Good morning, Newdists! I’ve been on a “journey” as of late...a journey with beans.
If my self-care was a train, that train derailed sometime around November 2024. I wonder if anything significant happened that month? There was something—I can’t put my finger on it. But after that month, avoiding indulgences seemed a lot less important.
The BF and I have both engaged in post-2024 indulgence, but in different ways. The BF’s response was, “Fuck it! The world is ending, and I want to go to Asia before the world ends.” So he went on a big trip to Japan and Taiwan. My response was, “Fuck it! The world is ending, so I’d might as well just eat gummies and live in my truck simulator.” Which, honestly, might not have been such a bad thing if I’d also had the ability to resist the munchies that came with those gummies. Previously, I’d been the one to rein in the BF’s excesses, but without those guard rails, we’ve both spiraled. Friday comes around and we’re like, “Fuck it! The world is ending, let’s go eat all-you-can-eat sushi.” That’s fine once in a while, but it adds up! In dollars, yes, but also in pounds (and not the British kind).
Lately, we’ve both been trying to get “back on track.” It’s actually become an inside joke. We’ve coined the acronym “B.O.T.T.,” which stands for “Back on Track Tomorrow.” But seriously. Tomorrow is here!
But I’m weird, and I need a little extra motivation. I need to have a “thing” to obsess over. Enter BeanTok. Yes, that’s a real thing—a part of TikTok dedicated to beans. I don’t know how I ended up on BeanTok, but I do love beans, so I guess it makes sense. And let me tell you, the BeanTok people are evangelists for beans. Some of them might even be overdoing it, but if you’re going to overdo something, I guess you can do a lot worse than beans. I’ve learned about all kinds of interesting things you can do with beans, and I’ve been introduced bean varieties I’d never even thought to use before. I have a growing list of to-try bean recipes.
While I haven’t tried anything specifically from BeanTok yet, going down this rabbit hole has inspired (beanspired) me to cook more bean dishes. Some are old favorites, and some are new. And I’ve been eating a lot of beans lately. Go ahead, make the flatulence jokes, but that’s actually not a side effect for me. But I’ll just say...I don’t think I’ll ever want to go back. The fiber has been fantastic. And I just feel so much better overall on a plant-based diet heavy on legumes and olive oil. I learned a long time ago that this diet works really well for me, and I’m glad BeanTok entered my life to remind me of that.
I thought I’d share some bean creations I’ve been cooking up recently. As I continue my bean journey, I may share more, if there’s interest here in beans! LOL.
The first bean dish was inspired by a recent New Day Cafe diary by Youffraita on Italian-American cuisine. One of the videos she shared was this Sip and Feast recipe for roasted garlic Tuscan white bean soup:
I knew I had to make it as soon as I saw it, although I did modify it. The main thing I changed was that I skipped the pancetta (I’m trying to eat more meatless dishes) and just doubled the olive oil. I also decided to add some pearl couscous, which I cooked in the broth itself. That made it much thicker, which was the vibe I was going for. Here is the original recipe.
The second is from Mediterranean Living: Mediterranean chickpea stew with spinach, dill, and turmeric. I’d further explain it, but the (very long) name of the dish kind of covers all of the main components. This is a very comforting stew that is best enjoyed with a huge dollop of Greek yogurt. (Side note: I’ve also been eating a lot of Greek yogurt lately, both on its own and in the same manner that I used to eat sour cream, dolloping it on top of everything.)
If the spinach seems extra wilted, it’s because this is actually a leftover bowl after reheating.
The third is from Spain on a Fork: tomato and garlic butter beans. The recipe is at the link, but if you prefer video:
I don’t think I’d ever used butter beans before this. But I kept seeing butter bean recipes on BeanTok, so when I saw this recipe from my beloved Albert, I decided it was a sign to get some butter beans. This one is good all on its own, with just some Manchego cheese grated on top. I found it to be a particularly filling dish.
And finally, I tried a completely new one: ful medames, which is an Egyptian stew made with fava beans. It’s much simpler than the other bean dishes here—if you use canned fava beans, it comes together in minutes. But it somehow tastes more complex. It’s really good. I used this recipe, but I also added spinach to mine because I want to get my greens:
I would recommend mashing the fava beans more than I did here. When I had leftovers, I mashed it more and it was a much better consistency. I enjoyed this with pita bread and a fried egg on top.
If you’ve made it this far, you must be a true bean lover. But in case you’re not, here are some bonus pics from brunch yesterday. A group of us went out to Brennan’s, which is a pricy Creole-inspired restaurant in Houston (and also in New Orleans). It’s not normally our vibe, but a friend was playing the piano for brunch yesterday, and we went to show support. It was delicious, but I doubt we’ll be back any time soon, because the prices are a little ridiculous for what you get (imo). Brunch prices were a bit better. We got the “Chef’s Special” three-course meal that comes with a simple salad, shrimp and goat cheese grits, and bread pudding with hard whiskey sauce:
Did I mention that the salad was simple? It was really good, though.
I’d never thought to add goat cheese to grits, but these were DELICIOUS. I think I’ll be recreating them at home.
The bread pudding was fine, but I’ve had way better in New Orleans. Also, I didn’t get enough whiskey sauce.
Brennan’s is kind of known for their table-side bananas foster. We were all pretty full, but we decided to share an order. We each got a couple of bites, which was more than enough.
Since we were a table of gays, we objectified the gorgeous man making it for us, lol.
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From belinda ridgewood and our friends at the Inoculation Project:
Today at The Inoculation Project, we’re helping two Texas classrooms — a first grade needs books, and a kindergarten needs interactive educational games that can work with a tablet or phone. We'd love to see you there, and coincidentally, to have your tips, recs, and social media shares, to help us reach more eyes!
