Gigantes Plaki / Baked Giant Beans

13 600 475
Ingredients Minutes Calories
Prep Cook Servings
8 h 2 h 8
Gigantes Plaki / Baked Giant Beans
Health Highlights

Ingredients


454 gm Lima beans, raw (gigantes or large lima beans)
2 medium White onion (or 1 1/2 cups chopped)
1/3 cup Garlic
1 cup chopped Celery (approx. 2-3 stalks)
3/4 cup Parsley, fresh (chopped)
1/3 cup Mint, fresh (chopped)
1 tbsp Oregano, dried (crushed)
1 tbsp Salt
2 tsp Black pepper (freshly ground, more or less to taste)
1 cup Olive Oil, Extra Virgin
474 ml Crushed tomatoes canned (2 cups)
2 cup Water, filtered (reserved cooking water from beans)
1 cup Water, filtered (room temperature)

Instructions


  1. Saute chopped onions and celery in olive oil over medium low heat until tender. Add garlic and cook for a few minutes until soft. Add herbs and spices, mix to combine completely and cook for just a minute to combine flavor oils.
  2. Add chopped tomatoes, stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes. Add reserved bean cooking water and bring sauce up to a boil.  Remove from heat and set aside until ready to bake the beans.
  3. Layer cooked gigantes beans evenly in 9×13 baking pan and pour sauce over top. Add 1 cup room temperature water and bake, uncovered, for 2 hours at 350°F. Stir approximately every half hour or so.
  4. Remove from oven, stir once more and allow baked beans to rest for about 15-30 minutes before serving.

 

See "Notes" below.

 

 

Advanced Preparation

1 - 2 days prior, Lima beans, raw 454 gm
Instructions:

Soak beans in 2 litres cold water overnight. Drain and rinse the beans. Transfer the beans into a heavy pot or saucepan. Add fresh water to the pot until the beans are covered (at least 1 inch of water above the beans). DO NOT SALT. Bring the beans to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low once the beans have boiled. Allow the lima beans to simmer for 40 to 60 minutes or until tender. During the simmering process, stir the beans regularly to avoid sticking. It will foam (see "Notes" below). BEFORE STRAINING, save 2 cups of the cooking water. Store in the fridge in a container lined with paper towel to absorb excess moisture.

Notes:

Remember that gigantes (or large lima) beans foam up quite a bit when you cook them. Don’t freak out if its your first time and don’t go too far from the stove as you’ll need to skim off the foam with a spoon every 10-15 minutes or so.

The cooking water from the beans contains starch and gives you a thicker/creamier sauce.

1 cup of olive oil may seem overly generous, but you want your finished baked beans to be creamy good and this is the only fat in this dish so pour on!

Serve with crusty bread and a glass of buttery white wine for a most wonderful, traditional meal.


Nutrition Facts

Per Portion

Calories 475
Calories from fat 249
Calories from saturated fat 39
Total Fat 27.7 g
Saturated Fat 4.3 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 18.8 g
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 1024 mg
Potassium 1305 mg
Total Carbohydrate 49 g
Dietary Fiber 13.6 g
Sugars 13.2 g
Protein 14.1 g

Dietary servings

Per Portion


Meat Alternative 1.4
Vegetables 3.0

Energy sources


Pygal36%459.01366725543227156.8306027445044352%320.2629293834839259.2770946306486612%348.10665540683067113.251134132262436%52%12%CarbohydratesFatProtein

Meal Type(s)

Lunch
Main




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