Black Bean Salad

HOWDY friends!  As our American Independence Day celebration draws near, I wanted to pop in and share a yummy salad recipe, that is very quick & easy to put together, and ALWAYS a hit!

My brother brought home the recipe a few years ago.  He had eaten it at a friend’s house, and loved it, so he asked for their recipe.  He and my sister have been making it regularly ever since.  The recipe he brought home was made with corn & black beans.  I decided to adapt it, and leave out the corn.  I made my version for a hungry crew at our recent Memorial Day celebration, and it was a definite success.

Some folks liked it as it is intended (as a salad), others thought it worked well as a dip.  (I think I might give it a few pulses in the food processor if I decide to serve it as a dip.  I wouldn’t want it completely smooth, but a little less chunky might be good for dipping.)  My niece even decided it made a great hot dog topping!

However you might decide to serve it, or adapt it (as I did), you really should try it.  It’s delicious, and sure to be a favorite for your family like it has become for mine.

I’ve tried to track the original recipe (to give proper credit, where credit is due), but I’ve had a hard time nailing it down.  The closest I’ve come is what the internet refers to as Paula Deen’s Corn Salad .  However, I’m not even sure that it came from Paula Deen, as I haven’t found it on any of her websites, or anywhere with attribution other than the name.  Maybe somebody thought it sounded like something she might make and gave it the name, or maybe she really did originate it.  I really don’t know, but I do know that it is wonderful!  That recipe uses only corn (no black beans),unlike the recipe my brother brought home, but pretty much everything else was the same.  I figured if it could be made with just corn, it could be made with just beans, so without further ado…here’s my version.

(Photo quality isn't nearly as good as the salad is!)

 

Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed & drained (the original recipe my brother brought home called for 1 can black beans & 1 can whole kernel corn - both rinsed & drained)

2 cups grated cheddar cheese (sharp cheddar adds a really nice flavor, but I’m sure you could substitute a Mexican cheese blend or whatever you happen to like)

1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer real mayo, as Miracle Whip tends to lend a sweetness that I don’t want)

1 cup red bell pepper, chopped (or you can use any combination of your favorite, red, yellow and/or green bell peppers - my brother’s recipe uses green - I’m even thinking I might try adding a chopped jalapeño or two next time!)

1/2 cup red onion, chopped (I prefer to use the sweet red onions when I can find them)

1 (10-1/2 ounce) bag coarsely crushed chili cheese flavored corn chips

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients (EXCEPT crushed corn chips) and chill.  (If you have time...make it the night before you plan to serve it, to allow the flavors to fully develop.  If you're in a hurry, don't worry, it will still be fabulous!)  Sprinkle crushed corn chips over the top of your salad just before serving.  (You can also stir them directly into the mixture if you prefer.  Either way, don’t do it too early, or they’ll lose their crunchiness.)

I hope you’ll give this one a try, and let me know what you think.  I’d love to hear about the variations you might choose!

Happy 4th of July my friends... I pray that you’ll have the opportunity to celebrate our country’s Independence Day with your family & friends, as I plan to.  May we never forget the sacrifices made by so many to grant us (and maintain for us) the many freedoms we so often take for granted.  I’m especially thankful to live in a country where I am blessed with the freedom to openly worship & serve my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ!  May it always be so.

Photo credit:  http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/4th-of-july.shtml

May God Bless America, and each one of you my friends!

Blessings,

--Faithy

“Use It Up” Soup

HOWDY friends!  Brrrrrrrr…it’s cold outside!  Temps are only in the mid 30’s here in South Texas...all day today!  This weather put me in the mood for some hearty soup, so I went looking in my refrigerator & pantry to see what I could throw together.  I decided to just experiment today, and this is what I came up with.  It turned out REALLY good, so I thought I’d share the recipe with you.  Feel free to adapt it to fit whatever you have in YOUR pantry or refrigerator.  LOL!  If you come up with something really yummy, please share your recipe with me too!

Can you smell this?  It smells heavenly!

“Use It Up” Soup

3/4 cup chopped celery (I had some celery & carrots left over from Thanksgiving, that needed to be used)

1/2 cup diced carrots

1 large sweet onion, diced

1/8 cup chopped jalapeño peppers (I had a few small ones left in my garden that had to be pulled before last night’s freeze)

3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped (because I put garlic in practically everything I cook!)

1 Tbsp. butter

1 (15.5 oz) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed & drained

1 (15 oz.) can mayocoba beans, rinsed & drained (or any white bean you like)

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed & drained (I used some that had jalapeño & lime in them)

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes

1 (32 oz) carton low-sodium beef broth (you could also use chicken or vegetable broth)

1 small link smoked sausage, diced (I used a pork/beef sausage with hatch green chili - you could leave this out if you want, the soup is very hearty even without it)

6 cups water (I started out with 4 cups, and added more as the soup cooked…just use your own judgment on this and make it to the consistency YOU prefer)

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. dried thyme (fresh would be better if you have any - my thyme plant didn’t survive the past few weeks)

1/4 tsp. soul seasoning (or whatever seasonings you prefer)

1/3 of a 16 oz. bag frozen chopped collard greens (spinach - or some diced cabbage - would be good too)

1 large baking potato, diced

4 Tbsp That Green Sauce, mild (I got some of this stuff free with some other purchases at the grocery store.  I don't like it much on it's own, but it really added a nice flavor to the soup!  Glad I finally found a way to use it!)

Sauté celery, carrots, onion, jalapeños & garlic in butter until softened.  Add all remaining ingredients (except for That Green Sauce) and stir well.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until reduced and thickened a bit.

All the veggies are in, and starting to cook!

Stir in That Green Sauce about 10 minutes before serving.

If you want a creamier, less chunky soup, you can use an immersion blender to emulsify some (but NOT all) of the veggies.

Serve with a nice loaf of crusty bread or some hot biscuits!

I found some Hatch Chili & Cheddar scones in the freezer that needed to be used...
that worked out well!

This stuff really hit the spot for me today.  Hope you like it too!

Stay warm out there!

Blessings,

--Faithy

Winter Favorites #3: Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

Here’s a recipe I originally came across online at EatingWell.com, and it quickly became one of our favorites.  It’s super-nutritious, low fat, and high in fiber…AND…it’s delicious!  I know it sounds a little strange, but it REALLY is good…go on…try it…you KNOW you want to!!

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium to large sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, diced (I prefer sweet onions, but you can use whatever you like)

6 cloves garlic, minced (as usual, I used more than the 4 cloves that the original recipe called for)

1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder (chili powder tends to be overpowering, so I didn’t use the full 2 Tbsp called for…it was still pretty spicy!)

2 teaspoons ground cumin (a/k/a comino - the original recipe called for 4 tsp.)

(The original recipe called for 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile - dried, smoked jalapeño peppers that are usually found in with the spices in your local grocery store.  They can also be ordered online.  I didn’t have any so I just left them out!)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 -1/2 cups water

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed (I used some jalapeño-lime flavored ones with large jalapeño slices in them…they added a nice bite in place of the ground chipotle)

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (I use the low-salt ones)

4 teaspoons lime juice (I always use fresh…can’t stand the bottled stuff!)

(The original recipe also called for 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro.  I am NOT a cilantro fan, so I left this out completely!)

If you like a little “heat”, I’m sure you could add some sliced jalapeños or diced green chilis…I may do that myself next time!

Heat oil in a large kettle or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften (about 4 minutes).  Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, (chipotle - if you’re using it) and salt.  Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add water and bring to a simmer.

Cover and reduce to a gentle simmer.  Cook until the sweet potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a low boil, stirring often.  Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat (stir in cilantro - IF you’re using it) and serve with cornbread, multi-grain saltine crackers or tortilla chips.

NOTE:  This chili is actually much better the next day, so be sure to make extra.  (This recipe makes about 4 two-cup servings.)  It will keep in the fridge for about 3 days or you can freeze it for a quick and easy meal later.  I may try making it in my slow-cooker one of these days.  Since the extra time tends to meld the flavors, I think it will be a good fit!

According to the original recipe, a 2-cup serving has about 319 calories and 15 grams of fiber!!

Approximate Nutritional Analysis per 2-cup Serving

Calories:  319

Total Fat:  8 g

Saturated Fat:  1 g

Monounsaturated Fat:  5 g

Sodium:  518 mg

Carbohydrates:  54 g

Fiber:  15 g

Protein:  12 g

Potassium:  1036 mg

Dietary Exchanges:  3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat 

Who says healthy eating can’t be delicious!  Let me know if you try it…

Blessings,

--Faithy