Lima Beans

I love these beans. These are not your mama's lima beans. Remember those? They were frozen or canned, then boiled on the stove. Dry and bitter. Until last year, I'm not sure I'd eaten a lima bean since my childhood.

This recipe I found in my cookbook "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker" by Robin Robertson. I love her cookbooks for everday vegetarian cooking for my family. I own this one along with her other books "Vegan Planet" and "Carb Conscious Vegetarian." This recipe changed my opinion of lima beans forever--and it is so easy.

The recipe calls for 3 cups large lima beans. So I buy them dried--and large ones are crucial, I think. I soak 1 cup of dried beans overnight and then pressure cook them until they are soft or cook them on top of the stove for an hour or so. You could buy large lima or butter beans instead.

Greek Big Beans

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lg onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked lima beans or 2 15.5 cans large lima or butter beans, drained and rinsed
28- ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat, and add onion. Cook until softened and add garlic. Saute another minute.

Transfer onion and garlic to slowcooker and add the beans, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Stir in parsley just before serving.

We had these last week with sauteed mustard and beet greens mixed with raisins and fresh spring carrots. I served some whole wheat pita and tabouli on the side. We ate the leftovers with chicken later in the week.

Yumm, I love dried beans. All over my kitchen, in cupboards and on counters, you can find jars and cannisters filled with different colored bean and lentils: cranberry beans, flageolet, brown lentils, red lentils, green mung lentils, yellow split peas, lima beans, soy beans, cannelinni beans, urad dahl, garbanzo beans and kidney beans. Oh, and of course pinto beans--it is California after all.

So many different beans. Each with their own unique flavor and taste. I'm already thinking of some homemade refried beans next week. Does anyone else cook dried beans? What are your favorite recipes?