Instant Bean Soup/Gravy

Use 2 tablespoons white bean flour per cup of liquid for thin soups, 3 tablespoons for medium-thick and 4-5 tablespoons for thick soups, stews or gravies. Whisk into soup stock or boiling water with 1 teaspoon bouillon or soup base per cup. Cook 3 to 5 minutes.

(Source: "Food Storage Recipes - Using only the ingredients contained in the One-Month Basic Food Storage Kit", pg. 23)

Dips and Sandwich Fillings

Stir 1 cup bean flour and 1 teaspoon salt into 2-1/2 cups boiling water. Cook 1 minute, stirring, until mixture thickens. Reduce heat to low, cook 5 minutes. This is fluffy; similar to refried beans. Add spices.

(Source: "Food Storage Recipes - Using only the ingredients contained in the One-Month Basic Food Storage Kit", pg. 23)

Pinto Bean Paste

Firm paste: 1 cup bean flour + 1-1/2 cups boiling water
Fluffy paste: 1 cup bean flour + 2-2/3 cups boiling water

Stir bean flour into boiling water and let sit 3 minutes. This paste can be whipped with seasoning and butter and used in place of mashed potatoes, added to patties, and casseroles. This paste does require further cooking. It should only be added to recipes that will be cooked or baked further (or continue to cook 3 to 5 minutes).

(Source: "Food Storage Recipes - Using only the ingredients contained in the One-Month Basic Food Storage Kit", pg. 23)

Cream of Bean Soup

1/2 cup bean flour
3 cups boiling water
1 to 2 teaspoons salt or bouillon

In a saucepan whisk bean flour into boiling water and seasoning. Stir and cook 3 minutes. Puree in blender for a "souper" creamy texture. Serve over pasta or stir in cooked wheat or beans. Use as a gravy over cooked rice. Soup thickens as it cools, and can be refrigerated for up to one week. Use it in place of canned soup.

Cream Sauce: Use reconstituted dry milk for part of water and add a little oil or non-dairy creamer.

(Source: "Food Storage Recipes - Using only the ingredients contained in the One-Month Basic Food Storage Kit", pg. 23)

Wheat and Bean Burger

2 cups cooked whole wheat
2 cups cooked beans, mashed
Seasoned salt
Oil

Put wheat through a food grinder or mash thoroughly. Mix wheat with the beans. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the mixture onto an oiled skillet. Flatten slightly. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Cook on medium to low heat until browned; turn and brown the other side. Serve plain or with chili sauce. Try cooked rice in place of wheat.

(Source: "Food Storage Recipes - Using only the ingredients contained in the One-Month Basic Food Storage Kit", pg. 23)

Protein Sources

Wondering how to afford enough protein for your long-term storage?

"Dried Beans, or Legumes, are one of the best protein sources on the planet. People all over the world have been eating them for thousands of years. They keep a long time, are easy to prepare, and cost very little. When they are cooked they more than double in weight. 1 cup dry beans makes 2 1/2 cups cooked beans.

Complete Protein: When beans are combined with a corn product, meat or milk based food, they form what is known as a complete protein. Complete proteins are more nourishing for your body than beans eaten alone. Therefore the old standbys like Pork 'n Beans, Pintos and Cornbread, Split Pea Soup with Ham, and Succotash (Corn and Lima beans), provide more complete proteins, than when eaten alone. When beans are combined with other foods to make complete proteins, the combinations can be exceptionally good tasting."

(Source: www.bulkfoods.com/bean.htm)

Where Have You "Bean" All My Life

This information and some of the following bean recipes come from a handout I received many years ago at a Relief Society Homemaking Night. The woman who taught the class knew a lot about beans and actually used them on a regular basis. I was impressed with her variety of recipes. I hung onto the handout thinking it might come in handy someday. (My young family wouldn't eat beans at the time.) Although I haven't tried her recipes, I thought we might be able to survive on the chocolate Pinto Bean Fudge if times got really tough. :)

GENERAL DIRECTIONS

WATER
For all dried beans, use 3 cups of water for 1 cup of beans when soaking and cooking. Always drain the water from soaked beans and use new water for cooking. By using fresh water and adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar to cooking water, the after effects of eating beans that most of us suffer, are reduced to a minimum.

HARD WATER
In a hard water area, the beans will soften up faster if a scant 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda is added to soaking water for each cup of beans.

SOAKING
There are two methods of soaking beans. You may soak your beans overnight to use the next day, or the following quick method may be used for those who don't think that far ahead. Put beans in measured water (3 to 1 ratio), bring water to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and soak for 1 hour. Then they are ready to cook. For cooking instructions, refer to cooking schedule on other sheet.

TOMATOES
Wait to add tomatoes until cooking beans are almost tender so softening will not be delayed.

SERVINGS
One pound of beans will provide 8 to 9 servings of 3/4 cup each. One pound equals approximately 2 cups of dry beans.

(Source: Homemaking Night handout, W. Thueson)

Pinto Bean Muffins

2 eggs
1 cup mashed cooked pinto beans
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons melted fat
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder

Mix dry ingredients. Beat eggs, mix with milk and mashed beans. Melt fat and combine all ingredients, mixing just enough to moisten dry ingredients. Fill muffin tins half full and bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot with butter.

(Source: W. Thueson)