My husband cooked a smoked ham on Saturday and then on Sunday he put some of the chunks of ham in the crock pot with two pounds of Navy beans. He also used the juice from the ham and added water to cook the beans for extra flavor. He cooked the pot of beans on high for eight hours...WOW they were really good! Then he made cornbread with a can of creamed corn added in the mix. For some reason we had not had white beans in a long time and these were extra good.
Navy beans got their name because of their staple-food status for the U.S. Navy during the early part of the 20th century. They are pea-sized, eggshell-white little legumes with a smooth, mellow flavor. They offer substantial benefits, says the World’s Healthiest Foods, to your circulatory system, blood sugar levels, brain function and energy level. So it’s probably a good idea to keep them on hand, right? Whether canned or dried, navy beans are super-easy to store, easy to prepare and can be served as a healthful side dish or used to enhance the flavor of soups and casseroles.
I so love navy beans! They also seem to cook faster than pinto beans. I think I may need to make some soon.
ReplyDeleteHOLEY MOLEY! I just cooked some last night and they were SOOOO good. Creamy, a bit buttery, soft, a delicious brothy soup...and I noticed that last night, too, Pat, that they cook faster than pintos. Certainly faster than kidney beans and red beans.
ReplyDeleteWhen I cook pintos, I use a whole onion (halved, not cut up), salt, cayenne chili powder, New Mexico chili powder, and a pinch of garlic powder, let them cook in a crock pot for about 15 plus hours til they are super soft. Then I use a potato masher and give them about five to ten good mashes, to release some of the starch so it gets thick and rich, stir it all up and serve with cornbread and red rice.
Leftovers will get turned into dip or chili or made into bean burritos.
But Navy beans...I eat them right out of the crockpot. I am hispanic and grew up eating beans as a staple, so the first time I had beans with ham, hocks, or something smoked, I just did not like it. I like it a little better now, but not too often. I am not a fan of smoked meats.