Tag Archives: black bean

Corn, Avocado, and Black Bean Tostadas

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Veronica

For some reason, before I made these tostadas, I had an aversion to chipotle peppers that came canned in adobo sauce. I think I made one bad dish with them that turned me off, and I was hesitant to use them in anything again. This recipe has completely turned me around! These are the absolute best tostadas I’ve ever made. I love how the sweet corn balances the smoky and spicy flavor of the chiles.

I really love it when I can find vegan meals that don’t require a lot of fake ingredients, and love it even more when those meals are just as delicious as a meat-centric meal. I have to say that these tostadas beat the pants off of any tostada I’ve made with meat to date. Although I did put cheddar cheese on these, you can leave it off for a vegan meal because you get plenty of (healthy) fat from the avocado.

This is a great summer meal because it comes together really quickly and only requires a few minutes of heat on the stovetop. Enjoy!

Corn, Avocado, and Black-Bean Tostadas

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 large zucchini, diced
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2-3 medium tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
2-3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tostada shells
1 cup refried black beans*
Shredded lettuce
1 avocado, peeled & sliced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Spray a large nonstick skilled with oil and heat over medium-high head. Add zucchini and sauté 3 minutes. Add corn and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes, onion, cilantro, chipotle chiles, lime juice, and salt. Spread each tostada shell with 2 tablespoons of heated beans and top with shredded lettuce. Spoon corn mixture over lettuce, then top with shredded cheddar and slices of avocado.

*To make your own quick refried black beans, drain a can of black beans and reserve the liquid. Place beans in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, along with 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Process, adding in liquid through the feeding tube as necessary to obtain your desired texture. Taste and add salt, pepper, and additional seasonings if desired.

Makes 8 tostadas.

Per tostada: 235 calories; 11.6 g fat; 27.5 g carbohydrates; 5.4 g fiber; 8.6 g protein; 6 Points Plus

Recipe source: adapted from Redbook, October 2010

This recipe has actually been recreated twice by the SRC. Here is the first blogger who made it (click the box above for the second): Thru the Bugs on My Windshield

14 Comments

Posted in Meatless, Mexican, My Favorites, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged avocado, black bean, chipotle, corn, favorite, meatless, Mexican, recipe, summer, tostadas, vegan, vegetarian. Bookmark the permalink.

Black Bean and Sweet Corn Quinoa Salad

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Veronica

Last week, I shared the Fudge Babies recipe, divulging how late I was in jumping on the raw dessert train. Well, raw desserts aren’t the only thing I was incredibly slow to catch on to. Until this week, I also had not tried quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), despite seeing it on nearly every blog I frequent! I’ve been saving recipes for years, finally bought some over a month ago, and finally, finally, made something with it this week.

Quinoa is gluten-free and while it’s not a grain (it’s a seed), it is often used in place of rice and is cooked the same way. Although I’ve now enjoyed it, I still can’t tell you if I like quinoa or not, because I couldn’t identify its flavor apart from everything else in this salad. The salad itself was stupendous, so I guess if I didn’t like quinoa, I wouldn’t have liked the salad as much.

It has a pleasant Mexican flavor profile, and while carbohydrate-heavy, it is also fiber and protein-rich. It is so delicious that I am a bit ashamed to admit I couldn’t even wait to sit down and eat it from a bowl like a civilized human being. As soon as it was done, I took a taste and then stood over the pan, shoveling it into my mouth with the ginormous serving spoon. In my defense, I was stressed, approaching a certain time of month, very hungry, and found this salad to be irresistible. The perfect storm of coincidences to bring out the barbarian in me.

Black Bean and Sweet Corn Quinoa Salad

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen sweet yellow corn
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When shimmering and hot, add the onions and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and stir for a minute or two until the garlic is fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the quinoa and cover with broth. Stir in cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes (or until all the liquid is absorbed). Stir in the frozen corn and black beans. Cover and let the pot sit off the heat until the corn and beans are heated through, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Serve warm or chilled – it is delicious both ways!

Serves 4 as a main dish, serves 6-8 as a side

Per serving (1/4 of recipe): 417 calories; 7 g fat; 72 g carbohydrates; 17 g fiber; 20 g protein; 10 Points Plus

Recipe source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

16 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Meatless, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged black bean, healthy, quinoa, salad, sweet corn, vegan. Bookmark the permalink.

Black Bean and Pepper Salad with Cilantro & Lime

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Veronica

I think this is the most beautiful salad I’ve ever made. I’m big on color in my food and this salad definitely delivers! Not only that, but it is incredibly healthy and flavorful. It all comes together really well with the creamy beans & sweet peppers balancing the heat in the dressing (which isn’t too hot, just hot enough) and the lime and cilantro add a flavorful punch. And you know what I really love about it? It calls for an entire bunch of cilantro, so I don’t have to leave 9/10 of a bunch sitting in the fridge, wondering what I’ll make with it until I forget about it and clean out the fridge a month later to discover a produce bag filled with green-brown muck. Woo-hoo! And no, it isn’t too much cilantro. It’s perfect. And since it’s so healthy, I felt justified using salty tortilla chips to eat it with, turning it into a sort of bean & pepper pico de gallo. Fabulous!

Black Bean and Pepper Salad with Cilantro and Lime
Printable Version

Dressing:
1 lime
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. ground Chipotle pepper
1/2 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 t salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

Salad:
1 can black beans, rinsed well and drained
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
(could use any combination of colors for the pepper, or use 2 red peppers)
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Grate the zest from the lime into a small bowl, then juice the lime and add 2 tablespoons of it to the zest. Stir in the remaining ingredients; set aside.

Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl. Pour the dressing over and stir. Serve immediately or store in the fridge, giving another stir before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information (per serving): 214 cal; 8 g fat (1.2 g saturated, 1.4 polyunsaturated, 5.1 monounsaturated); 149 mg sodium; 591 mg potassium; 30 g carb; 10 g fiber; 9.1 g protein

Recipe Source: slightly adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen

8 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged black bean, cilantro lime, peppers, salad. Bookmark the permalink.

Spinach & Black Bean Enchiladas

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Veronica

It seems the older I get, the less meat appeals to me. Thus, Meatless Mondays were born into our household–my sneaky way of making a day without meat sound fun so Dennis plays along. :)

This recipe made both of us happy–the enchiladas are filling, have good flavor, and are figure-friendly. I do realize the picture isn’t too appetizing, but they really are good, I promise!

If you have any favorite vegetarian dishes and are willing to share the recipe, please leave it in a comment or message me!

Spinach & Black Bean Enchiladas
from The New Holly Clegg Trim & Terrific Cookbook

makes 8 enchiladas

1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 (1 1/4 oz) pkg. taco seasoning mix (or 3 tablespoons homemade)
1 c water
1 c fat-free sour cream, divided
8 (6-8 inch) flour tortillas
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 1/2 c shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2 T sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a non-stick skillet, heat the spinach, black beans, taco seasoning mix, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened. Remove from the heat, and stir in 1/2 c sour cream.

In each tortilla, spread 1 T enchilada sauce, about 1/3 c spinach mixture, and 1 heaping tablespoon cheese. Roll up each tortilla placing the seam-side down in an oblong baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the remaining enchilada sauce over the filled enchiladas, cover, and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Uncover and garnish with the remaining cheese. Continue baking for 5 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted. Serve with the remaining sour cream, and sprinkle with the green onions.

Veronica’s notes: I felt the filling was creamy/liquid enough without putting the enchilada sauce on the inside, so I just poured it over the top.

Nutritional info per serving: 266 cal, 14 g protein, 39 g carbs, 3 g fat, 5 g fiber, 11 mg cholesterol, 1198 mg sodium
Diabetic exchanges: 1.5 very lean meat, 2.5 starch