My midwife suggested I sign the baby and myself up for WIC (a government program that provides nutritious food for women, infants and children). So, for four or five months we qualified to receive vouchers for milk, eggs, cheese, cereal, and ...dried beans. It is because of WIC that I learned to cook and like eating legumes. During one monthly meeting with a county nutritionist I was walked through the basics of cooking beans and given the book titled If You Don't Know Beans About Beans...or even if you do *. In addition to a lot of basic information on legumes, this book has nearly seventy bean recipes. I was thumbing through it last week when I noticed that my nutritionist had starred the Creamed Bean Francais recipe and I remembered her saying that it was her personal favorite. I decided to make it for dinner with a few changes of my own. Verdict: The family said it was good. It reminded me of au gratin scalloped potatoes. And I will definitely make this again.
*Erickson, Kay, ed., If You Don't Know Beans About Beans...or even if you do; Saint Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul-Ramsey County Nutrition Program, 1985.
Creamed Bean Francais, tweeked
(or, Beans Au Gratin...either way, it's French!)
4 cups cooked, Great Northern beans (navy, or blackeyed peas would work as well)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/4 cups lowfat milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 - 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (the cheesier the better, I say)
Prepare beans according to general directions or use canned beans. Saute onions and carrots in 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter until tender and set aside. Make cheese sauce by melting 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter in a heavy saucepan. Whisk in flour to make a rue. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until sauce begins to thicken. Stir in cheddar cheese and add salt. Combine beans, vegetables and cheese sauce in a casserole dish. Optional: top with more grated cheese or bread crumbs. Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 300 degrees F.
Laura
