Beans, the Versatile Fruit

One of my favorite ways to create a quick and pleasing sandwich filling is to blend cooked beans with condiments or seasonings. These bean mixtures are very versatile: Thin them slightly with lemon juice or vinegar and you have a dip for chips; add vegetable stock and leftovers become soup.

Tortilla roll-ups filled with one of these spreads make a nice alternative to the standard sandwich. When company’s coming, I slice these roll-ups to serve as snacks.

ITALIAN GARBANZO BEAN SPREAD (IT’S A SNAP)

1 3/4 cups cooked garbanzo beans or 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

2 to 4 tablespoons garbanzo bean cooking liquid or water

1 tablespoon roasted garlic olive oil or 1 tablespoon plain olive oil plus 1 small clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 to 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar or lemon juice, optional

When I use nonorganic canned garbanzo beans, I rinse them and substitute water for liquid in the recipe. If canned beans are organic, I reserve the liquid to use in recipe.

Process garbanzo beans, 2 tablespoons cooking liquid, garlic olive oil, Italian seasoning and salt in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add more liquid if needed to create thick but spreadable consistency or to make thinner for dip.

Taste and add balsamic vinegar if you want to intensify flavors.

1 1/2 cups or enough for 3 sandwiches. Each 1/2-cup serving:

199 calories; 426 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 2.42 grams fiber.

PINTO SALSA DIP (LOW-FAT COOKING)

1 3/4 cups cooked pinto beans or 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained

3/4 cup fat-free salsa

1 to 2 tablespoons roasted garlic olive oil or 2 tablespoons olive oil plus 1 small clove garlic, minced

15 to 20 sprigs cilantro

1 teaspoon salt

Hot pepper sauce, optional

Process beans, salsa, garlic olive oil, cilantro, salt and hot pepper sauce to taste in food processor to create fairly smooth puree. Taste and adjust seasoning.

1 1/2 cups. Each 1-tablespoon serving:

32 calories; 209 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.38 gram fiber.

RED PEPPER HUMMUS (IT’S A SNAP; LOW-FAT COOKING))

1 3/4 cups cooked garbanzo beans or 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers

3 tablespoons sesame tahineh

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large clove garlic, halved

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon harissa or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Oil-cured black olives, optional

Process beans, red peppers, tahineh, lemon juice, oil, garlic, coriander, cumin, harissa and salt in food processor until smooth. If mixture seems too thick, add 1 to 3 tablespoons reserved garbanzo bean liquid or water to create desired consistency. (It should be fairly thick for sandwich filling, thinner for dip.) Taste and add more lemon juice, harissa or salt as needed. Transfer to bowl and garnish with olives if desired.

1 3/4 cups. Each 1-tablespoon serving:

32 calories; 86 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.36 gram fiber.

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Kitchen Tips

* Tahineh, available in Middle Eastern markets and at many supermarkets, is a paste of finely ground sesame seeds. It must be thoroughly stirred before being used; repeatedly plunge a table knife, wooden spoon handle or other sturdy utensil to the bottom of the jar to loosen and break up the solids before attempting to stir.

* Harissa is a hot pepper paste and is available in cans in gourmet markets.