Honey, You're Sleeping on the Couch But It's Worth it Black Bean Soup

Honey, You're Sleeping on the Couch But It's Worth it Black Bean Soup

This awesome soup landed my husband on the couch the night I made it, but it didn't end up bothering me. No matter what your tolerance for beans is, this soup is way worth it, so take some Beano if you must, and enjoy!

Here's What You're Gonna Need

1 tbs olive oil
2 stocks of celery, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper (or any combo of green, yellow and red), diced

1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1/2-1 tsp (depending on how hot you want it) cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper

2 cups vegetable broth
3 (15 ounce) cans of black beans (do not drain)

And Here's What You're Gonna Do

Heat oil in a deep saucepan or pot over medium heat.

Add celery, minced onion, bell peppers. Cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and the second group of ingredients (through black pepper) and saute for another 3 minutes.

Add broth, beans, and liquid from beans to the mix and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for up to two hours, but at least 15 minutes.

Allow the soup to cool slightly and then blend the heck out of it with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender. Top with sour cream, shredded cheese, and/or green onions, if that's how you roll. I also like mine with blue corn tortilla chips.

Low-Fat Spicy Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas

Low-Fat Spicy Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas
serves 3-4

Here's What You're Gonna Need

2 15oz cans black beans, drained
32oz bag frozen corn
4-5 green onions, white and light green parts, sliced thin
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped, if you got 'em, or 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes with chilies is also an option if you'd like to add a little more heat
optional: 1/8 tsp (or to taste) cayenne

12-15 (6 in) corn tortillas
2 15 oz cans red or green (tomatilla) medium or hot enchilada sauce

1 cup low fat* (2% milk) shredded cheese (cheddar, colby, and colbyjack work well)
You may also use fat free cheese here, but it won't melt as well. I suggest using half 2% and half fat free.

low fat / fat free sour cream
salsa verde (green / tomatilla salsa)

If desired: shredded lettuce, avacados, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos

And Here's What You're Gonna Do:
Preheat oven to 375.

Combine the first group of ingredients, and heat over medium heat until heated through, gently stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, stack tortillas on a microwave safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave for 1 minute to make them pliable so they can bend to your culinary will.

Coat the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with a thin layer of enchilada sauce.

While you're coating things, coat each tortilla in enchilada sauce, fill with bean and corn mixture, roll and place seam side down in the baking dish. It's okay if it makes a complete mess. These guys are going to be a tight fit, but jam 'em in there.

Add any leftover corn and beans to the top of the enchiladas and coat with any leftover enchilada sauce. Top with cheese.

Bake uncovered for about 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbling. Remember, fat-free cheese isn't going to completely melt, so don't go by the topping--look for the sauce to bubble.

Top individual servings with sour cream, salsa, and anything else your little heart desires. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadilla

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadilla

This makes one big ass quesadilla (enough for two people if served with sides) or a two to three normal size quesadillas

Here's what you're gonna need:

1 big sweet potato or 2 smaller ones

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1 can cooked and rinsed black beans
a couple of shakes (1/8ish tsp) cumin (optional)*
a couple of shakes (1/8ish chili) powder*

1/4+ tsp cinnamon*
1/4+ tsp cayenne*

1 big ass flour or whole wheat tortilla, or 2-3 smaller ones

meltable cheese (queso fresco, monteray jack, and colby jack work well)

sour cream and/or slices of avocado for garnish (optional).

And here's what you're gonna do:

Cook up that sweet potato either by roasting it (tastes better) or nuking it (quicker). Either way, get it to a state where it is very easy to stab with your favorite kitchen stabbing devise. Leave it in the skin for now--the escaping steam will make it super easy to peel in a few minutes.

Saute the onions with a small amount of butter until they're translucent. Add the rinsed black beans, and season with cumin and chili powder. Keep it going over medium heat until the beans are warm and your kitchen smells kick-ass.

While the magic is happening in bean land, address your sweet potato. By now you should be able to just pop that bad boy out of its skin and into a bowl. Use a knife to split it open then squeeze / scoop the potato out if it's not cooperating. Now season it with cinnamon and cayenne and mash it up good with a fork or a potato masher.

Add the sweet potato to the pan with the black beans and fold it all together until it's mixed well and give the flavors a minute or two to blend. Here's where the * comes in. Wait for it...
*now sample the sweet potato and black bean mixture and adjust the seasoning to your taste. You can also add a pinch of salt here, if you like. I usually don't like.

While the innards are getting to know each other in the pan, address the outtards (new word). Heat the tortilla(s) in a small amount of butter in a skillet of appropriate size or on a griddle. Sprinkle on some cheese (it doesn't need that much). After it starts to get a little melty, spoon the sweet potato and black bean innards onto one side of the quesadilla. Fold the other half over the top of your creation, encourage stick togetherness by pushing on the top a little with your spatula, then slide it off onto a plate. Top with sour cream and avocados. Ta da!

Freezer Burritos and a Period made of gold

Been drinking soy milk. Still no improvement in the size of my boobs, but the last time I got my period it was made of gold.
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Here's a good recipe for burritos that you can made ahead of time and leave in the fridge until the next day or freeze until the day before you decide you're no longer a vegetarian.

1 cup of brown rice (cooled)
2 cans of black beans
1 can pinto beans
1/2 can whole kernel corn
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies or an equal amount of salsa
as much cheese as your little heart desires
8-10 flour tortillas (the big ass kind)

Rinse and drain black beans and pinto beans. Put the black beans, pinto beans, corn and died tomatoes in a mixing bowl and mix it all up. Toss in the rice and cheese and mix it up again. Fill the tortillas up with the mixture and wrap those suckers up like burritos. If you want to freeze them, wrap them up in plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag. You can also freeze the filling and the tortillas separately. Defrost them in the microwave when it's burrito time again. If you're going to eat your babies now, you can slap some sour cream on the tortilla first and add guacamole or just cut up avocados--that stuff doesn't freeze well, though, so if you want it on the frozen ones you're going to have to add it after they thaw.