Taco-Style Beans

What's cheap, low fat, easy to prepare, with more protein than any animal product?  BEANS, of course!  Beans, beans, they're good for the heart... RIGHT?!  Right.  They are very good for us.

Here is a very easy recipe for beans that go really well on taco-salad, served as a side dish for any Mexican-style meal, or just over some brown rice with some fresh toppings!  This is a recipe in which all of the ingredients are for sure going to be in your pantry already, and it is very easy to prepare.  NOTHING intimidating here, folks!

Have yourself a happy bean holiday!  Yay!


Taco-Style Beans
Yield: a large crock-pot full

6 cups pinto beans, or a mixture of a few different kinds
1 medium onion, diced
10-12 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 TB taco seasoning
1 TB dried oregano
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 TB sea salt, or to taste
½ a 15oz can tomato sauce
2 TB organic brown sugar, agave, or maple syrup

1.  Soak beans for 8 hours, drain, rinse, place in crock-pot and cook on low for 8 hours.
2.  In a large, hot, oiled skillet, place onion.  Sauté with a pinch of salt until translucent and almost caramelized.  Throw in garlic, taco seasoning, oregano, cumin, granulated garlic, and salt.  Sauté for a minute or two until everything smells fragrant.  Add tomato sauce (and a little water if it starts to stick). 
3.  Put beans in a colander after they are cooked, rinse them off really well.  Add them to a large pot.  Add seasoning sauté mixture, your sweetener of choice, and enough water to just cover the beans barely.  Bring beans to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low.  Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.  Serve.  

Gluten Free Chickpea Loaf

Here's a very, very simple loaf.  Just in time for the holidays!  Enjoy.


Gluten Free Chickpea Loaf
Yield: 1 9x11 loaf

4 cups garbanzo beans cooked, partially mashed (slightly overcooking them gives nice flavor)
1 cup pecan meal
2 cups walnut meal
1 large onion, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
2 TB McKay's Chicken Seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sage or thyme, optional
2 TB arrowroot powder, optional
2-4 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup brown rice flour, if needed*

Mix everything together in a large bowl, until fully incorporated.  Place in lightly greased 9x13 glass pan, press down with the back of a spoon until even in pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

*If it looks like the consistency needs a little something more, you may add some brown rice flour to bind it together.

Red Lentil Soup

 This is one of my favorite quick and easy, comforting soups to prepare.  And its very inexpensive to make!  Full of fiber, iron, and vitamins, there's nothing you will lack from this soup!  This red lentil soup pairs perfectly with avocado & tomato toast, or a nice tossed salad.  For our family of 3, I usually make a double batch of this so we can eat it for a couple different meals.  Hope you enjoy!
 
Red Lentil Soup
Yield: 4 servings

⅔ cup dry red lentils
¼ cup dry brown rice
4 cups water or vegetable broth
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
1½ tsp sea salt*
¾-1 tsp granulated garlic
1 TB extra virgin olive oil, optional
2 TB fresh squeezed lemon juice

1.  Rinse/wash lentils and rice in a strainer with cold water.
2.  Put everything except lemon juice in a large sauce pan, and bring to a boil.
3.  Reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4.  Add lemon juice right before you serve if you plan on eating the whole soup at one time.  I always put the fresh lemon juice on the table when we eat, so everyone can add it themselves, and so that its fresher.

* If you are using vegetable broth instead of water, and your broth has salt in it, I usually only add only about ¾-1 tsp of sea salt.  Then, check the soup before you serve, and add more salt if necessary.  I always make it less salty, then add salt at the table if it needs it.

World's Best Hummus

I know what you're thinking.  This seems like an outrageous statement.  But, if you are a fan of ANY kind of hummus, you have to try this one.  Seriously, hands down, the BEST hummus I have ever had.  Let me know what you think!

World's Best Hummus

Yield: 3-4 cups

4 garlic cloves

2 cups chickpeas, cooked (or 1 can store bought)

1 1/2 tsp celtic grey sea salt

1/3 cup tahini (sesame butter)

6 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 TB water (or chickpea water)

8 dashes hot sauce

1.  Add all the ingredients to a Vita Mix or good food processor.

2.  Blend until nicely pureed.

3.  Serve with crackers, gluten-free crackers or veggies! 

Cuban Black Beans

Cuban Black Beans
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups black beans (organic taste best)
1 small onion, finely chopped
6+ cloves garlic, crushed
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of Spanish olives

Preparation:
1.  Cook beans in 6 cups of water over medium heat.  Add water as necessary to prevent scorching.
2.  Saute all other ingredients (excluding salt and olives).  After 1 hour of cooking the black beans, add sauteed mixture. 
3.  Add the salt and olives after 2 hours of cook time.  (Whenever you add the salt, the beans will not get any softer after that.  So make sure that the beans are cooked the way you like them before you add the salt and olives.  It takes around 3 hours to cook the beans completely.)
4.  Serve over brown rice.

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup
Yield: 6 servings

1 medium onion, chopped
15 oz. Canned Chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 pound butternut squash, seeded, peeled & diced (½ in. Pieces)
14 ½ oz. Canned diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups chicken-like broth
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper

1.  Saute onion in some olive oil at the bottom of a large soup pot.
2.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
3.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low.
4.  Cover and simmer until squash is tender (around 15 minutes).
5.  Serve.

Crockpot Black Bean Soup

Another recipe from weelicious.com that is one of my most favorite and EASY recipes on the site!  YUMMY!  I also demonstrated this at the Fargo Health Expo 2011, and everyone loved it! 

Easy Crockpot Black Bean Soup
Yield:  6 servings


1 TB olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1 32 ounce chicken-like or vegetable broth, low sodium
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 cup water
Toppings:  sour cream, cilantro, olives, tomatoes, chips, onions.


Instructions:
1.  Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and saute onions for 4 minutes.
2.  Add chopped garlic and saute an additional minute.
3.  Place the onion & garlic mixture into the crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
4.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
5.  Using either a hand blender or traditional blender, puree the ingredients to your desired texture.
6.  Top with a dollop of sour cream and fresh toppings.  Serve.