Fiesta Corn Salad

1 recipe Taco Seasoning (minus the ketchup)

½ cup olive oil

½ cup water

½ cup red wine vinegar

4 cups yellow corn

4 medium tomatoes, diced

1 cup sliced black olives

1 green pepper, chopped

2 cups white corn

2 cans kidney beans, drained

Mix taco seasoning, oil, water, and vinegar. Combine all other ingredients. Pour oil mixture over everything and stir well. Chill several hours or overnight before serving.

Adapted from Suzie's recipe

Simple Hummus

2 cans (or 4 cups home-cooked) garbanzo beans/chickpeas, rinsed

2-9 cloves garlic

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

2 tsp cumin

1 ½ tsp salt

Puree together all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Add 1-2 TBSP water as needed until hummus reaches the desired consistency. Sprinkle with paprika before serving.

Baked Sweet Potato Burritos

4 large sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
2 cans kidney beans with liquid
4 TBSP chili powder (plus a dash or two or six of chipotle chili powder if you like spicy)
2 tsp cumin
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
20 8-inch flour tortillas
4 cups grated cheddar cheese

Mash the sweet potatoes, kidney beans with liquid, chili powder, cumin, mustard, and soy sauce until blended well. Divide mixture evenly among the tortillas (off-centered works best) and top with cheese. Fold tortillas into burritos and place them seam side down in two greased 9x13 pans (or one larger pan). Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.

(Adapted from Six O'Clock Scramble)

Southwestern Black Bean Casserole

1 TBSP olive oil or butter
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups corn, thawed and drained
1 cup chopped green olives
1 can refried beans
1 can black beans, drained
crushed tortilla chips, enough to cover bottom of 9x13 pan
1 (15 oz) jar salsa
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Saute the onion and pepper in the oil/butter until onions are translucent. Add corn, then remove from heat and stir in the olives.

Mix together the refried beans and the black beans.

Cover the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan with crushed tortilla chips. Spread the bean mixture carefully over the chips, then add the onion, pepper, corn, and olive mixture. Pour the salsa over everything, then top with cheese.

Bake, covered, at 375 for 30-35 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly. Uncover and bake for 5-10 more minutes until the edges begin to brown. (I like to broil it on high for a few more minutes until the cheese is golden and crispy.) Serve with sour cream.

(Feeds 5 of us...just. Double for 6 or for leftovers.)

Faux Flautas

1 can black beans, slightly drained
1 can refried beans
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
12 soft-taco sized tortillas
2 chopped tomatoes
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium saucepan, combine the beans, chicken, and spices. Simmer for 5 minutes. Mash together until it is thick.

Place bean mixture off-center on each tortilla, top with cheese and tomatoes, and roll. Place seam side down in a 9x13 pan. Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Top with salsa and sour cream.

(Adapted from The Six O'Clock Scramble)

Crock-Pot Split Pea Soup

leftover lamb bone

4 cups green split peas

1 diced onion

8 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large crock-pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Remove lamb bone, add salt to taste (if needed), and serve.

Moroccan Chicken and Lentils

1 TBSP paprika

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp coriander

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 TBSP butter or extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 to 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs

4-8 sliced carrots

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup dried lentils

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup whole wheat couscous

Combine spices in a small bowl and set aside. Heat butter or olive oil in a large skillet, add onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Stir in spice mixture, then add carrots, chicken, lentils, and 1 1/4 cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 40-45 minutes, until lentils are fully cooked. Bring 1 1/2 cup chicken broth to a boil, then stir in couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Serve chicken and lentil mixture over couscous.

Betsey's Burrito Casserole

1 lb ground beef or shredded chicken, cooked

4-6 flour tortillas

1 can (or 1 1/2 cups homemade) refried beans

1 cup salsa, divided

1 1/2 cups cheese, divided

1/2 recipe (or 1 can) Cream of Mushroom Soup

In a 9x13 pan, place a layer of tortillas, followed by the refried beans, meat, 1/2 cup salsa, and half of the cheese. Then place another layer of tortillas, followed by the Cream of Mushroom Soup, the rest of the salsa, and the rest of the cheese. Cook at 350˚ for 25-35 minutes, until heated through and bubbly.

Three Bean Salad

2 cans green beans, drained

2 cans yellow beans, drained

2 cans red kidney beans, drained

1 can chickpeas, drained (also called garbanzo beans, but that would make it Four Bean Salad)

2 cans sliced black olives

Marinade:

1 1/2 cups evaporated cane juice

1 cup vinegar

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp sea salt

1 chopped onion

1/2 tsp garlic salt

Combine beans and olives with marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with a slotted spoon to drain marinade.

Crock-Pot Chili

1 lb. ground chuck

4-6 cans organic kidney beans (drained)

1 large organic green pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

8-12 cups chopped organic tomatoes (fresh or jarred)

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp basil

2 tsp turmeric

4 tsp chili powder

2 tsp sea salt

6 TBSP (1/3 cup + 1 TBSP) red wine vinegar

Use a large crock-pot (mine is 6.5 qt.), and turn it on the low setting. Crumble ground chuck into the bottom of the crock-pot to start cooking while you drain the cans of beans and tomatoes and chop the pepper, onion, and garlic. After all the ingredients have been added, stir well. Cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours.

Serve over Fluffy Brown Rice, with grated sharp cheddar cheese on top.

(Optional additions: 1-2 cups corn, 1-2 cups black beans)

Adapted from A Year of SlowCooking

Crock-Pot Black Beans

1 pound black beans

water

2 TBSP whey or lemon juice

vegetable stock, tomato-free (optional)

4 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed (optional)

Sort beans and rinse under running water.  Dump into crock-pot (4 qt or larger) and add enough water to cover, plus 2 inches.  Add whey or lemon juice, cover and let soak overnight (or at least 6 hours).  

Discard soaking water and rinse beans.  Dump back into crock-pot and add garlic (optional) and enough water or optional vegetable stock to cover the beans, plus an extra 2-3 inches.  

Cover and cook on low for at about 8 hours.  (My new 6 1/2 qt crock-pot takes 6 hours, and my old 4 qt crock-pot takes more than 10 hours.)  Beans are done when they are tender.

Original crock-pot directions from crockpot365

Crock-Pot Honey-Ginger Lentils

3 cups lentils (about one bag)

6 cups tomato-less vegetable stock (or water)

1 can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)

1 cup grated carrots

2 tsp salt

2 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 cup soy sauce

2/3 cup honey

2 bay leaves

Rinse and drain the lentils and place in the crock-pot.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-5 hours.

Black Bean Soup

6-ish cups cooked black beans 

3-4 chopped tomatoes

1-2 cups corn

1 small onion, chopped

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

Heat to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add chopped cilantro and salt to taste, and garnish with sliced avocados.

Faster version:
6 cans black beans (3 drained)
2 black beans cans filled with frozen corn 
1 16 oz package fresh salsa

Heat over medium-heat until heated through.

(We add a spoonful or two of sour cream to each serving and stir it in – cools it off faster for the kids to eat, and takes a little bit of the picante out too.  We also like to eat it with tortilla chips.) J