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I still find it hard to believe that I like beans all at, in any form. For most of my childhood I detested them. Well, along with about 560 other foods I now love! Here’s encouragement for mothers of picky eaters everywhere: reformation is possible!

I still think kidney beans look like ripe stuffed ticks. How’s that for picturesque? A’s Creative Writing homework this week included the assignment to think of 3 words that describe a food in a gross way (or something like that). A did a great job all on his own as you can imagine but I can not think of any  other way to describe red kidney beans than curled, stuffed ticks just about to pop. Ewwwwwww…..

Blame it on my parents (doesn’t every kid do that once in awhile :-)?) My job at 9 was to pick deer ticks off Lil’John, our Golden Retriever who was always in the fields, gathering porcupine quills and scent of skunk and whatever dead thing he could find (deer carcass anyone?). But I digress…..

A few years ago I went from beanless chili to dainty little red beans. One of the fastest ways to stretch a grocery budget is to shift from making a chunk of meat the main dish and use it as an ingredient instead. So, I found that by using a can of those cute little red beans, almost a dusky pink in color, I could reduce the hamburger to 1/2 a lb. The beans took on the flavor of the chili and thus a gentle introduction was begun.

I found later that white beans, or “Great Northern Beans” as I find them more romantically called, are excellent in white chicken chili recipes. And refied beans really do a marvelous thing to a crammed-full fajita. A girl I went to church with last year brought me a big bag of “soldier beans”…speckled little beauties that had been locally grown where her mother lived. That was all I had to hear: it was right at the beginning of my “eat locally/seasonally” project and I cooked them up as she recommened, sort of a baked bean recipe. They were delicous with a green salad and thick wedges of bread spread with creamy pale butter.

Lentils are fantastic the way my sister taught me to make them. My blessing of a friend here in Knoxville taught me how to fast cook dried beans so that it’s not too late if I didn’t start them the day before. My online buddy Carol wooed me with her awesome homemade refries recipe, made even better with pale pink cranberry beans instead of pintos. My favorite store, Horn of Plenty, has a wall full of baskets with every variety of beans, all locally grown, and they are so visually pleasing that I think anyone would have a hard time not admiring them as they walk past.

Or sinking thier hands deep down, like Amelie did in the movie named the same. ( I hear french accordian music now).

Now we eat beans at least 4 times a week. They’ve become an inexpensive and high fiber addition to our menu-on-a-budget. My clothes have been loose lately; a friend asked me yesterday if I’d lost weight. With no scale in the house, I really have no idea, but it would make sense. We’ve been eating lower fat (even with real butter, sausage gravy, and the occassional Ben and Jerry’s Dublin Mudslide) and we are hungry less after a plate that includes beans.

I still have alot to learn. There are TONS of variations and possiblities with this staple of the world. I found a new recipe this week that is really easy to keep on hand for quick meals (think: those times when you are dashing in and out and have time to sit and eat but not to cook). With the cilantro, it’s a quick taste of warmer days to come but if you truly don’t like cilantro I guess you could leave it out.

Winter Taco Salad

The beans:

A can of black eye peas, rinsed and drained

A can of redbeans, rinsed and drained

half of a red onion, chopped as small as you like the bites

about a 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

a dash of olive oil

a half cup of salsa or picante

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Make it ahead of time and refridgerate.

The salad:

torn romaine leaves

tortilla chips

diced tomato (if you want to eat it out of season)

diced cheddar cheese

Top salad with beans and drizzle with ranch dressing.

Which leads me to….want to make your own Ranch, helping to eliminate the demon MSG and save money besides? I’ve made up my own “recipe” but it also has a few variations, depending what you have on hand.

Ranch Dressing:

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 c. mayo

a few T. of buttermilk (the real stuff, not soured milk made with lemon juice, and this ingredient depends on if you want it more like a thick dip or a more fluid dressing)

garlic powder or granulated garlic (maybe a t)

a t. of sugar

salt and pepper taste

1/2 t. each of dried basil and chives

1/4 t. of dried oregano

Stir and taste. Adjust as you like.

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