Chili Surprise  (October 2011)

You can do a lot more with pumpkin than just make pie! It's a great source of potassium, beta carotene (vitamin A), and fiber; you won't really be able to taste the pumpkin but it enhances the nutritional value and gives the chili a wonderful consistency. The chopped tomatoes add another boost in potassium. Garnish each portion with a dollop of sour cream or Greek-style yogurt, chopped tomatoes and green onion, diced avocado, and chopped cilantro and serve with Browned Butter Cornbread. 

Serves 8    

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
1 large onion, chopped 
1 large green or red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped 
1-2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped (depending on how spicy you like it)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
1 pound organic grass fed ground beef 
1 (26-ounce) container diced tomatoes and the juice (I use the POM brand which are unsalted) 
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1.5-2 cups water (depending on how thick you like your chili)
1 tablespoon chili powder (I use half regular chili powder and half chipotle chili powder for kick)
2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt to taste 
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeños and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and ground beef. Cook until browned. Drain fat from pan. Add back the sautéed vegetables and the rest of the ingredients except the beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and add beans. Cover loosely and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour. Ladle chili into bowls and serve with the garnishes mentioned above.

Slow cooker instructions: Cook the veggies and meat as instructed above. Then place all the ingredients in a 5-6 quart slow cooker and cook on low for about 8 hours. It will fill your house with a wonderful smell! 

Roasted Tomato, Onion, and Garlic Soup (September 2011)

The flavors of the roasted vegetables give the soup a wonderful depth of flavor.      

3 pounds fresh flavorful tomatoes (mix of heirlooms, cherry, and plum tomatoes) (note: since its winter you can substitute  2 large cans of organic whole tomatoes-the Eden Foods brand can lining does not contain BPA--you may need to adjust the amount of salt you use if the canned tomatoes contain salt)

6 cloves whole garlic, peeled (soak unpeeled cloves in water for 10 minutes--they peel easily!)

2 small yellow onions, cut in large slices

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red chilis (depending on how spicy you like things)

1 quart low sodium organic chicken broth

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves or 2 tbsp dried basil leaves (not powdered)

1/2 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves. Don't worry about peeling them. (If you are using canned tomatoes, save the juice to add to the soup along with the broth).

Place in a large bowl with the garlic, onions, olive oil, salt and black pepper, and crushed red chilis. Mix well. Spread the mixture on a baking tray lined with foil. Roast for 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot. Add 3 cups of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third. Remove bay leaves.

Add the basil and the heavy cream. Use an immersion blenderto puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to low heat and adjust consistency with remaining chicken broth if needed. Readjust seasonings; add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serves 4-6. 

Browned Butter Cornbread 

(October 2011)

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1.5 cups stoneground cornmeal

1/2 cup unbleached flour

1/4 cup milled flaxseed

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 organic eggs, beaten

1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1/3 cup milk 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Oil an 8 x 8" baking pan. 

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl often until it's lightly browned and smells nutty, 3-4 minutes (be careful not to burn it). Let cool.   

In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients. Add the beaten eggs, yogurt, and milk to the cooled butter and mix well. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined (don't overmix). Pour into the greased baking pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick. Serve warm with honey butter (mix well equal parts softened butter and honey). 

Beef and Black Bean Burgers  (June 2011)

This clever recipe adds fiber and lowers the fat and calories....don't be put off by the addition of the black beans; these are delicious!  If you prefer, shape them smaller and serve as sliders!

1 15 oz. can low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

1 lb grass-fed lean ground beef

1/3 cup diced red onion

1 tsp chili powder (I love to use chipotle chili powder for a nice kick, but regular chili powder is fine, too) 

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander, optional

1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

6 whole grain hamburger buns or English muffins

In a large bowl, mash the beans with a potato masher. Add the rest of the ingredients except the buns and mix well. Shape into 6 burgers (indent the middle of the burger with your thumb to keep them nice and flat when they cook) and grill, broil, or pan-fry until they reach 160 degrees on a meat thermometer. Serve on buns garnished with tomatoes, lettuce and your favorite salsa.

Recipe adapted from www.relish.com

1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 can (14 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 package (16 oz.) frozen corn, thawed
1 can (28 oz.) organic pureed or crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Dash of hot sauce, to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
12 corn tortillas
1 cup grated reduced-fat Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and sauté bell pepper, onion and garlic for five minutes. Add beans, corn, tomatoes and seasonings, including salt and pepper, if desired. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Assemble casserole in 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cover bottom with one-third of bean mixture. Layer six tortillas on top of beans. Repeat once more, ending with bean mixture on top. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake until hot and bubbly, about 30-40 minutes.

Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 320 calories, 7 g total fat (2 g saturated fat), 53 g carbohydrates, 15 g protein, 11 g dietary fiber, 677 mg sodium.

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

These flourless brownies are gluten free, fudgy, and delicious. No one has to know they are made with black beans (unless you choose to divulge the secret ingredient)!

One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons canola oil

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon peppermint extract, optional

½ teaspoon baking powder

Pinch salt

½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Place the black beans in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, oil, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, peppermint extract as desired, baking powder, and salt and process until smooth. Add ¼ cup of the chips and pulse a few times until the chips are incorporated.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula, and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips.

4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before slicing into 2-inch squares.

YIELD:16 servings

SERVING SIZE: One brownie (2" x 2")

NUTRIENT INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Calories: 120, fat: 5g (1.5g saturated, 0.3g omega-3), protein: 3g, carbohydrate: 18g, dietary fiber: 2g, sodium: 95mg

Recipe by Liz Weiss, MS, RD and Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD for www.beaninstitute.com