and
casseroles. This paste does require
further cooking. It should be added
to recipes that will be cooked or baked further. Or continue to cook 3 to 5 minutes more to
eat as is.
Cream
of Bean Soup
3 cups boiling water 1/2
cup bean flour
1 – 2 teaspoons salt or bouillon
In a saucepan whisk bean flour into boiling water
and seasoning. Stir and cook 3
minutes. Puree in blender for a “souper”
creamy texture. Serve over pasta or stir
in cooked wheat or beans. Use as a gravy
over cooked rice. Soup thickens as it
cools, and can be refrigerated for up to one week. Use it in place of canned soup.
Cream
Sauce: Use reconstituted dry milk for part of the water
and add a little oil or non-dairy creamer.
About Sugar
1 pound granulated = 2
cups
1 cup honey = 1 1/4 cups
granulated plus 1/4 cup water
Sugars are carbohydrates which provide fuel for the
body. Carbohydrates account for up to
80% of the caloric intake in many countries of the world. Simple or fast-acting carbohydrates include
fruit juices, refined white bread and white rice which are digested quickly and
easily by the body and provide a quick, but short-lived, burst of energy. Complex carbohydrates which include whole
grains, beans, fruits and vegetables take longer to break down in the body and
provide a sustained, longer-lasting energy.
Sugar
plays important roles in foods for many reasons that go beyond the sweet taste
they impart. They add taste, texture,
and color to baked goods and provide energy for yeast used in baking breads. They add body to yogurt, help balance acidity
in tomato sauces and salad dressings and act as preservatives. They increase
the boiling point or reduce the freezing point of foods, and add bulk and
density. There are many types of sugars. The most familiar is sucrose: common table
sugar.
Table
sugar can be caramelized (scorched) to give it a pleasing flavor and darkened
color.
Pancake
Syrup
CAUTION: Read through recipe before making.
1 Cup sugar, divided 1/2
cup cold water
Dash of salt 1
teaspoon shortening
4 teaspoons white flour 1/2 cup hot water
Measure 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and flour into a small
bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup cold water until
lump free.
Sprinkle 3/4 cup sugar evenly in the bottom of a
silver pan (so you can see it change color).
Heat over medium-high heat. As
sugar melts, gently push dry sugar to the center of syrup. When syrup is apple juice color or almost
as dark as you like, remove pan from heat.
Sugar does not need to completely dissolve. With lid in one hand and pre-measured 1/2 cup
hot water in the other, quickly pour hot water over syrup and cover pan with
lid. BE CAREFUL…it will sputter and
steam. Tilt pan back and forth a few
times and return to heat. Uncover when
the pan has quit steaming. When sugar is
liquefied, stir in mixture in bowl and cook until syrup is thickened. It will thicken more as it cools. Makes about 1 cup. Stores in refrigerator 3 months.
NOTE: Caramelization determines flavor
and color. Darker color = stronger burnt
flavor. To stretch the sugar, a smaller
amount can be used (may need to increase flour) with a decrease in flavor
occurring.
