Red Beans And Walnuts Recipes

RED BEAN SALAD WITH WALNUTS AND FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Place the beans in a bowl and toss with the celery and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
• If using the red onion, soak the onion in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain, rinse and drain again on paper towels. Add to the beans.
• In a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with a generous pinch of salt and the red pepper flakes or the Aleppo pepper. Add the walnuts and grind together until the walnuts are coarsely ground but still have some texture. Toss with the beans.
• Whisk together the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in the oils, toss with the beans, and let marinate 30 minutes. Serve.

LOBIO RECIPE

Steps:

• Rinse the beans and place them in a bowl with water. The water should cover the beans by 3-4 inches. Soak the beans overnight or for 10-12 hours.
• Drain the soaked beans and rinse them a few times. Transfer the beans into a cooking pot, fill it with water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 1-2 hours. One hour into the cooking remove 3 beans from the pot and taste them. If all of them are soft - beans are ready.
• Drain the beans reserving all cooking liquid. Return half of the beans to a cooking pot and mash them with a potato masher.
• Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until they are a size of a buckwheat seed or smaller. If you don't have a food processor, you can chop the walnuts by hand or add them to a plastic bag, seal it and pound with a rollin pin.
• Heat olive oil in a large saute pan and over medium heat. Add onion and sauce for 10 minutes until it's soft and translucent. Add beans, walnuts, Hmeli-Suneli, Cayenne pepper, 1 cup of tomato juice and Balsamic vinegar. Give everything a nice stir and add more tomato juice if necessary to thin out Lobio. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add garlic pushed through a garlic press, cilantro, stir for 30 seconds and remove from the heat. Lobio is ready.

RED BEAN AND WALNUT SPREAD

Steps:

• Combine beans, water, onion and bay leaf in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer until tender, about an hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the walnuts out on a baking tray and toast for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once, and checking frequently until toasted.
• Drain beans well and discard bay leaf. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree the beans with walnuts, butter, chopped garlic, salt and pepper until smooth and creamy.
• Mix chopped herbs together and put aside a small amount for garnish. Blend the rest into the beans and add a splash of water if the mixture is too thick.
• Season with salt and pepper and serve on warmed bread slices or crackers. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses and sprinkle with herb mix.
• Serve next to some string cheese. For older children and adults, top with walnuts and pomegranate seeds.