3 delicious black bean recipes

gourmetgoldmine.com

Beans are a nutritious addition to any diet. They are low GI, high in fibre and contribute to your daily protein intake.

You may be familiar with the more commonly eaten kidney beans, cannellini beans or chickpeas, but what about black beans?

Black beans contain on average 24grams carbohydrate per 100gram serve, with 9 grams fibre and around 9 grams protein. This makes them a great contributor of protein to a vegetarian diet.

Nutritionally, Black beans are high in vitamin B1, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese, they also have a decent amount of folate (B9). However they contain most of the B vitamins, albeit in smaller amounts, including B2, B3, B5 and B6. They also contain calcium, copper, zinc and selenium. The black colour of the skin is provided by anthocyanins which are both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory.

Why include black beans in your diet?

Black beans are great for digestive health. The fibre in black beans assists the movement of stool through the digestive tract. Recent research has also shown that black beans help support healthy functioning of the lower colon and may be beneficial in reducing the risk of illnesses such as colon cancer.

Black beans are also high in many heart healthy nutrients making them great for overall cardiovascular health. Soluble fibre in black beans for example helps to reduce cholesterol reabsorption in the intestine. Black beans provide a good amount of magnesium, a mineral beneficial for blood pressure regulation, and folate, which is known to reduce homocystiene levels. Homocystiene is used as a general indicator of heart health.

When it comes to weight loss and blood sugar regulation, beans are a great food to include. Their combination of protein and fibre provides a slow burning, low GI fuel and reduces the GI of foods eaten around the same time. This combination also makes beans a low calorie yet filling food. A nice inclusion to those wanting to lose weight.

The colour of black beans also provides a substantial health benefit. The phytonutrients and anthocyanins in black beans provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection to the body’s cells. If you’ve read my rainbow diet series, you’ll know that including foods of each colour daily provides an array of nutrients and antioxidants that are individual to that particular colour. Black beans are a delicious way to up the black component of your diet.

Struggling to get enough black in your diet? Here are 3 delicious black bean recipes to help you out

Spicy, Citrusy black beans

From Simply Recipes - http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spicy_citrusy_black_beans/

Ingredients

• 4 cups dried black beans
• 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) water
• 2-3 fresh sprigs oregano, or 1 Tbsp. dried
• 3 bay leaves
• 6 small or 3 large sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 2 chopped peppers – bell pepper, Anaheim, or jalapeño (your choice, depending on taste for heat), seeds, stems and ribs discarded
• 6 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 Tbsp. Ancho red chili sauce, or chili powder or Tabasco to taste*
• 1-2 teaspoons of puréed chipotle in adobo, chipotle Tabasco, or chipotle powder (to taste)
• 1 Tbsp. cumin, (crushed whole toasted cumin seed is best, if possible)
• 3 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate or 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1 Prepare the beans. Rinse and sort the beans, discarding any stones or shrivelled beans. You can soak the beans overnight in cold water (cover with several inches of water) OR pour enough boiling water over them to cover by a few inches and soak them for an hour OR skip the pre-soaking step. Soaking will speed up the cooking process. If you soak, discard the soaking liquid after soaking.

2 Add beans to a large pot with 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) of water. Add oregano, bay leaves, and sage. Bring the beans to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the beans are soft, but not quite done. The time will vary depending on how large, dry, or old your beans are, and if you have pre-soaked them, from anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half.

3 While the beans are cooking, sauté onions and peppers in olive oil until soft. Add chili sauce, chili powder, and/or chili purée, cumin, and garlic. Sauté until spices are fragrant.

4 Fish out and discard the bay leaves, stems of oregano, and sage leaves from the pot of beans. Remove, but reserve, extra cooking liquid until there is about 1/2-inch of liquid above beans.

5 Add the onion mixture and salt to the pot of beans. Cook another hour or so until thickened. Add reserved liquid if needed.

6 Add half of the orange juice, and simmer. Adjust chili heat at this point – you may or may not want to add more of your chili paste. Just before serving, add remaining orange juice, lime juice, and vinegar. Salt to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve with corn tortillas, and/or rice, sour cream, and salsa. Serves 8

Fiesta Bean Salad

From Skinny Taste - http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/04/fiesta-bean-salad.html

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive

1 tsp. cumin

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup minced red onion, finely diced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 medium avocado, diced

Directions

1.       In a large bowl, combine the garlic, lime juice, oil, cumin, crushed red pepper, and salt

2.       Add the black beans, chickpeas, tomato, onion and cilantro; mix well. When ready to eat, gently mix in avocado and serve right away

Black Bean Soup

From Food.com – http://www.food.com/recipe/black-bean-soup-152334

Ingredients

2 (16 ounce) cans black beans, undrained, divided

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

 Non-stick cooking spray
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa
4 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup plain yogurt (optional)
Fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

1 PLACE 1 can of beans with liquid and broth in blender or food processor; cover. Blend until smooth. Coat large saucepan with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until onion is tender.

 2 ADD blended bean mixture, remaining beans and liquid, salsa, lime juice, cumin and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve topped with yogurt. Garnish with cilantro