Butter beans belong to the same family as lima beans, but each variety is slightly different. 

Like lima beans, butter beans are large and flat, but they’re distinguished by their white or yellow color. Traditional lima beans are also large, but they’re quite green. The smaller varieties are often labeled “baby limas.” 

Today’s picnic-ready salad recipe is chockfull of butter beans, sun-dried tomatoes, red onions and ham. Mustard and cilantro complete the flavor profile, creating a side dish that’s terrifically tasty. 

All of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store. If you have any trouble finding butter beans, you can easily substitute lima beans.

Butter Bean Salad

Makes 8 servings

1. Mix mustard, oil and lemon juice until well blended; set aside.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl. Add mustard mixture; toss to coat. Cover.
3. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. 

Recipe and photo courtesy of Grey Poupon

As summer picnic and barbecue season winds down, make your next seasonal dish stress-free with a no-cook appetizer that’s perfect for potlucks or cookouts.

Our weekend recipe comes from Ingrid Hoffmann, host of Simply Delicioso on the Food Network and author of Simply Delicioso: A Collection of Everyday Recipes with a Latin Twist.

"Entertaining doesn't have to be a time-consuming and tiresome process," she says. “With a few ingredients, you can create simple and tasty recipes.”

Best of all, this healthful recipe will appeal to both children and adults. All of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store.

Black Bean and Corn Scoops

1. Combine all ingredients, except chips, in a glass bowl and toss well. Refrigerate 30 minutes to an hour to meld flavors.
2. Spoon mixture onto chips, and place on a serving dish.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Tostitos

Home-Style Minestrone  

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 6 medium cloves garlic, chopped 
• 2 cups finely chopped yellow onions (2 small) 
• 1 cup diced celery (2 medium stalks) 
• 1 cup diced carrots (2 medium) 
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or thyme leaves 
• 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained 
• 1½ cups undrained diced tomatoes (half of a 28-oz. can) 
• 4 cups diced green or yellow zucchini (5 small) 
• 1 cup uncooked tubetti pasta or other small tube pasta (4 oz.) 
• 2 cartons (32 oz. each) reduced-sodium chicken broth 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired 
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 

Now, I occasionally cheat. You can make a pot of “homemade” beans by adding select ingredients to the canned variety. Our end-of-the-week tribute to Southern-style barbecue features a recipe that will convince your guests you’ve been laboring over a hot stove since 6 a.m.

Backyard Brawl Baked Beans

Makes 4 servings

• 4 slices thick-sliced bacon, chopped
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 (16-oz.) cans vegetarian beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup spicy barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark brown mustard
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In heavy pot, cook bacon over medium heat to render fat. Add onion, green pepper and garlic, and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in beans, molasses, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, brown mustard, dry mustard and cider vinegar. Simmer, uncovered, until rich and thickly flavored, 10 to15 minutes, stirring with wooden spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Note: May also place beans in baking dish and bake in preheated 350°F oven about 30 minutes.

Note: Because you are committed to organic living, OrganicAuthority.com recommends using certified organic foods, when available, in all recipes to maximize flavor and nutrition, while minimizing your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals and preservatives.

Serving Suggestions

Bacon-Wrapped Barbecued Shrimp
Southern-Style Cole Slaw

Suggested Reading

The All-American Bean Book

Recipe courtesy of Jack Daniel’s Sauces

Mexican food, a Golden State staple, solves many dining dilemmas, and it can be a nutritional best bet—as long as you make smart choices. In the FC article, registered dietitian Andrea C. Harrison, president of Nutrition at Work in San Diego, advised the family to:

• Choose whole beans over refried.
• Avoid tortilla chips and sour cream, which add calories.
• Enjoy guacamole, but don’t go overboard. Avocados contain monounsaturated fat (the “good” fat), but the calories can add up quickly, according to Harrison.

Canned beans are easy to find at your local natural and organic food store, with several brands available. Try Eden Foods Organic Black Beans, Libby’s Organic Black Beans or Westbrae Natural Organic Pinto Beans. Just remember to drain and rinse them thoroughly before using. This reduces sodium and sugar content. (Sugars make beans harder to digest, often causing flatulence.)

Click here to learn how to prepare meals with dried beans.

It’s been great to see the people of New Orleans rally and host Mardi Gras. You can watch live webcasts by clicking here. The festivities continue through Tuesday.

I’ve visited “The Big Easy” three times, and you can’t leave without dining on a Southern classic: Red Beans & Rice. When shopping for organic food, rice is a nutritional best bet because it contains only 100 calories per half-cup serving, is cholesterol- and sodium-free, has only a trace of fat, is a complex carbohydrate and is easy to digest. Organic beans are an excellent source of protein and fiber, so this dish has the whole package.

Red Beans & Rice
Makes 6 servings

2 cups chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3/4 lb. fully cooked Kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/4" slices
2 15-oz. cans pinto beans, drained
3 cups hot cooked rice
Hot pepper sauce

Combine onions, garlic, bay leaf, red pepper, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, sausage and beans in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Serve rice over beans. Serve with hot pepper sauce, if desired.

Recipe courtesy of the USA Rice Federation

Many soup recipes like the one featured in this week’s Organic Authority Cooking School call for fiber-rich dried beans. If you’re pressed for time, you can substitute canned organic beans, which provide an easy shortcut. I find, however, that you sacrifice a bit of flavor, and your beans may turn mushy. If you do take this route, always drain the beans before adding them to your soup.

Dried beans require soaking time before you add them to a soup or other dish. There are two key reasons:

1. You soften the beans by rehydrating them.
2. You eliminate some of the natural substances that cause gas or flatulence, thereby facilitating digestion.

Method #1: Overnight Soak
Place your beans in a pot. Cover them with cold water (about 4 inches about bean level). Leave them on the kitchen counter overnight, allowing them to soak for at least 12 hours. Drain the pot before adding the beans to your soup.

Method #2: Quick Boil
You can accelerate the soaking process with quick-boiling. Add beans to a pot, covering them with cold water (again, about 4 inches above bean level). Bring them to a boil, and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let them stand, covered, for about an hour. Drain the pot before adding the beans to your soup.

Organic Shopping List
This week’s recipe, which will be posted on Friday, calls for 1/2 cup dried black beans (also called “turtle” beans) or 1½ cups canned black beans (drained). Why the difference in proportion? Dried beans will triple in size when you cook them.

January’s Organic Authority Cooking School

Welcome to Organic Authority’s Cooking School!
When You Can’t Find Organic Ingredients…
Homemade Organic Tortilla Strips
Hot Trend: Organic Chili Peppers
The Recipe: Latin Tomato and Huitlacoche Soup