2 cups Dried Anasazi or pinto Beans
10 Coriander seeds
8 Juniper berries
1 small Onion
1 tablespoon Sunflower seed or light
Olive oil
1 teaspoon Ground red chile (opt)
1 teaspoon Dried Mexican oregano
2 1/2 quart Water
Salt
Note: 1. You can find juniper berries in the spice section of food markets. 2. Soaking beans overnight gets rid of about 70 percent of the gases. Also be sure to drain off the water that you soak the beans in and rinse well. Then cook with fresh water. On a slightly different note, but pertaining to beans and gas. It is better to avoid having beans and meat at the same meal. Both items are hard for the stomach to digest and may produce gas and when put together they can really create a stir.
Sort through the beans, rinse them well, cover them with cold water, and set them aside for six hours or overnight. Bruise the seeds and berries in a mortar, and chop the onion into small squares. Warm the oil in a wide-bottomed soup pot; add the onions, coriander seeds, juniper berries, chile and oregano. Cook together over medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the beans and add them to the pot along with the fresh water. Bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Add salt to taste and continue cooking until the beans are as tender as you like them ~ probably another 30 minutes or so. When done, check the seasoning. Serve the beans in a bowl with the broth.
Suggestion: There are lots of tasty additions you can use - cilantro, mint, scallions, sour cream, cheese and so on. But try the beans plain first.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 401 calories, 4.84 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 27.6 milligrams sodium; 11 percent of calories form fat.
Servings: 4
