Cranberry Beans

I made up this recipe for my daughter Cammie and her friend Lauren when they were here a few weeks back. They really enjoyed this dish and so did my husband Tom. He put it on his list of "you can make this dish anytime" recipes. My sister Ruth and I tasted my beans the next day and decided at the same time I should name this post "Not Your Average Beans." The special beans are from Italy and come in small one-cup packages. Cranberry beans are also known as Borlotti beans one of the tastiest and most classic Italian beans.

I bought mine (D'Allasandro brand) at Lois' Natural Marketplace in Scarborough (Maine). They can also be bought online.

CRANBERRY BEANS
1 package organic cranberry beans
1 onion
1 tablespoon barley malt
1-2 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon sea salt 
1 tablespoon of mustard (I use Annie's gluten-free)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (basil, rosemary, oregano) (This is optional.)
1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)
spring or filtered tap water
garnish with parsley

Soak beans overnight or in the morning for 6 hours. Drain soaking water, add new water to cover beans by one inch. Bring to a boil on high flame, turn to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add sea salt and simmer 15 more minutes.

While waiting, dice onion and saute in the olive oil in a skillet. Add (optional) seasonings at this time and cook until onion is translucent. Add onion mixture to the beans when beans are done.

Stir in barley malt and mustard and simmer on low for another 5 minutes.

Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with a whole grain such as farro or brown rice (or a cracked grain such as polenta) and a side of vegetables.

Serves 6-8. Enjoy!

Gluten-free, wheat free, soy-free version: This is an easy recipe ... in place of the barley malt, brown rice syrup can be substituted. For the mustard ... I frequently use that one is wheat-free ... Annie's Naturals Organic Dijon Mustard. The first ingredient is distilled white vinegar from corn. This recipe contains no soy.

Comments

[Catofstripes]

Looks yummy, thanks.

[Meg Wolff]

Hi Catofstripes,
Thanks for stopping by!

[VeggieGirl]

great recipe!

[Victoria]

I love beans! Delicious recipe!

[Meg Wolff]

Thanks Liz. :-)

[Meg Wolff]

Hi Victoria,
If you love beans, you will have to try this recipe!

[Knitnana]

Must try this...! Thank you!
(((hugs)))

[Meg Wolff]

Hi Knitnana,
Great hearing from you!

[harrieteiter]

What is farro? It sounds like a new grain to me :-)

[Meg Wolff]

Hi Harriet,
I would say that it is a type of wheat that the ancient Romans ate. I first had it on a trip to Italy with Macro Chef Christina Pirello.

I searched the internet and found About.com: Italian Food Web site. This is what they wrote about farro:

According to Garzanti's Italian-English dictionary it's spelt, but Luciano Migliolli, author of Il Farro e le sue Ricette (Farro and its recipes), says that though it looks rather like spelt they're not the same. Farro must be soaked, whereas spelt can be boiled straight off. Also, cooked farro has a firm chewy texture, whereas spelt softens and becomes mushy. What this means is that you have to read the package carefully when you purchase farro (a well-stocked delicatessen or health food store should have it) to make certain you are getting Triticum dicoccum (farro's Latin name).

[Andrea]

Meg, that sounds so yummy, I'm getting hungry looking at your beans:)
I love beans and all legumes!
The recipe sounds great and not complicated, I'll try that!
love
Andrea

[Meg Wolff]

It is not very complicated and if you wanted you could make it more simple by quartering the onion and adding it directly instead of sauteing it first.