Lurker here, Chef of 25+ years. Seems your real issue is with the beans. I am not a fan of beans myself, but they do provide cabs/fiber/protein. There is a trick I have been using for years(taught to me by a elderly Puerto Rican Chef back in 90's). She cooked her beans with ham hock/onion/salt/water. However, just as the beans were about done, she used a potato masher to press down on them ever so slightly. You don't want to mash them, just get them to kinda split/crack a bit. Then stir them roughly until the water gets cloudy. Then off the heat for 30 minutes. Then strain, but not completely. Pretty much pour the pot of beans in a colander then back into the pot in one fluid motion so as not to let all the liquid strain away.

I have tried several variations to this simple but perfect recipe, from not pressing them, to using stock instead of water, etc... I just kept going back to her recipe. Her method just turns out better tasting/textured beans. I now use her recipe for beans for my award winning Cowboy Beans recipe, and have won every year since. I wish I had a chance to thank her before she passed .