Basic Cooked Beans, Peas, and Lentils

• 8 ounces (1 cup) dried beans, peas, or lentils
• 1 small onion or 1 large shallot, peeled and stuck with 2 whole cloves
• 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled, lightly smashed
• 1/2 serrano or jalapeno seeded and deribbed, or 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 to 4 fresh thyme sprigs or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 imported bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

1. Place the beans in a large saucepan, add enough cool water to cover by 1 1/2 inches, and soak overnight at room temperature.
2. (Peas and lentils do not need to be soaked.)
3. Discard any beans that are broken, off-colored, or floating.
4. (Or, if using peas or lentils, pick over, rinse, and place in a large scaucepan with water to cover by 1 1/2 inches.)
5. Add the onion, garlic, chile, thyme, and bay leaf.
6. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, then reduce the heat to low.
7. Cook the beans (or peas or lentils) at a bare simmer until they are just tender but not mushy--they should hold their shape; do not allow them to boil, or they will become tough.
8. (See below for General Cooking Times for Dried Beans, Peas, and Legumes.)
9. If necessary, replenish the water, so that it stays 1 inch above the top of the beans.
10. Halfway through the cooking time, stir in the salt.
11. Remove from the heat.
12. If you are using them right away, drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid.
13. Remove and discard the onion, garlic, chile, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf.
14. If you are not using them immediately, allow the beans to cool in their cooking liquid before draining.
15. (Keep the cooking liquid to reheat the beans or to use in many of the recipes that follow.)
16. You can keep beans, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

beans, onion, garlic, serrano, thyme, bay leaf

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/basic-cooked-beans-peas-and-lentils (may not work)