539 grain recipes

Deep-fried red bean paste cakes wrapped in egg roll skins and fried twice for a crispy, golden shell around sweet, smooth filling. Just three ingredients for a classic Asian dessert or snack.

Creamy pinto bean soup pureed smooth with chile, onion, and light cream, garnished with toasted pine nuts, cilantro, and chives. From-scratch beans cooked until velvety.

Slow-simmered Mexican pinto beans cooked with salt pork, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. A four-hour, from-scratch bean pot that gets thick and rich without any mashing.

Root beer baked beans with bacon, barbecue sauce, dry mustard, and hot sauce simmered together on the stovetop. A sweet, smoky, slightly spicy side dish ready in 40 minutes.

Frijoles a la charra (Mexican ranch-style beans) with bacon, jalapenos, tomato, and cilantro simmered in their own broth. A smoky, spicy pinto bean side dish ready in 35 minutes.

La sabana: a Mexican restaurant classic of paper-thin beef filet pounded to the size of a plate, flash-seared with lime, and served with refried beans and salsa. Four seconds on the griddle, no more.

Sweet 'n' sour squash medley: zucchini, yellow squash, and green beans simmered in a cinnamon-spiced brown sugar and white wine vinegar brine. A refrigerator side that lasts for days.

Grecian green beans marinated in Coca-Cola, olive oil, vinegar, oregano, and mustard with shallots and garlic. A sweet-tangy refrigerator side dish, served chilled or warm alongside grilled meats.

Beans for burritos slow-cooks pink beans with onion, garlic, and chili powder in the crockpot, then mashes with green chiles and salsa for the perfect refried-style burrito filling.

Braune Bohnen, German green beans in a savory brown gravy: a dark roux loosened with broth and seasoned with a clove-studded onion, bay and a touch of sugar, then folded with al dente green beans. A cozy old-world side dish.

Chili bean soup made from scratch with dried pink beans, stewed tomatoes, and chili seasoning. Half the beans get mashed for body, the rest set aside for a second meal.

Greek-inspired lamb in phyllo parcels with seared lamb steaks, sautéed onions, fresh tomato, oregano, and feta wrapped in buttered phyllo and baked until shatteringly golden.

Nevada Annie's cowboy chili browns 8 pounds of ground chuck with onions, peppers, jalapeños, beer, and 12 tablespoons of ground chile. A no-beans, three-hour Western chili built for a crowd.

Fresh green beans cut into fine strips and sauteed with pearl onions and garlic in olive oil. A simple Italian-style vegetable side dish.

Sweet and sour cabbage soup: a classic Jewish Eastern European soup simmered low and slow with cabbage, tomatoes, brown sugar, and vinegar. Tangy, warming, and even better on day two.

Steamed whole fish with fermented black beans, ginger, garlic, and scallions finished with sizzling hot oil. A classic Cantonese technique that keeps fish silky and flavorful.