Egyptian Beans with Olive Oil and Lemon

When we were in Egypt about 5 years ago, our guide introduced this delicious dish to me for breakfast.  Apparently this is a common man's breakfast.  It's Egyptian name is Ful Medames.  Of course the big craze now for diets is the Mediterranean Diet.  I found this recipe for Ful in the cookbook.  You can find the beans at any middle eastern grocery store.  I found mine at Whole Foods.  This, for me, is a great replacement or a change from eating hummus.  Make a batch and keep in the fridge to use as a snack or,  eat like an Egyptian and have it for breakfast.  Of course you must have pita bread or a flat bread to use as a scoop.  

Makes 4-6 servings

2 cups dried Egyptian Ful or other beans, soaked overnight
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup EVOO
1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
6-8 scallions
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Drain the beans, place them in a saucepan and cover with fresh water.  Place over medium heat and bring to a boil.  When the beans are boiling, turn down the heat to a steady simmer, cover the pan and cook, just simmering, until the beans are thoroughly tender.  Count on 1 hour, more or less, depending on the freshness of the beans.  Add a little more boiling water from time to time to make up for the water the beans have absorbed.  The beans should always be covered in water.  When the beans are down, remove from the heat and drain, reserving the cooking liquid.

Crush the garlic with the flat blade of a knife and chop slightly.  Put the garlic in a bowl with the salt and, using the back of the spoon, mash the garlic to a paste.  Add the lemon juice and mix well.

Remove about 1 cup of the beans and mash them with about 1/2 cup of the bean liquid to a course. runny texture with a fork.  Mix  with the garlic, then, using a slotted spoon, add the unmashed beans and stir to combine well.  If the mixture is too dry add more liquid.  Stir in the olive oil and pour into a deep platter.  Garnish with parsley, scallions and lemon wedges and serve hot or at room temperature.

268 calories, 14g protein, 10g fat, 379g sodium, 0 cholesterol