Recipe: Bean-Instead-of-Potato Salad (Low-Glycemic Salad)

BEAN-INSTEAD-OF-POTATO SALAD
(Low-Glycemic Salad)

2 cups cooked cranberry beans* or 1 (15.5-ounce) can great northern beans
2 hard cooked eggs
1 celery rib
3 large red radishes
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 teaspoon creamy yellow mustard
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise*
1 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

In a sieve or colander, drain and rinse beans.

Clean and dice eggs and radishes. Pull strings out of celery with a knife, dice.

In a 2-quart or medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring gently to keep beans and egg pieces intact. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Garnish with radish slices.

*Fat-free mayonnaise will thin out if kept. Regular mayonnaise won't thin but is a high fat food.

Servings: 8

*HOW TO COOK DRIED BEANS

SOAKING:
Soaking before cooking helps to soften and return moisture to dry-packaged beans, and reduces cooking time; it also makes beans easier to digest. Since beans will rehydrate to at least 2-3 times their dry size, be sure to start with a large enough pot. Add 10 cups of cold water for each pound of dry beans. Bring the water to boiling and simmer beans for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and cover the pot. Let stand; a 4-hour soak is ideal, but beans may be soaked for 1-24 hours. A longer soaking time (up to 4 hours) allows greater amount of gas-causing properties to dissolve in water and be more easily digested. Drain and rinse. Do not cook beans in soaking water.

COOKING:
After soaking, simmer beans in fresh water for about two hours, or until tender, adding additional water if needed. Add seasonings during this cooking time.

TIPS:
- A tablespoon of oil or butter added during cooking reduces foaming and boil-overs.
- To prevent split skins, simmer and stir beans gently. Avoid over-cooking.
- Increase soaking and cooking times in hard-water or high-altitude areas.
- Because acidic ingredients can prevent beans from becoming tender, be sure to add these after beans have been soaking and fully cooked: lemon juice, vinegar, tomatoes, chili sauce, ketchup, molasses or wine.

Source: Northarvest Bean Growers Association