Pot o' Beans

We have been eating a lot of beans around here. In our resolve to eat less meat and to stick to a budget, beans work great. They are cheap, full of protein and fiber and very versitle. My favorite thing to do with them lately is to soak them overnight and then cook them in the crockpot all day. Then when I get home they are ready to eat on their own, in a burrito, added to soup, on nachos, etc. We are loving beans. If you have any good ways to cook or use beans please share them!

Beans & Rice with Sausage (pictured above on a very bright blue plate)
2 cups dried beans, soaked in water over night and drained (I used 1 cup of pinto and 1 cup of kidney)
2 cups of chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 large onion, diced
3 large garlic cloves, diced
3 cups chopped kale
2 chicken sausages, sliced (optional)
2 cups hot brown rice (or more for leftovers- I cooked it in the rice cooker with chicken broth for more flavor)

1. In a slow cooker, add the soaked beans, can of tomatoes, chicken broth, onion and garlic. Add water if needed to cover the beans by about a 1/2 inch or so. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Mash slightly with a potato masher to make the mixture thicker.
2. Pour beans into large pot and bring to a simmer. Add sausage (if using) and kale and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Serve over rice.

*Would also be great added to a vegetable soup

Versitle Black Beans
2 cups black beans, soaked over night
1 chipotle in adobo, chopped*
2 cups chicken broth
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
handful of cilantro, diced

1. Add beans, chipotle, chicken broth, onion and garlic to slow cooker. Add more water if needed to cover beans about 1/2 inch. Allow to cook on low for 6-8 hours. Slightly mash with a potato masher to create a thinker bean mixture (if desired) or drain out extra liquid depending on how you are going to serve the beans. Add cilantro, salt and pepper to taste.
2. Serve on nachos, tacos, buritos, tostatas. Add to a tortilla or mexican soup. Create a bowl with or with out rice, beans, tomato, lettuce, sour cream, salsa, and topped with avacado.  Use in Southwest Lasanga recipe or any recipe that calls for black beans.

* I buy a can of these and freeze them since usually you only need 1/2 or 1 per recipe. They are easy to break apart and chop even when frozen

Serious Baked Beans (adapted from my friend Michelle's recipe)
2 cups pinto beans, soaked over night
1 chipotle in adobo, diced* (see note above)
3 slices bacon, chopped (if desired)
2 cups chicken broth
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
1 can green beans, drained

1. Add beans, bacon (if using), chipotle, onion and broth in a slow cooker. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Add to beans and cook for 6-8 hours.
2. Add green beans to mixture, stir to combine and cook for another 15 minutes.
3. Serve with sour crean and fritos or a piece of corn bread.

Note: All of these could be made with out the use of a slow cooker. Soak beans overnight, add beans and other ingredients that would have gone into the slow cooker, into a pot and bring to simmer, cover and allow to cook for about 60-90 minutes until beans are soft. Then add any additional ingredients and cook for 15-20 minutes more. Serve and enjoy!

Steak Fajitas

A few weeks ago we visited Aaron's grandparents in Houston, Texas. I had not been to Texas since I was five years old and I really didn't realize how strong the Mexican influence is there. Of course it makes sense that there would be great Mexican food and fresh avocados, peppers, limes, etc., being so close to Mexico, but it just hadn't occurred to me before. I was picturing more barbecue, huge steaks, and cowboy food I guess. At the wedding we attended while we were there, the food was a fajita bar with tortillas, chicken, beef, vegetables, guacamole, queso, chips and pico. Yum! Aaron's mom said food like this was common in Texas and weddings or parties. Hmmm. Quite a bit different from the traditional ham and butter sandwiches that I have been told are common to have at North Dakota weddings!

 I could live off of tomatoes, avocados, black beans, and peppers, so this food was no problem for me! Aaron's grandmother made us migas one morning for breakfast. Reading on Wikipedia, I discovered that migas is a traditional Tex-Mex food that is Spanish for "crumbs." Her's was eggs mixed with strips of tortillas, bacon, peppers, onions, and cheese. Others meats, vegetables, etc could be used in it as well.  Something like this probably would not have sounded very good to me if someone described it to me- being used to pancakes and plain old scrambled eggs! But, we had our migas with fresh avocado slices, fresh tomatoes, salsa, and warm corn tortillas and it was delicious! It is a filling meal and I think it will become a regular on the Russell weekend breakfast menu or as a breakfast-for-dinner item. 

Before we left Houston, we visited a Fiesta Mart grocery store. It was liking walking into Mexico with food trucks in the parking lot, vendors selling hats, dresses and other trinkets in the doorway, and Latin products in the store. There were bags of key limes for $2.50, bell peppers and avocados for less than $1.00, live talipia swimming in tanks, every part of a pig, and fresh tortillas. We bought a bag of still warm corn tortillas for $1.00. I just wished I could have bought and bags and bags of food back! We will be using some of these tortillas for fish tacos this week, but when we got back from Houston, we had them with steak and beans and rice. Enjoy!

 

 Steak Fajitas with Beans & Rice
8 corn tortillas
8oz grilled steak, sliced
Optional ingredients:
grilled peppers and onions
shredded cheese
sliced avocados
diced tomatoes
chopped cilantro
salsa
light sour cream

1 cup brown rice
16oz canned pinto beans, not rinsed
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1. Combine rice, beans (do not rinse), tomato paste, cumin, coriander, and chicken broth. Cook according to package directions or in a rice cooker, about 40 minutes.
2. Heat tortillas until warm in griddle or microwave. Fill with 2oz steak and favorite toppings.

Serves 4 (2 tortillas each)

Sipping on Soups

One of the things that helps me (and I'm sure a lot of people) to get through the cold, gloomy days of fall, winter and spring here (yes, all 3 seasons can be very cold and grey!) is the food. There is such yummy, warm foods with rich, earthy flavors that make staying inside, nice and cozy, more endurable. I have especially grown to enjoy soups.

We occasionally had soup when I was growing up- usually the canned variety and usually for a quick lunch or if we were sick. Campbell's chicken noodle and vegetable were my favorite. In kindergarten I remember one day a mom came into our class and made home-made chicken noodle soup for us with home-made noodles. It was so good! I can still taste those noodles and the savory flavor of the broth. That was over 20 years ago and I still remember it vividly and I still have never found a chicken noodle soup that matched up.

When I was doing my supervised practice to be a dietitian, to hone our skills, we had to interview many patients in the hospital about what they usually ate. One day I came back to my teacher and I made her laugh when I asked, "Why do so many old people eat soup?" It seemed like every patient said they at soup for at least one or two meals a day I just didn't get it. With all of the food out there why would someone eat soup every day if they weren't sick?!

When I got my first job working in hospital as a dietitian, we were able to eat lunch in the cafeteria and after growing tired of the salad and sandwich bar and not wanting a heavy fried meal, I started gravitating towards the soups. There was vegetable, bean, chicken noodle, southwestern chicken, Mexican wedding, split pea, etc. Most of them were pretty good. I started realizing why people ate so much soup- they were warm, comforting and filled you up for hours. I made my own version of a vegetable soup with pasta and a Mexican wedding soup for Thanksgiving eve a few years ago- I think that was one of my first experiences making soup and I was amazed at how easy it really was. Not to mention, flavorful and healthier than any canned variety that is loaded with sodium and preservatives. I was hooked on soup.

Now during the cooler months I try to make a big pot of some type of soup, chili or stew once a week. I love having the leftovers for lunches, plus you can freeze extras for later. Because we have had some cold, grey weather already, I have had the soup pot going for weeks. Last week I made a minestrone soup with an Israeli couscous mixture that I got at Trader Joe's. Yum yum. I just ate my last serving for lunch and now I will have to decide on my next variety! Enjoy!

Savory Minestrone Soup

3 large carrots, chopped
3 large celery stalks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large can of tomatoes (28oz)
1 can kidney beans or cannelloni beans
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup of water

1 cup Israeli couscous, brown rice, barley, or small pasta
parsley
bay leaf
basil

Heat about1 tbsp olive oil in a large stock pot. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes to 10 minutes and until soft. Add celery and carrots and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, beans and chicken broth, and bay leaf. Let cook for about 20 minutes. Add couscous and water and season with 1 tbsp chopped parsley and basil. Let simmer for another 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls along with a warm slice of crusty, fresh bread.