Bean Successes: Rolls & "Sausage"

I have been preparing to team teach a class on beans for the last two weeks and have come up with two winners to share - recipes and samples.

Here is the info and recipe:
I took my favorite roll recipe (see Easy Rolls, posted on 4-3-12) and switched out 2 c. of white flour for 2 c. of red kidney bean flour. They were light and did not taste like beans. I don't think they are any healthier, except for some extra fiber, but they will help my family's digestive system get use to beans faster. As you can see from the photos the dough is mixed, rolled out and placed on the pans just in the same way as the original. The dough is not completely white (as you can see with it next to the flour on the side), but has speckles (which are actually red, but look like wheat).
The last photo shows you the bean flour and white flour side by side in a measuring cup to give you an idea of the color difference. Rising time is the same.

The other winner is a (pretend) sausage recipe I got from a Vegan Cookbook. There are many good cookbooks I found at the library in preparation for this class. I'll list them in the next post.

Black Bean Sausage (p. 75-76 in Quick & Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food):
Note: I doubled many of the spices because the original amounts didn't seem to hide the bean flavor enough for me, so this recipe is what I used - a little different than what is in the cookbook.
1 T + 1 tsp canola oil
1/2 c. diced yellow or white onion (I used the bottom of green onions)
1/2 c. diced green bell pepper
1/4 c. quick oats (I'd use twice this next time for a chunkier texture)
1 1/2 c. canned or cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c. brown rice ( I used 1/2 white, 1/2 wild rice)
2 tsp fennel seeds
4 tsp sage
1 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
If you are making your own beans, start 1-3 days ahead with soaking and cooking and cooling the beans.

Warm 1 tsp of oil in med skillet over med heat. Saute onion and bell pepper until soft (abt 3 min). Set aside.

Mash beans. Pulse oats in food processor until a fine flour. Add sauteed items, beans and rice to oat flour.

Pulse until no lg pieces of bean left. Do not puree. Turn out bean mixture into lg bowl and add spices.

Combine well using hands if necessary. Form "sausage" by rolling small balls then flatten into patties. opt: chill for 1 hr up to 3 days. I left mixture in fridge for three days and then made sausage. Flavors blended well that way. The smaller and flatter the patty, the more like sausage it seemed to me.
Warm 1 T canola oil in lg skillet or griddle per batch. Cook until brown and slightly crispy on both sides (abt. 3 min/side).

Warning - the mix looks grey. The patties themselves, once cooked have a nice brown look (note the different colors in the photo). Much more appetizing to eat; don't worry.

Frugal gift ideas

While looking for some recipes using bean flour as a soup thickener,
I found a fun website with some great frugal ideas and projects.
Check out http://www.littlehouseliving.com/crafts-and-homemade-gifts
There are a few recipes I may try there too.

Snickerdoodles & Bread with Bean Flour

I have taken a couple of recipes and tweaked them to incorporate bean flour without much sacrifice of taste or texture.
Disclaimer: I don't think there's anything wrong with wheat flour, I'm just trying to incorporate more fiber and beans into my family's diet.
I took my Better Homes & Garden's book to look up some cookie recipes hoping to find one I could switch out some bean flour and white flour. I landed on Snickerdoodles, partly because I hadn't made them in awhile, but also because I thought with the cream of tarter, it might cover up the bean flour twang. I ground up what I had handy- red and pinto beans. I'm sure a great northern white bean would be more suitable. I may try that next time.

Snickerdoodles (in BHG cookbook: p. 117)

½ c marg

½ c olive oil

2 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ c white flour

1 c whole wheat flour

½ c bean flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp cream of tartar

4 T sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon (*)

Directions: In mixing bowl, mix oils, sugar, eggs & vanilla. Beat on high speed for 30-45 seconds. Add whole wheat and bean flours, cream of tartar and baking soda. Mix well. Add white flour and beat until smooth.

Refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 F. Then roll dough into 1” balls and roll these balls into cinnamon/sugar mixture (*). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-11 min or til edges are golden. Cool cookies on wire rack. Makes 5-6 dozen.

Note: My changes were to double the recipe and then changed oil to ½ olive oil, ½ c marg + flour (not only white)

Although I have quite a few good bread recipes, I looked up an easy bread recipe that I could tweak a little.  I came up with this:

Amish White Bread (makes 2  9x5 loaves)

2 c warm water (110 F)                         

2/3 c white sugar

1 ½ T active dry yeast                          

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ c veg oil       (4T)

6 c bread flour

Directions

1.     In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

2.     Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

3.     Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.

4.     Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

My tweaks - did ingredients for 3 loaves using 3 ¾ c whole wheat flour, ¾ c bean flour + 4 ½ c white flour. Needed to rise a little longer to get to double (although the cold day probably caused that). Very fluffy and tasty. Might need a little more salt.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/amish-white-bread/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=bean%20flour&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Using beans

I am trying to use more beans in our diet. It has been challenging since many in my family do not like any kind of tomato based product. I've gone to a class to learn about sprouting beans and have done that a few times, just adding the sprouted beans (1/2 c or so) to the regular bean recipe. The family has not noticed a change.
Today, I'm trying to substitute bean flour in a recipe.
I went to http://beprepared.com/article.asp?ai=70 for some background info on how to use bean flour. Then I found a couple recipes I thought I could try.
I went to Allrecipes.com and am doing the Amish White Bread - substituting 1/2 c. of bean flour for 1/2 c. of the white (there's 6 c. of flour all together).
Then I'm going to try a non-tomato based chili found on the same website. It's called White Bean Chicken Breast Chili. I'll let you know how it goes.

Easy and Beautiful Christmas treat

Yesterday, I was in a rush and trying to come up with a quick yet beautiful "back up" treat for an event I went to. I thought brownies would be good, but wanted it to look great. I made brownies from a mix in a 13x9 pan (I've vowed not to do this often, but have a couple of boxes on hand) and 4 c. of cream cheese frosting (my favorite is in the Betty Crocker Cookbook, pg. 88). Then I asked for design help from my most artistic child. I had just gone grocery shopping and purchased all sorts of candies for a homemade gingerbread house. After looking through a wide assortment (not usually available in our home), we came up with something simple and (dare I say) elegant. See photo.
The Boston Baked beans look exactly like raspberries and hold up so much better. The brownish looking leaves are honey roasted sunflower seeds.  Have a wonderful and stress free Christmas season!

For more recipes, check out the breakfast casseroles, Christmas treats (posted March 2012) and sauces for homemade fun. Some are simple and some are time consuming - whatever fits your schedule and talent level.

Welcome new viewers

Welcome to all the new viewers that may be looking at my blog. Just a quick tip. If you haven't been to a blog before and are looking for something specific, there is a site only search engine. Just type in a word that matches the post or recipe you're looking for in the top left box. You'll get there a lot faster than scrolling through things. Enjoy!

Recently,  I showed a bunch or varieties for the Easy Fantasy Fudge and got a whole new group of people addicted to my unique version of Special K bars. A couple of other favorites of mine are the Easy Rolls (the first time it rises, it does so in your fridge overnight) and my Quick Cinnamon Rolls (1 hr start to eating).

Breakfast Casseroles

Every once in awhile, I have guests overnight and it's nice to have an easy hot breakfast that's done ahead of time to quickly cook and serve the next day. These are some options for that or for your own family - it they eat a lot. Not as good as leftovers, though.

Sausage and Egg Casserole
Ingredients:
• 1 pound mild bulk sausage, browned, drained
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 6 slices bread, crusts removed, toasted
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation: Cut each slice of toast into 4 pieces. Beat eggs, milk, and seasonings together. In buttered casserole, layer half the toast, half of the sausage, and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Pour half of the egg mixture over the layer. Repeat for second layer. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake, covered, at 325° for 45 to 60 minutes, or until puffed up. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 3 to 4. http://southernfood.about.com/od/breakfastcasserolerecipes/r/bl90911r.htm


Breakfast Casserole With Sausage, Eggs, and Biscuits
(Cheese choice determines flavor – cheddar or Mexican blend)

Ingredients:
• 8 frozen or refrigerated biscuits, baked according to package directions
• 1 pound sausage
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped mild green chile
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 2 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese blend, such as Cheddar Jack or a similar combination
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups milk

Preparation: Heat oven to 350°. Butter a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish. Heat Split the biscuits and line the baking dish with the biscuit halves, cut side up. Brown sausage in a large skillet with onions, breaking up the sausage as it cooks. Add the chile peppers and seasonings. Sprinkle the sausage mixture evenly over the biscuit layer. Top with the cheese. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk with salt and pepper. Pour over the cheese layer. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until set. A knife should come out clean when inserted in the center. Serve with sliced tomatoes or fresh salsa on the side. Serves 6 to 8.


Easy Microwave Breakfast Casserole

You can prepare this the night before, refrigerate for the night, then pop it in the microwave in the morning.

Ingredients:
• 1 slice bread, cubed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup cooked diced ham
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a 6-inch microwave-safe serving bowl. Blend well. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then poke a few small perforations in the top to vent. Cook on MEDIUM HIGH, or 80% power, for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 minutes. Halfway through cooking time, turn dish a half-turn. Let stand, covered, for 30 seconds to finish cooking. Serve with fresh fruit or fruit juice. You can prepare this the night before, refrigerate for the night, then pop it in the microwave in the morning. Cook for a little longer if it has been refrigerated. Makes 1 serving.