newbie bean mishap

[nanner_raw]

oh well, i tried :(

I used to make this great 3 bean & cucumber salad that i thought i could do raw. Knowing alot less then i thought i knew I bought dried red kidney beans, chick peas and black eyed peas and soaked them all over night. I used to buy the canned beans, rinse and use like that so i thought after soaking these would be sorta/kinda similar.

no. i was not thrilled with what I found in the pot this morning.

then i start googling and searching this forum (shoot first, ask questions later? duh) and find out that i can not do this :eek:

Kinda bummed. Can you help me figure out how to make something similar? i have dried lentils and the chick peas. I also have canned adzuki beans but are those good or not?

I love love beans and would love to incorporate them into my diet if possible, thanks!!

[MelanieC]

I'm with you - I'm a bean girl (gas or not, lol)!!
I LOVE beans, but know from cooking them that they are still hard as a rock after soaking them.

I know you can sprout them, but they are most likely still going to not be soft like your hoping for. I know you can make hummus out of sprouted chickpeas/garbanzo beans. I plan on trying this because I LOVE hummus and was used to making at least 2 batches a week to keep on hand.

I'm also a huge fan of black beans and pinto beans. I am hoping I can sprout these and then grind both of them up to make a dip or "mock refried" bean type thing for use in tortillas when I eventually learn how to make them.

But first I have to learn how to sprout. It's very itimidating and I have to figure out what supplies I need and also I need to find step by step directions with pictures. I need visual, lol because the description in the books is confusing me. When they say rinse and then sprout - do you put water back over them again? It talks about rinsing again, so I'm not sure. I'm just so confused -haha! This is definately on my list to figure out because I have a few bags of black and pinto beans I want to see if I can figure out.

[TaupeRawMan]

Beware of eating uncooked sprouted red kidneys and black beans. I have read these 2 can make you sick.

[Soose]

Melanie, I could have written much of your post.

I think my craving for beans will pass as I spend more time on raw.

Do you also desire grains?

[LilacLavender]

I like the grains and haven't found them to be a problem. However, after searching through some of these threads, I learned it may be one thing preventing my keratosis pilaris from getting any better. So I'm going to give it a shot (grain-free) and see what happens.

[nanner_raw]

hmm. i was hoping to add beans but they haven't been a regular part of my diet in the past. i'll get over it. or i may try having them (organic canned w/no further cooking), so far I have been 100% raw with no cravings, detox effects or anything just a happy belly :)

[MelanieC]

Melanie, I could have written much of your post.

I think my craving for beans will pass as I spend more time on raw.

Do you also desire grains?

Haha - Yep - I do!! Grains and Beans are probably the two things I will work hard to give up -oh and cheese and yogurt.

I'm fairly confident I can find substitutes for the cheese and yogurt since I'm fine with nut milks. Meats are pretty easy for me to give up as long as I have nuts and seeds.

I may have to make cooked beans an occasional treat. I'm learning and exploring and not willing to committ eathier way yet.

[Soose]

BTW, I've made hummus from sprouted raw garbanzos with no problem and we all liked it at the time. Since that time, I've realized I might be allergic to the garbanzos. :( Was definitely reacting to them. Drat.

Anyhoo... the Sprouting book I have has some good info on which types of beans are actually edible raw and which will sprout. I've not learned them yet. Have to go back and read again. Seems another raw book I have has info as well.

Some on this board were saying raw quinoa is good and I love quinoa but am a little hesitant about trying grains.

I think what these types of foods do for me is they give me a feeling of "full" as do nuts and guacamole.

[LilacLavender]

I hear you there. That's why giving up grains will be a challenge...even my raw granola is something I count on for fullness.

[Thick]

You can make really good refried beans with sunflower seeds and spices. Here's one recipe that you can tweak to your liking=)http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=47990&highlight=rawfried

You can make rice like dishes by pulsing up zucchini, parsnips, jicama or cauliflower in the food processor and adding some sauce and vegetables. Like this Paella http://freshtopia.net/vlog/?p=114

If you have one all of these can be 'cooked' a bit and softened in the dehydrator.

I like hummus made without chickpeas, as I've heard they are ahem a bit hard to digest. Here's a great recipe http://www.rawfreedomcommunity.info/forum/showthread.php?t=103

[juliebove]

Most beans are poisonous unless cooked. Some are safe for sprouting. Those would be chickpeas, peas, lentils and mung beans. I don't know if what you have in your cupboard would sprout or not. If you bought in bulk or in a plastic bag at the supermarket, they might not. They might be old or have been processed/subjected to heat in some way. Best to buy the seeds intended for sprouting.