Black Bean Burgers

I picked this recipe to take a try at making some bean burgers from scratch.  I am a fan of the bean burgers you can buy from the frozen section at the grocery store, they have a nice southwest flavor and make for an easy, quick weeknight meal.  This homemade version is not as easy or quick, but it's got better flavor and I like knowing exactly what went into the patties.  You could probably make some up and freeze them to turn into future easy/quick meals too.  I did not try that this time, but I hope to next time.  Zach and I both really liked this recipe and we will make it again.  I liked the texture of the burgers.  Leaving some beans whole and mashing most of them made an almost creamy burger, and the spices were very delicious.  The only change I made was to add on a sauce.  I just took some cilantro and mixed it up with mayonnaise, a dash of cumin and a dash of cayenne.  

Black Bean Burgers
slightly adapted from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 slices white sandwich bread
2 15 ounce cans of black beans, rinsed
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more for sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more for sauce
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup minced cilantro, divided in half
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise  




Directions:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place bread in food processor and pulse until you have coarse crumbs.  Spread crumbs on a baking sheet and toast in the pre-heated oven until light brown and dried out, about 10 minutes.  Let cool.
• Measure 2 1/2 cups of the black beans into a large bowl and mash them until mostly smooth.  You can use a potato masher, pastry cutter or a fork.
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper and the salt.  
• Add the egg mixture, cooled breadcrumbs, remaining 1/2 cup beans, bell pepper, 1/4 cup cilantro and shallot into the mashed bean mixture.  Mix until just combined.  Divide into 6 equal parts (about 1/2 cup each) and form into patties.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Place three of the patties in the skillet and cook until well browned on each side, 8 to 10 minutes.  Then repeat (including 1 more tablespoon oil) with remaining patties.  
• While the patties cook mix the remaining 1/4 cup chopped cilantro with the mayonnaise.  Add cumin and cayenne pepper to your tastes.  I'd start with 1/8 teaspoon cayenne and 1/4 cumin then adjust as desired.  
• Serve on toasted buns with sauce.   

Fabada Asturiana

This was the side dish we chose to make from our Spanish cooking extravaganza.  Okay, so I just called it a Spanish cooking extravaganza in my head, we didn't actually refer to it that way, but that's definitely what it was.  :-)  This was very delicious, the beans cook up buttery and creamy and the accent of the pimenton is rich and flavorful.  We did have to use butter beans however, as fabes are not widely available in the US, and if they can be found (LaTienda.com) they are fairly expensive ($16/pound).  After much googling about a suitable replacement, I decided on butter beans.  

The second change I made was not to use slab bacon, but to just slice up bacon and use that instead.  While it turned out okay, I think I would make one more change to this next time.  I'd probably pan fry the bacon to get it started, and then cook the onion, garlic and spices in a mixture of bacon fat and olive oil.  The bacon was delicious (as all bacon is) but, did not have the greatest texture after being boiled in the soup.  I think this would help it be even better.  

Fabada Asturiana

Asturian Bean Stew

From Made in Spain

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1/2 pound dried butter beans

1/4 pound bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces

4 cups chicken stock

1 head garlic, papery outer skin removed

2 medium Spanish onions, 1 halved and 1 minced

1/4 cup Spanish extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sweet pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika)

pinch of saffron, crushed

Directions:

• The day before you plan to cook the stew, place the beans in a bowl and cover with cold water.  Soak the beans overnight at room temperature.  The next day, drain and rinse the beans.
• Combine the drained beans and chicken stock in a large pot.  Remove 1 garlic clove from the head and set aside.  Add the bacon, the head of garlic and the halved onion.  Bring to a slow boil, skimming and foam that rises to the top.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  
• Meanwhile in a medium sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the minced onion and cook until it is translucent and begins to caramelize, about 15 minutes.  Peel and mince the reserved garlic clove and add it to the onion.  Cook for 2 more minutes, then stir in the pimenton and saffron.  Spoon the onion mixture into the large pot and stir well until combined.
• Continue to cook the beans, uncovered, at a very low simmer for 2 hours.  Occasionally add a little cold water to slow the simmering and to keep the beans covered with liquid.  Do not stir the beans while they cook, this could cause them to break apart.  
• Remove the pot from the heat, cover and set aside to cool for one hour.  Remove and discard the onion halves and head of garlic.  
• Ladle the beans into soup bowls and serve.

White Bean, Rosemary, Garlic and Red Pepper Dip

We made this dip way back in February for our little Super Bowl snack fiesta!  It was very low in points -- only 1 point for 1/6th of the recipe! -- and yummy.  I did make quite a few modifications to the original recipe however.  It called for parsley and I used rosemary instead.  It called for small diced red pepper to be mixed in the dip and I just threw it in the food processor with everything else (this modification was mostly out of laziness and time constraints of watching the big game).  We already had the roasted garlic from a previous recipe, so that was quick to just pull out of the fridge.  The original recipe also called for lime juice, which I substituted with lemon juice.  First off, we had a lemon left from a recipe I needed the zest for, and I thought lemon would go better with rosemary than lime.  I'd definitely feel free to vary the herbs as I did here, lime and  cilantro would be very good I would think.  I served it with whole wheat pita chips, red pepper strips and cucumbers for dipping.  

White Bean, Rosemary, Garlic and Red Pepper Dip

adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 garlic bulb, about 6 large cloves

1 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 scallions, cut into large pieces

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into chunks

1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 decrees.  Cut off a thin slice from the pointed end of the garlic bulb.  Wrap the garlic in foil and roast until soft, about 30 minutes.  
• Unwrap the foil and let the garlic cool slightly.  Squeeze the garlic from the skins into a food processor.  
• Add the beans, lemon juice, olive oil, scallions, red pepper, rosemary and caynne, puree.
• Transfer to a bowl.  Refrigerate, covered, until the flavors are blended, at least one hour.  Serve with pitas, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots for dipping.

Nutritional Info
Calories: 84
Fat: 3g
Fiber: 3 g
WW Points: 1

Smoked Turkey and Black Eyed Pea Salad

I found this recipe when cutting up my latest Food Network magazine.  When I get the newest version of a cooking magazine, I take my scissors to the old one to save just the recipes I want and file them away in my box of recipes.  It used to be an old show box, but I just got a nice new filing box at Ikea so now my clipped out recipes can wait patiently in style.  :-)  I don't think to have main dish salads at all really.  When I think salad for dinner I think of some awful version of a salad buffet with the iceberg lettuce with the carrot savings and purple cabbage, not so great veggies that have been sitting out too long and goupy dressings.  This salad convinced me I need to start thinking differently.  I forget about the many different kinds of salad greens that are ready to go right in the supermarket and different ways to top them.  The black eyed pea and turkey mixture was warm and played off the crispness of the romaine.  I liked it a lot and have since dug out my stack of recipes filed under 'Salads' to review for some yummy main dish options.  

We made just a few changes -- all romaine for the lettuce, no celery (I don't like it) and our grocery store did not have frozen black eyed peas so we got canned instead.  I really liked the heat of the cayenne and the bites of the pickle found throughout the salad.  In fact, we've made this salad twice in the last two weeks!  I can't say I've remade a recipe that fast before!  We did have some of the smoked turkey to use up, but this is definitely a winner!

Smoked Turkey and Black Eyed Pea Salad

Food Network Magazine

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 10-ounce box frozen black-eyed peas, thawed
1/3 cup sliced bread-and-butter pickles, plus 4 tablespoons pickling liquid
8 ounces smoked turkey leg or breast, skin removed and meatshredded
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Creole or whole-grain mustard
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
10 cups torn arugula, escarole and/or romaine
2 stalks celery, chopped (with leaves) (omitted)

Directions

• Combine the garlic, thyme and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas and 2 tablespoons pickling liquid and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the turkey and heat through, about 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the scallions, and salt and cayenne to taste. Discard the thyme.

• Meanwhile, whisk the mustard and the remaining 2 tablespoons pickling liquid in a large bowl. Add salt and cayenne to taste, then gradually whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the tomatoes and toss. Add the arugula, celery and pickles and toss again. Divide among bowls and top with the black-eyed peas and turkey.

Per serving: 

Calories 318

Fat 18 g 

Fiber 5 g

WW Points: 7

Tortilla Soup with Black Beans and Quesadillas

I found this Tortilla Soup with Black Beans recipe in an old copy of Everyday Food.  My mom, aunts and grandma each subscribe to a magazine, then they pass around the copies of the magazines to each other.  By the time this January 2009 issue got to my mom it was Christmas 2009.  I swiped it from my parents house while we visiting over the holidays.  I knew it would get more use with me than at my mom's.  I love my mom and her cooking, but she doesn't regularly try new recipes, so I knew I'd find at least a few things for Zach and I to make.  I really like that the magazine listed the nutrition info since we're following the Weight Watchers program and that makes it super simple to find out the right points for a recipe.  Seeing it would be fairly low points, and a large serving size I was sold!  We also needed a meatless meal for Ash Wednesday and this fit perfectly.  We decided to make the quesadillas to turn it into a mexican inspired version of tomato soup and grilled cheese.  It was very good, and the leftovers made a great lunch. 

Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

From Everyday Food, January 2009

Serves 4 (2 1/2 cups per serving)

WW Points per serving: 5

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice

2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 cup crushed tortilla chips, plus more for serving (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Cook garlic and chili powder until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with juice), beans, broth, corn, and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper.

• Bring soup to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add tortilla chips; cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve soup with lime wedges and, if desired, more chips.

Quesadillas
serves 2
WW Points per serving:  5

Ingredients:
4 whole wheat tortillas
1 red pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup 2% mexican shredded cheese

Directions:

• Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add oil to pan, then peppers and onions.  Saute until tender crisp, about 5 minutes.  When done transfer vegetables to a bowl.
• In same skillet, spray with PAM cooking spray and turn heat to medium-low.  Then begin layering quesadillas -- whole wheat tortilla, half of pepper and onion mixture, 1/4 cup of cheese, then a second tortilla.  Heat until bottom tortilla gets browned, then spray the top of the second tortilla with PAM spray.  Next, carefully use either a large spatula or a large plate to help flip tortilla.  Cook until browned on other side. 
• Cut into quarters and serve.

Cornmeal Waffles with Chili

For the my first birthday after we started dating Zach got me a waffle maker as one of my presents.  It sounds very, shall we say, domestic, but I had wanted one, and we were spending our weekends together long enough at that point that our breakfasts needed some new variations.  Upon opening it I discovered a few recipes in the manual, one of which was this one, Cornmeal Waffles.  As soon as I saw it I wanted to make them and top them with Zach's award winning chili -- yes he's actually won an award for it, at a work chili cookoff contest, but that's still an award!   It's a delicious twist on cornbread with chili and helps to counteract the spiciness that Zach's chili often has.  You can top with sour cream, shredded cheese, and sliced green onions!

Cornmeal Waffles

source: my Cuisinart Waffle Maker Instruction Booklet

Makes (8) 6 1/2 inch round waffles

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups milk

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large eggs

Directions:

• Place ingredients in large mixing bowl and combine until well blended and smooth.  Let batter sit 5 minutes before using.  
• Preheat waffle maker.
• Pour 1/2 cup batter onto the center of the lower grid, close cover.  
• Remove waffles when done, and for best results serve immediately.  You can keep them warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.  

Nutritional Information:

264 Calories

13 g Fat

6g Protein

32 g Carbs

1g Fiber

Grits Casserole with White Beans and Rosemary

This recipe is from my Cookbook of the Month for January and February, The Best of Cooking Light.  What drew me to the recipe was the rosemary.  I used to not like rosemary.  I had only encountered it rarely, and when I did the shape and often charred manifestation of it reminded me of pine needles.  It wasn't an herb that made me want to come back for more.

My mom did not use many fresh herbs in her cooking, probably because they were not as readily available as they are now, and I'd imagine if they were available, they were expensive.  My mom used the be the queen of bargain shopping, and was an expert at coupon clipping.  Now that I am the primary cook, I am a huge fan of coupons and use them whenever possible, but I also have come to realize the fantastic flavor that fresh herbs can bring to a dish.  In my mind, they are worth the money in the winter especially.

This spring, now that we finally have a summer when we wont be moving, and a cute little outdoor yard and deck, we plan to plant three or four big pots of herbs for our own mini herb garden.  Rosemary is at the top of our list.  Chopped finely, and not left to it's normal pine needle like state, it's a great addition to many recipes and a flavor I am coming to greatly enjoy.  I did make one change to the recipe, I used bread crumbs we already had instead of the fresh bread crumbs.  The ones I had were made from whole wheat bread, so I think they added some extra nuttiness and worked just fine.

Grits Casserole with White Beans and Rosemary
Adapted from The Best of Cooking Light
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
7 cups boiling water, divided
3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups vertically sliced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, drained
1 1/2 cups uncooked regular grits
2 tablespoons butter
Cooking spray

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400°.

• Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, and parsley in a small bowl; set aside

• Combine 3 cups boiling water and sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 10 minutes or until soft. Drain tomatoes over a bowl, reserving 1 cup liquid.

• Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, rosemary, crushed red pepper, and garlic; saute 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and reserved 1 cup liquid. Bring to a boil; cook 7 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and beans.

• Combine 4 cups boiling water, 1 teaspoon salt, grits, and butter in a large saucepan. Cook 8 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Pour grits mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon tomato mixture evenly over grits; top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until golden.

Nutritional Information, per serving
Calories: 303
Fat: 7.4g (sat 3.4g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.9g)
Protein: 10.2g
Carbohydrate: 47.2g
Fiber: 5.2g
WW Points: 6

Jenna Dip

My family calls this Jenna Dip. I think it's actualy name is Tiger Sauce Dip. We call it Jenna Dip because the recipe came from my sister's friend Jenna. It started as people asking, "Hey, can you make that dip that Jenna made?" and quickly evolved into just, "Hey, let's make Jenna Dip." It's delicious and gets better as it sits. I'd recommend making it at least 24-48 hours before serving. There's always a lot of liquid left over, which makes a great salad dressing.  My grocery store has Tiger Sauce in the ketchup section.

Jenna Dip

1 can shoepeg corn

1 can blackeyed peas

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 medium onion

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons tiger sauce

Directions:

• Drain and rinse corn and black eyed peas.
• Dice peppers and onion.
• Whisk together sugar, oil, vinegar and tiger sauce. 
• Combine everything in one bowl.  

Gonzo Garbanzos

This is a great party snack. I found the recipe in EveryDay with Rachael Ray and have been making it several times a year ever since. It makes an appearance at most friend and family gatherings. The trick with these is getting the baking time just right -- you want them to be hard and crispy, not mushy. This requires frequent sampling when in the final segment of baking -- hey, I'm willing to make that sacrifice!


Gonzo Garbanzos
EveryDay with Rachael Ray, December/January 2007

Makes 2 3/4 cups
Prep Time 10 Minutes
Cook Time 35 Minutes

Two 15.5 ounce cans chickpeas -- drained, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 cup shelled pistachios (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400.
• Place the chickpeas in a medium bowl and discard any loose skins. Toss with the olive oil, salt, black pepper, cumin and cayenne pepper until evenly coated.
• Spread the chickpeas on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and quickly stir in the thyme and pistachios, if using. Bake until crunchy, about 10 minutes more.
• Let cool and serve at room temperature.
  

Fiesta Casserole

This is a recipe from my mom.  It's basically a version of the ever popular taco dip.  It was one of the most requested meals by me and my sister growing up.

Fiesta Casserole

from my mom

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (You can also use turkey.)

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 can refried beans (I use the fat free, spicy kind.)

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (One of the Mexican blends would work too.)

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1 cup sour cream

2 green onions, sliced

2 tomatoes, diced

tortilla chips

Directions:

• Brown meat, adding taco seasoning according to package directions.
• Spread beans in bottom of casserole dish, cover with cooked and seasoned meat.
• Pour soup over meat, sprinkle with shredded cheese, then olives.
• Cook in microwave on high for 15 minutes on until cheese melts and mixture is bubbly.
• Place sour cream over cheese, top with green onions and tomatoes.