Did you know you can make your own beans? It's easy, it's fast, you can start 'em cooking in the morning before you leave for work, and you have a nice side (or main) dish ready when you get home. Then you can double the recipe, freeze the leftovers and throw them in everything from soups to chilies. Plus, then you can reduce your intake of Bisphenol A, found in the lining of most canned foods. Here's the simple "how-to:"

Basic Beans

2 cups navy, white, black, or kidney beans
2 tbsp. whey or fresh-squeezed lemon juice
filtered water
4 cloves garlic (opt.)
1/2 tsp. celtic sea salt, or to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

The night before, place the beans in a glass bowl and cover to double the height with filtered water; add lemon juice or whey. Cover to keep dust out.

In the morning, drain the beans and rinse. Place in a medium saucepan with filtered water about 2 inches above the level of the beans; bring to a boil. A large amount of foam will rise to the top--skim off with a spoon and discard. Add garlic (if using), salt and pepper. Reduce heat to Low, cover tightly, and boil for 6-8 hours until beans are soft and water is completely absorbed.

If desired, grate organic cheddar or asiago cheese overtop when serving.

Goes well with: salad, cottage cheese, ginger carrots, roast beef, brown rice pilaf, steamed veggies, sprouted grain toast with raw honey.

This recipe was found in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig.