May Theme: Cooking with Beans (heidi)

Here are two easy recipes that I made for the evening since I was hosting.

Garlic Hummus

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces dried chickpeas or garbanzo beans (or you can buy 15 ounces canned)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 3/4 tsp garlic salt

Preparation:

Cook dry beans in crockpot on high for 6-8 hours. Puree all ingredients together in a food processor or blender, scraping the sides as needed. You may need to add a bit more water to get the consistency that you prefer.

Refried Beans

Ingredients:

• dried pinto beans or black beans or a mix
• chopped onion and garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• cilantro
• cumin
• jalapeno or green chilis (if you like spice)

Preparation:

Cook dry beans with garlic and onions in crockpot on high for 6-8 hours. Puree all ingredients together in a food processor or blender, scraping the sides as needed.

May Theme: Cooking with Beans (sarah)

10 bean soup

-2 cups of 10 bean dry beans from Sunflower
-5 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
-1 onion finely chopped
-2 cloves of garlic minced
-16oz can of diced tomatoes (pick a flavored one if desired)
-1 pound spicy sausage

Rinse beans and soak covered in cold water overnight. Re-rinse beans and place in a large stock pot or crock-pot, add all other ingredients and simmer for 2-3 hours, or until beans reach desired softness.

May Theme: Cooking with Beans (amanda)

I promise you that you HAVE to try them before you run away from the name of it. Yes, they contain black beans but they are SO AMAZING! I often request that Amanda to make them for parties and game nights!

Black Bean Brownies

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups soft-cooked black or pinto beans, drained
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup instant coffee
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 large free-range eggs
1½ cups light agave nectar

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 11-by-18 brownie pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler until smooth. Put the beans, half of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and several spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Process for about 2 minutes, or until thick and smooth.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the remaining walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, instant coffee, and salt. Mix well.

4. In another bowl, beat the eggs until light with an electric mixer, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well.

5. Combine the two chocolate mixtures and stir.

6. Reserve 1/2 cup of the egg mixture, and add the rest of the egg mixture to the chocolate. Mix well, and then pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect.

7. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares.

8. Chill to firm, then serve.

Note from Amanda: I often leave out the coffee and stir in some chocolate chips just for good measure :)

May Theme: Cooking with Beans (amanda)

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cups chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 pound cubed cooked ham
• 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Directions

1. Pour 2 cans of the black beans into a food processor or blender, along with the can of tomatoes. Puree until smooth. Set aside.
2. Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the onion is softened. Stir in the bean puree, remaining can of beans, beef broth, pumpkin puree, and sherry vinegar. Mix until well blended, then simmer for about 25 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Stir in the ham, and heat through before serving.

May Theme: Cooking with Beans (heidi)

Kale with White Beans and Garlic

1 cup dried cannellini (white kidney beans) or great northern beans
6 cups water or broth
1 onion - chopped fine
1 1/2 lbs kale - stems removed and chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
8 large garlic cloves - sliced
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)

Cook beans in crockpot with broth and onion on high for 6 hours or on low for 10-12 hours.

Pour beans from crockpot to a large pot on stove, heat until boiling. Add chopped kale (remember to remove stems) and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, stirring down every few mins, until the kale is tender, about 10 mins.

Meanwhile heat the EVOO in a small heavy sauce pan over low heat. Add garlic and cook until tender, stir so it does not burn. Mash the garlic with a fork and add hot pepper flakes. Pour this over the beans and kale and serve hot.

*** Serve this dish with plenty of bread to sop up the delicious juices ***