Last night I finally to used the dry Navy beans that were at the back of the pantry for the last 10 months. They are a small white bean that were popular in the US in the early c.20th and are great for making baked beans. They go great with rice for a ‘fat-free high quality protein’. They are rich in cholesterol-lowing dietary fiber, which helps to stop your blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after you eat. Therefore they are great for people with insulin resistance or hypoglycaemia. They are also an excellent source of folate, manganese, protein, vitamin B1, minerals phosphorus, copper, and iron.
In Australia I don’t think you can buy Navy beans in the can and its always better to cook them from dry, to cut down the possible bpa and excess sodium intake. Usually when I have some spare time at home I like to cook the beans that I have pre soaked and then just put them in the fridge for when I need them.
As I had some left over Mujadara from a couple of nights ago, I just added some more steamed rice and then reheated it in the pan with a bit of olive oil. As I said after I made the Mujadara, I think it needs more rice then the recipe suggests. Last night I also served it with guacamole, which went really well, with the heat from the sauce.
Mexican style Navy beans with Mushrooms (vegan, gluten free, soy free, nut free)
Ingredients:
1.5 cups navy beans (soaked over night)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
3/4 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons diced coriander stems
200g mushrooms, sliced
1 tin diced tomato
1.5 cups vegetable stock
2 pinches of raw sugar
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
salt & pepper to taste
Method:
1. Take a large sauce pin, fill it with 5 cups of water and add navy beans. Bring to the boil, then simmer for up to 30-40 mins or till beans are tender.
2. In a large pan heat on medium olive oil and then add garlic and onion, cook till brown. (add water if it sticks)
3. Add cumin, cayenne, curry powder, garlic powder, paprika, tomato paste, coriander stems and mushrooms Cook for 3-4 mins, till fragrant and the mushrooms have browned.
4. Then add diced tomato,vegetable stock, salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to the boil then put on a simmer.
5. Add beans and cook for 30 mins or until the beans are tender. Adjust seasoning and serve.
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