Middle-Eastern dishes with beans and fats

[Dominique]

@GershonSurge prompted me to shift this discussion on Middle-Eastern bean-based dishes to the Nutritarian topic, but I decided to start a new topic instead, as most Middle-Easterners are omnivores, even if a large part of their diets are plant-based.

The delicious dishes I had in mind were things like hummus and ful medames, variants of which can be found under other names all around the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea (e.g. Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt). I personally like them because of all the added ingredients (olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, parsley etc.) that make them a lot tastier than plain beans, which are usually pretty bland.

I know Dr. McDougall will deem them unhealthy, because of the fat content, but as usual, it all boils down to calories: like any other type of foods, as long as you consume them within your caloric requirements, they won’t make you fat.

So a hint to people with blenders: for a change, make some hummus or ful instead of your regular smoothie .

[WendyB]

I make hummus all the time. Never heard of ful medames, so went on the hunt for a recipe

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ful-medames-352993

Sure looks good will make it next week. Don't have some of the stuff to do now

Thanks! Love to try new stuff!

[SteveL1964]

Years ago I did a lot of travelling in the Near and Middle East and I love the food from that area, especially Lebanon and Turkey.

I am still trying to replicate a particularly nice chickpea-based casserole (also with tomatoes, aubergine, onions) I used to eat in cheap eateries in Istanbul.

Try as I might I've never managed to re-create the same flavour. I'd welcome any suggestions for recipes of that type.

[Dominique]

@WendyB: maybe fava beans are not easily found in the US (especially the fresh ones)? If so, you could use replacements (here is a link with substitutes).

[WendyB]

Thanks @Dominique I cant remember if I have seen them or not but I will get Edamame if they dont.

[GershonSurge]

@Dominique,

Thanks for the thoughtful post. You seem interested in great taste. We both have that in common. Beans by themselves can taste bland, which is why I add chile pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper and garlic cloves to them while they cook in the crockpot for 5 1/2 hours. If I think of it, I cut a few stalks from my onions in the garden and use a pair of scissors to clip them into little rings. Alternatively, I can add them uncooked as garnish. 

The recipe Wendy linked to looked good. Let's make a couple improvements. Squeezing lemon or lime juice on top would give bits of flavor wherever it is sprinkled. It would also eliminate important fiber. Why not add some zest from the lemon or lime juice and blend the rest to make lemonade or limeade? It would give surprise bursts of flavor, especially if the beans are mixed with rice and the zest is put in the rice.

The olive oil acts as a carrier for the spices that are mixed with it. Why not cook them into the beans? 

Here is the important point. If that is a normal size plate, there are about four servings of beans or 360 calories. We agree the calorie equation is accurate enough. Suppose a person added a tablespoon of olive oil. I don't think that would be excessive for most. That's 120 additional calories for a total of 480 instead of 360 calories. Take away a quarter of the plate to bring it down to 360 calories. Along with it, take away the nutrients, fiber, proteins, carbs, etc. Would you prefer to reduce the amount you eat by 25% for the sake of olive oil that adds nothing? 

I agreed to keep the science of fat out of the discussion, so I will. 

[GershonSurge]

Yesterday, I made a similar version of the same dish. I added a crispy toasted tortilla for better texture. 

[SteveL1964]

Not a Middle East dish but quite close geographically, a Greek recipe for butter beans called gigantes I eat a lot. Gigantes can be served either hot or cold, and can be a main meal or side dish. 

I cook this at least once per week, alternating with a green bean dish called fasolakia

Gigantes

Ingredients

• 500g dried Butter/Lima beans soaked overnight (or use canned beans if you prefer)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes (or grated fresh tomatoes if you have them)
• 1 tsp salt
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 350g chard or spinach
• small handful fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Drain the beans, cover with fresh water and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 1½-2 hours until the beans are just tender.
2. Gently soften the onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil for 5 minutes. When soft, stir in the paprika, tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, 100ml water, salt and pepper.
3. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Stir in the chard and take off the heat.
4. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan
5. When the beans are cooked, drain them and mix with the tomato and chard sauce, adding a further 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the chopped parsley.
6. Transfer the beans to a casserole pan, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and bake for 35–40 minutes until the beans are tender and the sauce thickened and bubbling. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

[SteveL1964]

I should have acknowledged, the basic recipe is from a BBC site but I leave out their suggestion of chopped mint because I hate the taste of it and it spoils the flavour of the dish for me.