Hi Gina,
Beans are amazingly versatile (and cheap!), so you can do a lot with them. If you use canned beans, make sure you rinse them really well in cold water before you use them. That'll get rid of the sliminess from the canning liquid.
Here are a couple of very easy recipes:
Black Bean Salsa – can be used cold as a salsa or pita filling, or warmed up with some cheese as a burrito filling.
Combine the following in a bowl:
1 15 oz. can black beans
½ red pepper, diced
1 or 2 green onions, chopped
½ cup corn kernels, fresh or thawed frozen
1 or 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
2 or 3 Tbs lime juice (or to taste)
2 or 3 Tbs fresh cilantro
½ tsp ground cumin (or to taste)
dash or cayenne pepper (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
Cover and chill for 30 minutes or so to let the flavors meld a little. You can add any kinds of other veggies this (zucchini, chopped carrots, celery, etc), and add or omit the spices at will. It’s a very quick, easy, and versatile dish!
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Ingredients:
½ cup onions, chopped
½ cup carrots, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1 or 2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 15 oz. can Cannelini or White Beans (you can add more if you want)
1 10 oz. package fresh spinach (could substitute thawed frozen, also other greens such as kale, collards, beet greens, etc)
3 to 4 cups of broth – chicken or vegetable
1 cup small pasta such as Ditallini
½ tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in the olive oil until soft (5-8 minutes). Add the spinach and stir until wilted (1-2 minutes) – you may need to add it a little at a time. Add the beans and thyme and stir in. Add the pasta and broth. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.
If you let it site for a little while, the pasta will absorb a lot of the broth and this will become more like a stew, but still very tasty. DH actually prefers it that way.
