Canned beans, you'll always be famous
Caramelized onion white bean stew with coconut milk and tomatoes; paired with my thoughts on canned legumes.
At the risk of sounding like a New York Times “lemony garlic miso gochujang” recipe, I must express my one true love: canned white beans.
I often make what my roommate refers to as “recession core meals.” She's not wrong, most of my eating habits could be used to write a report on recession indicators. My love for tinned fish and beans are high on that list. In the name of saving you all from potential mercury poisoning, let's talk beans.
Full transparency here, I used to be a bit of a bean hater, I couldn’t tell you why. Maybe it was the way they looked or their association with flatulence but I was uncertain, weary, and critical of the legumes. Growing up in the south, I had a lot of black eyed peas and baked beans, let's just say I wasn’t a fan.
Even now, I hate the sweetness and consistency of baked beans and I only eat black eyed peas on New Year's Day and let’s be honest, I’m only doing so for good luck and the side of collard greens and cornbread.
A couple years ago, my anti-bean mindset was put to a halt when I realized I couldn’t afford these opinions. A can of beans costs less than a dollar and can be stretched into several meals. I knew what I had to do. I bought a can of white beans, a bit of a new frontier for me, and consulted my personal sacred text, The Flavor Bible.
The Flavor Bible is truly one of my most prized possessions, the head chef at my first job as a line cook gave it to me to help with my recipe developing. This was when I was 16 years old, 5 years later I still use it several times a week. It is a reference of over 600 entries listing flavor pairings and compatibilities of ingredients and cuisines, all in alphabetical order. It is my saving grace for recipe development and experimentation. If you cook regularly, I recommend choosing enlightenment and picking up a copy.
I sauteed onions and garlic in butter, adding paprika paste, chillies and tomatoes. I cooked it down until it smelled like something from my dreams and added another favorite of mine, coconut milk. It was gorgeous and saucy, and I added a can of white beans with a handful of basil. I stirred in white miso paste and black pepper. I was shocked at how much I loved it. Is this chilli? Bean stew? It’s not original in its concept but after that day I just started adding white beans to just about everything.
I had been holding myself back for so long, why did I get in my head about beans so much? They have so much protein and fiber for so little money. Before my bean revelation, it wasn’t that I was using expensive protein sources all the time, I simply wasn’t eating enough protein.
Yesterday, I made something reminiscent of saag paneer– a spinach gravy with heavy amounts of ginger and garlic, some turmeric, coconut milk and panch phoron; blended up until smooth and cooked down with white beans. I’m still working on this recipe so stay tuned for it but truly, the options with beans are endless.
Below is the recipe that lit my fire for beans, and helped me get some muscle by finally eating enough protein.
Tomato coconut white bean game changer:
Serves 2:
½ yellow onion thinly sliced
1 tsp butter
Large handful cherry tomatoes (3 tbsp tomato paste also works in a pinch)
1 tbsp paprika paste (1 tsp of powdered paprika can substitute)
½ shallot (optional)
2 garlic cloves, diced
¼ either water, wine, or broth
½ tsp white miso paste
1 tbsp capers + 1 tsp brine
½ cup coconut milk
¼ tsp chili flakes
½ can white beans
5 basil leaves
1 tsp lemon juice
Melt butter in a saucepan and add in onions,
If you have the time (I highly recommend this) caramelize the onions by cooking at a very low temperature for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. After 15 minutes, add a splash of water to the pan or, if you have it, a splash of balsamic vinegar.
Once cooked, add in the shallot, garlic, chili flakes, paprika paste, and tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the wine (or water/broth) and cook for 2 more minutes or until the tomatoes are blistering.
Add in the miso, capers and brine, and coconut milk. Stir and cook for 10 minutes covered, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the beans, simmer for 2 minutes and finish with basil and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.
I like to serve this with toasted sourdough but rice is also very good.
Enjoy!