Wholesome Baked Beans (crock pot style) - Hearty Antioxidant’s Recipe

by Denise Rodrigues, RCNP, ROHP

Kidneys beans or any type of beans for that matter is a very good way of balancing blood sugar related to cardiovascular diseases.  I chose kidney beans because it’s widely available and more people are familiar with it. One cup of kidney beans provides about 45 % of the daily recommended intake of fibre and when combined in the digestive tract, it becomes gelatinous which combines with excess bile and carries cholesterol through the intestines for further elimination.  Beans are very versatile and can be used as a side dish, as a main course or either in a soup or salad.

Other built up toxins and bacteria in the body also gets eliminated through the process due to the high percentage of soluble fibre content in this recipe.

Ingredients:  
2 pounds organic kidney beans
1 medium onion, diced
3 heads garlic, minced
2 medium red bell peppers, diced into small pieces
2 small zucchinis, diced in small squares
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 cup organic blackstrap molasses (amazing source of iron)  
1/4 can  organic tomato sauce (another source of iron)
1 bulb of fresh anise
1-2 tsp tamari sauce-seasoned to taste
Optional: 2 blocks of tempeh diced into ¼ inch cubes 


Preparation: 
Soak the beans overnight for 8 to 10 hours in filtered water with 1 tsp lemon juice to increase the digestibility and neutralize phytic acids which cause gas and bloating

Place the beans in the Crock-Pot and cover with fresh filtered water. Put the lid on and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or until beans are tender when you poke them with a fork.  Timing varies depending on your Crock-Pot.

Drain off most of the excess liquid from the beans after four hours, except for about 1 cup. Mix all the remaining ingredients, (except for the vegetables) into the Crock-Pot and cook for another 1-2 hours or until desired texture is reached, add vegetables in at the last half hour of cooking

Serve warm or cold depending on the season, garnish with fresh parsley or dried grounded basil leaves  


Nutritional Value: soluble fiber all star, high in iron, excellent source of molybdenum, very good source of folate and manganese.   Very high source of protein, thiamin (vitamin B1), phosphorus, copper, magnesium potassium and vitamin K as well.  Blackstrap molasses is also very high in iron.


Enjoy!