Butter Bean Dish

It is said that people either LOVE or HATE lima beans, also known as butter beans. I am definitely a lover of lima beans. They are a great source of protein and high in calcium and manganese which helps to maintain healthy strong bones. They give you energy, are high in iron (another plus if you do not eat meat), are low in calories and almost fat-free. Want more inspiration? Butter beans are high in fiber and bind with the bile acids in ones’s body thus lowering your cholesterol, which happens when the two leave together exiting the body. Lima Beans also help keep you regular by aiding your digestive tract.

Besides all of this, you can make really yummy dishes with Lima Beans like this recipe I am highlighting here – Lima Beans with Olive Oil, Rosemary, Sage and dried chillies. It does take a few hours to make and there are a few different steps, but is fairly easy and generously serves 4 adults. It will also stay in the fridge for a few days with no worries at all. If you find it dries out you can add some olive oil on top before serving.

WHAT YOU NEED

2 Cups of Dried Organic Lima Beans
3 Cups of Organic Vegetable Stock (I used Nature’s Promise)
A bunch of organic garlic cloves (I used around 15)
A big bunch of Organic Sage (which I took from our garden)
A big bunch of Organic Sage (which I took from our garden)
4 Long Dried Chillies
Quarter of a Cup of Organic Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
A pot that you can put in the over to cook (we use Le Creuset cooking equipment in our house)

RECIPE

First of all soak the Lima Beans, doing this will help to remove indigestible sugars that can cause flatulence. To do this, place the raw Lima Beans in pot generously covered with water and let the beans boil for 10 minutes
Remove from heat and let the beans sit in the water for around an hour, making sure they are entirely covered in liquid
Once an hour has passed, drain in colander and rinse in cold water
Preheat your over to 350F
Put beans back in pot and cover with vegetable stock, return to flame and high simmer for 30 minutes
Remove pot from heat
Add all ingredients besides the salt, stir and place in oven. If you do not have a lid that is suitable to go into an oven aluminium foil works just as well
Cook for one hour
Add salt at the end if you feel the need
Presto, you just made some melt-in-your-mouth beans. Give yourself a pat on the back!

Please feel free to add comments or questions to the bottom of this post, I would LOVE to hear from you!