What will I do with all those left over beans from my black bean soup?

Well, now you have plenty of beans and can't imagine what do with them.  Since black beans are a staple in my kitchen I can come up with lots of things.  Remember that I created the open face burrito, which you can find under the recipes tab.  Other ideas would be Black Bean Chili, burritos, chimichangas. Once you decide how you want to divide, they do freeze well.  Here you go:

Black Bean Chili Con Carne

Ingredients:
1/2lb ground beef    
3 cups black beans
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper
1 tsp ground cumin, divided
1 tsp coriander, divided
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt and pepper, each
8oz can of tomato sauce, unsalted
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat medium sauce pan with olive oil over medium heat, sautee ground beef for about 5 minutes.  Then add onions and pepper, conitnue to cook for another 2 minutes.  Now add 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp coriander, salt and pepper.  Pour the beans into the beef mixture, add tomato sauce, remaining cumin, coriander and chili powder.  Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, fold in cilantro right before serving.  Serve over white rice, if desired.

Black Bean & Beef Chimichanga

1/2lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup black beans
1 tsp ground cumin
10 flour tortillas
1 cup mexican cheese blend
1 avocado, ripe
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup Salsa

Instructions:
Preheat medium sauce pan with olive oil over medium heat, sautee ground beef for about 5 minutes.  Add onions, beans along with cumin, salt and pepper to taste cook for another 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile preheat a large skillet with canola oil over medium low heat. Place tortilla on a flat surface and spoon about 2 tbsp of bean mixture at bottom of tortilla, add 3 thin slices of avocado on top, sprinkle some cheese and fold over from bottom then fold in the sides and roll, like a wrap.  Place seam side down in the skillet to fry until golden on all sides. Takes about 20 minutes to fry them all.  Serve with Salsa.

Black Bean Soup (Sopa Negra)

Here is an all time favorite in my family, specifically my mom's. A very simply made but delicious soup. I am not sure if the hard boiled egg is a Costa Rican tradition or if it's just my mom's. But we love it!

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh black beans

1 small onion, sliced in two

2 whole garlic cloves, peeled

1/8 tsp ground cumin

1 beef bone (optional)

fresh whole eggs, in shell, (optional)

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp salt

Instructions:

Rinse beans under cold water and in a medium glass bowl for at least 3 hours (you'll know when they are ready because beans become thick looking).  Place beans and water in a crockpot, add onion, garlic, cumin and beef bone (if using), be sure beans are completely covered with water. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.  When beans are tender, add salt.  Wash eggs thoroughly and add as many people you will be serving and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove and peel.  Place about a tsp of cilantro on the bottom of the bowl and pour scoops of soup over it and add hard boiled egg.  Enjoy with crusty bread or white rice!  I hope you like it as much as we do in my family.

Oh Happy memories!





Day of the Dead (Dia de los muertos)

Today I learned that Mexico celebrates the day of the dead, although it sounds morbid, it's actually a festive holiday, essentially like a Memorial Day.  The celebratory occasion is to remember friends and family who have passed and remembering those beautiful moments that were spent together.  One of the ways to remember loved ones is by celebrating with their favorite foods.  This holiday is actually celebrated throughout Latin America.  I think it pretty special and wanted to share it with you all.  I decided to prepare one of my moms most favorite which was Black Bean Soup (Sopa Negra)...she appreciated food in general, but she mostly preferred soups and stews.  The Black Bean Soup is still cooking, but I will most definitely share the recipe and a photo later on.

I encourage you to create a recipe of a family or friend that meant a lot to you!  The holiday is on 11/2,  but you don't have to wait until then.

A Touch of Fall!

I grew up eating the following recipes, I added a touch of Fall to make them a little more fun to eat.  The Pumpkin Corn Bread Pudding in Costa Rica is known as "Tamal Azado", traditionally just made from corn, but I added the pumpkin cream cheese I discovered and a little nutmeg and it does give it that hint of Fall/Autumn, very delicious.  My boys love it.

The "Empanadas" is one of my favorite, I have mainly enjoyed them as a savory appetizer, but I decided to make it into a dessert.  "Empanada" basically means wrapped or coated, these special treats are very common in Central, South America and in Europe.  I used the traditional banana we are all used to having in our fruit basket, but I have made them with sweet plantains, just as delicious.  I hope you try them and give me your comments.

Pumpkin Corn Bread Pudding (Tamal Azado)

Ingedients:
14 oz can of condensed milk
16oz can of cream of corn
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick of butter, melted
4oz pumpkin cream cheese
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp confectionary sugar for garnish

Intructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients, except confectionary sugar in a blender. Pour into a greased 8x8 square baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes.  Once it's cooled garnish with confectionary sugar and enjoy!

yields: 12
Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

Banana Pumpkin Cheese Empanadas

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, sliced about 1/4 inch thick 
4 oz pumpkin cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectionary sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 package of prepared pie crust, contains 2
1 egg, beaten for egg wash
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp canola oil

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat a medium skillet with canola oil and butter over medium high heat. Sautee bananas until light golden about 3 minutes. Remove bananas into a mixing bowl, add vanilla, sugar, and pumpkin cream cheese. Mix until combined, set aside.

Roll out pie crust; using an about 3" round cookie cutter, cut out circles from both pie crust. To yield the amount from this recipe, re-roll the remains of dough.  Fill each circle with about 1/2 tsp of cream cheese mixture, fold over and crimp with a fork.  When finished place on a greased cookie sheet and brush with egg wash.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Yields: 24
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

New Recipe

Here is a recipe that I created using a Hood product for a contest.  It has become my new hobbie....creating and entering contests! It's alot of fun!  It keeps the menu at home very interesting.  I am currently part of the Real Women of Philadelphia contest, that has been going on since mid April.  It features the Philadelphia cream cheese as an ingredient. I think anything with cream cheese is yummy! Haven't won anything yet, but not giving up. Check it out, lots of recipes out there to add to your recipe box.  http://www.realwomenofphiladelphia.com/ This week it's international week and I created a Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cheese Croissant and I am still creating more, yes I will add a latin flair to them.

Chili Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 lg russet potatoes

1 15 0z can of red kidney beans, drained

1/2 cup of grated pepperjack cheese, divided

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp corriander

1/2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup sour cream

4 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash potatoes thoroughly and wrap with wet paper towel and cook in the microwave for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, drain the kidney beans and rinse under cold water, then mix with cumin, corriander, cilantro, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Once potatoes are cool to touch, slice in half length wise and scoop out potato flesh leaving a shell.  Mix together potato, sour cream, and remaining salt until smooth. Fold in bean mixture, bacon bits and 1/4 cup of cheese.  Fill each potato shell with potato mixture, evenly and sprinkle remaining cheese over each potato. Bake for about 20 minutes. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro.  Enjoy!  It's Yummy!

Tip: cook bacon in microwave for 5 minutes between papertowel sheets.