Bean There, Done That!

While reorganizing my pantry, I came across a large canister that I had placed bags of beans and rice in. I pulled it out, and put the beans in smaller, different containers. Most of the beans have come from farmer's markets. The one I chose to make for tonight's supper are speckled butter beans.

I put the in the crockpot last night, covered them with water and left them to soak overnight. This morning I drained the soaking water, covered them again with plenty of water, added a packet of dried onion soup and chopped up some elephant garlic. Cover, turn to low and off we go. After about six hours I turned the temp to high, just to make sure they would be done in time for supper. They were. They were delicious! I made a batch of wild pecan rice and homemade from scratch cornbread. It's been a long time since I've eaten like that, having grown up on a good pot of beans and cornbread. A yummy Southern meal!

I will definitely use this method to cook dried beans again.
The speckled butter bean is a little bigger than a lima and is higher in iron, fat and calories. Just like many legumes, butter beans provide a great source of fiber and protein. Eating them is a great way to lower cholesterol and especially good for those with diabetes. They provide a nice amount of magnesium (good for the cardiovascular system), folate, the trace mineral manganese, and iron. Butter beans also contain phytochemicals, which may play a role in cardiovascular protection and cancer prevention. One of the phytochemicals in butter beans, saponin, may have antifungal, antibacterial, cancer-fighting and cholesterol-lowering effects, notes Florida State University.

I make an effort to eat beans every day for either lunch or supper. The benefits are just too fantastic!