Slow Simmered Beans Recipes

Steps:

• Place saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir bacon in the hot pan until almost crisp, about 6 minutes. Add onion; cook until browned bits of food on the bottom of the pan have dissolved in the onion's juices and onion is soft and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato sauce. Cook until garlic has softened, about 1 more minute.
• Place green beans into a skillet and pour in chicken broth. Raise heat to high, add salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to beans, and bring to a simmer. Beans will begin to soften. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally. Add more broth or water if mixture seems dry.
• Adjust levels of salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Cook until beans are soft and tender, about 30 more minutes. Transfer beans and some of the pan juices to a deep serving platter.

Steps:

• Follow Step 1 in Beans and Legumes, Conventional Soak-and-Cook Method (page 110).
• Before cooking, drain the beans, and combine them in a soup pot with plenty of water (about 14 times their volume). Add the remaining ingredients (except salt and pepper) and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
• Check the beans and give them a good stir at this point. There should still be enough water for them to simmer in, at about the same level as the volume of beans. Add more water if necessary.
• Continue to simmer until some of the beans have burst and have a creamy texture, 1 1/2 to 2 hours over low heat. The simmering liquid should be thick and soupy. Check occasionally and add small amounts of water as needed, just enough to keep the beans simmering. Season with salt and pepper and serve in shallow bowls.
• These related varieties (red beans are a bit smaller and rounder than kidneys) are among the most widely used beans in North America, but they can be difficult to digest for those just starting to use beans-make sure they're well cooked.
• Kidney and red beans lend themselves well to spicy seasonings-chili powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika-hence their wide use in chili, other Mexican dishes, and the New Orleans classic, red beans and rice.
• Use them in marinated bean salads and pasta salads.
• Calories: 101
• Total Fat: 1g
• Protein: 5g
• Carbohydrate: 16g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 2mg

Steps:

• Place beans and soaking water in a large, heavy pot. Add halved onion and bring to a gentle boil. Skim off any foam that rises, then add garlic and bay leaf, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• Add salt and continue to simmer another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until beans are quite soft and broth is thick and fragrant. Taste and adjust salt. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove and discard onion and bay leaf. For the best flavor refrigerate overnight.

Steps:

• In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels.
• Add sausage to drippings; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• In an ungreased 5 quart slow cooker, combine the beans, tomatoes, red peppers, onion, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, salt and mustard. Stir in the bacon and sausage.
• Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
• Stir in apples.
• Cover and cook 2 hours longer or until bubbly.
• Cook's notes: I have never used the apples and never will. Also in a pinch you can cook the onions and bell peppers in the bacon drippings, after the sausage, until translucent then add to the crockpot. This will cut down on cook time.