Bush’s Beans & Bloggers too!

Posted by Amy on Jun 23, 2010 | 16 comments

Beans are yummy. Beans are nutritious. Beans are bodacious.

I’ve been blogging about beans for a long time. In fact, just one month after launching She Wears Many Hats last year, I posted one bean recipe each week, for a month. The series was called, The Bodacious Bean, and it began with a simple, basic Black Bean Dip recipe post.

And I used the “F” word. Yes, yes I did.

Unbeknownst to me, people were actually reading my stuff. Bush’s Beans was actually reading my stuff. And they contacted me anyway. Go figure.

Since late February, I’ve been happy to be getting to know the fabulous people at Bush’s Beans. And after an unforgettable trip to Napa, where we cooked at The Culinary Institute of America, Bush’s invited Tina Butler from Mommy’s Kitchen, Sandy Coughlin at Reluctant Entertainer, Aggie Goodman over at Aggie’s Kitchen, and myself to join what I like to call “Team Bean.”

This week, “Team Bean” travels to Evo ’10 – The Evolution of Women in Social Media Conference in Park City, Utah. While there, we’ll learn more about social media and meet some fantastic women in the world of blogging. It’s gonna be a great time. Wish I could pack you in my suitcase and take you along too.

In Utah, I’ll be sharing this Layered Black Bean Dip recipe, that I posted back in April. It’s yum, yum, yummy, and not too bad on the nutrition end of the scale. So grab you some beans and get cookin’!

Layered Black Bean Dip…

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Roasted Garbanzos

Posted by Amy on Jun 8, 2010 | 29 comments

Trying to find healthy snack options for on the go is a challenge, no doubt. With a little planning and prep these roasted garbanzo beans can go along for the ride.

Roasted garbanzos are a crunchy, tasty treat! They’re easy peasy, and a good source for dietary fiber and protein. And the fun thing about roasting garbanzos, is that you can change up the seasonings to make your own unique version. Here’s one combo I threw together. You’ll need garbanzo beans…

Olive oil, soy sauce, salt, pepper and ancho chili powder.

Begin by preheating your oven to 400° F. Place the garbanzo beans and all other ingredients in a bowl and combine well.

Coat every bean.

Spread them evenly on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 40-45 minutes.

Stir/toss the beans and check their progress at 15-20 minutes intervals. After about 40 minutes, taste one for doneness. They should be crunchy, almost crispy. If not done to your liking, continue to roast, checking every couple of minutes until complete.

Roasted Garbanzo Beans Recipe
(makes about 1 cup)

Ingredients:

15.5 oz. canned garbanzo beans, drained

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder

Directions:

- Begin by preheating your oven to 400° F.

- Place the garbanzo beans and all other ingredients in a bowl and combine well, coating every bean.

- Spread them evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for approximately 40-45 minutes.

- Stir/toss the beans and check their progress at 15-20 minutes intervals. After about 40 minutes taste one for doneness. If not done – to your liking continue to roast, checking every couple of minutes.

- When done, cool and enjoy!

Do you have any quick and healthy snack for on the go to share? Please do, I need some ideas!

(I’m happy to be in a formal partnership with Bush’s Beans but the post above isn’t a part of that agreement. I just love beans and this recipe, and hope you enjoy it too.)

White Bean Sauté

Posted by Amy on May 20, 2010 | 17 comments

This is a quick, quick, quick like a bunny (sorry, my mom used to say that all the time) recipe. With a few ingredients you can whip this White Bean Sauté up in no time.

And it’s beans.

And it’s healthy.

Let’s get started. You’ll need olive oil, sweet onion, garlic, white beans (cannellini or great northern), tarragon (or thyme, or your favorite herb), salt, pepper and white wine. I used Pinot Grigio because that’s what I had on hand, but you could use any white wine you’d like.

Begin by heating the olive oil in a sauté pan or skillet over medium heat.

When the oil is ready, add the chopped onion and garlic, and sauté for about 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Adjust the heat if necessary.

Next, add the white beans, tarragon, salt and pepper. Sauté for another 3-5 minutes or so. When sautéing the beans, use a gentle hand so as not to mash the beans up. You don’t want a big pile of mush.

When the pan begins to “dry up” (I’m not a professional chef, so I don’t know what the proper terminology is), deglaze (I know that one) the pan with the white wine, which means to pour the white wine into the pan and hear it sizzle.

Continue to sauté for another four minutes, or five minutes, or six minutes…

Basically you want the wine to cook down and the beans to be warmed to your liking. So taste one. If you like it, it’s done. That’s it.

Serve alongside chicken, fish, beef, or maybe just a nice crisp salad. Other than the effortlessness of this recipe, I like the fact that it lends itself well to using as a starter for a soup or a sauce. I’ll be sharing with you how I do that in the next few weeks.

White Bean Sauté

(serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, rough chopped (Vidalias are yummy for this!)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 15 oz. canned cannellini beans (or great northern beans)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped (thyme would make a good substitute; if using dried herbs, use 1/4–1/2 teaspoon)
• 2-3 tablespoons white wine (again, I used Pinot Grigio, but any white wine should be fine)

Directions:

- Begin by heating the olive oil in a sauté pan or skillet over medium heat.

- When the oil is ready, add the chopped onion and garlic, and sauté for about 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Adjust the heat if necessary.

- Next, add the white beans, tarragon, salt and pepper. Sauté for another 3-5 minutes or so. When sautéing the beans, use a gentle hand so as not to mash the beans up to mush.

- When the pan begins to “dry up” (again, I’m not a professional chef, so I don’t know what the proper terminology is), add the white wine. Continue to sauté for another four minute or five minutes, or six minutes… or however long it takes for the wine to reduce down and the beans to be cooked to your liking. Taste a bean. If you like it, then it’s done.

Hope you enjoy! Do you have any simple side dishes to share?

(I’m excited that I’ve entered into a paid, formal partnership with Bush’s Beans but the post above isn’t a part of that agreement. I just love beans and this recipe, and hope you enjoy it too.)

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Layered Black Bean Dip

Posted by Amy on May 4, 2010 | 114 comments

It’s no secret that I’m partial to beans, especially a good bean dip. Those layered bean dips that pop up at pot luck get-togethers are the best.

A few weeks ago we ordered a black bean dip at a local restaurant mainly because I had to see how they made it. I’ve got a basic black bean dip (please forgive me, I used the “F” word in that post) that’s always a good last-minute back up plan, but this one sounded more interesting – mo’ bettah. It was a hot layered black bean dip, chock full with jalapenos and topped with cheese. Good stuff.

This past weekend I decided to create my own version. It was easy, with simple ingredients. And not only did we eat it as a dip but topped our chicken burritos with it – yum! You’ll need black beans, ancho chile powder, cumin, salt, pepper, cilantro, poblanos, olive oil, tomato, corn and cheese. Of course, add or subtract any ingredients as you like.

Begin by roasting the peppers. I used poblanos, but if you like it hot, add a jalapeno. The roasting of the peppers isn’t totally necessary but it does bring out the flavor of the peppers. You’ll find a mini-explanation on how I roast peppers in this Cilantro, Roasted Peppers & Pistachio Pesto recipe.

After you get the peppers going move on to the beans. Drain the beans, reserving the bean juice for later if needed. This handy dandy bean strainer/drainer from Bush’s Beans has been a little darling in the kitchen. While I drain one can, I can be opening the next and so on. Bet you’d like to have one too, wouldn’t ya?

After you’ve drained the beans heat them in a saucepan over medium heat, add the ancho chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Aancho chili powder is a nice change from the regular chili powder but whatever you have on hand will work just fine.

Aleppo chili powder would be nice too. I’ve been on a hunt for some but can’t find it anywhere locally but again, just use what you have on hand.

When the beans and seasonings have warmed, mash the heck out of them with a potato masher or your preferred mashing technique.

Add 1/4 cup (or more to your liking) of the shredded cheese and mix well. I used yummy queso this time but again, use what cheese you like – Monterey Jack would be nice, as well as a cheddar. If needed, add some of the bean juice for a smooth consistency.

Once the peppers are roasted and prepped (again, see this post for one way to roast peppers), place the cilantro, peppers and 1 tablespoon of olive in a food processor and process until smooth.

Now it’s time to begin the layering process. Begin by spreading the bean mixture on the bottom of an oven safe dish. Next goes the cilantro/pepper combo over the black bean mixture. Top the cilantro/pepper mixture with tomato and corn, then the remainder of cheese.

Bake in a 400° F oven until the cheese melts & begins to brown, about 10-15 minutes.

Serve with chips, bruschetta, in a burrito or whatever tickles your fancy.

Guess what?

Bush’s Beans has provided twenty (20) of the bean strainer/drainers, along with recipe booklets to give away. If you’d like one leave a comment saying so. The 20 people will be randomly chosen Wednesday, May 12, 2010.

***Winners of the Bush’s Beans strainer and recipe booklets have been chosen and will be contacted.***

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Hot Layered Black Bean Dip
(serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

• 2  15 0z. cans black beans, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder (or preferred chili powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 poblano peppers, roasted (see here for roasting technique – if not roasting peppers, seed peppers before using unless you want it spicy)
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, packed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup corn, drained
• 1/3 cup diced tomato
• 4 oz. (divided) queso or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:

- Heat the beans in a saucepan over medium heat.

- Add the ancho chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and combine well.

- When beans have warmed, mash the heck out of them with a potato masher or your preferred mashing technique.

- Add 1/4 cup (or more to your liking) of the shredded cheese and mix well. If needed add some of the bean juice for a smooth consistency.

- In a food processor place the cilantro, peppers and 1 tablespoon of olive and process until smooth.

- Spread the bean mixture in the bottom of a oven safe dish.

- Spread cilantro/pepper mixture over the black bean mixture.

- Add the tomato and corn, then the remainder of cheese.

- Bake in a 400° F oven until the cheese melts & begins to brown, about 10-15 minutes.

- Serve with chips, bruschetta, in a burrito or whatever tickles your fancy.

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to leave a comment if you’d like to have a chance at a free bean strainer/drainer and some tasty recipes from Bush’s Beans.

***Winners of the Bush’s Beans strainer and recipe booklets have been chosen and will be contacted.***

(I considered myself an Ambassador of the Bean long before formally meeting Bush’s, but I do want to mention that I have a broader partnership in place at this time. While this post isn’t part of it, I’m excited about some things to come and definitely wanted to make sure that was clear.)

Spicy Black Bean & Corn Chowder (and a giveaway winner too!)

Posted by Amy on Mar 15, 2010 | 54 comments

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The winner of all the goodies from Bush’s Beans is…

Kirstin
I love Cooking Light’s White Bean and Turkey Chili. Here is the link…yum
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1545785

Yeah, Kirstin! Can’t wait to check out the chili recipe link – yum! Please send me your mailing address when you get a chance.

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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.