Black Bean and Ham Soup

This hearty and flavorful Black Bean and Ham soup really hits the spot on nights like this!  

I just can't get enough of all of my favorites in one pot…

black bean, corn and ham amongst other veggies.  

This soup is so good, that even when I make my largest pot for dinner with dear friends, 

there is nothing left but smiling faces and full tummies.  

I'm thrilled that soup season is here and we will just keep putting down, 

whatever it is that I whip up.  

Although, this is not a fly-by-night soup recipe.  

Sometimes, many times, actually, I just throw stuff together and hope it turns out.  

This soup is an old favorite that I have been making for years, 

one that was known to pay off snow-blowing debt to my dear neighbors,

and magically my driveway was always clear…

often times before I even woke up in the morning.

To get this one pot wonder started, 

a tablespoon or two of olive oil was added to the pan

along with one onion, pepper and tomato, 

all chopped up and

seasoned with 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp ground oregano and 1 tsp ground cumin

for some initial sautéing. 

  

Once the veggies were softened, 

two cans of black beans were emptied into the pot

along with one jar of black bean and corn salsa

for some nice flavor and just a little heat. 

A third can of black beans would work just as well. 

Finally, 4 cups of chicken broth,

16 oz of frozen corn and

2 cups of cubed ham were added

and simmered for about 30 minutes. 

Just doesn't seem right that soup THIS good can be THIS easy!  

Don't think twice, just enjoy!

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Simmer Time: 30 minutes (or less)

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp olive oil 

1 onion - chopped

1 green pepper - chopped

1 tomato - chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp ground oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

3 cans of black bean *one can could be replaced by black bean and corn salsa*

4 cups of chicken broth

16 oz of frozen corn 

2 cups of cubed ham

Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, tortilla chips. 

Directions:

Sautee seasoned onion, pepper and tomato in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes until softened. 

Add black beans, it is not necessary to drain them. 

Then, finished with broth, corn and ham. 

Simmer for about 30 minutes. 

While the soup simmers, the black beans will open up which will give the soup a thicker texture.  

Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Salad

How many of you are saying…Quinoa?  What the heck is quinoa?

Let me tell you…if you haven't tried it yet, this is the recipe to get it started with... Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Salad is perfect for a get together, a side dish or as a stand alone meal…its that good!

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a grain that has been around for human consumption for 3000-4000 years, primarily originating in South America.  I'd describe it as a cross between rice and pasta, although it certainly has it's own unique characteristics.

It has made it's entrance into the US health food market in the last few years and has been termed a superfood on more than one occasion (understatement alert).

It is gluten free, high in protein and a good source of fiber…what more could you ask for?!?

Especially when handed to you as part of a delicious recipe.

Quinoa is quick to cook, just about 15 minutes total…and I always buy my quinoa pre-rinsed, that eliminates one step.

So, while that quinoa is cooking (one cup dried quinoa to two cups boiling water), I whipped up the fabulous dressing.

Two tablespoons red wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons lime juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1tsp cumin all work together to pull off the perfect complimenting dressing to this combination of grains and  legumes.

Before adding the dressing, 1# of thawed frozen corn (I know, sounds crazy to me too!) is mixed with 1 can of rinsed black beans and the cooked quinoa.

They are all folded together and topped with some freshly chopped cilantro…(Just realized I haven't planted any cilantro yet…what was I thinking!?! Needs to be corrected, immediately, if not sooner!)

It's that easy and that good!  

This dish was made for a cookout over the weekend and it was gone immediately.  I think that Jerry and I are both wishing it would magically reappear in the fridge so we could have it, pretty much anytime we want!  

I'll be honest, kids aren't huge fans, but they always have to try what we make and I think it is growing on them…and, while I want my kids to love everything I make…with something this amazing, I'm fine when it means more for me!  

But seriously, if you are already a quinoa lover, like me, you may want to double this recipe.  

If you are a quinoa virgin and you don't like it, just call me…I'll take it off you hands.  Promise!  

RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 cup dried quinoa

2 cups boiling water

1 lb frozen corn, thawed

1 can black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Dressing:

2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

4 Tbsp Lime Juice

1/3 cup Olive Oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

Instructions:

While the quinoa cooks, whisk together all of the ingredient to make the dressing.  

Pour the dressing over the quinoa, black bean and corn.  Top with cilantro.  

So easy and so good!  Go enjoy! 

Black Bean Sweet Potato Quinoa Burgers

How do you define a burger?

This was called into question tonight when I announced what was on the menu for dinner.

I got at least two questions wondering whether or not there was meat in those burgers. And, the muffled responses were less than thrilled.  Even from my husband, who knows that my meal failures are few and far between.

This debate took me to the Merriam Webster on-line dictionary where their definition of burger is a food that is like a hamburger but is not made from beef.

Ahhh, I felt vindicated.  I wasn't lying or trying to trick my family.  I just wanted to try something different.

There are lots of different kinds of burgers...hamburgers, turkey burgers, veggie burgers, which is the avenue I took for tonight's dinner.

All of these doubts, before I even started the meal, made the process even more daunting, causing procrastination to set in.  But, finally dinner was started, served and ENJOYED!

Alayna's response after her first bite was "This is amazing!"

And, Jerry was reluctant to admit that it was really good and he did go back for seconds.

So, let me share how we got this party started.

One cup of dried quinoa was cooked in water, but broth or bouillon is always an option. (I always buy the pre-soaked quinoa to save on my prep time).

While the quinoa was cooking, the mini food processor was put to work.  Not to mention that this mini food processor is 14 years old and, did I mention mini?  A new food processor is definitely on the list as a future investment.

The mini-factor made this process a little more tedious as I had to work in small batches, but the same deliciousness resulted.

Two cans of black beans, rinsed with a half cup set aside, one medium sweet potato (with skin-on cooked in the microwave), 2 tbsp of minced garlic, 1 onion, chopped, one half cup of jarred roasted red peppers, one half tsp of cumin, 1 tsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of salt and a pinch of pepper were all puréed in the processor and poured into a mixing bowl.

Then, then quinoa and reserved black beans were added to the vegetable purée and stirred well before forming into patties, using about a 1/2 cup of the mix yielded 7 patties.

These patties were baked for 20 minutes at 400 F before topping with shredded cheese, Libby's Chunky Guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

In an effort to reward my family for being good sports on this adventurous meal, I also served their favorite fruits and veggies…edamame (cooked, I might add!) and strawberries.

When I revisit this adventure, I might opt for some more sweet potatoes, could hard tell they were in there other than an occasional piece of skin and, I think I'd add some corn, for texture and visual appeal. 

Overall, it was a hit, but more importantly, I just can't say enough about how much it means to have my whole family around the dinner table, talking about our day and sharing a meal.  I'm sure it won't last forever, as the kids schedules get busier, but I will certainly cherish it while it lasts.


 RECIPE

Ingredients
One cup of dried quinoa
Two cans of black beans, rinsed with 1/2 cup set aside, 
One medium sweet potato (with skin on cooked in the microwave)
2 tbsp of minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 half cup of jarred roasted red peppers
1/2 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of chili powder
1 tsp of salt
a pinch of pepper 

For topping
Shredded cheddar cheese
Libby's Chunky Guacamole
Salsa
Sour cream

Directions
Cook quinoa according to directions.
Puree together beans, sweet potato, garlic, onion, red peppers, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.
Add the cooked quinoa and reserved black beans.
Stir until mixed well.
1/2 cup of the veggie mix makes 7 burgers.
Baked at 400 F for 20 minutes.

Top with cheese, guac, salsa and sour cream as you please and enjoy!

Black Bean Chili

Welcome to Friday...let the weekend begin.  But, not without first sharing about a special day this week and a great first-time soup.

Earlier this week when the kids were making their meal requests, Ryker asked for Chili and Alayna asked for Black Bean Soup.  I thought I'd combine them into one simple, delicious and filling meal to be served when we were having friends this week.

I know not all of you find as much joy or have the time for the joy of chopping, so this could definitely be simplified to a quick'n'easy meal as well.  Stick with me.

Since I always keep an array of vegetables on hand, this is the best and easiest way to get them eaten in our house. For example, I'm not sure that celery would be considered a staple of chili, but I figure once it is chopped up and simmered for an hour, most people don't know if it is an onion, zuchini or even give it much thought at all, so in it goes.

I started by throwing one chopped onion, and a tablespoon of minced garlic into two tablespoons of vegetable oil that were heating on the stove.  Then I put in 2# of lean hamburger to brown up.  Two pounds is a lot of beef, but since we were having guests over for dinner, I was going for a bigger batch size to ensure there was enough…(Spoiler alert: there was just enough!)

Once the meat was browned, I threw in the rest of the freshly chopped vegetables; celery, green peppers, zucchini and tomato.  Now, if you want to simplify this recipe, you could skip the fresh veggies and just go with canned or frozen, especially if time is of the essence.

Now, it's time for the seasonings...which I'm notoriously terrible about measuring.  I know I don't like too much cumin, nothing can ruin a dish like cumin can, but I do appreciate what it brings at low levels, so that was probably about a teaspoon, that I pre-eyeball (as opposed to measure) into my hand.

Kids don't like anything too hot, so just about a teaspoon of ground red pepper was added as well, to bring some flavor but not too much heat.  Finally, a tablespoon or two of chili powder.  Of course, you could always use a packet of chili seasoning, but I prefer to concoct my own. The salt and pepper is added to taste, fresh ground black pepper can be pretty potent, so I use that with caution.

From here on out, it is very easy...couple cans of diced tomatoes, couple cans of black beans...tonight, for the first time, I did not drain or rinse the beans (I know, I'm such a rebel).  Once the veggies are all mixed in, I pour in another household staple, tomato juice, to serve as my broth, if you will.

The last addition to this soup is some frozen corn, most soups of mine are rarely complete without those little golden nuggets of texture and sweetness.

This simmered for about an hour and was served with oyster crackers, sour cream and shredded cheese.  Even my favorite brown-eyed 5 year old devoured her bowl faster than the birthday boy (aka a grown man) could.

Speaking of birthday boy, it was my husband's big day yesterday.  I thought I'd give some diabetic baking a try, using Splenda rather sugar.  Apparently the family agreed that the diabetic-friendly chocolate cupcakes wouldn't have been so bad, if the diabetic-friendly cream cheese frosting had been omitted.  Eh, live and learn. However, anyone with low sugar, diabetic-friendly recipes, tips or tricks, feel free to share. I've got lots of room for improvement!

Thankfully Wendy saved the day with some full-force brownies for all to enjoy!  Her and Brian have always saved the day for me...usually when there was a foot of snow in the driveway or when there was a tasty holiday meal being served. Even though we are no longer neighbors, I'm still so thankful we are great friends!

Tonight is the hubby's special birthday meal, you'll have to stay tuned, I can't ruin the surprise now!