Archive for the ‘The Bodacious Bean (recipes using beans)’ Category

Today I wanted to share with you an easy, tasty recipe and a fun giveaway too. While in Napa with Bush’s Beans a few weeks ago, I enjoyed a quick chili/chowder recipe, Spicy Black Bean and Corn Chowder, with yummy Sonoma Pesto.

I know we’re moving into Spring and out of typical chili/chowder season but I think you’ll find that this one is a good year round version. Packed with peppers, black beans, sweet potato, corn and spinach it’s a satisfying and tasty meal. You could always change it up with your own fresh herbs and veggies from the summer garden.

A recipe for Sonoma Pesto accompanies the chowder recipe. The pesto, pretty similar to the Cilantro Roasted Pepper Pesto recently posted here, is a nice addition to the chowder but you could certainly top it with sour cream, or your favorite cheese – or both!

Be sure to keep this recipe in your back pocket for a quick, go-to dinner. It’s really an easy and tasty dish. Plus it’s healthy!

And while we’re on the subject of beans, my good friend Michelle at What’s Cooking has a post that discusses the…um…side affects, shall we say, from eating beans. Michelle explains, in a brief scientific way, what is happening to produce gaseous escapeous from eating beans, not to mention a great, kid friendly recipe called “Step on the Gas Baked Beans.” Be sure to check it out.

Oh yeah! The giveaway! Bush’s Beans has provided a fun mix of kitchen goodies for one (1) winner:

• The Sonoma Diet Cookbook signed by Connie Guttersen, R.D., PhD.
• Napa Valley specialty items like olive oil, a candle and chili spices
• Culinary Institute of America items including a dish towel, wooden spoon and decorative spoon rest
• Bush’s Beans items – apron, bean strainer and assorted Bush’s Beans.

To enter, leave a comment (only 1 per person please) with your favorite chili, chowder or soup recipe that uses beans. It can be a link to a favorite recipe form your own site or from a recipe site like Tasty Kitchen. Or maybe you can find one at the Bush’s Beans recipe site called The Vegetable With More. Also if you’d like, just type the whole recipe in the comments section (just be sure to credit where it came from if it’s not your own personal rendition).

All entries must be placed by Friday, March 19, 2010 by Midnight PST. One (1) random winner will be chosen and announced sometime on Saturday, March 20.

Can’t wait to check out your tasty entries!

For another chance to win, Sandy at Reluctant Entertainer is doing the same giveaway. There’s a different question for entering, but the same great prizes. So go by and enter over there too!

BUSH’S^® Spicy Black Bean and Corn Chowder
Created for BUSH’S^® Beans by Connie Guttersen, R.D., Ph.D., nutrition instructor at The Culinary Institute of America, mom and author of “The Sonoma Diet.”
Serves: 6 to 8 appetizer servings     Preparation time: 15 minutes     Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 pinch favorite dry chile or chipotle powder, to taste
• 1 cup chopped red peppers
• 1 cup chopped green peppers
• 2 cans (15 ounces) BUSH’S^® Black Beans or BUSH’S^® Reduced Sodium Black Beans, with liquid
• 1 cup peeled, diced sweet potato
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 cups cleaned baby spinach
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• salt and black pepper, to taste

*Optional Toppings

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons salsa fresca (purchased)
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat yogurt

Directions:

- Place olive oil in a sauce pot. Add onions and cook until caramelized.

- Add garlic and spices, cook until aromatic. Add peppers, sauté 5 minutes.

- Add beans with liquid. Bring to a simmer, cook 10 minutes. Add sweet potato; simmer 10 minutes or until tender.

- Add corn and spinach. Bring to a simmer until the spinach wilts.

- Adjust seasoning with lime, salt and pepper. Add *optional toppings (one option is the Sonoma Pesto; see below), as desired.

Sonoma Pesto
Created for BUSH’S^® Beans by Connie Guttersen, R.D., Ph.D., nutrition instructor at The Culinary Institute of America, mom and author of “The Sonoma Diet.”

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 each serrano chile
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts or peanuts
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 ounces extra virgin olive oil
• 1 each lime juiced with zest
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons salsa verde (purchased)

Directions:

- Combine all pesto ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

- Drizzle the pesto on top of the chile verde and finish with salsa verde, as desired.

For more family favorite recipes, visit www.VegetableWithMore.com.

We all know beans are a great source of protein, fiber, iron, magnesium and many other nutrients. But did you know that, according to the Mayo Clinic, beans are packed with phytonutrients that may help prevent chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer? That’s pretty remarkable.

My recent trip to Napa was full of cooking and exploring an array of ways to use beans. We discussed how cooking with beans is more than just opening a can, heating them up and serving them as a side. Beans are an ingredient to be used creatively in sauces, salads, dips and as thickeners to name a few.

Soon after starting this blog I started a series called “The Bodacious Bean” highlighting a variety of bean recipes. And with inspiration from all the great people I cooked with in Napa (and a little creativity of my own), I can’t wait to continue to add to “The Bodacious Bean” recipe file. I’d love to hear any ideas you have utilizing the bean too.

The first recipe I want to share is for a salad dressing. We cooked many recipes and shared endless ideas but this caesar salad dressing, using bean puree instead of eggs, really surprised me. The flavor and texture offer a pretty good match for the original. Plus it’s healthier.

By no means am I saying it’s better than the original but it is a good option for those with egg allergies, or others who can’t eat raw eggs for one reason or another.

The ingredients are basic: white beans, olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, pepper, anchovy paste, garlic, and water to thin if needed.

Begin by pureeing a whole can of white beans and their liquid in a food processor.

You’ll only need one cup of the puree – 1 15 0z. can of beans makes about 1 3/4 cup of puree. You can use the remaining puree in a soup or as a thickener for a sauce.

In a blender add all ingredients, except the water and blend until smooth.

Yum…parmesan.

If needed, add water to desired consistency but I didn’t add any to mine. Also, feel free to adjust the amount of anchovy paste if you’re not an anchovy fan. You can also use whole anchovies minced.

Toss with some chopped romaine hearts and serve. Yum. Yum. Yum.

That’s it. So simple.

Not-So-Caesar Caesar Salad Dressing

adapted from Joyce Goldstein; 2010 Worlds of Healthy Flavor Conference
(makes about 2 cups)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of white bean puree (canned beans & bean liquid pureed in food processor or blender)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of about 1 lemon)
• 1/4 cup parmesan, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 2 large cloves)

1/4 cup water

Directions:

- In a blender combine bean puree, olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, pepper, anchovy paste, and garlic until blended and smooth.

- If needed, add water to thin to desired consistency.

- Refrigerate until used.

Enjoy!

I’d love to hear about any favorite bean recipes you may have. Are you a classic chili bean lover? Is there a tasty bean dip you can’t pass up? Please share – can’t wait to see hear from you!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I like beans. They’re versatile, hearty, and packed with nutrients. You’ll find many recipes here, on She Wears Many Hats, highlighting beans as the main ingredient like Black Bean Dip, Black Bean Hummus, Black-eyed Pea Cakes (The Black-Eyed Pea Cakes are out of this world – you gotta try ‘em.) to name a few. You’ll find them all filed under the category The Bodacious Bean.

You can just imagine how excited I was to get an invitation from Bush’s Beans to travel to Napa for chili tasting and cooking at The Culinary Institute of America with Connie Guttersen, R.D., Ph.D., author of The Sonoma Diet.

I was tickled. Totally.

(I just hope I don’t make a fool of myself – you know I’m redneck like that.)

So late next week I’ll be flying off to beautiful Napa along with Sandy from Reluctant Entertainer (she’s got a book coming out this August – watch for it!), Aggie from Aggie’s Kitchen (yummy stuff and healthy too!), and Tina from Mommy’s Kitchen (don’t stop by there hungry – yum!). A great group of ladies cookin’ with some beans. How fun is that?

Can’t wait to share what I learn and hopefully some cool photos of the area too. Meanwhile, if you’ve yet to check out this White Bean Chili, this weekend may be the perfect time to make a batch.

Or take a look at this site from Bush’s Beans with tons of recipes and nutritional information about beans…Beans. The Vegetable With More.

I hope you have a great weekend full of tasty eats!

(So I don’t get in trouble or anything, you should know that Bush’s Beans is covering all costs for the trip – they’re cool like that.)