Thrifty Black Beans

Black beans, also known as turtle beans, are generally available both dried and canned. Like most common beans they are said to have originated in South America and Central America, becoming a main part of the diet of the Indians in those areas. Today black beans are a main ingredient in Mexican, Cuban and Brazilian menus.

They are very nutritious, health giving and economical. Black beans contain an excellent amount of molybdenum, very good amounts of folate, dietary fibre, manganese, and tryptophan, and good amounts of thiamin, phosphorus,magnesium and iron. A cup of cooked black beans contains 15 grams of protein and is only around 230 calories, an excellent protein meal for Vegans.

The beans have excellent health benefits. They have a low glycemic index which will stabilize blood sugar levels and provide energy. The fibre will reduce cholesterol and prevent constipation. Black beans contain the most antioxidents out of all the types of beans and contain far more per weight than oranges. The iron in the beans will help boost the hemoglobin in the blood especially if they are eaten with vitamin C, like a glass of fresh juice or a freshly sliced tomato salad for example.

When purchasing ready made meals and delicatessen salads, note that many contain sulphites. The molybdenum content in black beans is an aid in detoxifying these sulphites. So adding black bean soup or salad, when purchasing deli food, will be a plus to those who are allergic to sulphites.

Note: Beans contain purines which break down into uric acid. Therefore those with gout or those who sufffer from kidney stones should not eat them in excess. For those that find beans bloat, why not try Vegan digestive enzymes? 

When purchasing dried black beans check that there is no insect damage or mould. The dry beans should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark area. They can be stored for up to a year. Canned black beans are also very nutritious but check there that they do not contain additives. Always buy organic beans where possible. 

There are many ways to serve black beans. Some you will find below. Enjoy! 

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Black Bean and Mango Salad 

By Jolinda Hackett of Vegetarian at About.com  

1 15oz / 425gm can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups mango, diced

1 cup sweet red bell pepper, diced

6 green/Spring onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup cilantro (coriander) leaves, chopped

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 seeded Jalapeno pepper, minced or hot sauce to taste

Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients, including beans in bowl. Toss and serve.

Easy Black Bean Soup 

From The Cat-Tea Corner™ Recipe Collection (great site to visit if you are Vegan, love cats and/or love tea).

1 onion, chopped

oil for sautéeing

2 garlic cloves, scored

1 cup water

1 can 15oz / 425gm black beans, not drained

1 can 14oz / 397gm diced tomatoes, not drained (plain or seasoned)

1/3 cup white rice (optionally basmati)

salt and ground cayenne pepper to taste

2 cups strong prepared Lapsang Souchong tea (use twice as much tea leaf as usual)

Sauté the onion in the oil in a 2 quart/ 1 litre pot. When it's soft and slightly browned, drop in the garlic and sauté about a minute longer. Pour in the water, beans with liquid, tomatoes with liquid, and the rice. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cover. Let it simmer for about 1/2 hour, until the rice is nice and soft. (While it's cooking, make and eat some salad; try lettuce, roasted red peppers, and olives.) Once the soup is finished cooking, season it with salt and cayenne. Stir in the tea. Then pour the soup into a blender -- including the garlic cloves -- and blend until pureed but you can still see flecks of black bean. (We had to do this in two batches to not overload the blender.) Dee-lish with some crusty bread. About 4 servings.

Black Bean Dip with Veggies

From that wonderful website All-Creatures .org

2 cups black beans, cooked or canned

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin, powdered

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. red pepper powder (optional)

Place all the ingredients in a blender and run at "high" until smooth.  It may be necessary to stop the blender from time to time, and mix the ingredients with a spoon or spatula to ensure that all the ingredients are thoroughly and uniformly mixed.  (The amount of seasoning is often subjective; so, we suggest you taste a little and add additional seasoning if necessary.)  When finished, scoop out the bean dip into a bowl and place it in the center of a large platter.  Cut the veggies into 2" / 4cm lengths and split as necessary to keep bite sized.  We suggest broccoli florets, carrots, cauliflower florets, celery, cucumbers, green and red bell peppers, scallions, etc.  Arrange the veggies around the dip on the platter in two piles for each variety of veggie, so that they are opposite each other.  This way everyone sitting around the table can reach some of each.  Enjoy!

Finger Lickin' Black Beans

From Spark People submitted by IAMTHEAMYGDALA 

1 15oz / 425gm can black beans

1 14oz / 397gm can reduced salt sweet corn 

1 onion

1 red bell pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. fresh cilantro (coriander) chopped

+/-2 cloves of garlic 

Sautee onion and red pepper in olive oil. When almost done, add garlic and sautee until cooked. Add can of black beans, corn, water, vinegar, cilantro, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. When mixture has reduced somewhat (usually 15 to 20 minutes) dinner is served! Servings: 4

Black Bean Brownies

From ireallylikefood                      

These brownies taste just as good, if not better, than the real thing. It's super easy.

15 oz / 425gm. can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 whole bananas

1/3 cup agave nectar 

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup raw sugar (optional)

1/4 cup instant oats (NOT rolled oats)

Preheat oven to 350F/177C. Grease an "8x8" / 20cm x20cm pan and set aside. Combine all ingredients, except oats, in a food processor blender and blend until smooth. Stir in oats and pour batter into pan. Bake approximately 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing. You will be SO suprised to see how good these taste! 

Broccoli a Super Veg

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea italica) has been cultivated for over 2000 years. It is said to have been developed from the cabbage by the ancient Etruscans of the Eastern Mediterranean region. Broccoli only reached France around the 16th Century, and spread throughout Europe and the US around the 18th Century. It is only in recent years that it has not only been recognised as versatile vegetable but also appreciated for it's excellent health benefits. Broccoli is actually an  edible flower and not a true vegetable..

It contains excellent amounts of dietary fibre, vitamins A, C and K, folate and beta-carotene. Broccoli also contains a very good amount of manganese, tryptophan, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and vitamins B2 and B6.  It has a good amount of calcium, one cup cooked broccoli contains 71.8 mg of calcium. Broccoli contains lesser amounts of most vitamins, minerals and aminos.

Health wise the folate is needed for the normal growth of the tissue and is good for pregnant women. The vitamin C, which is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory,  helps prevent colds and aids with absorption of it's iron content. Broccoli also contains the phytonutrients indoles and isothiocyanates, which many studies have linked to cancer prevention.. It is also one of the few vegetables that contain cysteine and helps when there is a need, mainly with infants and the elderly, to augment l-cysteine levels in the body and help them, when required, to absorb nutrients from food. L-cysteine is also  required by the body for collagen production and assisting  in skin elasticity and texture. Broccoli is also useful in cataract prevention.

Steamed broccoli is said to provide special cholesterol-lowering benefits. When steamed the dietary fibre binds together with bile acids in the digestive tract making it easier for bile acids to be excreted, and the result is the  lowering of cholesterol levels. Raw broccoli still has cholesterol-lowering ability just not as much. Another broccoli benefit is that good supplies of vitamin A and K help keep our vitamin D metabolism in balance. 

Note : Raw broccoli and broccoli sprouts have been said to contain natural substances that can interfere with problem thyroids, resulting in goiters. Cooking has been reported to inactivate this effect.

When purchasing broccoli select bright to dark green heads which have compact clusters of tightly closed flowerets. Stalks and stem leaves should be tender yet firm. Look carefully at the cut ends of the broccoli stalks and make sure they are closed. Open ended stalks tend to be older and tougher. Frozen broccoli is also good. It normally contains only the florets which are richer in beta-carotene than the stalks. The downside is that it has twice as much sodium, half as much calcium and far less vitamin C as fresh broccoli..

When storing broccoli, never wash beforehand, keep dry. Store in a vented plastic bag or container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Another method is to submerge the stem in a bowl filled with ice water. Cover the broccoli heads with a plastic bag, and change the ice water daily for up to 3 days. Wash broccoli thoroughly just before using. Trim the tough portion of the stem about one inch from the bottom and chop for use. Do not overcook broccoli as it will not taste good and your kitchen will stink.

Serve raw in smoothies and salads, lightly steamed for 4 to 5 minutes, or stir fried. Once steamed can be blended for sauces or soups. Enjoy!

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Steamed Broccoli with Almonds, Lemon Zest, and Red Pepper Flakes

From Whole Living 

1 head broccoli, broken into florets, stems chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 to 2 tsps extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsps slivered almonds, toasted

zest of 1/2 lemon

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Place a steamer basket in a saucepan filled with 1 inch water. Bring to a boil. Add broccoli. Cover, and cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and add almonds, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes; toss to combine. Serve immediately. Serves 4

Quick & EasyBroccoli Salad (Rawfood)

Recipe by Danielle. From the Aug 2010 4 Health Inc Newsletter   

Salad

5 cups of shredded broccoli (I stuck mine in the VitaMix for a few minutes and let it get chopped up... quick and easy ~ Danielle)

1 cup of onions (optional)

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup of chopped tomatoes

2 tsps dill (or a handful of fresh dill)

1/4 cup flax seeds

Dressing

1 cup of raw brazil nuts (soaked)

3 tbsps of maple syrup

1/4 cup of water

sprinkle of celtic salt (or other sea salt)

In a high speed blender or food processor, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing. It should come out nice and creamy. Mix together all of the other ingredients. Add the dressing and mix. Simply enjoy.

Golden Bowl

From the Vegetarian Times            

The secret to this recipe is double-frying the tofu cubes to give them an extra-crisp exterior. This recipe was a winner in their 2008 Restaurant Poll, and is a popular entrée at The Grit in Athens, Georgia.

2 tbsps vegetable oil, divided

15oz/425g extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 tsps low-sodium soy sauce, plus more to taste

2 cups steamed broccoli

8oz/227g sliced mushrooms

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup diced yellow bell pepper

1 cup sliced yellow squash

1/2 cup shredded cabbage

1/2 cup grated carrots

2 tbsps nutritional yeast, or more to taste

2 cups cooked brown rice

Heat 1 tbsp oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add tofu, and sauté 10 to 15 minutes, tossing with spatula, until light golden brown all over. Sprinkle with soy sauce, and sauté 2 to 3 minutes more to further brown tofu. Transfer tofu to paper-towel-lined plate. Drain and rinse skillet, and wipe dry. Heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil over high heat. Add tofu and all vegetables. Sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until tofu is browned and vegetables are tender, tossing constantly with spatula. Sprinkle with soy sauce to taste. Sprinkle nutritional yeast over tofu to coat. Sauté a few seconds more. Remove from heat. Serve over brown rice. Serves 4. 

Broccoli with Onions and Pine Nuts

From Mother Earth News   

3 tbsps pine nuts, or chopped, slivered almonds

2 tsps extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion, (about 1 medium)

1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

4 cups broccoli florets

2 tsps balsamic vinegar

freshly ground pepper, to taste

Toast pine nuts (or almonds) in a medium dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool. Add oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, adjusting heat as necessary, until soft and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, steam broccoli until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the nuts, onion, vinegar and pepper; toss to coat. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings, 3/4 cup each.

Squash, Broccoli and Barley Salad

Recipe by Jennifer Joyce  From BBC Good Food  

A flavour-packed, unusual salad that's delicious warm or cold. 

1 butternut squash , peeled and cut into long pieces

1 tbsp olive oil

250g/9oz pearl barley

300g/ 10.5oz Tenderstem broccoli , cut into medium-size pieces

100g/3.5oz SunBlush tomatoes , sliced

1 small red onion , diced

2 tbsps pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp small capers , rinsed

15 black olives , pitted

20g/4tsps pack basil , chopped

Dressing

5 tbsps balsamic vinegar

6 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove , finely chopped

Heat oven to 200C/392F/gas 6. Place the squash on a baking tray and toss with olive oil. Roast for 20 mins. Meanwhile, boil the barley for about 25 mins in salted water until tender, but al dente. While this is happening, whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Drain the barley, then tip it into a bowl and pour over the dressing. Mix well and let it cool. Boil the broccoli in salted water until just tender, then drain and rinse in cold water. Drain and pat dry. Add the broccoli and remaining ingredients to the barley and mix well. This will keep for 3 days in the fridge and is delicious warm or cold.