Easy Delish Beans

I love beans!! They are very cheap, versatile a great source of protein, full of vitamins, helps control your weight, boost enzymes, helps control blood pressure and has been reported that helps reduce cancer (Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition). 

I have a super easy and cheap recipe for you all!
I do not recommend getting the beans in aluminum cans! Sorry its a bad idea, I know its easy, but not so great for you! Why? Simple, the glue in the canned beans contain BPA and it leaks into the food. By the way, BPA is bad. You probably have heard the term in reference to plastic. Eden Foods has an article pertaining to this issue (click here).

But do not fear, there are beans in glass containers and BPA-Free aluminum cans :) Be sure the cans read BPA-FREE! Also, please read the ingredients, just because it states black beans does not mean the company has not added things to it!! Also, I would get organic beans!!!

I prefer to buy them in the bag/bulk because it's cheaper and I am able to add flavor!
1-pound bag of dry beans equals about 4 cans of beans!
I usually order online at Vitacost, I find its usually cheaper.
I found 15-ounce Eden Foods Organic Black Beans can for $2.09, it does state that it's BPA-FREE, however it also has kombu seaweed in it.
I also found 1 pound of Eden Organic Dry Beans for $3.89. Which makes it only $0.97 cents per can! Much cheaper!!

Here is how I cook my beans! Yes, it does take time, but patience is a virtue!
I also cook this particular dish is bulk, great for so many recipes and freezes!

I soak one bag of beans in a large pot filled with water overnight. The next day I drain the beans and put the water in my plants!
Then I put fresh water in with the beans. Most directions in cooking beans state to use 3 cups of water to 1 cup of beans. I just fill it back up! I add 6 bay leaves and 10 garlic cloves in with a pinch of sea salt. I bring the water to a hard boil for about 10-15 minutes. Once you see the foam come up, scoop it out.
Then turn it down to a simmer and cover it. This will take between 1-2 hours. I check on it at 1 hour then every 15 minutes afterward. Cook until it is done!
It's not a hard process!
Next drain the beans and take out the garlic and bay leaves.

Here is where the magic happens! Place the beans back into the pot!
I add 1/2-1tsp of Southwestern Seasoning Mix, Tex-Mex Rub and Chipotle Rub.
Add 1-16 oz jars of an Organic Salsa or homemade salsa.
Please feel free to add and take away, try it out, make it taste good to you!
Then heat it up and serve!

So how can you use your new creation?
Too many ways to count but here are a few,
 Make tacos, Nachos, Chip-less Nachos (just remove the chips and add everything else), eat it in a bowl with cheese and sour creams, quesadillas, omelet, enchiladas, as a side, with crackers, on toast, and I am sure there are more ways!

How much for my Bean Taco dinner?
Here is the break down
1 bag of beans-$2.50 (I got mine on sale)
1 jar of salsa- $2.00
Seasoning I use in my kitchen but equal to about $0.75 cents
Garlic was probably pennies for the cloves; we will say $0.15 cents
I added cilantro and onions. Cilantro was $.079 cents onions $.50 cents
Tortillas were $2.00 for the bag of 50.

Therefore, the total for the meal was $8.79! This meal feeds us twice so really its $4.40 for each meal! Now divide that into four people, that's only $1.10 for each person!