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Easy Beans: Simple, Satisfying Recipes That Are Good for You, Your Wallet, and the Planet
A fresh approach to cooking with one of our most versatile, nutritious and inexpensive pantry staples!
Beans are a “superfood” and a budget-conscious, plant-based protein for meat and non-meat eaters alike. An excellent everyday option, they’re easy to make the main focus of a meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) or to sneak into something for an extra boost (think smoothies!).
The cookbook uses popular and widely available beans, pulses, and lentils, and includes forty simple, delicious recipes for dips and spreads, salads and soups, as well as for mains. Whether you’re stocked up on dried or canned beans, there’s plenty of inspiration here. Liven up your weekly meals with this hearty, healthy staple.
Recipes include:
Pinto Bean Enchiladas with Zucchini and Spinach
Turkey and White Bean Chili
Split Pea Soup with Bacon, Lemon, and Fresh Herbs
Huevos Rancheros Sandwiches
Butter Bean and Walnut Dip
Vietnamese Black Bean Sticky Rice
Vegan Black-Eyed Pea Jambalaya
Red Lentil Stew with Dried Apricots
Cauliflower and Lima Bean Gratin
Dried Cherry Pilaf with Chickpeas and Pistachios
Bean Bourguignon (with or without beef)
Coconut Curry Split Pea Dal
Beans are a “superfood” and a budget-conscious, plant-based protein for meat and non-meat eaters alike. An excellent everyday option, they’re easy to make the main focus of a meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) or to sneak into something for an extra boost (think smoothies!).
The cookbook uses popular and widely available beans, pulses, and lentils, and includes forty simple, delicious recipes for dips and spreads, salads and soups, as well as for mains. Whether you’re stocked up on dried or canned beans, there’s plenty of inspiration here. Liven up your weekly meals with this hearty, healthy staple.
Recipes include:
Pinto Bean Enchiladas with Zucchini and Spinach
Turkey and White Bean Chili
Split Pea Soup with Bacon, Lemon, and Fresh Herbs
Huevos Rancheros Sandwiches
Butter Bean and Walnut Dip
Vietnamese Black Bean Sticky Rice
Vegan Black-Eyed Pea Jambalaya
Red Lentil Stew with Dried Apricots
Cauliflower and Lima Bean Gratin
Dried Cherry Pilaf with Chickpeas and Pistachios
Bean Bourguignon (with or without beef)
Coconut Curry Split Pea Dal
176 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2020
25 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 16, 2020
This is a great cookbook for those who are looking to add more beans to their diets and who want to know the basics of cooking beans. It's full of detailed information on kinds of beans and how to prepare them, plus lots of good info like whether to soak or not and not to add baking soda (it reduces nutrients and makes them mushy). Recipes are divided into chapters like breakfasts (even smoothies, really!), soups, etc. and the end has detailed information on all kinds of bean varieties.
Color photos are provided for about half the recipes. No nutritional information is provided, which cost the book a star for me. All in all, though, a great resource with lots of tasty sounding recipes.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
Color photos are provided for about half the recipes. No nutritional information is provided, which cost the book a star for me. All in all, though, a great resource with lots of tasty sounding recipes.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.
April 29, 2021
There were a few interesting recipes in this, but some of them were downright unappealing. I just have no interest in putting beans in my smoothies or my granola.
Read
December 4, 2024Interesting mix of recipes... some are a bit more challenging, and a few have more exotic ingredients. But most are doable. I found some inspirations that I could adapt to suit my own pantry:
Marinated black-eyed peas and olives.
Greek fava - yellow split-pea dip: I will puree w/ red onion, garlic, lemon juice, oil, pinch salt.
"Sugar and acid (ie in molasses) can prevent beans from ever getting really tender."
Do note that any bean (except for red kidney beans) can be cooked in the slow cooker from scratch, no soaking necessary. And that cooking a fresh whole squash is easy - wash, halve, put cut side down in baking dish, add water, and either bake, or, as I prefer, microwave.
Marinated black-eyed peas and olives.
Greek fava - yellow split-pea dip: I will puree w/ red onion, garlic, lemon juice, oil, pinch salt.
"Sugar and acid (ie in molasses) can prevent beans from ever getting really tender."
Do note that any bean (except for red kidney beans) can be cooked in the slow cooker from scratch, no soaking necessary. And that cooking a fresh whole squash is easy - wash, halve, put cut side down in baking dish, add water, and either bake, or, as I prefer, microwave.
September 15, 2020
Freeman provides us with 40 bean-centric recipes for dishes ranging from breakfast to supper, with snacks, sides, and salads included. If smoothies are your breakfast of choice (they are not mine!), her recipes fortify typical fruit smoothies with the nutrition of beans, which is also spelled out in the book. Bean-based Huevos Rancheros becomes a breakfast sandwich, and that seems more appetizing to me. For snacks, “The Only Hummus You’ll Ever Need” is flavorful and simple, and is indeed the only hummus recipe you will need. I made it, we loved it, and now it will be my go-to hummus forever. The recipes are not all vegetarian (Turkey and White Bean Chili is one of my favorites in the book, and it makes enough for several meals), although beans always play a significant role. Some of the best are vegetarian, however, and they draw from the world’s cuisines. Coconut-Curry Split Pea Dal will go in the rotation here, and again it makes enough for at least two substantial meals Most recipes use a standard can’s worth of beans for quick and super-simple meals, but there are detailed instructions for using dried beans as well. So far, I've used dried beans only for the Dal. Recipes are easy to follow and the author’s chatty tone felt as though a friend was walking me through them. A “Bean-Cyclopedia” rounds out the book, explaining each type of bean, how to cook, and what beans to substitute, which I found helpful when I wanted to cook from the pantry.
November 15, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Easy Beans is a is a tutorial guide and cookbook with recipes developed by Jackie Freeman. Released 3rd Nov 2020 by Sasquatch Books, it's 176 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is a useful, basic, comprehensive, and wonderfully versatile recipe collection. Beans as a source of protein and bulk food component have been known and used in one form or another since ancient times virtually the world over. This is a nice sampling of different legumes in recipes from a wide variety of culinary styles.
The introduction (~15%) covers some of the history and "why/how to use beans" background info. There's also a really good tutorial for cooking and processing beans to get the best results and avoid mushy or uneven cooking.
The following chapters contain the recipes grouped roughly thematically: breakfasts, snacks, soups & stews (wonderful and classic recipes here), sides & salads, and main dishes. There are a huge number of recipes. Many were familiar to me, but even those had a twist which lifted them beyond the traditional: dried cherries in pilaf, squash and black-eyed peas in samosas, etc. I was surprised at the omission of pasta e fagioli soup, but there are enough other recipes to keep cooks happy here.
The recipes themselves are formatted with an introduction and background, ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar (US standard measures only, no metric equivalents), and step by step ingredients. Alternative presentations, tips, and special definitions are provided in highlighted text bars at the end of the instructions. Nutritional info is not included. Many of the recipes are vegetarian friendly with an emphasis on plant based ingredients, but not all. The vegetarian/vegan friendly recipes are not specified or marked out. I would say that nearly all the recipes in the book can easily be adapted to be vegan friendly if desired.
Most of the ingredients are easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store. Some few ingredients might be more easily found at a health food or international food grocery, but there's nothing that will be very difficult to find.
One of the standouts of this collection is the photography. The food is beautifully styled, clearly photographed, and serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate. Roughly half the recipes have pictures.
The appendices include a cross-referenced index, metric conversion chart, short author bio, and a really nice (non-photographed) "bean-cyclopedia" showing many different legumes with cooking methods, whether the pressure cooker is appropriate, and other info.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Easy Beans is a is a tutorial guide and cookbook with recipes developed by Jackie Freeman. Released 3rd Nov 2020 by Sasquatch Books, it's 176 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is a useful, basic, comprehensive, and wonderfully versatile recipe collection. Beans as a source of protein and bulk food component have been known and used in one form or another since ancient times virtually the world over. This is a nice sampling of different legumes in recipes from a wide variety of culinary styles.
The introduction (~15%) covers some of the history and "why/how to use beans" background info. There's also a really good tutorial for cooking and processing beans to get the best results and avoid mushy or uneven cooking.
The following chapters contain the recipes grouped roughly thematically: breakfasts, snacks, soups & stews (wonderful and classic recipes here), sides & salads, and main dishes. There are a huge number of recipes. Many were familiar to me, but even those had a twist which lifted them beyond the traditional: dried cherries in pilaf, squash and black-eyed peas in samosas, etc. I was surprised at the omission of pasta e fagioli soup, but there are enough other recipes to keep cooks happy here.
The recipes themselves are formatted with an introduction and background, ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar (US standard measures only, no metric equivalents), and step by step ingredients. Alternative presentations, tips, and special definitions are provided in highlighted text bars at the end of the instructions. Nutritional info is not included. Many of the recipes are vegetarian friendly with an emphasis on plant based ingredients, but not all. The vegetarian/vegan friendly recipes are not specified or marked out. I would say that nearly all the recipes in the book can easily be adapted to be vegan friendly if desired.
Most of the ingredients are easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store. Some few ingredients might be more easily found at a health food or international food grocery, but there's nothing that will be very difficult to find.
One of the standouts of this collection is the photography. The food is beautifully styled, clearly photographed, and serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate. Roughly half the recipes have pictures.
The appendices include a cross-referenced index, metric conversion chart, short author bio, and a really nice (non-photographed) "bean-cyclopedia" showing many different legumes with cooking methods, whether the pressure cooker is appropriate, and other info.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
October 23, 2020
Easy Beans: Simple, Satisfying Recipes That Are Good for You, Your Wallet, and the Planet by Jackie Freeman
Publisher: Sasquatch Books
Genre: Cooking, Food & Wine
Release Date: November 3, 2020
I've never been a fan of eating beans (do green beans count?), so when I saw Easy Beans by Jackie Freeman I thought I could incorporate some new recipes into our families menu options and see if we could change our ways.
The book starts off discussing the different types of beans, the differences between fresh or frozen, canned and dried beans, as well as the benefits to our health and the planet and how to properly cook beans.
The recipes are divided into the following sections: Starts and Smoothies: Recipes for Breakfast, Snacks and Spreads: Recipes for Noshing, Soups and Stews: Recipes to Keep You Warm, Sides and Salads: Recipes to Start Your Meal, and Suppers and Square Meals: Recipes for the Main Table. I look forward to trying the PB&J Smoothie, Spicy Black Bean Snack Mix, Turkey and White Bean Chili, Dried Cherry Pilaf with Chickpeas and Pistachios, and the Thai Peanut Soba Salad with Edamame and Pan-Seared Salmon.
There are beautiful pictures throughout the book and the recipes seem easy to follow. I do wish there was nutrition information included with the recipes though.
I'm so grateful to Jackie Freeman, Sasquatch Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Sasquatch Books
Genre: Cooking, Food & Wine
Release Date: November 3, 2020
I've never been a fan of eating beans (do green beans count?), so when I saw Easy Beans by Jackie Freeman I thought I could incorporate some new recipes into our families menu options and see if we could change our ways.
The book starts off discussing the different types of beans, the differences between fresh or frozen, canned and dried beans, as well as the benefits to our health and the planet and how to properly cook beans.
The recipes are divided into the following sections: Starts and Smoothies: Recipes for Breakfast, Snacks and Spreads: Recipes for Noshing, Soups and Stews: Recipes to Keep You Warm, Sides and Salads: Recipes to Start Your Meal, and Suppers and Square Meals: Recipes for the Main Table. I look forward to trying the PB&J Smoothie, Spicy Black Bean Snack Mix, Turkey and White Bean Chili, Dried Cherry Pilaf with Chickpeas and Pistachios, and the Thai Peanut Soba Salad with Edamame and Pan-Seared Salmon.
There are beautiful pictures throughout the book and the recipes seem easy to follow. I do wish there was nutrition information included with the recipes though.
I'm so grateful to Jackie Freeman, Sasquatch Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.
October 26, 2020
This book is an excellent resource! How to choose beans, whether fresh, frozen, dried or canned. .. Notes on the nutritional content of beans ... The best ways to soak and cook beans - whether you are using a stove, an insta-pot or the oven. The appendix includes a description of many different types of beans and how to use them in recipes.This book is also filled with a wide variety of recipes accompanied by excellent color photos. Beans for breakfast .... how about a Chocolate, Banana and Black Bean Smoothie? Beans as an appetizer ... try Lentil and Mushroom Caviar or Black-eyed Pea Samosas? Need a side ... how about Warm Potato, Apple and Edamame Slaw. Not sure what to cook for dinner ... try portobello sandwiches with herbed navy bean spread or Pinto Bean Enchiladas with Zucchini and Spinach. Recipes also include ingredient substitutions as well as vegan and gluten free alternatives. Recipe instructions are easy to read and follow. I love the inclusion of ingredient substititions. I really hate when I find a recipe that looks great, but I can't make it until I go to the grocery store. No problem with Easy Beans - if you don't have creme fraiche, just substitute sour cream or Greek yogurt. This is a cookbook that really includes all of those extras that you would love to see in every cookbook.
(NETGALLEY BOOK - I RECEIVED A COMPLIMENTARY ADVANCED READER COPY OF THIS BOOK THROUGH NETGALLEY. OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS REVIEW ARE COMPLETELY MY OWN.)
(NETGALLEY BOOK - I RECEIVED A COMPLIMENTARY ADVANCED READER COPY OF THIS BOOK THROUGH NETGALLEY. OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS REVIEW ARE COMPLETELY MY OWN.)
October 24, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this cookbook in exchange for an honest review.
Cookbooks can be so hit or miss but this one is definitely a hit. A couple of pages in and I could tell the photos would be great. They're beautiful, but more than that, they make you want to try the food. I wrote a comment 11% of the way through that said, "These pictures, and this book, just make me happy." We all need a little more serotonin these days, and this book provided that for me. I mean, here I am finishing it at 1am when I definitely should be sleeping.
This isn't just a cookbook though, it's so much more. There are many tips and tricks for cooking (and making life easier), funny remarks, and even an oh-so-helpful bean-cyclopedia.
Usually while reading a cookbook I find one or two recipes I'd like to try actually making. In this one it was more than half of them! They're all pretty straightforward and the author included helpful cooking tips as well and options for making each one vegetarian or vegan or swapping out for different beans you may have on hand.
I'll be referring back to this one for a long while and I'm looking forward to making some of these recipes (even the black bean smoothie!)
Cookbooks can be so hit or miss but this one is definitely a hit. A couple of pages in and I could tell the photos would be great. They're beautiful, but more than that, they make you want to try the food. I wrote a comment 11% of the way through that said, "These pictures, and this book, just make me happy." We all need a little more serotonin these days, and this book provided that for me. I mean, here I am finishing it at 1am when I definitely should be sleeping.
This isn't just a cookbook though, it's so much more. There are many tips and tricks for cooking (and making life easier), funny remarks, and even an oh-so-helpful bean-cyclopedia.
Usually while reading a cookbook I find one or two recipes I'd like to try actually making. In this one it was more than half of them! They're all pretty straightforward and the author included helpful cooking tips as well and options for making each one vegetarian or vegan or swapping out for different beans you may have on hand.
I'll be referring back to this one for a long while and I'm looking forward to making some of these recipes (even the black bean smoothie!)
December 10, 2020
This is such a helpful book! There's a lot of really useful information on cooking beans, including an index of beans in the back of the book. I learned some great tips, and look forward to trying them out. The recipes look and sound delicious, and there are some new ways to incorporate beans into your diet that I wouldn't have thought of, plus there's the added bonus of being healthy and good for you. The book is laid out well, with lots of photographs. Definitely recommended!
#EasyBeans #NetGalley
#EasyBeans #NetGalley
August 22, 2021
Finally an easy to understand book on different types of beans. Covers how to prepare e.g. soaking vs. not soaking, different methods and time frames to cook beans. In the back are a variety of names for the same be an. That really cleared up confusion seeing different names in the market.
There are a variety of recipes. Some familiar and others quite unique. Most recipes have beautiful photos. Good thing since I probably wouldn't be interested without the visual.
There are a variety of recipes. Some familiar and others quite unique. Most recipes have beautiful photos. Good thing since I probably wouldn't be interested without the visual.
May 31, 2024
This was a nice and concise book about cooking the most common beans. However, with only 42 recipes, I felt it was too short for a cookbook, so I gave it four stars instead of 5. The information was good, and I appreciated that there were cooking instructions for the cooktop, oven, slow cooker, and pressure cooker. Most of the recipes were unique (besides the hummus and chili), and I'm looking forward to trying some of them.
October 22, 2020
I love beans! This book is pretty nice and it explains about each king of bean, how to cook them and how to prepare them. There are some yummy recipes and some of them has photos. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
October 30, 2020
This was OK, but it's a pretty small book, not a large number of recipes, and most were things I already had, or things that just seem too odd for me. (smoothies?)
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 27, 2020
Tootin’ great read and recipes!
This book is full of humor, is well written, and inspires me to add more beans to my family’s weekly menu.
This book is full of humor, is well written, and inspires me to add more beans to my family’s weekly menu.
October 31, 2020
Excellent cookbook with good information about many beans, along with many good recipes.
February 8, 2021
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A super-excellent bean book! How to cook, prepare, and serve a myriad of beans is included in this valuable book!
A super-excellent bean book! How to cook, prepare, and serve a myriad of beans is included in this valuable book!
April 16, 2021
Recipes for bean eating at all times of the day. Wish there were more recipes for sweets with beans in them, like the Lentil and Oat Granola recipe. Want to try the Spicy Black Bean Snack Mix soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2021
I always enjoy a funny cookbook with recipes I can really follow. I didn’t know how much I didn’t know about beans. Worth buying and trying lots of recipes.
January 3, 2022
Great ideas, tasty recipes.
February 27, 2022
Interesting ideas. Not a large book but a decent range of recipes and easy ways to incorporate more beans into your diet.
May 3, 2022
Great lentil recipes in this one!
June 15, 2022
A nice simple bran recipe book for Karen Hurd diet adherents.
November 9, 2020
Good information about beans and cooking them. A few follow recipes recipes but lacks nutritional information which is a big minus for me. Book does have a few nice photos
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews