Rice, Black Bean, and Corn Salad

From Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 cup cold cooked brown rice
1/2 cup cooked corn kernals
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp EVOO
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the rice, corn, bell pepper, celery, beans, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lime juice, oil, and salt. Pour over the rice mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, until the flavors are blended, at least 1 hour.

Serves 4. POINTS Value per serving: 2

Comments:
I really liked this. I had to skip the jalapeno since the ones I had in the fridge jumped the shark on me before I could make this. Adam wasn't too enthused - he thought it was weird that it was cold. I liked the mix of flavors and the crunch the pepper and celery added. Might try it with red pepper too to add some more color contrast. I'd also probably up the ratio of black beans - I love them and there didn't seem to be enough of them.

Cranberry-Chipotle Chicken

From Better Homes & Gardens Simple Slow Cooker Recipes



Ingredients:
8 oz bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped roma tomatoes
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 (16oz) can whole cranberry sauce
1 canned chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. In a large skillet cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Drain off fat.

2. Transfer bacon mixture to a 3 1/2 - 4 quart slow cooker. Stir in black beans, cannellini beans, tomatoes, rice, chicken broth, 1/2 tsp salt, cumin, cinnamon, and garlic. Add chicken.

3. In a small bowl combine the cranberry sauce, pepper, lime juice, and 1/4 tsp salt. Pour over mixture in cooker.

4. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours (high 3 to 3 1/2.)

Comments:
I don't know about this one. I didn't really like it much. I did sub a habenero for the chipotle and some frozen cranberries for the canned stuff, but that shouldn't have changed the overall taste too much. Not sure what exactly it was, but it wasn't good. Won't make this again.

Pineapple Jerk Chicken and Rice

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeño chile—stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1/2 pineapple, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup jerk marinade, such as Lawry's
One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rice, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until tender, about 30 minutes; drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook until the onion is browned, 7 minutes; transfer to a bowl.

3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the same skillet and increase the heat to medium-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add to the pan and cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the pineapple and jerk marinade and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the onion mixture, black beans and cilantro; cook until the beans are heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and serve over the rice.

Comments:
I really liked this. There was heat from the pepper, fresh coolness from the pineapple, fiber from the beans. I left out the cilantro (obviously) and used a dry jerk seasoning instead of a marinade, but it all turned out well and tasted good.

Nuevo Cubano

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
4 (3-ounce) whole-wheat sub rolls, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 pound thinly sliced reduced-sodium deli ham
1 peeled mango or 2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Directions:
1. Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell; reserve torn bread for another use.

2. Combine cilantro, lime juice, chili powder, garlic, and black beans in a food processor; process until almost smooth and spreadable, adding a few drops of water, if necessary. Spread bean mixture evenly on bottom halves of the prepared rolls. Layer rolls evenly with ham, mango or tomatoes, and provolone cheese; replace top halves of rolls.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 2 sandwiches to pan; place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; press gently. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until sandwiches are golden brown (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook). Remove sandwiches from pan; repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 2 sandwiches.

Comments:
Left out the cilantro and used the panini press instead of cooking them in a skillet. Other than that, kept to the plan. I used the mango option rather than the tomato and I think that was definitely the right choice. Added just the right touch of sweetness. Overall, pretty good. Go easy on the garlic though - it was really overpowering.

Santa Fe Turkey Skillet

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
2 (1/2-pound) turkey tenderloins, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
Cooking spray
8 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:
1. Combine turkey and chili powder, tossing until turkey is coated. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add turkey, and sauté 5 minutes or until done. Remove turkey from skillet; set aside.

2. Coat skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add green onions and garlic to skillet; sauté 2 minutes. Add beans and next 4 ingredients; cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated.

3. Add turkey and tomatoes to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thoroughly heated.

Comments:
I liked this a lot but Adam thought it could use more spice. I used ground turkey instead of tenderloins and a regular tomato rather than cherry ones. It had a good mixture of flavors, textures, and colors. Might even be better with some cheese on top...

Black Bean, Corn, and Zucchini Enchiladas

From Recipezaar



Ingredients:
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 cups diced zucchini
10 ounces frozen corn
15 ounces black beans, rinsed
2 cups enchilada sauce, divided (recipe follows)
cooking spray
8 (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas
2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided

Enchilada sauce
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
28 ounces crushed tomatoes

Directions:
To make sauce:
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat and add onion and garlic. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes Stir in broth and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes Makes 3 cups!

To assemble and cook enchiladas:
Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium high. Add zucchini and corn; saute 5 mins or until tender. Remove from heat and then stir in the black beans. Spread a cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom on a 13x9 or larger baking dish coating with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the vegetable mix down the center of a tortilla and sprinkle with a couple of tbs. of the cheese. Roll the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat and then top with remaining enchilada sauce.

Bake for 30 mins and then add the remaining cheese on the top and cook for 10 mins or until cheese melts.

Comments:
I cheated and bought canned enchilada sauce. Perhaps a mistake, since that's the part I liked the least about this dish. The filling is great and I ate the leftovers that didn't fit in the tortillas by itself and was very happy. I didn't dig the enchilada sauce and will probably disassemble them when I eat the leftovers. Adam didn't mind them - except for the beans.

Smoky Red Rice and Chorizo with Black Beans

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
1 cup white rice
1 cup drained piquillo peppers or 2 roasted red peppers
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (a generous handful)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
One 3/4- to 1-pound package Spanish chorizo, cut on an angle into 12 slices
2 serrano chiles, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
One 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
Salt and pepper

Directions:
In a pot, bring the chicken broth and EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, to a boil. Add the rice, cover, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Using a food processor, puree the piquillo peppers. Stir the puree into the rice along with the parsley and paprika. Cover, turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until crisp, turning, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Add the chiles, onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and beans; season with salt and pepper.

Serve the rice in shallow bowls topped with the beans and chorizo.

Comments:
Mark this day down in the record books. I actually bought and used a serrano chile. Yes, really. I was impressed with me too. I did leave out the piquillos though so it was more like "slightly pink rice" rather than "red rice". I can't try too many new things at one time. That'd be scary.

Anywho! This was pretty good. I did eat a couple pieces of chorizo even though it's not really my thing. Overall, not too spicy. But still a little much for my wussy taste buds. Adam didn't get the whole effect since he was preoccupied with cable connectivity problems tonight. Hopefully he'll try some leftovers. Ha.

Penne Pasta with Black Beans & Mango

From Recipezaar



Ingredients:
1 (14 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 small onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces penne pasta, cooked
1 mango, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup fresh basil leaf, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Simmer tomatoes, onion and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes.

2. Add beans and oil. Cook for one additional minute.

3. Place pasta in a serving bowl, and spoon bean sauce over the top.

4. Add mango, basil and salt & pepper to taste.

5. Toss and serve.

Comments:
Once again Adam saw the beans and complained. And then ate it and determined it wasn't horrible. And he'd probably eat it again. *sigh*

Anywho. Picky, complaining husbands aside, this was a total breeze to prepare. Nothing tricky, I skipped the oil, but kept the rest of the recipe the same... for the most part. I almost never cook with garlic - it makes Adam's stomach unhappy - so I usually throw some garlic powder in toward the end instead. I was also feeling lazy and on onion overload so I gave a few shakes of the dried, minced stuff and called it good.

I liked the texture contrast of the tomatoes, beans, and mango. Flavor was good too. We ended up with some leftover sauce so I'll see how it reheats tomorrow.

Southwest Eggrolls

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
2/3 cup frozen corn, thawed
2/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
20 egg roll wrappers
Oil for deep-fat frying

DIP:
1 cup ranch salad dressing
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and mashed
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon grated lime peel

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. Place 1/4 cup of chicken mixture in the center of one egg roll wrapper. (Keep remaining wrappers covered with a damp paper towel until ready to use.) Fold bottom corner over filling. Fold sides toward center over filling. Moisten remaining corner with water; roll up tightly to seal. Repeat.

In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry egg rolls, a few at a time, for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, combine the dip ingredients. Serve with egg rolls.

Comments:
I was so impressed with myself. The only thing I left out of this recipe was the cilantro. I even got a fresh lime to zest. Wow! I ended up with 12 eggrolls rather than 20, but I have a feeling I skimped on the amount of chicken. I just cooked up a couple of breasts on the George Foreman and guesstimated. Overall, pretty good. A little spicy for my tastes, and Adam didn't dig the sauce.

Coconut Mango Chicken with Black Beans

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into strips
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk
1 mango, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt and pepper
Two 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped mint

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the coriander, and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth, lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to a plate. Add the coconut milk to the skillet, increase the heat and boil to reduce by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mango and cook until warmed through. Return the chicken to the skillet, toss and remove from the heat; season with salt and pepper.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, simmer the black beans over low heat. Stir in the lime juice and 3 tablespoons mint.

3. Divide the beans among 4 plates. Top with the chicken and remaining mint.

Comments:
Generally a quick and easy meal. I despise peeling mangoes though. There has to be an easier way... Nothing much else to say about this one. Adam ate it but seemed unimpressed. He doesn't like beans so perhaps that turned him off to it. Who knows. I'm keeping it in the files though.

Southwestern Chicken Pileup

From The Biggest Loser Cookbook



Ingredients:
1 tsp salt-free Mexican or Southwest seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 small boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 whole-wheat pita
2 tbsp hummus
2 tbsp black beans, drained
several red onion strip
several red bell pepper strips
2 tbsp chopped tomato
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
4 tsp guacamole or sour cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450F. Preheat a grill to high heat.

Sprinkle the seasoning and garlic powder evenly over the chicken. Place the chicken on the grill rack. Reduce the heat to medium. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until no longer pink and the juices run clear. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Meanwhile, place the pita on the grill rack. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until lightly toasted. Place the pita on a nonstick baking sheet. Spread evenly with the hummus. Top evenly in layers with the beans, reserved chicken, onion, red pepper, tomato, cilantro, and cheese.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until the cheese in melted. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges. Top each wedge with guacamole or sour cream if desired.

Comments:
Ok, switched this one up a little. Used Montreal chicken seasoning, left out the hummus, red bell pepper and cilantro. Didn't grill anything. Cooked the chicken in the George Foreman. It all seemed to work out. Man, was it a strong onion though. Wow!

Turkey and Black Bean Tostadas

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
3½ ounces roast turkey, from the deli counter, finely diced (3/4 cup)
1/4 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons fresh corn kernels or thawed frozen corn
1 small ripe tomato, finely diced
Juice of 1 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon chipotle sauce or hot sauce, to taste
1/4 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup plain reduced-fat sour cream
2 flat corn tostada shells, such as Bearitos brand
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1 tablespoon snipped chives (optional) in a bowl

Directions:
Combine the turkey, black beans, corn, tomato, lime juice, chipotle sauce and cheese. Pack the turkey mixture, sour cream, tostadas, lettuce and chives separately until ready to use. To serve, spread some sour cream on each tostada. Top each tostada with some of the turkey mixture, lettuce and chives.

Comments:
Instead of tostadas I used these taco shells that come flat with forms that you bake in the oven. They worked wonderfully. This was it was much easier to eat all the filling without it falling all over the place. I'm a notoriously messy eater.

Black Bean Pita Pockets

From Taste of Home's Cooking for 2 Summer 2008



Ingredients:
black beans
corn
bacon
red pepper (left out)
mayo
celery
sugar
onion
cider vinegar
olive oil
pita bread
romaine (left out)
tomato

Comments:
Adam chose this recipe out of one of the magazines I got him to look through. Then when I made it he said, "I don't like black beans." Uhm. Ok then. He ate it anyway. The filling was very tasty and while we ate it for dinner with warm pita and corn, it's just as good cold. I did forget to pick up romaine so I had to leave it out. I'm not sure how much of a difference it would have made. Perhaps it would have been less runny with some lettuce to soak up some of the juices.