Favorite Bean Things

Beans are good for you. Fiber. Protein. Low in calories. What's not to love?

1. Edamame
I love edamame. Or soy beans ... why make them sound fancier than they are?  I like 'em hot as a side dish. Buy a bag of the shelled/frozen variety and just drop them in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with  plastic wrap and steam for a couple of minutes. You can butter/salt/pepper them, but I don't usually need to. The texture is almost crunchy in a good way. Makes you feel like you're really eating something. I like 'em cold, in a salad. They give those sometimes-not-satisfying-to-chew greens some heft. I like 'em "in the pod" like the version you get in Japanese restaurants. They also sell these in the freezer case at Woodman's. The outside of the pod is salty and you sort of suck the beans out. Sounds sexier than it is. But it's still delicious.

2. Black Beans
So versatile! Rinse a can of black beans and use it to stretch just about anything you make with ground beef or ground turkey. Great match with Tex-Mex fare, of course, but also works in chili, sloppy joes, brown rice, or even scrambled eggs. I also add them, along with corn, celery, red/green peppers to turn a chunky salsa into a side salad.

3. Garbanzo Beans
I think I love garbanzos more than I love edamame. I have to admit, I have not tried much in the "hot" category with these, but I simply adore them in a salad. Love, Love, LOVE! And you already know about my hummus obsession. Very little oil and a LOT of lemon. So yummy.

4. Wasabi Peas
OK, peas aren't beans. But wasabi peas rock and they should be mentioned in this blog frequently.

5. Jelly Beans!!!
'Nuf said. The orange and white ones are my favorite. But I will also eat the purple ones. The "speckled" variety where there is a white with pink spots is the ultimate best. I will eat the red, yellow, pink and green ones ... in that order ... but throw away the black ones. (And Mike & Ikes and Sugar Babies are better than jelly beans any day of the week, but don't tell the Bunny I said so.)

Learn more here: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/nutrition/nutrition-beans-jibrin-0406