My neighbor yelled 'it's just beans!' through the fence and I can't stop thinking about it

I was outside yesterday and heard my neighbor, Frank, having a very loud phone argument. He kept shouting, 'It's just beans! You can't mess up beans!' Apparently his cousin tried to make some fancy bean dish and spent way too much. It made me realize I overcomplicate cheap food too. Last month I spent $15 on spices for one lentil soup. Now I'm sticking to basics: a $1 can of beans, some rice, and whatever veggies are on sale. What's your simplest 'it's just beans' style meal that actually tastes good?

3 comments

3 Comments

laura_black311mo ago

Honestly, have you tried just frying a can of chickpeas with garlic powder? Tbh it's my lazy go-to.

thomas2751mo ago

See, I get where you're coming from, but I have to disagree... sometimes that extra step makes all the difference. Just boiling some pasta and dumping a can of tomatoes on it feels like a punishment. I'll spend the five minutes to fry an onion and some garlic first... it turns the whole thing into a real meal without much work.

abby_black1mo ago

Yeah the chickpeas thing works okay but I find they need more than just garlic powder to really pop. I'll drain a can, pat them dry, then toss em in a hot pan with cumin and smoked paprika and a pinch of salt. Let them get crispy, takes maybe 6 minutes. Then I throw in some leftover spinach or kale I always have wilting in the fridge and it's basically a meal. Like you said, it's just that one extra step that keeps it from feeling like a depression dinner. idk, maybe it's just me but a bit of texture and color makes everything taste better.