Anasazi Beans with Juniper "Savory Way"

Cuisine: Vegan

Category: Vegan

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 Lbs. Beans, Anasazi dried -or Pinto Beans
1 ts Chile, red, ground
10 Coriander seeds
1 ts Oregano, (Mexican or Greek)
8 Juniper berries
2 1/2 qt -water
1 sm Onion
Salt
1 tb Oil, sunflower or - light olive oil

Instructions:

Sort through the beans, rinse them well, cover them with cold water and set them aside for 6 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, chili and oregano. Cook together over medium heat for 3 to 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 seasonings. Serve the beans in a bowl with the broth. There are a lot of tasty additions you can use -- cilantro, mint, scallions, spoonfuls of thick Mexican cream, cheese and so forth, but try the beans plain first. They should have a wonderful clean, uncluttered taste that can be quite refreshing. Anasazi is a Navajo word that means "ancient one". The beans are pretty, mottled purple and white. They were grown in ancient times by the Anasazi Indians and now are being cultivated in Colorado. They can be found in natural food stores. Source: "The Savory Way", Deborah Madison, Bantam Books 1990 ISBN 0-553-05780-4 page 267 typed by Dorothy Hair 7/18/94