Black Beans

If you like black beans from a can, then you haven't really tasted black beans! There's nothing like making them in a cast iron kettle, slow simmering for hours, then used in any recipe that you would normally use the canned version in. It's so easy!

What You'll Need:

1 Lb. Dry Black Beans
1 Medium Onion, Diced
1 Medium Poblano Pepper, Diced
2-3 Cloves Fresh Garlic, Finely Chopped
2 Cups Vegetable Broth
Sliced Jalapeno to Taste (I use the nacho slices in the jar because I like the flavor)
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1Tablespoon EVOO
Salt & Pepper to Taste

What To Do With It:

Thoroughly rinse the dry beans then soak for a minimum of 4 hours. Place the onion, garlic and poblano in your kettle and cook in the EVOO until the onion is translucent. Rinse the soaked beans well, then place in the kettle and add the remaining ingredients. Add enough water to cover the beans by about 2". Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and simmer until the beans are tender but not mushy. You'll want to check them often and stir gently, you don't want to overcook them, and you want to keep an eye on the water so you don't let them get too dry, but not so much water you end up with soup. Once they're done, you're ready to use them in your recipes or just enjoy them all by themselves!

* Try using them in my Vegetarian Black Bean Enchilada recipe!

Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas

I was a bit skeptical about these enchiladas, because I dearly loved regular 'ol beef and chicken enchiladas, and I was afraid I'd miss the meat. But they turned out amazing! You honestly don't care that there's no meat in them, they're so delicious!

I recommend making these starting with dry black beans that you prepare yourself - I really think it makes the flavor better, and I will be posting my black bean recipe here later. However, if you need to use canned, that works too, and I'm sure they'll still be yummy!

What You'll Need:

2 Cups of black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 Cup frozen corn
1 Cup of your choice of salsa
1.5 to 2 cups of fresh baby spinach, chopped
Small yellow onion, diced
2 stalks of green onion, green parts diced
Lg can red enchilada sauce
2 cups monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese, grated
Salt & pepper to taste
Corn tortillas

What To Do With It:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch pan with non stick spray & set aside.
Combine the chopped fresh spinach, corn, salsa, 1/2 the green onions, 1/2 the cheese, yellow onion, salt, pepper in a medium to large bowl. Stir until ingredients are evenly mixed. Add the black beans and carefully stir so you don't mash the beans up.

Steam the tortillas using a tortilla warmer. If you don’t have a tortilla warmer, place them on a microwave safe plate, on top of wet napkins/paper towels, and then cover with more wet napkins/paper towels and microwave for about 45 seconds, or until tortillas are warm and easy to work with.

Fill each tortilla with a small amount of filling, about 1/4 – 1/3 cup, and roll tortilla up, placing the seam side down in the pan. Repeat process until all tortillas have been filled. Pour enchilada sauce over them, making sure to cover them evenly. Top with remaining shredded cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until tortillas are heated through. Garnish with your remaining green onions, and serve hot with sour cream on the side. Best served with Spanish or yellow saffron rice, and refried beans! Enjoy!

Savory Split Pea & Rice Soup

After much tweaking, I came up with what I think is the most savory, full flavored Split Pea Soup I've ever made. It's so easy to make, and SO yummy!

What You'll Need:

1 tablespoon EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1 lg onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon celery seed

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 Lb dry split peas

1 Bay leaf

1 cup uncooked brown rice (can use barley as well for a variation!)

1 Cup Sliced Baby Mushrooms

1 Cup thinly sliced carrots

8 Cups water

2 Cups Vegetable Broth

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt 

What to Do With It:

Heat oil in your soup pot (I always use a cast iron kettle) and saute the onion, mushrooms and garlic until tender. Stir in celery seed, salt and pepper and mix well. Add split peas, rice (or barley), water, broth, carrots and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until peas and rice are tender.

Southern Vegetarian Black Eyed Peas

This is by far, one of my favorite comfort foods, and so super easy to make! And unlike a lot of dry bean recipes, this won't require any overnight soaking, or all day cooking!

What You'll Need:

Soup Pot - I prefer Cast Iron
1 Pound Dry Black Eyed Peas
I Large Onion, Chopped
2 Med/Lg Cloves of Fresh Garlic, Thinly Sliced
1/4 Cup Jalapenos (I use pre-sliced from jar)
1 Tablespoon of Butter
1/4 Teaspoon Celery Seed
Sea Salt & Pepper to Taste

What To Do With It:

Rinse the beans well in a collander, and as with
all dry beans, check carefully for rocks! Nothing
ruins a yummy bite of black eyed peas like biting
down on a pebble. 
Put in soup pot, and cover with water - you want
to be careful about your water level so as not to
end up with soup. (As they're cooking, you want to
make sure there's just enough water to go over the
top of the beans.) Add the remaining ingredients,
and bring to a rolling boil. Let boil for 10 minutes,
then lower the heat and allow to simmer until beans
are tender, but not mushy. Depending on your pot, it
shouldn't take more than a couple hours, but check
them frequently!

* Best served with my homemade chow chow (as
pictured) and cornbread.  Look for the chow chow 
recipe too!