Black Bean Soup

This is a zesty black bean soup that is very rich and creamy, although no cream has been added. It's a flavourful, healthy and fibre rich meal that can be served with many toppings.  

Black Bean Soup

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Serves 4 to 6 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

2 carrots, chopped small

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 x 19oz (540ml) cans of black beans, rinsed 

1 litre low sodium chicken stock

salt and pepper, to taste

In a large heavy bottomed stock pot, add the olive oil and gently het over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and allow to slightly soften over the medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and a bit of salt and pepper, stirring to incorporate, and cook for another minute or two.

Add the rinsed black beans and stock. Reduce the heat to low, allowing soup to simmer, then cover for 30 to 40 minutes. Stirring every 5 minutes or so, to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom.

Take the soup off the heat and allow to cool a bit. Use a blender to purée the soup in small batches or use a hand blender to do the same. 

Serve with plain greek yoghurt, sour cream, chunks of avocado, salsa, corn, or hot pepper rings.

Another full week ahead. Hope everyone is well and staying safe. - JD 

Bean Dip

Filling the hunger void has never been easier than with this recipe. With a few ingredients you can create a snack worthy of devouring within in minutes, if shared. 

Bean Dip

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1 can of black beans, drained

about 1/4 cup vegetable stock

seasoning mix

cheese for topping

dried onion for topping

Preheat oven to 350ºF. 

In a large bowl place the drained black beans, vegetable stock and seasoning mix and using a hand held blender blend until smooth. Adding more vegetable stock and seasoning mix to achieve your desired consistency and taste. You may also use a food processor or a blender to mix everything together.  

Spread the bean dip evenly into an oven proof baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the dip starts to pull away from the sides of the baking dish. Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese, cover, allowing the cheese to soften and melt for a few minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with dried onions. Serve with corn chips, flatbread or crackers.   

Have a nice weekend and stay safe everyone! - JD 

Leftovers #50 ~ Taco Pie

Often times when we have tacos there is leftover meat. Usually we use it for flat bread sandwiches or homemade pizzas this time I decided to make a taco pie. With a few simple ingredients and modifications, depending on your pantry, you can make this no fuss dinner in minutes.  

Just roll out homemade or ready made pie crust into a big circle, the best you can. You may form the crust traditionally in a baking pie plate or shape free form; I like the latter because it enables me to just get on with making it, less fuss, more rustic.

Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). If you do form the crust into a baking pie plate you may have to adjust the baking time. Place the rolled pie crust onto a lined baking sheet, with baking parchment paper. 

Spoon taco sauce or crushed tomato sauce and salsa over the crust, leaving a space about 1 inch from the sides. Then sprinkle leftover taco meat, black beans, corn, chopped tomatoes and shredded cheese. Fold the sides inward toward the centre of the pie, not completely covering. It doesn't have to be perfect that is part of this rustic charm. Brush the exposed crust with an egg wash and sprinkle with parsley. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until crust is nicely golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with green onions, red onions, or lettuce. Serve with dollops of guacamole and sour cream. And that is one delicious and done dinner!

Have a nice weekend and stay safe everyone! - JD 

Three Bean Salad

With some creativity and a little culinary know how creating meals using canned food may be a necessity or a regularity at times. As a main, side or on toast this is a healthy and delicious way to add some extra fibre to your meals.
    
Three Bean Salad

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1 can of chickpeas, drained 

1 can of red beans, drained 

1 can of black beans, drained 

half red onion, diced

half green pepper, diced

mixed green sprouts, optional

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon summer savoury

In a bowl whisk all the dressing ingredients together until the white sugar has dissolved.

Make the dressing and set it aside.

In a large bowl add the drained chickpeas, red beans and black beans. Then add the diced red onion, green peppers and mixed sprouts, if using. Whisk the prepared dressing and drizzle the dressing over the beans and vegetables, you might not need to use all of the dressing; depends on taste, gently toss to coat. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow all the ingredients and flavours blend together.     

 

Mexican Stew

This straightforward spicy stew takes little effort and just a bit of time however it is satisfying and perfect to warm you up on a chilly Fall or Winter's night. 

Mexican Stew  ( Carne Guisada ) 

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1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 pounds stewing beef, cubed

1 large onion, diced

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 cans (796ml, 28 fl oz) no salt diced tomatoes

2 cans (8oz) crushed tomato sauce

2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped - optional

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed - optional

In a large stock pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the stew meat and cook until browned on all sides. Add the onion and green and red peppers and sauté for a few more minutes. 

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, jalapeños, if adding, garlic, and chili powder, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer over a gentle boil, covered, for 40 to 50 minutes.

Add the salt and black pepper and adjust the seasoning according your to taste. Stir in the black beans and allow to simmer a few more minutes. Serve into bowls with a warm tortilla on the side. May also be served with rice.

Notes: I added a bit more chili powder then stated. If you can not find crushed tomato sauce then use strained tomatoes or pasta sauce. This recipe does make a large amount so there were leftovers to which I added a cup of frozen corn.   

Food Photo of the Day ~ Nachos

The cold weather has struck again so a round of epic nachos were in order. Crispy bacon, refried beans, corn, black beans, freshly diced tomatoes, and of course, melted sharp cheddar cheese. Topped with chopped lettuce and sprinkled with a chili pepper and lime seasoning salt. These were happily served... and devoured with salsa, sour cream, and a homemade guacamole dip. Perfect for sharing!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD    

Festive Salad

While on the subject of salads this colourful salad is absolutely delicious. No leafy greens as black beans and vegetables prevail, lightly marinated in a herbed balsamic vinaigrette dressing; sprinkled with feta cheese and ripe avocados.  

Festive Salad

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1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

half a cucumber, thickly sliced and quartered

6 radishes, sliced

1 red pepper, chopped

1 orange pepper, chopped

1 small red onion, coarsely diced

1/2 cup sliced black olives, drained

2 ripened avocados, sliced in half, pit and skin removed, and cut into chunks

2 tomatoes, quartered and slice those sections in half 

1 cup crumbed feta cheese

balsamic vinaigrette, homemade or ready made, your choice 

Place all the ingredients, except the avocado pieces and tomatoes, into a large bowl. Lightly drizzle with the vinaigrette dressing. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with the crumbled feta cheese and gently toss again. Arrange the avocado chunks and tomato slices on top. Serve.

   

Leftovers #18 ~ Bean Dip

What to do with leftover black beans in the refrigerator... make bean dip. It is rare that I have leftover beans because they are usually used in salads, stir-fry and most casseroles.  

To make this easy bean dip you will need just a few ingredients and a blender. 

Place what ever leftover beans you have in a blender. Then add a little bit of low sodium  vegetable or chicken stock, just enough to moisten, about 2 tablespoons, adjust accordingly to the amount of beans. Add a favourite seasoning, like Cajun or Roasted Red Pepper. Blend everything until smooth. If need be you may have to add a bit more chicken stock. You want the bean mixture to be firm and smooth with a bit of fluidity but not watery.

Once smooth... pour it into an oven proof baking dish and bake in a pre-heated 350ºF oven until hot and bubbly, roughly 20 to 30 minutes. A good indicator that the dip is done is when the top has lost it's gloss and is matte and starts to pull away from the sides. Chances are the dip is ready and hot! I like to dress it up a bit. I add grated cheese on top and pop it back into the oven until the cheese melts. I carefully remove it from the oven adding sliced green onions. Olives and fresh chopped tomatoes are great to!     

You don't have to wait until you have leftover beans to make this dip. It can be made at any time with most canned beans.    

Southwest Chicken Meatloaf

Making this classic whether it be the mid-week filler or the Sunday roast dinner is packed with flavour and extra protein. As a child meatloaf dinners were never my favourite and I attribute some of that to the pre-packaged spice mix my mother would use. However this recipe brings a palatable burst to this otherwise bland loathsome recipe.

Southwest Chicken Meatloaf

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2 x packages of minced (ground) chicken - approximately 2 lbs.

1/2 cup low sodium medium salsa

1/2 cup low sodium black beans - drained and rinsed if using canned beans, which I did

1 egg

some fine breadcrumbs - approximately 1/4 cup

1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1 deep dish loaf pan

First pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl mix the minced chicken, salsa, black beans, egg, breadcrumbs, feta cheese, and salt and pepper. When combine place the meat mixture into the loaf pan. Ensuring a nice fit and a smooth top. Place the loaf pan in the pre-heated oven to cook for about and hour or until the juices run clear.

Notes: I used canned black beans. You may want to try dried beans just prepare them as the package states. If you only have one package of minced (ground) meat then add more black beans to fill the meatloaf out more. Don't have feta cheese then try cheddar or Monterey jack. I used tomato salsa however I have seen pineapple salsa and mango salsa in shops, give that a try. Try adding different beans like pinto or navy... or try chickpeas.

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD 

Leftovers #10 - Rice Salad

While putting away leftovers in the refrigerator a slight clanking sound kept repeating. Foraging my hands towards the back of the shelf I couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive. Pulling the glass dish towards more of a recognizable light I popped the lid and realized the contents were leftover rice. I could not have been more delighted and immediately decided that it was going to be the inspiration for my rice salad.

Since I already had rice that was cooked and a few days old, all that was needed were a few vegetables, black beans, cheese and a dressing. A trip to the grocery store found everything that I was looking for. Green leafy, potato and pasta salads may take a back seat after you have tried this rice salad.           

You can make this salad using freshly made rice however I like to used cooked day old rice. It seems to absorb the flavours better. My leftover rice was a mixture of jasmine and brown rice. The veggies, fresh and crisp and the thinly sliced spinach leaves added little shards of greeny goodness.    

Rice Salad

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2-3 cups cooked, few day old rice 

1 red pepper, diced

half a red onion, diced

1/3 of a cucumber, sliced and then quartered or halved

1 small can of organic black beans, rinsed and drained 

1 tomato, diced

A handful or two of thinly sliced spinach leaves

feta cheese, crumbled 

Dressing

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In a glass jar add the following ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced/crushed

2 teaspoons oregano 

a bit of freshly ground black pepper

Put the lid on tightly and shake madly. Blending all the ingredients. This will help you vent any frustration you may have. 

I placed the leftover rice into a large bowl. I used a fork to separate any clumps... in fact you can probably use your clean hands to break up all the clumpy bits. Rinse and drain the black beans and set aside. In the meantime... chop, dice, and slice the veggies.   

I pre-chopped the veggies however you don't have too. Place the red pepper, red onion, and cucumber in the bowl with the rice. Once the black beans have drained for a bit add the beans to the bowl as well. Giving everything a gentle stir. 

Pour half of the dressing over top of the rice and veggie mixture. Stir to make sure everything gets coated with the dressing. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours so that the everything can absorb the flavours from the dressing.  

An hour before serving pour the rest of the dressing over the salad and toss. Add the sliced spinach leaves and the diced tomatoes. Stir. Place the crumbled feta cheese on top. The salad is ready to be served.   

Notes: You can also add some freshly grated lemon rind to the dressing or salad. You can use other veggies or different kinds of cheese. Try adding wild rice. 

I added the tomatoes last because, I find, as tomatoes sit they tend to get mushy so either add them at the last moment or use them as a garnish.

  

Black Bean Brownies

I literally stumble upon this recipe. I was quite intrigued by the use of black beans and no flour to make brownies. If you have a blender or a food processor then making these delicious low fat brownies will be a breeze.  

Black Bean Brownies

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15 1/2 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained

2 eggs

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 cup granulated sugar

5 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Semi-sweet chocolate chips and or nuts for the topping is optional

Pre heat oven to 350ºF.

Add all of the ingredients into the blender or food processor; mix until all ingredients are well blended and smooth. There should be not be any whole black beans in the batter. 

Spray an 8x8" baking pan with a non-stick cooking spray or you you could butter and flour the pan like I did. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top with chocolate chips or nuts if desired.

Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean after inserting it in the centre. Cool for 30 minutes before cutting and serving, otherwise they will fall apart.

Notes: My only issue with these brownies came when I was slicing them. I did let them sit for the required 30 minutes and as I was cutting the knife kept pulling on the brownie which made for a less attractive brownie slice however by the time a slice was devoured that was all forgotten. Other than that these were fantastic and very delicious! - JW