Megann’s Perfect-Every-Time Low Sodium Beans

 This recipe is great to do on a snowy day, or put the beans to soak before work and cook in the evening while you watch t.v. Works for all dried beans – kidney beans, Great Northerns, cannellini, Navy Beans, you name it!

Rinse dried beans and check for broken ones or small stones. Put dried beans in a casserole dish that can go on top of the stove as well as in the oven. They should fill about 1/3 of the dish. Fill the dish with water to about 2.5cm from the top and soak overnight, or for a full day while you’re at work.

When you’re ready to cook, preheat oven to 250oF.

 Top up each casserole dish with water so that the beans are just submerged.

Meanwhile, add some flavour to beans. Don’t add salt! It raises the sodium content and also makes the beans tough. For each pot (we like to do two or three kinds at once), add a diced onion or a few minced cloves of garlic. Then use your imagination. Here are some ideas to get you started:

 Kidney beans – 10ml ground cumin

 Black beans – 6 ground cardamom pods

 Canellini or Great Northerns – 15 ml chopped thyme or rosemary leaves

 Bring to a boil on top of the stove, stirring occasionally. Once they’re boiling, cover, place in the oven and bake for 2-1/2 hours. Beans will be tender and delicious.

These beans can be frozen and used in place of canned beans on days when you don’t have time for the slow cooking. Chickpeas done this way make awesome hummus! Reheat with a sauce, or add to soups and stews.

Enjoy!

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