crusty beans (vegan)

recipes by mb + m-c

just the recipe

what we were looking for

Something warming, simple, filling, something both imaginative and familiar.

what we made

Heidi Swanson's Giant Crusty and Creamy White Beans from Super Natural Cooking (pages 152‑153). Heidi says that this is the recipe she gets asked for most often -- we can see why.

mb:
Now, let me just say this: Everybody out there MUST try this recipe for themselves ... the crispy outsides, the tender insides, the slightly caramelized onions and garlic, the fresh green of the chard. It's heaven, I tell ya.

m-c:
Mark pointed out that this is refried beans with a difference, the difference being that I've never sought for a crust in my refried beans. In fact, I used to stir any crust that formed back into the beans, hoping for a uniform pasty texture. How wrong I was!

grades for our versions

	mb	m‑c
healthy	A	A	Beans, oil, greens -- a paragon of healthfulness.
fast	A	A	A snap.
easy	A	A	Again a snap.
cheap	A	A	Easy on your budget.
delicious	A+	A	m-c is always so soft-sell -- believe mb, it's an A+.

yield

Scaling Heidi's recipe back by half, mb's version served two voracious young'uns as a side dish, m‑c's served two oldsters as a main dish.

equipment

   a big frying pan

the beans

ingredients	Heidi, scaled	mb	why?	m‑c	why?
cooked dried beans	¼ lb. dried white beans	¼ lb. dried white beans	no change	¼ lb. dried lima beans	tastier [1]
olive oil	1½ Tablespoons	1½ Tablespoons	no change	1½ Tablespoons	no change
Notes
[1]	m-c: I'm on a campaign to introduce people to the subtle joys of dried lima beans.

(All three versions also salt to taste.)

Make sure the beans are well drained. (Save the bean broth for some other use.)

   mb:
Hot-pan method: In a very wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beans to the skillet in as close to a single layer as you can get. Stir them well to coat them entirely with the oil, then let them sit for 3-4 minutes on one side until they've turned brown and crispy. Turn them and let the other side brown as well.

   m-c:
Cold-pan method: Slick the bottom of your largest frying pan with the olive oil. Lay the beans out in a single layer on the oil. Put the pan over a low flame and let the beans cook gently till the beans are crusty on one side, probably around 15 minutes. Don't mess with them. Don't stir them, don't fiddle with them. Let them crust up quietly. When the beans are crusty on one side, break them up haphazardly, so some crust is up and some is down.

the vegetables

ingredients	Heidi, scaled	mb	why?	m‑c	why?
onion family	½ onion coarsely chopped	3 shallots coarsely chopped	tastier [1]	3 shallots coarsely chopped	tastier [2]
garlic	2 cloves, chopped	3 cloves, crushed	healthier [3], easier [4]	5 cloves, chopped	healthier [5]
rainbow chard	3-4 big leaves + 1 stem sliced	5 big leaves + 1 stem sliced	healthier [6]	5 big leaves + 5 stems sliced	healthier [7]
Notes
[1]	mb: I almost always use shallots, for their stronger flavor, instead of onions.
[2]	m-c: And I almost always do what Margaret tells me to.
[3]	mb: Garlic is good for you.
[4]	mb: Crushing is easier than chopping.
[5]	m-c: Ah, but if you chop instead of crushing, you can use even */more/* garlic.
[6]	mb: Eat your greens.
[7]	m-c: Cut the stems fine enough and you can use them all.

Add the other vegetables to the pan and let them cook till the shallots and garlic are aromatic and the chard leaves wilted.

the toppings

ingredients	Heidi, scaled	mb	why?	m‑c	why?
spice	black pepper, to taste	black pepper, ½ teaspoon	no change	cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon	tastier [1]
olive oil	drizzled on top, to taste	---	healthier	---	healthier
parmesan cheese	grated on top, to taste	---	healthier	---	healthier
Notes
[1]	m-c: I was in the mood for a pinch of the hot stuff.

Top with the toppings you've decided to use.

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