Beans, Beans, the musical fruit

You know how the rest of the song goes!

I'm hitting on lots of different kinds of beans and legumes today, not just the tootin' kind. Beans have lots of protein and are very versatile, making them a good source of protein/healthy carbs for dieters.

Re-posts from other yummy sites:

from KalynsKitchen.blogspot.com:

Green Bean Salad with Hearts of Palm, Olives, Red Pepper, & Feta

(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

1 lb. fresh green beans, preferably French green beans
1-2 cups sliced hearts of palm
3/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced in half
1 cup roasted red bell pepper from a jar, diced in pieces about 3/8 inch square
(could substitute sun dried tomatoes)
1/3 cup Feta cheese
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Dressing:
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 T chopped fresh oregano (or use small amount dried oregano)
1 T chopped fresh basil (I would omit basil if I only had dried basil)

Trim ends from green beans. (I do this by gathering a handfull, then standing them up on the cutting board while holding loosely so the beans all line up, then trimming the end. Turn over and repeat with the other end.) Cut beans into pieces about 2 inches long.

Steam beans until they are barely tender-crisp. I steamed mine ten minutes in an electric vegetable steamer. On the stove top, it would take less time. I prefer the beans quite crisp.

While beans cook, combine balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest, chopped fresh oregano and chopped fresh basil in food processor. Process until herbs are very finely chopped and dressing is mixed well. (I did this in the small bowl chopper attachment of my immersion blender, which worked great.)

When beans are as tender as you'd like them, remove from steamer and plunge immediately into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Remove beans to colander and let cool about and drain about 15 minutes. When beans are cool, combine with small amount of dressing and marinate 30 minutes, or longer if possible.

When ready to serve salad, combine marinated beans with sliced hearts of palm, olive halves, and chopped red pepper. Add as much dressing as needed to moisten salad and combine gently. (You will not need all the dressing.) Add feta cheese and stir 1-2 times to barely mix in feta. Grind over some black pepper and serve immediately. This will keep for several days in the refrigerator, but bring to room temperature before serving the leftovers.

South Beach Suggestions:
This salad is a perfect side dish for any phase of the South Beach Diet. It would taste great with Very Greek Grilled Chicken or Grilled Spicy Tuna. For phase two or three, add something like Georgette's Really Lemony Greek Pilafi.

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Spicy String Bean Saute from Cookinglight.com

2/3 pound green beans, trimmed
1/3 pound wax beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups (1/3-inch-thick) vertically sliced Peruvian or other sweet onion (about 1 large)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Cook beans in boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Rinse under cold water; drain.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 3 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add beans, juice, oregano, and red pepper; cook for 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Add capers, salt, and black pepper, tossing to coat.

Yield 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 73(30% from fat); FAT 2.4g (sat 0.3g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 1.7g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 52mg; SODIUM 209mg; FIBER 3.4g; IRON 0.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.1g
Denise Boba, Bloomingdale, Illinois , Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

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Bean Salad with Artichokes from Cookinglight.com

Salad:
1 cup chopped plum tomato
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 (19-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

Dressing:
1/4 cup (1 ounce) feta cheese, crumbled (lowfat is fine)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation

To prepare salad, combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.

To prepare the dressing, combine the cheese and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour dressing over salad; cover and chill for 1 hour.

6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups salad)

CALORIES 294(15% from fat); FAT 4.9g (sat 1.1g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 14.1g; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 75mg; SODIUM 404mg; FIBER 13.3g; IRON 2.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 49.2g
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2001

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South Beach Diet Edamame Salad

Adapted from The South Beach Diet, by Arthur Agatston, M.D. (Rodale Press, 2003).

Edamame are vibrant, tasty green soybeans in the shells, and are readily available in most frozen sections of supermarkets and health food stores. This salad has a whopping 15 grams of protein to 18 grams of carbs - an unusual ratio. If edamame is not readily available, you can substitute chick peas.

1 bag (16 ounces) frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch radishes (8 ounces), cut in half and thinly sliced
1 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Toss the edamame, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, radishes, and cilantro together in a large bowl.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

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South Beach Diet Cannellini Bean Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes

4 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced red onion
3⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together oil, vinegar, onion, and oregano in a large mixing bowl. Add cucumbers, beans, and bell pepper; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

180 calories
8 g fat
1 g saturated fat
7 g protein
22 g carbohydrate
5 g dietary fiber
80 mg sodium

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White Beans with Garlic & Arugula from Foodfit

Ingredients

1	cup	cannellini beans
3	cups	Basic Chicken Stock (see recipe), or low-sodium canned
1 1/2		carrots, cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2	stalks	celery, cut into 1" pieces
1	tablespoon	olive oil
3	tablespoons	chopped pancetta
3	cloves	garlic, chopped
		salt to taste
		freshly ground black pepper
3	cups	washed and stemmed arugula

Cook:50 minutes (cooking time)

1. Soak the cannellini beans in water overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Drain beans, put them in a pot and add the chicken stock, carrots, celery and enough water to cover the beans by an inch or so.
3. Bring to a simmer uncovered over medium-high heat. Do not boil. Skim foam that comes to the surface. (Do not add salt because it will prevent the beans from becoming tender.)
4. When the beans are tender, about 1 hour, remove from heat. Drain and discard the carrots and celery. Set beans aside. (The cannellini beans can be cooked ahead of time, covered and refrigerated up to 3 days.)
5. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
6. Add the beans, season with salt and pepper, and heat thoroughly.
7. Turn off the heat and gently fold in the arugula leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Black Bean Salad with Lime Cumin Dressing from Cookinglight.com

Salad:
1 cup thinly sliced celery
3/4 cup vertically sliced red onion
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

To prepare salad, combine celery, onion, and black beans in a large bowl; toss well.

To prepare the dressing, combine the lime juice, sugar, oil, and cumin in a small bowl; stir mixture with a whisk until blended. Pour over bean mixture, tossing to coat.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

CALORIES 245 (17% from fat); FAT 4.5g (sat 0.7g,mono 2.6g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 13.1g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 59mg; SODIUM 316mg; FIBER 6.9g; IRON 3.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41g

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Escarole with Bacon & White Beans from cookinglight.com

2 bacon slices, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
6 cups chopped escarole (about 2 [8-ounce] heads)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan; set bacon aside. Add onion to drippings in pan; cook 12 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add escarole, and cook for 2 minutes or until escarole wilts, stirring frequently. Add sugar, salt, pepper, and chicken broth; cook 15 minutes or until escarole is tender, stirring occasionally. Add beans; cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with bacon.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

CALORIES 123 (29% from fat); FAT 3.9g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 5.7g; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 62mg; SODIUM 525mg; FIBER 5g; IRON 1.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.3g
Cooking Light, JANUARY 2007