Mung Bean Paste

I had this idea to make the paste from scratch, mostly because it's not sold in Asian grocery stores. Plus, it's a relatively easy dessert filling to make. It is supposed to go into steamed bao or mooncakes. I'm hoping that a few hours in the refrigerator to cool down will help the paste thicken up before using. The baking soda is supposed to help the beans reduce foaming during the boiling step. I found the bag of beans at an Asian grocery store.

375 g dried whole mung beans
110 g organic granulated sugar
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp baking soda

1. In a large bowl, soak beans in enough water to cover for 4 hours.

2. Do not discard soaking liquid, instead pour liquid into a pot and add the beans and baking soda. Bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 30-45 minutes; stir occasionally so that the beans do not burn. Add water to the beans if there isn't enough water in the pot.

3. Drain, if necessary, through a sieve. In a food prep, combine cooked beans and sugar. Pulse until the beans are thoroughly pulverized.

4. In a frying pan, heat oil and add the bean/sugar mixture over low heat. Stir frequently with a wooden or silicone spatula until the paste is of a consistency that is thickened. Remove from heat and let cool before using.

You should nibble on some of the paste to taste for sweetness. If it isn't sweet enough, mix in a tablespoon of sugar until it is.

Hearty Tomato Bean Soup

This recipe is not that bad now that tomato sauce has been added to it. The tomato adds another layer of depth to this dish and helps to balance out the flavors. This recipe was formerly known as the baked beans recipe on this blog and revised the directions to include crockpot instructions.
Ingredients

1 c. white beans, soaked overnight and drained
1/4 c. red azuki beans
1/3 c. green mung beans
1/4 c. brown basmati rice
2 bacon slices, diced
3 tbsp honey
4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz organic tomato sauce
1 qt low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground thyme
salt (optional)

Directions

1. In a bowl large enough to accommodate the beans, cover beans with enough water so that there is about 1/2" of water above the beans. Let soak for a few hours or overnight. Drain beans and add to a crockpot.

2. In a small skillet, cook diced bacon until browned and add bacon to crockpot.

3. Add honey, dry mustard, salt (optional), pepper, oregano, thyme and garlic.

4. Add chicken broth. Soup can be thinned out with water if necessary.

5. Depending on what meal of the day this is for, set crockpot on high-6hrs or low-8hrs. The beans should be fork-tender in a couple hours.

6. Blend cooked ingredients together in a blender or with an immersion blender.

Serves many.