Beans make low-budget healthy dishes

Press, 1 June 1985, Page 14

Beans make low-budget healthy dishes

FOOD ALERT

JANICE BREMER DIETITIAN

The three recipes in this week’s column cater to today’s health concerns, which urge the inclusion of pulses in our diets. Garbanzo rolls are high in fibre; Bean Casserole shows how to get all the essential amino acids in a totally plant food meal; and Bean Cakes are a lower calorie dish. Garbanzo rolls For four servings you need: Soak as for last week’s directions: 1 cup Garbanzo beans 3 cups water Soak together: Vz cup cracked wheat 1 cup boiling water Drain beans and wheat well, then puree in a food processor or mouli. Mix in: 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2-4 tablespoons parsley/ chives chopped 1 teaspoon coriander powder 1 teaspoon cummin powder pinch of chilli powder 1 tablespoon lemon juice salt (optional) black pepper >A cup whole flour Shape mixture into 8 balls. Simmer in boiling water until just wilted: 8 outer cabbage or lettuce leaves Place a ball of stuffing on each cabbage leaf, fold up and roll up as a parcel. Place side by side in a pressure cooker or baking tray. Cover with: 4 tomatoes, sliced % cup water Either pressure cook for 10-12 minutes or bake, covered, for 30 minutes at 175 deg. C or microwave on high for 20 minutes (covered). Alternatively, these balls can be rolled in dry breadcrumbs, placed in

a baking dish and baked. Serve in pita bread (Lebanese pocket bread) with salad. For a less hot mixture replace coriander, cumin and chilli with Vz teaspoon oregano. % to 1 cup of chopped vegetables such as celery or mushrooms can be added to the stuffing mixture. Food value: 2 rolls provide 15 grams protein, 200 calories, and 16 grams of fibre. Basic bean casserole This recipe caters for vegans and lacto vegetarians, as well as those who simply want to cut down on meat or make their meat meals go further. Use any beans you like — suggestions are garbanzo beans for “strognanoff beans,” or red kidney beans for “chilli beans.” For four servings: 1 cup beans 4 cups water 2 onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 cups chopped mushrooms 2 cups tomato juice 4 cup white wine, (optional) 4 teaspons dry mustard Mi teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg pinch salt (optional) Soak the beans as for last week’s directions.

Heat a saucepan, add a drop of water and stir fry the onions, garlic, and mushrooms for a few minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Either pressure cook for 45 minutes or simmer on the top of the stove for 1% to Wz hours (dependent on bean - type) or until beans are cooked. Remove lid and simmer 1 a further 15 minutes until liquid is reduced to give a fairly thick mixture. For “Stroganoff Beans” add: 1% cups yoghurt and remove from the heat. For “Chilli Beans’” add to the cooking liquid at the beginning of cooking: 1 teaspoon chilli powder, and M teaspoon cummin. Replace chopped mushrooms with chopped green pepper and omit yoghurt. If mixture is not thick enough, thicken with a paste of flour and water, s . For Vegans: Serve “Stroganoff beans” with cooked brown rice (1% cups uncooked per 1 cup uncooked beans) for complete protein (to supplement the limited amino acids in beans), and omit the yoghurt. Thicken the mixture with a flour and water paste. Serve “chilli beans” with wholemeal toast for complete protein (4 slices per serving). For meat eaters: Reolace

Vz cup of uncooked 6eans with l¥z cups of lean diced meat. Choose meats for flavour variety; for example “chilli beef with beans,” “pork and beans.” Many recipes from Eastern countries use small amounts of the salty, cured meats — bacon, ham and smoked meats. Add meat to the beans, half way through the cooking period. Food value per serving: Stroganoff (with rice in brackets): 16 (21) grams of protein; 218 (475) (remember it is a whole meal) calories and 10.5 (21) grams of fibre. Chilli beans (with bread/ toast in bracket): 12 (24) grams protein; 181 (452) calories; 10.8 (23) grams fibre. With meat: Stroganoff: 21 grams protein; 222 calories; and 5.2 grains fibre. Chilli beans: 17 grams protein; 135 calories; and 5.6 grams fibre. The following recipe is lower calorie and suitable for strict weight watchers. Different flours made, from beans are available niainly from health food stores. Choose your favourite from such as peameal, lupin flour, chickpea (garbanzo) flour. Bean flatcakes For four servings: 1 cup of bean flour % cup of water 1 egg (or,-3 tablespoons oil for vegans) salt (optional) Mix the ingredients in a bowl. Stand for an hour then shape into eight thin cakes, 2-3 mm thick. Cook each side on a greased shallow pan or under a griller. Serve with relish and cottage cheese or with yoghurt and salad. Vegans will enjoy these with tofu or tahini sauce. Food value: 2 cakes: 8.5 grams protein; 100 calories; and 7 grams fibre.