I call this Greek Style Beans because I'm Greek and the dish is what you'd
find in a hidden, non-tourist restaurant in Greece or Cyprus - and it's
exactly how my mum made it. Other cultures may have similar dishes and I
apologise for any similarity.

OK - here goes! The following should be OK for 4/6 people or just two if
I'm invited! Cooking time will vary according to the type/age of beans but
I find that from start to finish (including prep it's about one and a half
hours).

1lb of dried white beans (haricot, cannelinni, etc) soaked overnight in
water.
2 fresh ripe vine tomatos - skinned (optional) or small can tinned - chopped
1 medium onion - chopped
1 or 2 sticks celery - cut into half inch pieces
1 or 2 carrots - chopped
3 or 4 cloves garlic - chopped
Salt to taste - don't put in until the very end
extra virgin olive oil - Cypressa is my favourite!

Rinse the beans and boil rapidly in fresh water for about 10-15 minutes.
Drain in colander, rinse your saucepan to get rid of scum - heat pan and add
3-4 desert spoons of olive oil and fry the onion and garlic gently until
lightly browned.

Add celery and carrot and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Add tomato - also a little water and cook covered on a lowish heat for a few
minutes - stirring all the time.

Add the beans and cover with water to about an inch or two above. Bring to
the boil, reduce heat to minimum, cover and simmer until beans are cooked -
about an hour. Add salt to taste when the beans are cooked - keep on the
heat for a few more minutes and serve with some wonderful Greek style bread,
a warm evening sunset, a glass or two of local wine and some cool rebetika
music! Hey - don't forget the tradional side-plate of raw onion!

Hmmmmmmm - thavma!

Kali orexi!

ps: Extra water may be needed during cooking so keep an eye on things. My
preferred final consistency should be a little more moister to that of Heinz
baked beans but it's up to you!

WorldsWorst wrote:
...
Add tomato - also a little water and cook covered on a lowish heat for a few
minutes - stirring all the time.

Add the beans and cover with water to about an inch or two above.

I would add the tomatoes AFTER the beans are tender. Any acid (including that in
tomatoes) prevents the starches in the beans from breaking down as quickly as
they normally would. Adding acidic ingredients after beans have softened to a
desirable stage will keep the beans from getting much softer.

http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/eg.../saltacid.html

...

WorldsWorst wrote:

I call this Greek Style Beans because I'm Greek and the dish is what you'd
find in a hidden, non-tourist restaurant in Greece or Cyprus - and it's
exactly how my mum made it. Other cultures may have similar dishes and I
apologise for any similarity.

OK - here goes! The following should be OK for 4/6 people or just two if
I'm invited! Cooking time will vary according to the type/age of beans but
I find that from start to finish (including prep it's about one and a half
hours).

1lb of dried white beans (haricot, cannelinni, etc) soaked overnight in
water.

You can shorten the total start-finish elapsed time by
using the quick soaking method, which is anyway
superior at removing the three indigestible sugars
(raffinose, stachyose and verbascose) that cause
flatulence, according to every good bean cookbook:

1. Bring enough water to cover the dried beans to
2-1/2 times the height of the beans to a boil;
DO NOT SALT THE WATER.

2. Add the beans, and immediately remove from heat.

3. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.

4. Drain the beans, DISCARDING the soaking water.

The beans are now ready for the subsequent preparation.

2 fresh ripe vine tomatos - skinned (optional) or small can tinned - chopped
1 medium onion - chopped
1 or 2 sticks celery - cut into half inch pieces
1 or 2 carrots - chopped
3 or 4 cloves garlic - chopped
Salt to taste - don't put in until the very end
extra virgin olive oil - Cypressa is my favourite!

Rinse the beans and boil rapidly in fresh water for about 10-15 minutes.
Drain in colander, rinse your saucepan to get rid of scum - heat pan and add
3-4 desert spoons of olive oil and fry the onion and garlic gently until
lightly browned.

Add celery and carrot and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Add tomato - also a little water and cook covered on a lowish heat for a few
minutes - stirring all the time.

Add the beans and cover with water to about an inch or two above. Bring to
the boil, reduce heat to minimum, cover and simmer until beans are cooked -
about an hour. Add salt to taste when the beans are cooked - keep on the
heat for a few more minutes and serve with some wonderful Greek style bread,
a warm evening sunset, a glass or two of local wine and some cool rebetika
music! Hey - don't forget the tradional side-plate of raw onion!

Hmmmmmmm - thavma!

Kali orexi!

ps: Extra water may be needed during cooking so keep an eye on things. My
preferred final consistency should be a little more moister to that of Heinz
baked beans but it's up to you!

This recipe seems like it would be good if you were to
use one of those multi-bean (and dried pea) packs. In
the U.S., Trader Joe's sells a 1-pound package of mixed
dried beans and peas; there must be something like 17
or so varieties of beans and peas in it. Lots of
regular grocery stores sell packages with 6-9 varieties.

Of course, it would be good with just the single
variety mentioned in the original recipe, too: beans
is beans! (Up to a point, anyway.)

WorldsWorst wrote:

I call this Greek Style Beans because I'm Greek and the dish is what you'd
find in a hidden, non-tourist restaurant in Greece or Cyprus - and it's
exactly how my mum made it. Other cultures may have similar dishes and I
apologise for any similarity.

OK - here goes! The following should be OK for 4/6 people or just two if
I'm invited! Cooking time will vary according to the type/age of beans but
I find that from start to finish (including prep it's about one and a half
hours).

1lb of dried white beans (haricot, cannelinni, etc) soaked overnight in
water.
2 fresh ripe vine tomatos - skinned (optional) or small can tinned - chopped
1 medium onion - chopped
1 or 2 sticks celery - cut into half inch pieces
1 or 2 carrots - chopped
3 or 4 cloves garlic - chopped
Salt to taste - don't put in until the very end
extra virgin olive oil - Cypressa is my favourite!

Rinse the beans and boil rapidly in fresh water for about 10-15 minutes.
Drain in colander, rinse your saucepan to get rid of scum - heat pan and add
3-4 desert spoons of olive oil and fry the onion and garlic gently until
lightly browned.

Add celery and carrot and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Add tomato - also a little water and cook covered on a lowish heat for a few
minutes - stirring all the time.

Add the beans and cover with water to about an inch or two above. Bring to
the boil, reduce heat to minimum, cover and simmer until beans are cooked -
about an hour. Add salt to taste when the beans are cooked - keep on the
heat for a few more minutes and serve with some wonderful Greek style bread,
a warm evening sunset, a glass or two of local wine and some cool rebetika
music! Hey - don't forget the tradional side-plate of raw onion!

Hmmmmmmm - thavma!

Kali orexi!

ps: Extra water may be needed during cooking so keep an eye on things. My
preferred final consistency should be a little more moister to that of Heinz
baked beans but it's up to you!

"WorldsWorst" wrote in message
...
I call this Greek Style Beans because I'm Greek and the dish is what you'd
find in a hidden, non-tourist restaurant in Greece or Cyprus - and it's
exactly how my mum made it. Other cultures may have similar dishes and I
apologise for any similarity.

snip recipe for space...

This is like something I've had in a few Chicago restaurants only with
Elephant beans (bigger than butterbeans) I've been looking for a recipe.
I'll try this with the Elephant beans.

Thanks -nancy-

Hi Momzilla/Nancy
Yup! The beans you mention are also popular in my part of the world - we
call them 'gigantes' - which, I suppose, means gigantic! I live in the UK
and they are difficult to come by but if you have them at hand......try
them! Another option are split chick peas - not whole ones.

lol

"Momzilla" wrote in message
...

"WorldsWorst" wrote in message
...
I call this Greek Style Beans because I'm Greek and the dish is what
you'd
find in a hidden, non-tourist restaurant in Greece or Cyprus - and it's
exactly how my mum made it. Other cultures may have similar dishes and
I
apologise for any similarity.

snip recipe for space...

This is like something I've had in a few Chicago restaurants only with
Elephant beans (bigger than butterbeans) I've been looking for a recipe.
I'll try this with the Elephant beans.

Thanks -nancy-

Never had any problems so far, Usual Suspect but I appreciate your views!
"usual suspect" wrote in message
...
WorldsWorst wrote:
...
Add tomato - also a little water and cook covered on a lowish heat for a
few
minutes - stirring all the time.

Add the beans and cover with water to about an inch or two above.

I would add the tomatoes AFTER the beans are tender. Any acid (including
that in
tomatoes) prevents the starches in the beans from breaking down as quickly
as
they normally would. Adding acidic ingredients after beans have softened
to a
desirable stage will keep the beans from getting much softer.

http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/eg.../saltacid.html

...

WorldsWorst wrote:

Never had any problems so far, Usual Suspect but I appreciate your views!

You like crunchy beans.

"Jonathan Ball" wrote in message
hlink.net...
WorldsWorst wrote:

Never had any problems so far, Usual Suspect but I appreciate your
views!

You like crunchy beans.

Canned beans are never crunchy.

C. James Strutz wrote:
"Jonathan Ball" wrote in message
hlink.net...

WorldsWorst wrote:


Never had any problems so far, Usual Suspect but I appreciate your

views!

You like crunchy beans.


Canned beans are never crunchy.

No, because they're usually cooked, but the original
recipe called for soaking dried beans, then cooking
them. If you cook soaked dried beans and add either
salt or acidic foods before the beans are mostly
cooked, they will not soften very well, and you'll get
crunchy beans.

WorldsWorst wrote:

Never had any problems so far, Usual Suspect but I appreciate your views!

Yes, you have -- you have to keep adding water to your beans.


"usual suspect" wrote in message
...

WorldsWorst wrote:
...

Add tomato - also a little water and cook covered on a lowish heat for a

few

minutes - stirring all the time.

Add the beans and cover with water to about an inch or two above.

I would add the tomatoes AFTER the beans are tender. Any acid (including

that in

tomatoes) prevents the starches in the beans from breaking down as quickly

as

they normally would. Adding acidic ingredients after beans have softened

to a

desirable stage will keep the beans from getting much softer.

http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/eg.../saltacid.html

...