Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Cooking Dried Chickpeas

Why cook dried chickpeas? Simple: They’re hands-down better than canned. Here’s how to make perfect chickpeas every time. And remember, beans of all kinds are great to freeze and use later, so make a big batch! Ingredients 1 lb dried chickpeas 1 peeled onion, halved 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided […]

Main Dishes, Soups and Stews

Diabetes-Friendly Cuban-Style Black Bean Soup

Makes 6 servings We love the added flavor from the spices, sun-dried tomato, and sherry vinegar in this diabetes-friendly black bean soup. Garnish it with some mixed grains and wilted spinach and it becomes addictive. Ingredients 12 ounces dried black beans 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 sachet d’épices (2 […]

Chef's Notes Plus

How to Cook Beans

Beans and other legumes are considered superfoods, with nutritional benefits that are helpful to people with many types of health concerns or dietary restrictions. Paired with vegetables, beans and legumes can be considered a complete meal and healthy source of protein. Beans are available dried and canned. Canned beans have […]

Chef's Blog

How-To: How to Cook Legumes

It’s soups and stews season and we often see recipes that call for cooked beans.  If you are in a rush, canned beans are a convenient way to get beans into your favorite dish, but we guarantee that beans you cook yourself will have a better flavor and texture. Beans, […]

Chef's Blog

Surprising plant-based protein sources

In the food world, when we say “protein,” we’re often referring to the meat or fish component of a dish. Historically, the protein is the main focus of a recipe, and it is accompanied by side dishes, like vegetables, grains, or starches. But as we (foodies both at home and […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Using Fresh Fava Beans

If you’ve been lucky enough to venture out to the farmers’ market, you may have found fresh fava beans—one of the most underappreciated spring veggie! Though you can buy dried fava beans all year long, if you haven’t enjoyed them fresh, well, you’ve really barely experienced them. Fresh fava beans […]

Chef's Notes Plus

What I’m Cooking: Lentil Soup

We may be socially isolated, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make new friends. Let me start! Hi, CIA DISH! I’m Laura, and I am the editor here. You might come to recognize my voice (at least, my written one) throughout the recipes and posts on this site. I’m a […]