Great Northern Beans: Lovin' On This Legume

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My mother was always an excellent cook, but unfortunately, she didn't enjoy cooking... at all. She made that very clear. This would have been fine except for the fact that she had a hungry husband and two ravenous kiddos to feed. My brother in particular would eat dinner, then want another one about an hour later. He was a bit... how do you say it?... big-boned. The alternative - eating out - was expensive, so that only left one option... cook some dinner already, mom.

In an effort to inspire her in the kitchen, my dad sent her off to Ursula's Cooking School in Atlanta. Actually, I don't even know if that's what it was really called. All I know is that I was going through my Little Mermaid phase and this lady sounded awesome! Did she have lots of arms with tentacles? Is that how she was able to multitask so effectively in the kitchen? I was mesmerized. We needed to be introduced.

Image courtesy of fanpop.com

The closest I ever got to Ursula was through her delectable recipes, which my mother started whipping up at home like a true professional. Granted, mom didn't have multiple arms to aid in the process, but she did pretty well in my estimation. To this day, both of us still make Ursula's Hearty Bean Vegetable Soup. It's not the red-based vegetable soup you would expect, and for someone who's not crazy about soup (aka. this girl), I find it especially appetizing. Now before we get to the recipe, let's talk about one of the soup's main ingredients, Great Northern Beans.

You might not be familiar with these little guys. They're little white beans that look sort of like lima beans in shape and have a creamy, nutty flavor. You can find them in the dry form or in a can. They're very good at absorbing the flavors of the food they are cooked with, so if you're not a huge legume fan, Great Northern Beans might be just the thing for you!

Here's why you should jump on the Great Northern Bean train...

RICH IN SOLUBLE FIBER - In addition to speeding up the process of toxin removal in your intestines, soluble fiber also helps to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol. Just 1 cup of Great Northern beans has approximately 16 grams of fiber. The more fiber you have in your diet, the fuller you feel, which can assist in weight loss.

PACKED WITH PROTEIN - Like legumes in general, Great Northern beans are full of protein, without the added fat. In 1 cup of cooked beans, there is almost 15 grams of protein. That same cup has less than 1 gram of fat.

CHOLESTEROL-FREE - Watching your cholesterol? No need to fret when eating these beans! One cup has 0 grams of cholesterol. Score!

ANTIOXIDANT CITY - Great Northern Beans contain both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which help prevent cardiovascular disease, strengthen the immune system and fight cancer-causing free radicals in the body.

FULL OF FOLATE - In just 1 cup, you are meeting 30% of your recommended daily value. Folate helps produce and maintain new cells, which is why it's particularly important for pregnant women. In addition, folate helps prevent changes in DNA which can lead to cancer, making it a great vitamin for everyone else!

This list barely touches on the full capacity of Great Northern Beans. They're really, really good for you! Now, since you're pumped up and ready to try some, let's take a look at Ursula's famous recipe, picture by picture...

Cut 2 large or 3 medium white onions into chunks. I half the onion and then slice the halves into slender chunks, like so.

Dice or mash 7-8 cloves of garlic.

Spray a soup pot lightly with non-stick cooking spray and add 2 oz. of butter and 2 Tbs. of olive oil. Heat until bubbling.

While the pot is heating, peel and cut 3 large baking potatoes into large cubes.

When the butter-oil combo is bubbling, add the onions and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they're a bit softer.
Now add the potatoes and 1 Tbs. of salt.

Now add 8 cups of HOT tap water. Stir and bring to a boil.

Once the mixture is boiling, add 2 (16 oz.) packages of frozen green beans or the fresh equivalent, whichever you prefer.
Simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are done, then use your spoon to mash the potatoes against the
side of the pan. You'll want to mash the majority of the potatoes so that your broth becomes more creamy.

Now bring the soup back to a boil and add 1 Tbs. marjoram, 1 tsp. sage and 1 Tbs. of beef, chicken or vegetable
granules (I used vegetable bouillon b/c it's what I had on hand). My mother uses chicken granules, which I prefer.

Now drain the water out of 2 cans of Great Northern Beans...

...and add them to the mix. Just before serving, add 1 lb. of smoked kielbasa (casing removed and sliced into thin circles).
Salt and pepper to taste and let the kielbasa heat up for a few minutes.

My favorite homemade soup! It's a crowd favorite and so very simple!

A Lesson On Lentils: Taste The Rainbow

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Skittles may have coined the phrase 'taste the rainbow', but I'm pretty sure we could apply this catchy little phrase to lentils. Just look at all those colors! Confession time: I'm practically a lentil virgin. Sure, I've had them in soups, but that's where my experience comes to a screeching halt! I don't know how to cook them, I don't really know what they taste like solo and I'm fairly certain my inability to make decisions would be put to the test when given the option to buy any color under the rainbow. The paralysis of analysis... story of my life.

This past weekend, I decided that enough was enough... I can't have a nutrition blog and totally act like lentils don't exist! It was time for a little trip down to Trader Joe's so that I could further acquaint myself with these colorful legumes. It was time to take our relationship to the next level. 

Here's why I gave lentils a second look...

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HIGH FIBER CONTENT - Just 1 cup of cooked lentils contains about 15 grams of fiber, more than half of your daily requirement. Because lentils are comprised of soluble AND insoluble fiber, all your bases are covered. If you're not making a trip to the bathroom after eating some, then you're just a tricky case and I can't help you.

PACKED WITH PLANT-BASED PROTEIN - That same cup of lentils contains almost 17 grams of protein, making lentils a great choice for those of you who don't eat meat. Even if you DO eat meat, plant-based protein is much better for you than animal protein because you're eliminating the extra fat and calories that come with meat.

LOW IN FAT AND CALORIES - Chances are, you'll fill full when you incorporate lentils into your meal, and in one cup, you'll only consume about 220 calories and less than 1 gram of fat (including no saturated fat). With those kind of stats, you might as well go back for seconds!

FANTASTIC FUEL SOURCE - The complex carbs in lentils provide the body with lots of energy without causing your blood sugar to spike. Energy is released slowly... and that's how we like it, folks!

CHOCK FULL OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS - If I were to list them out, my list would be a mile long so I'll keep it snappy. Lentils are specifically rich in folate, which helps in cell production and maintenance. Studies have also suggested that folate can help prevent changes to DNA that could eventually lead to cancer. Just one cup of cooked lentils provides 90% of your daily requirement of folate. In addition to folate, lentils also assist in replenishing your iron levels, making this a great choice for women who are pregnant, lactating or 'on the rag' (sorry, boys...gross, I know).

For my weekend experiment with lentils, I recruited my friend Marissa and attempted to make a recipe from SproutedKitchen.com (love, love, love this blog!) for Lentil "Meatballs" in Lemon Pesto. We might have been a bit out of our league trying this particular recipe, especially since the food processor decided to die as we began. Thankfully, Marissa was able to take over and pulverize the lentils and pine nuts by hand! Good job, M!   ...She must workout.

When we were done, the kitchen looked like a level 5 disaster area, but the lentil meatballs were so tasty and complimented our girl's night movie choice 'Cruel Intentions' perfectly. Yes, in case you were wondering... lentils go perfectly with a side of Ryan Phillippe.

A Lonely Legume: Eat Yo' Peas, Please!

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I can only speak for myself here, but I grew up hating peas, or English peas as we called them. I really despised those buggers. Their presence on my plate told me two things... 1) my mother loved me enough to feed me vegetables, but 2) she clearly wanted to ruin my life. They tasted like dirty swamp water.

I pushed those peas around my plate with gusto, hoping against hope that they would suddenly vanish from my plate or maybe just give the impression that I ate a few. If my parents had allowed our dog Hank into the kitchen during dinnertime, I would've definitely flung him a few. Hate is a strong word, but it is the only word appropriate for my feeling towards those little green globes of swamp water.

So you can imagine my surprise when I decided to give green peas another try, and I actually LIKED THEM this time! Then, when I started reading up on their nutritional benefits, I liked them even more. I can only compare the feeling to that of seeing the biggest dork in high school at your reunion and finding out he's magically transformed into a Brad Pitt look-alike. Pleasant surprise mixed with the thought of 'what have I missed out on?!?'.

Green peas (also called sweet peas or English peas) are one of the most nutritious legumes, yet they seem to be largely ignored (probably because we all hated them as children). They are believed to have originated in the Sub-Himalayan plains of northwest India and have been traced back thousands of years (we're talking BC, not A.D.).


Here's why you should give them another try...

HEART HELPERS - Green peas are packed with omega-3's and antioxidants.

CANCER FIGHTERS - The phytonutrients in green peas act as health protectors, fighting cancer-causing free radicals in the body.

BLOOD SUGAR REGULATORS - The high dietary fiber and protein content of green peas can help regulate your blood sugar and lower your risk for type 2 diabetes (1 cup of raw peas provides 30.3% and 14.7% of your daily values respectively, based on a 2000 calorie diet)

FATIGUE FIGHTERS - Green peas provide a significant, non-animal source of iron, a nutrient that fights fatigue, helps in proper blood cell formation and carries oxygen throughout the body.

FAT BLASTERS - One cup of raw peas has only 1/3 gram of fat and 115 calories.

EYESIGHT ENABLERS - The lutein found in peas helps to reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.

VITAMIN PROVIDERS - One cup provides 44.6% of your DV of vitamin K (for bone building) and 32.5% of vitamin C (for immune support).


When buying fresh peas in the pod, look for pods that are smooth and consistent in color. I really like buying them fresh because you get to shell them. It's really easy and can be really cathartic... the kind of therapy you don't have to pay the big bucks for!

To ease myself back into the pea game, I tried this recipe from SmittenKitchen.com (but I added shrimp because I felt like it, ok?). I've attached simple step-by-step instructions and pictures for your viewing pleasure. It was incredibly flavorful and sooooo good that I hardly noticed my pesto was made from peas!  
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/06/linguine-with-pea-pesto/

To prep, toast the pine nuts in the oven at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes, watching them closely to prevent them
from burning. Pine nuts can be expensive (like $30 per lb.), so you can always
substitute them with raw cashews or almonds.

Shell your fresh peas. This part should be fun! Get the kids involved! 

Peel and devein the shrimp.

Bring the water to a boil and cook the linguine until al dente (when draining, reserve 2 cups of the pasta water for later). You can use whole wheat pasta if you want to make it extra nutritious!

In a small saucepan, bring lightly salted water to a boil. Add the green peas and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the peas,
then transfer them to an ice bath for a minute and drain again.

In a food processor, add the peas (setting 1/2 cup aside for later), pine nuts, garlic and salt. Now add the parmesan cheese... and blend for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides if necessary.

While it's mixing, drizzle in a bit of olive oil.

While your sous chef is busy manning the food processor, saute your shrimp in a little olive oil and garlic.

Add the cooked pasta and pea mixture to the pan of cooked shrimp. 

Add in the extra peas you saved and as much of the reserved pasta water as you need
to make the pesto mixture combine more easily. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve it up while it's hot and chow down! Nom nom nom!

Here are a few more pea recipes to get your wheels turning...

MINTED PEAS & RICE WITH FETA:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/minted_peas_rice_with_feta.html

Image courtesy of eatingwell.com

GREEN PEA SOUP:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/29519-green-pea-soup

Image courtesy of chow.com

My grandmother calls me 'sweet pea'. I guess my love for them was meant to be.