A Bounty of Black Beans

I noticed I have 6 or 7 cans of black beans in my pantry. Any suggestions for how to use them?

I add black beans to everything - gumbo, salads, soups, or mix with fresh corn, onion, garlic and a can of rotel for a simple chili and wrap in a tortilla.

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Meat and Black Bean Stew (Feijoada) Recipe

Meat and Black Bean Stew (Feijoada) Recipe
Ingredients
2 cups (1 pound) black beans, rinsed and picked over
3/4 pound pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of fat
6 ounces slab bacon
1/2 pound smoked pork sausages
1/2 pound hot Portuguese sausage such as linguica
1 or 2 pounds ham hock or shank, cut into 1-inch rounds
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2-4 ounces dried beef carne seca, minced (optional; see note)

For the Seasonings:
3 garlic cloves, minced and sauteed in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 green onions, including tops, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
Large handful of chopped fresh parsley (about 1/2 cup)
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1-1/2 tablespoons dried oregano, crushed
Salt and ground black pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley


Instructions
Soak the beans overnight in water to cover by several inches. Drain.

Place the drained beans in a saucepan and add water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender, 2-2 1/2 hours. Add additional water as needed to keep the beans covered.

While the beans are cooking, prepare the meats. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Dice the pork butt or shoulder and the bacon into 1/2-inch cubes. Place the pork, whole sausages, and bacon in a large baking pan. Roast until well done. The sausages will e ready after 35 to 40 minutes and the other meats after 45 to 60 minutes.

Cook the ham hock at the same time as the meats are roasting. In a saucepan, combine the ham hock rounds and onion with water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Remove the ham hock rounds from the water and remove the meat from the bones, if desired; set aside. Or leave the rounds intact for serving alongside the beans. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl. Add the strained onions from the liquid to the beans. Add the cooking liquid to the beans if needed to keep them immersed.

Once the beans are almost cooked, check to make sure there is plenty of cooking liquid in the pot. It should be rather soupy at this point. Stir in the carne seca. Cut the sausages into rounds and add them and all the other cooked meats to the pot. Then add all of the seasonings to the pot, including salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the beans are very tender.

Taste and adjust the seasonings. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley just before serving.

NOTE: Using dried beef adds complexity to the richness of this dish, but its inclusion is optional. If dried beef isn't available at your butcher, Armour makes a ground compressed dried beef sold in 2-1/2-ounce jars. Soak it in warm water to cover for 15 minutes to rinse off some of the salt.

Smoky Seven-Bean Soup Recipe

Smoky Seven-Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients
2 pounds smoked pork shoulder, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 quarts reduced-sodium fat-free beef broth
3/4 cup dried red kidney beans
3/4 cup dried navy beans
1/2 cup dried pinto beans
1/2 cup dried baby lima beans
1/2 cup black beans, canned, drained
1/2 cup garbanzo beans, canned, drained
1/2 cup dried lentils
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/3 cup very low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 cup chopped carrots
2 ribs celery, sliced
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
Hot pepper sauce, to taste


Instructions
Combine pork, beef broth, beans, onions, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and Italian seasoning in Dutch oven. heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 to 1-1/2 hours until beans are almost tender.

Stir in carrots and celery; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 45 minutes or until beans and vegetables are very tender. Season with salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito
Ingredients
5 cups peeled cubed sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or other vegetable oil
3-1/2 cups diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon minced fresh green chile
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander
4-1/2 cups cooked black beans (three 15-ounce cans, drained)
2/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
8 eight-inch flour tortillas
Fresh Tomato Salsa or jarred


Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with the salt and water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium skillet or saucepan and add the onions, garlic, and chile. Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth. (You can also mash the ingredients in a large bowl by hand using a potato masher. The result will be a less smooth but nicely textured filling.) Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in the cooked onions and spices.

Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the filling in the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa.

Black beans and rice are a tasty and high protein meal, and so filling.

I love black beans and use them pretty much everywhere that it calls for pinto or other beans.

I like to toss them into a taco soup, on a mexcian pizza, in tacos and burritos, in quesadillas...that sort of thing. They don't have a real strong flavor, so they're good to use as a "filler"

I use black beans in lots of receipes. One that my family enjoys is smoked sausage, black beans, can of tomatoes, can of corn and about 4 cups of cooked rice. You just mix it all together and heat it up. This is great if you have left over rice.

Black Bean Soup Recipe


1 Tbs. of canola or olive oil
4 gloves of garlic or 2 Tbs. of minced garlic from a jar.
1 med. onion
1 med. carrot
3 15 oz. cans of black beans
1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes ( can also use diced tomatoes with green chile.)
1 14 oz. can of chicken broth

Heat oil and add garlic, carrot, onion and cook over med. heat until vegtables are done. Add beans, tomatoe, and broth. Cook uncovered for about 45 min. You can add more water or chicken broth if too thick. Most of the time I double the recipe, it is so good and will keep in the fridge.



Chili's Black Beans

2 (15.5 oz.) Cans of Black Beans
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

Place in sauce pan and mix through.

Let simmer for about 20 - 25 minutes.

Place beans on the bottom of plate. They should cover the middle of the plate. Place Chicken Breast in the middle, your serving of rice on the side, and a generous helping of pico de gallo.



Chili's Black Bean Soup

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 cup boiling Water
1 1/2 quarts (3 pounds) canned black beans, not drained
2 tablespoons cooking sherry
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons garlic, granulated
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
2 teaspoons chili powder
8 ounces smoked sausage, small dice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

In a medium stock pot, place the olive oil, onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Sauté the vegetables until they are tender.

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add the bouillon cubes, and allow to dissolve.

Add the bouillon, cooked beans, and the remaining ingredients (except cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water) to sauteed vegetables. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook approximately 15 minutes.

In a blender, puree 1 quart of the soup, and put back into the pot.

In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoon water.

Add the cornstarch mix to the soup and bring to a boil for 1 minute.

Serve with cornbread, white rice, or your favorite side dish



Black Bean Salsa

15 ounces canned black beans -- rinsed and drained
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped tomato
1 clove garlic -- finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 pinch ground cumin

In food processor bowl, process beans, onion, tomato and garlic until almost smooth.

Transfer bean mixture to bowl. Add cilantro, hot pepper sauce, salt, white pepper and cumin; mix until blended.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with French-fried potatoes or roasted potato wedges.

I use black beans in taco soup:

1 pound ground beef, browned
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 cup water

YUM. I serve with cornbread.