GREEK-STYLE BAKED LIMA BEANS

"Gigantes Plaki" is a classic Greek dish made with Gigante (giant) beans. Large lima beans can be used a substitute since Gigante beans can be difficult to come by. I only had baby limas so used those. I served them with homemade whole wheat pitas. My husband ate his bread and beans separately but I turned mine into a sandwich topped with sliced pepperoncini. Healthy and delicious.

You can find the recipe at “Holy Cow Vegan”: Gigantes (Greek Lima Beans)

Is there a difference between lima beans and butter beans? No, they are the same thing.

Why are some lima beans green and some white? The green limas are immature and fresh whereas the white limas are mature and dried.

Here is a short, very interesting article about 7 foods that contain toxins and lima beans made the list.

Here is a wonderful site for ordering heirloom beans.

What I did differently:

-Soaked the beans for 2 1/2 hrs

-Did not add oil

-My diced onions measured 1 heaping cup

-Instead of canned diced tomatoes, used 3 medium tomatoes, diced, which weighed 1 pound

-Added 1/2 TBSP dried parsley

-My salt and pepper were 1/2 tsp each. Can add more to your individual serving.

-I added fresh kale, stems removed, chopped, measured 2 packed cups

-My beans cooked for 1 hr to become tender

-Dry sauteed the onions and garlic 2-3 minutes, adding a splash of water when wanted to stick. Added fresh tomatoes and sauteed a few minutes until they softened.

-Added the dried parsley when the thyme and oregano were added. Added the kale about a minute before adding the beans.

-Baked 45 minutes