Beans, beans, good for your heart...

[UnConundrum]

But where are the recipes?  Like I said in the other post, I got my recipe books and was browsing in anticipation of the arrival of my TM.  I found very, very few recipes using beans.  I think there was one bean and rice recipe, several lentil, and a barley or two.  I would think the TM does beans very well, but no recipes.

For example, there's a recipe for hummus that calls for canned (tinned) chick peas.  It give weights for chick peas you cooked yourself, but no instructions in doing so.  While I'd think this would be a basic, someone like me who is starting out could use some guidance.  What temperature, how long, do you stir or just let it sit with the heat on (can you even do that?).  Or, is the TM not a great bean cooker?

[brazen20au]

beans are one thing i personally owuldn't use it to cook but mostly because i do far larger quantities!

[Thermomixer]

Agree with brazen - tend to use the pressure cooker to do beans as the quantities I make and the time it takes, means the p cooker is more efficient.   

[Tenina]

Big 'Finger on the Pulses' Section in up coming Veg book Warren! Times and varieties covered...few more bean recipes in there too.

[brazen20au]

YUM!

[Tenina]

Don't care what they've bean, want to know what they are now!!  (sorry!)

[CarolineW]

Hi Warren,
I went to the German forum on your behalf, and asked them for some recipes.  They're being great.  I've posted the one I've translated so far on the vegetarian thread.  Bean soup with macaroni.  More to come as I find the time  )

[UnConundrum]

Thanks a bunch Caroline...  You guys are great.  Wish I spoke another language or two.... 

[CarolineW]

I've found out some more information re cooking beans in the TM, by the way.  Soak the beans overnight as usual - easiest if done in the TM in the basket - then just get rid of the water in the morning.  Then it's exactly the same as if they were being done on the hob, so varies from bean to bean.  For example, red kidney beans need that 10 mins boiling before the heat can be reduced, or they're toxic.  So use Varoma temperature to be on the extra safe side as it keeps up a steady 100oC heat, rather than sensing the temperature of the contents and upping or lowering the heat to keep the contents temperature at 100oC.  Have I remembered the advice correctly?  Or would a contents 100oC temperature do just as well?  I'm sure one of you knows better than I do     I'd hang around watching the temperature guage the first couple of times I did it, to learn how long it takes each weight to reach the 100oC before the 10 minutes boiling time sets in.  Then I could set it and walk away in the future.  If using cold water, it takes about 10 mins for 1 litre to reach 100oC.

The foam will come out onto the lid of the TM, making it easy to scoop off and remove (which makes it less gassy, people say).

Once that initial boil is over, turn down to 60 or 70oC to simmer for the remaining time.  Use the usual times, I was told.  Personally, I'd set it for a few minutes less and test to see if they're done, as it seems to me that the TM cooks things slightly faster than using the hob.  Does anyone else find that?

I hope this all made sense.  I'm going to try it myself sometime this week, as I like to use dried beans too, and think that the TM should logically be good at it.  I was told that indeed it is.

[Thermomixer]

.... it seems to me that the TM cooks things slightly faster than using the hob.  Does anyone else find that?

Thanks for the sleuthing.  Great work.

I wonder if the reason that the TM seems to cook faster is that we usually don't cook things at 100 degs on the stove (hob), usually turn it down to 90/80/70 degs

Some of the recipes that I have seen for stocks cook it at Varoma or 100 deg - on the stove I have it at 70 deg.

Again thanks - great to have people accessing the German sites 

[kniki]

I find that adding a teaspoon of bicarb soda to the soaking water helps soften up chickpeas nicely.  I highlighted soaking water cause noone wants the taste of bicarb in their beans  .