MY OLD FASHIONED BLACK BEANS

Posted by Carole-Anne on April 1, 2008

Baked beans is an “old thyme favorite” of mine so Healthy Recipes insists this be part of our recipe collection.  The nutritious part of beans is a given; full of protein, healthy carbohydrates, use sugar replacement Splenda (brown) and molasses, which is the uncrystallized syrup produced in the refining of sugar, and voila – a few spicy items and we have a fine baked bean dish.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb dried navy beans (2 cups)

Water

3/4 cup Spanish onion, chopped

4 oz salt pork, diced (optional)

1/3 cup Splenda brown sugar

3 tbsp dark molasses

1 tsp sea salt

3/4 tsp dried mustard

Dash of freshly ground pepper 

NOW FOLLOW ME:

Rinse beans; add to 1 1/2 quarts/liters of water.  Bring to a boil and simmer 2 minutes.  Remove from heat; cover and let sit for 1 hour.  Add water, if necessary, to cover beans.

Heat beans to boiling point; reduce heat and cover to simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until just tender.  If you boil the beans, they will burst, so watch carefully.

Next, drain the beans, saving the liquid.  Layer the cooked beans, chopped onion, and salt pork , if you are using pork, in a Dutch Oven or old fashioned crockery bean pot.

Combine brown sugar, molasses, sea salt, dry mustard, freshly ground black pepper, and the saved bean liquid.  Pour over beans.  If necessary, add a little water just to, almost cover beans.

Cover and cook in oven at 350F degrees for 3 hours, uncovering and stirring occasionally during that time period.

Uncover and cook beans for another 30 minutes until you reach the desired consistency.

Healthy Recipe serves 6 people.  This is a fantastic recipe, with or without the pork.

BLACK BEAN CHILI

Posted by Carole-Anne on March 24, 2008

Healthy Recipes now has tried a wonderful black bean chili.  It does have ground beef in it, but for vegetarians, remove the beef and add another variety of beans or orzo grain pasta to replace the beef.  I have tried it both ways and like the orzo  grain recipe just as much if not more than the beef recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion chopped

8 oz very lean ground beef (for Vegetarian, use kidney beans, 1 – 14 0z can and/or make Orzo (grain pasta) and add it to recipe with beans.

2 tsp chili powder

1 cans 14 1/2 oz diced tomatoes with green chilies in them

1 cup water.

NOW FOLLOW ME:

In a large skillet (do not use Teflon), add 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and chopped onion.  Simmer until beef is browned and onions are transparent.(15 minutes).

Stir in chili powder and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in 2 cans black beans (or kidney beans and/or prepared  Orzo),  1 can tomatoes with green chilies, and 1 cup water. 

Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 25 minutes.  This allows the mixture to thicken on it’s own. 

Stir occasionally.

Awesome healthy recipe makes 5 cups (vegetarian dish may contain more).  I find it so satisfying when a recipe can be used either way, because many people have stopped eating red meat.  So go for it.  You will love the taste of this healthy recipe.

Healthy Recipe makes 5 – 6 cups of Black Bean Chili.