Jefferson County Health Department
Waurika, Oklahoma
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WIC
Women, Infants & Children
Families and WIC Working Together For Healthy Children
Nutritional Information
This Month is
Jefferson County Health Department
107 E. Anderson Avenue
or E-Mail candacez@health.ok.gov
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What Do I Do With All These Beans?
Bean Recipes
Quick & Easy Meals
Bean Basics: For 1 pound (1 package) of beans
Wash: Check the beans, a handful at a time, and throw away dirt, small rocks, or beans that
are broken, discolored or shriveled.
Put 1 pound (1 package) of beans into a strainer.
Rinse with clean, warm water.
Quick Soak:
Boil 6 cups water.
Add 1 pound washed beans.
Boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and soak for 2 to 4 hours.
Drain and rinse well.
Traditional Soak:
Add 1 pound washed beans to 6 cups water.
Soak 10 hours or overnight.
Drain and rinse well.
Cooking:
After using either the quick or traditional soak, place beans
in a large pan and cover with the amount of water listed
below for the type of bean you are cooking.
Simmer covered for the amount of time listed below
or until soft to the touch.
Drain and use beans in a variety of recipes!
Storage:
Store cooked beans in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Beans can be frozen for several weeks for later use. Simply defrost and use as you would
canned beans.
Bean Cooking Times
Dry Beans – 1 pound
Makes about 6 cups of cooked beans.
Water
Cooking Time
Black beans, Pinto beans, Navy beans
6 cups
About 2 hrs
Black-eyed peas
5 cups
½ hr
Great Northern beans
5 cups
1 to 1 ½ hrs
Kidney beans
6 cups
About 2 hrs
Lentils (Do not soak.)
5 cups
½ hr
Lima beans
5 cups
45 min. to 1 hr
Shopping for beans:
When purchasing dry beans, look for light, bright color. This shows that the beans are fresh.
Avoid broken and split beans. They are of poor quality and will not cook evenly. Try different
kinds of beans – black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, to name a few. Dry black-eye peas,
split peas, and lentils are also WIC approved and add variety to meals.
Storing Beans:
Dry beans can be stored in unopened packages or a sealed container in a cool, dry place.
Cooked beans can be stored up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator. You can keep them
frozen for several weeks.
Freezing beans:
When preparing dry beans, cook a large pot without seasonings. When beans are cooked,
fill several storage containers or zip lock bags with rinsed and drained cooked beans to use
later. When you are ready to use your frozen beans for cooking, thaw, then add desired
seasonings and ingredients to beans and cook as your recipe directs.
Tips for Using Beans:
Replace part of the meat in soups and casseroles with cooked beans. Use about 2 cups
beans for 1 pound of meat.
Add cooked beans to a tossed salad. Use about ¼ cup for each person.
Add beans to spaghetti sauce. Use about 1/3 cup for each cup of sauce.
For a tasty side dish, combine 4-5 cups cooked beans with 1 chopped onion, ½ cup ketchup,
½ cup water, and 3 tablespoons molasses. Bake in a covered dish at 350° F until bubbly.
Enchilada Rice and Beans
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup beans, cooked
½ cup onions
1 can corn, 15 ounces
2 cups rice, cooked
1 pkg. dry enchilada sauce
or taco seasoning mix or use homemade mix
½ cup cheese, grated
1 package tortillas, corn or flour
Place the ground beef and chopped onion in a skillet. Cook until the ground beef is brown.
Drain juice and fat from cooked ground beef and onions.
Add beans, corn, rice, and enchilada or taco seasoning. Simmer 10 minutes.
Top with grated cheese. Cover and let simmer 5 minutes. Serve with tortillas.
Optional ingredients: ½ cup sliced mushrooms, olives, or any favorite vegetable
Homemade taco seasoning mix: Mix together 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. chili powder, ½ tsp.
cornstarch, ½ tsp. crushed dried red pepper, ½ tsp. cumin, ½ tsp. garlic powder, ¼ tsp.
crushed dried oregano leaves
Makes 8 servings.
Enchilada Rice and Beans with Tortillas
Fresh Green Salad
Lowfat Milk (whole milk for children under 2 years)
Egg and Cheese Oven frittata
1 dozen large eggs
2 cans green chilies, 4 ounces each
2 cups of shredded cheese
Break eggs into a large mixing bowl and mix until yellow in color.
Spray the sides and bottom of an 8 ½ x 11-inch baking dish with non-stick spray, or lightly
grease with margarine or butter.
Evenly spread the green chilies in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the cheese over the chilies.
Pour the eggs on top.
Bake 20-25 minutes in an oven heated to 350 degrees. Makes 6 servings.
Egg and Cheese Oven Frittata
Chilled Peaches
Toast and Jelly
Lowfat Milk (whole milk for children under 2 years)