Tag: Black Beans

Fiesta Bean Salad

Black beans, chick peas, tomatoes, cilantro and avocado are tossed with a cumin-lime vinaigrette – I love the bright, fresh flavors of this quick and easy salad! Perfect for lunch, Meatless Mondays, or even as a side dish with grilled steak, shrimp or chicken.

Something magical happens when you combine cumin, cilantro and lime juice. I can seriously add this to just about anything and be a happy camper.

I confess that I didn’t always like beans in my salads, I think it’s a texture thing because I love beans simmered in soups or with rice, but…

…add some avocados, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, and cumin…. this is yumm-y!! What’s more it’s antioxidant rich, full of heart healthy fats, clean, and high in fiber which keeps you full and satisfied.

This serves four as a main dish, if you prefer to have this as a side dish, then it would easily serve 8.

Fiesta Bean Salad
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 4 • Size: little over 1 cup • Old Points: 7 • Weight Watcher Points+: 7 pt
Calories: 335 • Fat: 11.5 g • Carb: 47 g • Fiber: 15.5 g • Protein: 14 g • Sugar: 0.4 g
Sodium: 481.6 mg • Cholest: 0 mg

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive
1 tsp cumin
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup minced red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 medium avocado, diced

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the garlic, lime juice, oil, cumin, crushed red pepper, and salt.

Add the black beans, chickpeas, tomato, onion and cilantro; mix well. When ready to eat, gently mix in avocado and serve right away.

Makes 4 1/3 cups.

Brazilian Feijoada – Happy (and hopefully very lucky) New Year!!

We’ve posted about this before, but there’s a great,
southern tradition of eating beans and greens on New Year’s Day to ensure good
fortune in the coming year.

Apparently, by eating “poor” the first day of the
year, you align certain cosmic forces in your favor, which results in
prosperity and good luck the rest of the year. Sounds crazy, right? I know, you’re way too sophisticated to
believe in such lame supernatural shenanigans. Hey wait a minute…don’t you
watch all those ghost hunter shows on cable TV? Busted! Hey, did you hear that
noise?

Anyway, whether you believe in this kind of culinary clairvoyance
or not, this Brazilian feijoada is one of the world’s great stews. The
traditional good luck bean is the black-eyed pea, but here we’re celebrating
the delicious, and very nutritious, black bean.

I tried to be clear in the video that this is just my
version, and not some attempt at true feijoada authenticity, whatever that is.
As long as you have black beans, and LOTS of smoked, salted, dried, and/or
cured meats, you are well on your way to some kind of feijoada-like
awesomeness.

In case you’re wondering, all I did for the greens was boil
some kale in salted water until tender, and then sauté briefly in olive oil and
garlic. It pairs perfectly with the white rice and rich stew, and while I can’t
guarantee a year’s worth of wealth and good luck, I can promise you a delicious
bowl of food. Happy New Year to all of you, and as always, enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:
1 pounds dry black beans, soaked overnight
2 quarts water, plus more as needed (add more whenever stew
looks too dry)
1 bay leaf
2 smoked pork chops
12 oz linguica
8 oz Italian sausage
4 oz smoked bacon
3 oz dried beef
1 onion
6 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
salt and pepper to taste
For the crumbs:
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp grated orange zest
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

Basic steps:
– Soak beans overnight, add to pot with bay leaf, beef
jerky, and any bones
– Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans are cooked,
but very firm
– Add onion mixture and meats, and simmer for another hour,
or until beans are very soft
– Add a splash of water at any point during the cooking if
stew looks too dry
– Test and add salt near the end, depending on saltiness of
meat

Incoming search terms:

Slow Cooker Chicken Black Bean Tacos

This easy taco recipe requires no pre-cooking, just throw it all in the crock pot and you’ll have a delicious weeknight meal. Black beans and chicken breast, simmered in the slow cooker make the perfect filling for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or even a burrito bowl and it’s loaded with fiber.

Personally, I love this served in crunchy corn taco shells. I make a quick red cabbage slaw which adds a little acidity and crunch, and it’s a healthier option than iceberg. Add some spicy pico de gallo for freshness and avocados, and I am one happy gal! So good you won’t even miss the cheese!

I often make my own pico de gallo, but when I’m pressed for time, I have no problem buying it. There are lots of great options in the refrigerated produce section of the supermarket, Nature’s Promise is usually my go-to, is organic and has just the right amount of kick.

Avocado is so good on tacos, and loaded with heart healthy fats. It’s creamy and delicious and I totally skip the sour cream, but if you rather save on calories and leave it out, fat free Greek yogurt works fine in it’s place.

As for my slow cooker, believe it or not, I’ve had many bad experiences with crock pots cooking to hot and turning out strange tasting food… until I bought my current Slow Cooker, the Hamilton Beach Set and Forget 6 Quart Slow Cooker. Love it and I’ve been using it for over a year with great results every time! As part of my week of Target giveaways, I wanted to give away the same exact one, but couldn’t find the same exact model. I did find one very similar, without the probe (which I never used anyway) so today on Skinny Bits, if you want to take a chance at winning this wonderful prize, click HERE and leave a comment on Skinny Bits for a chance to win. (Please do not leave your comments here on Skinnytaste, they wont count.)^[1]^[2]^[3]

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Chicken Tacos
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 3 tacos • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pt (10 w avocado)
Calories: 313 • Fat: 8 g • Carb: 41 g • Fiber: 8 g • Protein: 22 g • Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 716 mg (without added salt)

Ingredients:

12 oz raw skinless chicken tenders or breast
15 oz can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed (Goya)
10 oz can tomatoes with mild green chiles (I used Rotel)
1 1/8 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp plus 1/8th tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1 medium scallion, diced
1 tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

For the Slaw:

1 1/3 cups shredded red cabbage
1 tsp red wine vinegar (or lime juice)
salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Taco:

12 crisp corn taco shells

Optional toppings: (not calculated)

pico de gallo
1 medium haas avocado, sliced (+ add 2 pts per serving)

Directions:

Season chicken with pinch of salt, garlic powder, oregano, 1/8 tsp of the chili powder and 1/8th tsp cumin.

Add the beans and tomatoes to the crock pot and season with the remaining chili powder and cumin. Place chicken in the crock pot and cover. Cook on HIGH 2 hours.

Meanwhile, combine shredded cabbage with vinegar (add more to taste), season with salt to taste; set aside.

Remove chicken from the crock pot and shred with two forks. Drain beans and transfer to a platter, or back to the crock pot to keep warm. Top with shredded chicken, scallions and cilantro.

To serve, warm the taco shells according to package directions. Fill with equal amounts of bean and chicken mixture. Top with cabbage and your favorite toppings.

References

^{^} Hamilton Beach Set and Forget 6 Quart Slow Cooker (www.amazon.com)
^{^} Skinny Bits (www.skinny-bits.com)
^{^} click HERE and leave a comment on Skinny Bits for a chance to win (www.skinny-bits.com)