recipe revisited — quick black bean soup

the following recipe is perhaps one of the tastiest, not to mention quickest and easiest, soups you'll ever make. i posted the recipe for it here, along with two others, quite some time ago but never posted any pictures to go with it. i was prompted to revisit the recipe when i saw it published yet again recently in our daily newspaper. the best part about the recipe is that it uses canned ingredients in order to make it a 'no fuss' recipe — all you need are cans of diced tomatoes, black beans and corn.

with winter well on its way - soups are probably on the minds of many people. this one is full of flavour and healthy, not to mention having almost no bad things (fat!) in it. it is also vegetarian and vegan. of course, you could always throw in some ground turkey at the beginning of the recipe to give it some more protein.

as a note to the recipe, the chili powder used in this recipe is the kind which is sold here in the supermarkets. in other words, it is on the milder side and is a mixture of cumin, coriander, paprika, red chilis, salt & pepper. it is more of a mexican / southwestern type of mixture and NOT an indian one. i add some red pepper flakes to make it a bit hotter but much depends on how hot your mixture is and how picant you like your food.

served with some fresh corn tortillas and guacamole, it makes for a nice and easy lunch or dinner.


quick black bean soup

makes 8 to 10 servings

recipe by anne lindsay

ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 tsp mild chilli powder, or to taste
pinch hot red pepper flakes
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (or use whole tomatoes & pulse in food processor)
2 c vegetable [or chicken] stock or (2 tbsp stock powder + 2 c water)
1 19 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 1/2 c corn, canned, frozen or fresh
3 tbsp packed, coarsely chopped coriander

salt and sugar, to taste

method:

in a large pot, heat oil over med. heat and cook onions chilli powder and red pepper flakes for 5 to 8 minutes.

add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and lower heat to med-low and cook, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes.

you can puree 2 cups and return it to soup if you want a thicker soup.

stir in the coriander. add salt and sugar to taste & serve.

enjoy!

full of beans

often seen at picnics, get-togethers, potluck dinners and bbq's, bean salads are popular because they keep well and are very simple to make. they are also very inexpensive, can be made the night before (they should be to improve flavours!), and do not deteriorate quickly as do many other salads.


there really aren't any hard & steadfast rules for making a bean salad — it is essentially just a mix of your favourite beans, vegetables and salad dressing. the only real rule is to let the salad marinate for a few hours so the vegetables and beans can absorb the flavours of the marinade you are using. i tend not to go too heavy on the vegetables and prefer a balanced dressing, and not one which is highly acidic.

served in small portions, the following will stay good for at least a full week. the salad tastes best served at room temperature. if the flavours have faded a bit over the following days, you can perk things up by adding a bit more of "this and that" before serving.


marinated bean salad

makes enough for 6 - 8 people

ingredients:

19 oz can mixed beans (or your fave)

1/4 - 1/2 large green pepper
2 - 3 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/8 - 1/4 red onion
4 - 6 tbsp corn

2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
2 -3 tbsp vinegar (reg white or apple cider)
1 -2 tbsp honey*
1/4 tsp each garlic & onion powder (or 1 clove chopped garlic)
1/4 tsp salt - or more
1/8 tsp black pepper

chopped parsley or coriander (optional)

*can use brown rice syrup (vegan) or regular sugar also.

method:

drain and rinse the beans and set aside in a strainer so all the water runs off.

meanwhile, prepare the vegetables: thinly slice the green pepper and red onions, chop the sun dried tomatoes and measure out the corn. place the vegetables in a bowl.

add or change the vegetables as you like. some people typically add cooked green (haricot) beans as a standard.

add the drained beans to the vegetables and then add the dressing ingredients. mix everything together and add the parsley or coriander if using.

let the salad marinate for a few hours on the counter. the cold of the fridge tends to slow the absorption process so let it marinate first.

simple, quick and easy

enjoy!

beauty is only skin deep

like they say, what counts is on the inside and not the outside.

this won't win any beauty contests, but beyond the skin of this bean lies something really good....

frijoles refritos.

another staple item used in many mexican dishes are beans of all sorts. while maybe not a number one item enjoyed by the average north american, beans provide necessary complex carbohydrates, not to mention necessary fiber in one's diet.

the following recipe is for the common bean (black) bean paste seen in virtually every mexican restaurant and home. while the final product does not exactly scream "look at me, i'm gorgeous", it is one of those things that have to be eaten to appreciate.

frijoles refritos, or refried beans, taste better a day or two after you make them. of course, the best way is to use dried black beans (or other beans of your liking) but that is time consuming and not everyone wants to go that far. if you do, don't presoak them; rather, cook them with a chopped onion and some oil or chicken fat (schmaltz) and water ~ about 3 inches above the beans until they are tender and can be squished easily between your fingers. this can take as much as 8 - 12 hours over a lower heat, depending how old the beans are. add more water as necessary but don't overdo it. the easier way is to use a can of black turtle beans which have already been cooked. follow the directions in the recipe below first to pre-prepare them for the frijoles refritos.

the finished bean paste can be frozen also with no detriment to it.


frijoles refritos — refried black beans

ingredients:

1 can (19 oz) black beans or beans you've cooked yourself
4 to 5 tbsp vegetable shortening or oil or schmaltz
salt
1 small onion, chopped

method:

if using the dried beans, see the preamble in this posting (introduction). if using the canned beans, pre-prepare them by first rinsing them completely.

place them in a pot and add 1/2 small onion and 1 tbsp oil or fat. add 3/4 of a can of water and bring to a boil. cover and let cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. add salt to taste.

to make the frijoles refritos,

place the 1/2 small onion in a pan with 4 tbsp oil or fat and cook the onion until is softened and translucent. do not brown the onion.

add half of the beans with their juices to the onions and cook over medium heat until it boils.

start to mash the beans and let it cook for about 3 minutes or so until it gets thick.

add the rest of the beans and repeat this, mashing until you get the consistency you like.

let this paste cook over medium to medium high heat until it starts to reduce.

you must stir it continually and not let it burn.

you will see it will start to reduce and your spoon will leave a division in the paste.

cook until the paste is fairly dry. you will notice the texture has changed, especially around the edges and bottom of the paste. it should still have some movement and not be a solid hard mass. taste to see if more salt is needed.

remove to a bowl and serve as desired. it will improve the next day.

keep it well covered in the fridge. freeze what you don't need for later.

reheat in a pan, with a little oil and water, especially if it is overly dry. enjoy on its own, with tortillas or tostadas, or in enchiladas or burritos.