Giveaway: The Everything Beans Book

At first glance, a whole cookbook about beans might not sound that exciting, but just one look at the recipes included in Katie Kimball’s new e-Book will be enough to change your mind!

Katie is the author of the popular blog Kitchen Stewardship and one of our fabulous contributors here at Simple Organic, and she has written a surprisingly refreshing cookbook, The Everything Beans Book, all about incorporating more beans into your diet.

Maybe you’re wondering, why beans? Well, I love how Katie gets straight to the point in her amazingly thorough introduction:

Whether you’re looking to improve your nutrition or decrease your food budget, cooking with more beans and legumes is a great way to go. The nutritional value of beans is rarely contested, no matter in what healthy philosophy circles you run.

So let’s take a look inside this great kitchen resource, and then I’m going to give you all the chance to win a copy of it.

What’s Inside:

Everything you need to know about using beans, including how-to information on cooking beans in their various forms, a break-down of the argument between canned and dry beans, how to sprout beans, menu-planning tips and more

30 recipes, full of tips, substitution methods and variations, including (surprise!) a grain-free fudge brownie recipe that I’m dying to try

Even more information on using beans, choosing complementary proteins, and some bonus recipe links

Fast Favorites

I recently made the Spice Turkey Chili Burgers for a group of friends and they were a hit all around the table. For the kids, I simply left most of the spices out of the patties. Then last night my family enjoyed the Black-Eyed Pea Casserole, which received rave reviews from all of us. It was one of my husband’s favorite style of meals, and even the baby devoured it.

One of my favorite things about Katie’s recipes is her attention to detail and all the ideas she gives for adaptations, substitutions and variations. I can tell that many of these recipes are going to become family favorites!

Recipe Spotlight: Black Eyed Pea Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 (15 oz) cans black-eyed peas, drained OR ~4 c. cooked black-eyed peas
2 c. cooked brown rice
1 (16 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese 1⁄2 colored pepper, diced
Optional: a few handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Brown the beef and onions in a pot or large pan (I used a cast-iron skillet), seasoning with your choice of seasonings if desired (I used taco seasonings). Drain well. Add garlic and sauté a bit, and then other ingredients. Mix well and heat over medium until heated through.

Katie mentions that you can bake it in the oven (before it’s heated all the way through) for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. If I plan my time well enough next time, I’m going to do this, with some extra cheese on top.

Instead of mixing in the greenery, I served the casserole on a bed of Tatsoi leaves. The heat of the casserole wilted the leaves just enough, and I figured the leftovers would be better without the greens mixed in.

This is a great, nourishing, one-pot meal!