Aarons Amazing Simple Beans

This recipe is incredibly simple to make, and it’s fat-free, yet these are the most delicious beans I’ve had. The secret ingredient is the salt-preserved lemon, a flavor like no other. Serve hot in small bowls as a side dish or snack. Good with eggs, tortillas, or other Mexican food. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator.

Step: 1

Place kidney beans into a large container and cover with about 1 quart water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Drain.

Step: 2

Combine beans, 1 quart water, preserved lemon, sugar, black pepper, red chile pepper, bay leaf, garlic powder, and anise seed in a stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover stockpot, and simmer for 1 hour.

Step: 3

Remove lemon, bay leaf, and red chile pepper from bean mixture. Mash about 10% of the beans against the sides of the stockpot using the back of a spoon. Cover stockpot and simmer for 45 minutes more.

Step: 4

Remove cover from stockpot and simmer beans until beans are thickened and water is evaporated, about 15 minutes more.

Per Serving: 278 calories; protein 17.4g; carbohydrates 52.7g; fat 0.9g; sodium 2071.5mg.

The most obvious way to pick a side dish is to look at your main dish (pasta, chicken, seared tofu) and choose something different. When you’re making pasta, go for a simple healthy dish . Making steak? Go for something light. If you’re making stir-fry with rice, it must not a good idea to also make a rice salad.

One make sure is also can apply to cooking method . You don’t want to overcommit your oven by making to do list three dishes at once in there, or be juggling four pans on the stovetop . But sometimes you can make a dish do double-duty .