There are people that prepare the exact amount of food needed for a meal according to the number of diners. I’ve heard about some that make a little less than needed. Most people, I believe, prepare a little too much food And me, I make way too much.
Usually I cook a much larger amount than is necessary to satisfy those who actually sit for dinner at the table, so that the refrigerator is filled with leftovers. At the (not so rare) times that the quantities of ingredients are really exaggerated, I look for new dishes to prepare. For a gathering with friends, some of whom were vegetarians, I made several appetizers, including various bean spreads. I made one serving of spread from each bean, and since it came out good, I made one more, and another, still, there was a fair amount of different beans left. So what one does with all this Red, Black and White? You check what else you have in the refrigerator. The outcome was devoured by the guests. No leftovers...
Ingredients
1 red onion diced
3 scallion chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
1 cup mint
1 cup red beans cooked
1 cup black beans cooked
1 cup white beans cooked
1 cup dried cranberries
Vinaigrette sauce
2 TBS red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 TBS silan (or honey)
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 tsp mustard
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Prepare three separate bowls with plenty of water in each one. Place in each bowl different type of bean and soak overnight. Wash the beans and change water two or three times.
The day after, boil water in three different pots, about three quarts of water in each pot. Wash the beans and cook each type in a separate pot about 1-1 ½ hours until tender. It’s important to cook them separately because each bean has different cooking time. Drain the beans and let cool completely.
Finely chop the red onion. Slice the stalks of celery into thin slices. Rinse the green onion well and remove any wilted leaves. Cut the roots and slice the stalks, including the white part, into thin rings. Tear the mint leaves with your hands.
Put all the sauce ingredients in a jar, close tightly, and stir until all the ingredients blend together.
Place all salad ingredients in a deep bowl, pour over the vinaigrette sauce, and mix well. It is best to let the salad stand for about half an hour before serving for absorption of flavors.
