• 2 pounds fresh shelled black eyed peas
• 1 tablespoon oil or bacon drippings
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• enough water to cover peas in the pot

Place all the ingredients in a large pot over medium high heat. Make sure you have enough water to cover the peas with 2 inches of water. After the water comes to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.

Set your timer for the first hour and check the water level on the peas. Add more water if necessary, you want at least 1 inch of water above the peas. Cover with lid, again, and set the timer for the last hour.  Peas should be tender, but not mushy.

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This truly SIMPLE DAILY RECIPE comes from Cousin Amanda.  She made it for one of our family cookouts and it was a BIG HIT! I could have made it a whole meal with a slice of bread on the side.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 6 Slices Bacon cooked crispy - diced
• 2 Cups Chopped Onion - I used 1 1/2 lg white onions
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 cans pinto beans - drained
• 2 cans ranch style beans - drained
• 2 cans pork and beans - drained
• 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar - or add to taste
• 2 cans Rotel diced tomatoes and chilies - do not drain!
• 1 cup water
• 1 can ranch style beans - use liquid only
• 1 small poblano pepper - diced

Combine all ingredients and refrigerated over night.
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.  Bake for 45 minutes.

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"This is a SIMPLE SOUP, completely dependent on the quality of the broth." That's what the cookbook says and I couldn't agree more.  I followed the recipe, but then again, I didn't follow it.  The original recipe called for canned ingredients.  I had to take the home cooked approach.  For you, I'll write the original recipe, THEN I'll tell you what I did.  You pick the one that fits your needs best. Okay?  Okay. Let's COOK!

Recipe from 366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, and Grains
Serves 4 to 6 servings

• 6 cups high-quality chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 store-bought or homemade roasted red bell peppers, julienned
• 1 1/2 cups cooked or canned cannellini or other white beans
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 basil leaves, cut in shreds

Heat the broth to simmering.  Add the bell pepper strips and cooked white beans.  Heat through.  Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.  Pour into soup bowls.  Sprinkle the basil leaves on top.  Serve hot.

Here's the Home Cooked Method

• 2 cups dried Northern White Beans
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• water

Put all the ingredients in a pressure cooker and cover with 2 inches of water.  By cover I mean from the top of the beans to the water surface, should measure 2 inches.  Do NOT measure from the bottom of the pressure cooker; that will not be enough water.  Moving on.

Secure lid and lock, put the pressure regulator on top, set heat to medium high.  When pressure regulator begins to chatter, turn heat down to medium-low and set cooking timer for 40 minutes.

Heat oven to 450ºF.

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded & roughly chopped
• 1 orange bell pepper, seeded & roughly chopped
• olive oil
• salt & fresh ground pepper

Place the chopped pepper on cookie sheet, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil.  Toss with hands to evenly coat the peppers.  Season with a pinch of salt & pepper.  Roast in oven for 20 minutes.

(I had Spinach Bread dough in the frig; so I quickly shaped up a loaf for dinner and let it rise while the peppers roasted.  I already had the pizza stone in the oven so it would be hot too when the peppers finished.)

Finally, I had

• 4 cups of homemade chicken broth in the freezer
• fresh basil from the garden

I defrosted the frozen broth in the microwave, then went out to pick the basil.

When the peppers were finish roasting, I slid the bread onto the pizza stone, set the timer for 30 minutes, then removed the peppers from the cookie sheet and set them aside in a medium saucepan.

When the bean timer went off, I removed the pressure cooker from the heat.  And allowed it to cool down on it's own accord.

I poured the cold chicken broth into the saucepan with the peppers and heated it up over medium heat.  When the pressure dropped on the pressure cooker, about 10 minutes later, I carefully removed the lid and scooped out 2 cups of cooked beans.  I was careful to avoid the bay leaf. Added the cooked beans to the hot broth.  Tasted for salt and pepper.  Poured into soup bowls and topped with shredded basil.

The bread timer went off at that same time!  We had a steaming hot loaf of spinach bread on the side. It was very good to dip into this brothy soup.  Any bread would have worked, really.

There.  That was our dinner last night.  All fresh, made at home in about an hour.

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The original recipe came out of a cookbook called 366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, and Grains.  It originally called for saffron to be cooked with the rice. Like I am so SURE! I have that on hand ALL the time. Not.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 2 cups vegetable broth or water
• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas with liquid or 1 (14.5 ounce) canned chickpeas
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

In a small pan, bring the broth to a boil, pour in the rice, cover with lid and REDUCE heat to low and simmer.  Cook until rice has absorbed water, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, do not fluff until ready to serve.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil.  Add the onion, garlic, and cumin, and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, cooked chickpeas, paprika, and cilantro, and reduce the heat to low.  Let simmer for 20-30 minutes; the longer it cooks the more the tomatoes break down and create a delicious sauce.  If there's not enough liquid to make a sauce, add 1 1/2 cups of broth.

To serve, make a bed of the cooked rice on a serving platter.  Spoon the chickpea mixture with cooking liquid onto the center of the rice and serve at once.

Note to Self:

I had a bag of dried garbanzo beans and cooked the  chickpeas in the pressure cooker FIRST, THEN used the extra chickpea broth to cook the rice.

Do not skip the paprika seasoning in this recipe.  If not on hand, use a good chili powder.

And that 1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro really brightens this dish.  It's the perfect amount and I wouldn't leave it out.  However, if i didn't have cilantro on hand, parsley would work too.

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Cranberry beans have a milder flavor than the earthy, meaty pinto bean.  I would use them on a green salad. OH! Or I would use Peter's recipe for Black Eyed Pea Salad and substitute the peas with the cranberry beans.  Oh yeah, that would be perfect.

Anytime I try something new, especially beans, I cook them in the simplest way.  I have to know their true flavor before I know which way to go with them.  This first time out, I cooked them in my trusty pressure cooker with a few garlic cloves, a bay leaf and a little oil & salt.  If you haven't tried cooking beans in a pressure cooker, read How to Cook Pinto Beans in a Pressure Cooker.  The cranberry bean is about the same size as the pinto bean, so I cooked them the same amount of time.  One more tidbit, they turn brown after they're cooked.  If you plan to put them in the freezer for later, be sure to label them to separate them from the pintos you have stored.

I found the cranberry beans at H.E.B. Central Market in the bulk food section; it's the only area of the store that saves me money.  They were about $3.oo per pound.

Would I buy them again? Do they need to become a staple in my pantry? Honestly, nah.  For all the different varieties of legumes out there, I think I'll keep looking and keep on trying new ones.

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Anazaki beans can be used interchangeably with pinto beans or red beans.  They have a creamy mild flavor that seems almost sweet compared to a pinto bean.  I found these organic anazaki beans in the bulk section at H.E.B. Central Market.

Because they were a little smaller than the pinto bean, I cooked them in the pressure cooker for about 25 minutes.  I allowed the pressure cooker to cool down on it's own, before removing the lid.  I've come to learn that I get a better bean broth and bean texture when I allow the cooker to cool down on it's own, rather than cooling it under running water.  It doesn't really take any longer to wait.  I always end up prepping some other part of the meal while I'm waiting, like cooking rice.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 3 cup dried anazuki beans
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 2 large garlic cloves, halved
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Water- enough to cover the beans with 2-inches of water, 5-5 1/2 cups

All beans need to be rinsed and checked for foreign objects

Follow your pressure cooker's user manual for specific cooking directions.

Put all the ingredients in the pressure cooker. For my Presto 6 quart pressure cooker, I close the cover securely. Place pressure regulator on the vent pipe. I use a high heat setting to heat up the pressure cooker until the pressure regulator starts chattering, then I immediately lower the heat to medium low.

Cooking time begins when the pressure regulator begins to rock. Reduce the heat to medium low or low, maintaining a slow, steady rocking motion and cook 25 minutes. If the pressure regulator is allowed to rock vigorously, excess steam will escape. Therefore, too much liquid will evaporate and food may scorch. Never leave a pressure cooker unattended at high heat settings. It could boil dry, overheat, and cause damage to the pressure cooker and stove top.

When cooking time is complete, turn off the burner. If using electric stove, CAREFULLY remove cooker away from burner. Let the pressure drop of its own accord, i.e. allow to cool until pressure is COMPLETELY REDUCED and the lid lock drops. It is now safe to remove the pressure regulator and the cover. If the cover turns hard, there still may be some pressure in the unit. Do not force the cover off. You can place the pressure cooker in the sink and run cold tap water over the lid until steam no longer is escaping from the vent pipe, the air vent/cover lock has dropped, and the cover turns easily.

The beans are ready to serve.

Safety is important and it's good to know how to properly handle a pressure cooker. They really are great to have in the kitchen. Yes, you have to learn how to use them properly, but it doesn't take long to get the hang of using one. After that, you won't want to cook beans the long slow again.

I ended up using the anazaki beans in my baked spinach and rice dish and the rest went into a quick bean dip when my friends came over.

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Photo by Gina Homolka

My father lived in Brazil for many years and I have some distant family there as well, so I grew up eating some great Brazilian dishes. Like all Latin countries, beans are a staple in every home. Each country has a unique way to prepare them, and in my opinion, are all delicious. Black beans are high in fiber, protein and rich in antioxidants. I always use my pressure cooker when I make dry beans, it cuts the cooking time in half. This is my favorite way to prepare black beans... with some samba music in the background and a caipirinha in hand!

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 smoked ham hock (or smoked pork chop)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 package dried black beans
• 1 large minced white onion
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 3/4 bunch of parsley finely chopped (no stems)
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Soak bean over night. Discard water after soaking.

Combine beans, ham hock and bay leaves in a large pot and add enough water to cover beans at least 3 inches. Cook for about 45 minutes in a pressure cooker.

While that is cooking, saute onion, garlic, parsley in a pan on a low flame. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook until onions are translucent.

When beans are finished cooking, combine the onions to the beans and cook 20-30 more minutes, or until beans have a thick consistency.

Serve over rice with chimichurri sauce.

Chimichurri Sauce

• 1/4 bunch (3/4 cups) parsley finely chopped (no stems)
• 2 tbsp red onion finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients together. This is a must over grilled flank steak!

Keeping It Light!

Gina's WW Recipes

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Photo by Gina Homolka

A perfect soup to warm you during the cold winter months. Lentils are high in soluble fiber and protein, have twice as much iron as other legumes and are high in Vitamin B and folate.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 pound dried lentils
• 3 chicken pieces on the bone, skin and fat removed
• 8 cups of water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 small onion
• 4 scallions
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tomato
• 1 packet sazon (in latin section)

In a large pot, add lentils, chicken, water and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover with lid, simmering about 15 minutes, until chicken thoroughly cooked. Carefully remove chicken from the pot.  Allow it to cool long enough to handle.  Remove chicken from the bone and shred meat, return shredded chicken to the pot and add diced potatoes.

Meanwhile, in a mini chopper, finely chop onions, scallions, garlic, and tomato.  Add them to the soup, season with sazon and simmer 15 more minutes, until lentils are soft. If needed, add more water.

Keeping It Light!

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

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White Bean Burritos are super easy to whip up.  Cooked Great Northern beans or Navy beans are quickly mashed, seasoned with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, then heated up like refried beans.  I could totally see this as a healthy snack dip or eaten as a filling for tacos, chalupas and, yes, burritos.

For folks accustomed to eating Pinto beans or red beans in your Tex-Mex treats, you may think the Northern or Navy beans don't have enough "bean" flavor.  That's what I thought the first time I attempted to make tacos using them.  The second time, I cooked them up like I would a pan of traditional refried beans.  Mixed with a topping of cooked red bell pepper, onions and a few spicy jalapenos, they turn into a tasty alternative.

I ran this recipe through the Kid Approval Process, using my two plus a kid from the hood.  EVERY ONE gave a thumbs up and Max went back for seconds.  He claimed he liked them MORE than the regular kind.  I, personally, wouldn't go that far, as I am a die hard pinto bean refried bean eater.  However, as I said before, using the Northern bean shakes it up a bit.  I want to play around some more with this recipe.  I feel it could be more exciting.  Today's version is purely for the kiddos, picky eaters, and mild spice consumers.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

this makes 4 to 5 small burritos

• 1 small onion, sliced into rings
• 1 small bell pepper, sliced the same thickness as the onion
• 1 tablespoon bacon drippings (essential seasoning in refried beans)
• 3 cups cooked Great Northern or Navy beans
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• salt & fresh pepper to taste
• flour tortillas, fajitas size
• jalapenos, sliced (totally optional)
• cheddar cheese, grated

In a medium fry pan over medium heat, heat a little canola oil and cook the onion and bell pepper until soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from pan, set aside and keep warm.

Using the same pan, warm the bacon drippings, add in the chili powder and cumin, then add in the beans.  If you're using canned beans, pour in the whole can, liquid and all. Carefully use a potato masher to mash about 3/4 of the beans into a thick consistency.  If you need to,  add a little water if the bean mixture is still too thick.   Salt and pepper to taste.  Cook the beans on medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes until they have thicken back up, stir often to keep from sticking to pan.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.  The refried beans will thicken the more they cool down.

Meanwhile, prep your burrito building station. Warm the tortillas, either in the microwave on medium power for 20 to 40 seconds, or in the oven set to 250ºF degrees for a minute or two.  You pick. Grate the cheese, get out the jar of jalapenos...

Allow everyone to build their own burritos and you're ready to eat!

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Photo by Gina Homolka

Roasted chickpeas make a healthy addictive snack with a nutty texture and flavor. Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) are high in fiber, and a great source of protein, zinc, folate, iron, calcium and magnesium. This recipe is so simple to make and you can season them with your favorite spices. This is my favorite way to eat them.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

Servings: 2-3 servings • Time: 30-35 minutes

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• olive oil spray
• salt
• chili pepper powder
• cumin
• paprika
• coriander
• curry powder
• garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Drain the chickpeas in a colander and let them dry completely. Pat dry with a paper towel if needed.

Arrange chickpeas on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for about 30-35 minutes, shaking the pan every ten minutes. All ovens may vary so make sure they don't burn. (They should be golden brown and crunchy on the inside when done, not moist.)

In a medium bowl, combine all the spices. When chickpeas are done, remove them from the oven and spray with olive oil spray. Immediately toss with spices while hot. Eat at room temperature.

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