Orange Black Beans with Cumin

Recipe Finder Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/orange-black-beans-with-cumin/7647/?utm_term=.cb992b083453

APR 6, 2005
Thanks to the orange and cinnamon, this is a very simple but interesting variation on black bean salad.  Although it only cooks for 90 minutes in the slow cooker, the low heat allows you to ignore it once you mix all the ingredients together.  There's nothing to sauce ahead of time.  Just a few ingredients to chop, an orange or two to squeeze and you're done.  I changed the spices a bit because I don't love cumin, but the combination below came out great.  Very light.  I forgot to top with cilantro and tomatoes, but I think those would be great additions.  I enjoyed it cold as well as gently heated.

"These beans have enough flavor of their own to serve as a main-dish match with rice or as a side dish with similarly inspired chicken or beef. Mushy they are not."

SERVINGS:  4

Ingredients:

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1 medium shallot, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon coriander     ---  I think this is the combination I used
Light sprinkle of ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving: 
2 cups rice or couscous, cooked
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

Directions:
1) Combine the beans, brown sugar, shallot, celery, orange juice, broth, and spices in the slow cooker.
2) Cover and cook on high for about 1 1/2 hours.

Season with salt and pepper and serve hot, ladled over rice and garnished with the cilantro and tomatoes.  Or serve cold with a salad.

Black bean, corn and tomato salad

I wanted to prove how I could make a simple refreshing veggie salad by just opening a few cans from Costco, but of course I can never leave well enough alone.  I'm fine using their canned tomatoes in chili, but when you get the full taste in a cold salad, they retain the taste of the citric acid despite rinsing them.  So I decided to use fresh tomatoes.

Then I decided the dried basil and cilantro really needed to be replaced with fresh herbs for a brighter taste.  Start chopping those herbs.

So it's still relatively simple, but not exactly what I intended.  But if you have canned tomatoes that you like, and you don't happen to have fresh herbs on hand, all of this can be prepared simply with cans and spice shakers.

This particular recipe is a blend of several that I found with these ingredients.  It is a good mix of protein and carbs and is quite filling.  It can be used as an appetizer or a BBQ side dish.  Good on a whole wheat wrap with hummus.  Guacamole or avocado would be good as well.  Good to be able to make it taste like whatever you want.  (Morton and Bassett's Mexican Blend contains cumin, garlic, chili pepper, white pepper, thyme, paprika, onion and oregano.  It does definitely give it a Mexican taste. )

Since Trader Joes is my other favorite place to shop, I must tell you that serving this salsa / side dish on TJ's Veggie and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips is excellent!  The chips are nice and large and can hold a lot of the corn & bean mix.

INGREDIENTS:

15 oz can black beans
15 oz can sweet corn
2 tomatoes
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
3 scallions
2 Tbsp lime juice - should use if possible
1 heaping Tbsp fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1) Rinse the black beans and corn.  Chop the tomatoes, peppers, scallions and combine all in a large bowl.

2) Chop the herbs.  In a small bowl, mix the dried herbs and salt and pepper.  Sprinkle over the mix and let it sit for a few hours or overnight before serving to let the flavors blend.  Good for a few days.

Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash

Adapted from epicurious.com:  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/black-bean-chili-with-butternut-squash-363715

I've definitely made my share of chili, including a favorite with butternut squash, so this one is a bit different because of the bulgur.  I've been experimenting with this gluten-containing grain that is higher in protein than most others and is often used in taboulleh.  In this dish, there's plenty of protein, so we didn't need it for that purpose.  Here, the bulgur gives the dish an interesting texture, something of a blend between a hearty minestrone and a chili.

My husband prefers a milder taste, so the cocoa chili powder and minimal chopped hot pepper provide just the right mix.  Feel free to turn up the heat with hotter chili powder and more of the chopped fresh chili pepper. By buying the butternut squash pre-cut, roasting it while you cook the onions, and using canned beans, the prep time is about 30 minutes.

YIELD: Makes 10 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
8 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tsp cocoa chili powder
4 tsp ground coriander
2 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes
15 oz black beans, rinsed
15 oz pinto beans, rinsed
1 chipotle pepper - diced coarsely, 1tsp - 1Tbsp, to taste
2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican) (I used some a patient of mine brought home from Greece).
6 cups vegetarian broth, low sodium
Coarse kosher salt

1 2 1/4-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
Ground cumin
Cinnamon

1/2 cup quick-cooking bulgur

TOPPINGS - your choice:
Sour cream
Coarsely grated hot pepper
Monterey jack cheese
Diced red onion chopped
Fresh cilantro
Pickled jalapeño rings

DIRECTIONS:

1) Toss cubed butternut squash with olive oil, sprinkle with cumin and cinnamon. Roast at 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes so it is soft, but not charred.

2) Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and beginning to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes.

3) Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Sprinkle chili powder and coriander over; stir 1 minute.

4) Stir in tomatoes with juice, beans, chipotles, and oregano. Add broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

DO AHEAD: Chili can be made up to 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm chili before continuing.

Stir squash and bulgur into chili. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until squash and bulgur are tender, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide chili among bowls. Serve with sour cream, cheese, red onion, cilantro, and pickled jalapeño rings.

Sweet Potato-Black Bean Stew with Sweet Peppers and Peanut Sauce

This is from Molly Katzen's newest cookbook, The Heart of the Plate.  You might recognize her name from her Moosewood Cookbook, published in 1977.  She was vegetarian way before it was as popular as it is today.  I just took a walk down memory lane and browsed through my old food-stained copy of that book.  Her recipes in this hardcover new book are more interesting, as evidenced by this peanut flavored sweet potato stew.  The color pictures add a lot more interest as well.

I didn't take the time to make the banana-cheese empanadas that were meant to accompany this stew, but made a 2-minute version of them by top broiling banana, pepper Jack cheese and a squirt of lime on thin bread in the toaster oven -- not bad!!  She gives much more direction about preparation than I'm including here.

Some other interesting sounding dishes are Roasted Eggplant Salad with Coconut-Lime Vinaigrette, Golden Lentils with Soft Sweet Onions and Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries.

Ingredients:
For the stew:
2 Tbsp olive or roasted peanut oil, or a combination
2 cups minced red onion (1 large)
2 Tbsp finely minced fresh ginger
1 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tsp minced or crushed garlic
2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes (7 cups)
1/2 cup water
1 large sweet red bell pepper, in 1/4 inch dice (2 cups)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice, or more to taste
3 cups cooked black beans or two 15-oz cans, rinsed and drained

For peanut sauce:
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp agave nectar or light-colored honey
Crushed red pepper (optional)

Optional extras:
Roasted peanuts, lime wedges, chopped cilantro leaves

Directions:
1) Heat a soup pot over medium heat for about a minute; add the oil and swirl to coat the pan.
2) Add the onion, ginger and 1/2 tsp of the salt.  Cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes.
3) Add 1 tsp on the garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes longer, or until the onion becomes translucent.
4) Stir in the sweet potatoes, plus the remaining 1 tsp of garlic and another 1/2 tsp of salt.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
5) Add 1/2 cup water, cover again, and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are almost done.  Stir every 10 minutes or so.
6) Add the bell pepper and lime juice, stir, and cover to cook for 5 minutes or so until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.  Add more water or lime juice if the vegetables are sticking to the bottom.
7) Gently stir in the beans during the last few minutes of cooking.
8) Put the peanut butter in a medium bowl and slowly stir in the boiling water, then vinegar, sweetener and remaining 1/4 tsp of salt.  Adjust taste.
9) Use a rubber spatula to scrape all the sauce into the stew, then stir gently .  Adjust to taste with salt, lime or possibly crushed red pepper.

Chicken with Black Bean-Chipotle Sauce

Adapted from Canyon Ranch Nourish - indulgently healthy cuisine

If there are any leftovers, they can be used to create other dishes during the week.  The chicken can be cut into strips and added to a salad for lunch, and the bean sauce can be used over tofu.  There's a lot of leeway in terms of the spiciness.  My family likes it on the relatively bland side, but it can be made as spicy as you like.  Served with a small salad and a side of quinoa, it makes a great dinner.  We love cilantro, but if you think it tastes like soap, as many people do (it's genetically determined), you can try using another herb you like.  I might try basil.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients for the sauce:
4 Tbsp diced yellow onion
2 tsp minced garlic
14-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 - 2 tsp ground chipotle chile pepper, according to taste
1 cup low sodium vegetable stock
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
up to 1 tsp sea salt

Ingredients for the chicken:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp chili powder
4 four ounce skinless boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:
1) Preheat the grill or broiler.
2) Lightly spray a large saucepan with canola oil spray.  Sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat until the onions are translucent.
3) Add the black beans, chipotle, stock, tomatoes, cilantro and salt, and slowly simmer for 10-20 minutes or until the liquid is slightly thickened.  Remove from the heat.
4) Combine the olive oil and chile powder in a small bowl and mix to form a paste.  Rub the paste over the chicken breasts.
5) Grill or broil the chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
6) Serve each chicken breast with 4 tablespoons of black bean sauce.

Per serving: 330 calories; 29 gm carbs; 8 gm fat; 73 mg cholesterol; 37 gm protein; 11 gm fiber; 586 mg sodium, but depends on content of stock, canned tomatoes and added salt.

Spicy Black Bean and Potato Stew with Tomato Salsa

The Washington Post, May 6, 2009
Nourish

Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Features: Healthy, Meatless, Gluten-Free
Summary:

Just made this tonight for tomorrow - easy to cut up the ingredients, then let it cook while eating tonight's dinner.  Tastes very good so far.  The broth thickens up, probably from the starch in the potatoes.  Not as certain about the salsa.  We love cilantro, but I had it in the fridge for a week, and it has very little taste left.  We'll see how it turns out tomorrow.

Making good-tasting vegetarian food is a lot like creating healthful dishes that are low in fat and sodium. Instead of relying on fat, salt or meat for flavor, you use herbs, spices and contrasting textures. If you're successful, you'll have dishes that please everyone at the table.

I'm a big fan of stews; this one is packed with beans and potatoes, and it gets an extra boost from a fresh salsa of tomato and cilantro. It makes a full-flavored vegetarian entree or a nice side dish for grilled chicken.

A vegetable stew cooks quickly, and it can be a challenge not to overcook its ingredients. I do the prep work in advance and serve this dish just after I cook it, to preserve the integrity of its components.

MAKE AHEAD: To keep the sodium in this dish low, cook the black beans instead of buying the canned ones (see NOTE below). They can be prepared and refrigerated up to 4 days in advance.

4 to 6 main-course servings or 8 side-dish servings

Ingredients:

For the stew
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice (1 cup)
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice (used 2)
1 rib celery, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice (about 2/3 cup)  (used 2)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder, or to taste
2 tablespoons double-concentrated tomato paste (may substitute 1/4 cup tomato paste; see NOTES)
3 cups cooked black beans (see NOTES)
1 pound all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice (about 2 1/2 cups)  (used 1 white potato and one sweet)
About 2 cups water or vegetable broth  (1.5 cups veg broth with 560 mg Na per cup and 0.5 cups water)

For the salsa
8 ounces vine-ripened tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped (2/3 cup)
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, or to taste
Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil


Directions:

For the stew: Heat the oil in a skillet or shallow braiser large enough to hold all of the ingredients (at least 12 inches wide) over medium heat.

Add the onion, carrot, celery and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the vegetables have softened but not browned. Reduce the heat as needed if they are cooking too fast.  (Leave long enough for the carrots to soften, because they cook much more slowly than the potatoes.)

Increase the heat to medium if needed; add the chili powder and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the beans, potato, water/ broth and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine; when the liquid just starts to bubble at the edges, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat.

While the stew cooks, make the salsa: Combine the tomatoes, cilantro to taste, lime juice and zest, sugar, salt and oil; mix well.

Divide the stew among individual bowls; top each portion with a generous tablespoon of the salsa. Serve warm.

NOTES: Double-concentrated tomato paste comes in a handy tube and is available in the Italian section of most supermarkets. It can be refrigerated for months.

To cook beans, place 1 cup dried black beans or small white beans in a medium bowl; add water to cover by at least 1 inch and let soak overnight at room temperature.

Drain, then transfer to a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover the beans by an inch or two. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 90 minutes or until tender to the bite.

Drain the beans, then spread them on a baking sheet to cool. Use right away, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. (This should yield about 3 cups total.)

Per serving using water for 6 servings: 240 calories, 10 g protein, 40 g carbs, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 11g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar.