Some people call it black bean salsa, some call it texas caviar. I simply call it delicious. This stuff is so good that I can eat it by the spoonful, with or without chips. I’m not alone either. Andrew and Alex, my two youngest, will join me in my spoon eating of this black bean goodness. We mainly use it as a dip for tortilla chips or as an accompaniment with main dishes; I’ve got two main dish recipes that I will be sharing in the upcoming days that use it as an enhancement. It’s versatile, healthy and yummy!
I have my best Texas friend, EVER, to thank for this delicious recipe. Micki and I met 6 years ago at a childbirth class for the arrival of both of our first children, and we’ve never looked back. I love this girl to pieces. She’s the type of friend that you can tell anything to, call any time of the day or night, talk on the phone with for HOURS and never get bored, and just plain have a kick ass time with any time you see her. She’s been there for the laughs and tears; even now that we’re long distance. She’s got your back no matter what and she’ll defend you with everything that’s in her. Friends come and go, but every once in a while you meet one that you know is special. Micki’s that one for me. I love ya girl!
Now, without further ado… Black Bean and Corn Salsa; Micki Style. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients Needed:
1 Large Lime, Juiced
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
½ tsp. Ground Cumin
¼ tsp. Salt
1 15 Oz. Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
1 Cup Frozen Corn Kernels, Thawed
1 Medium Tomato, Diced
8 Thin Green Onions, Sliced (1/2 cup)
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1 Fresh Avocado, Chopped
Combine your lime juice, vinegar, cumin and salt in a large bowl; stir to mix well. Next, add in the beans, corn, green onions and cilantro; and stir to mix well again. Before serving add in the tomato and avocado. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.
Micki's Black Bean Corn Salsa
Total Time: 15 min
Ingredients:
1 Large Lime, Juiced
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Salt
1 15 Oz. Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
1 Cup Frozen Corn Kernels, Thawed
1 Medium Tomato, Diced
4 Green Onions, Chopped (1/2 Cup)
1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 Avocado, Chopped
Directions:
Combine your lime juice, vinegar, cumin and salt in a large bowl; stir to mix well.
Next, add in the beans, corn, green onions and cilantro; and stir to mix well again.
Before serving add in the tomato and avocado.
Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight.
Sweet and Spicy Black Beans
Today I’m going to share a recipe for sweet and spicy black beans although I can’t claim ownership for creating it. It was taken from a cookbook given to me by my Aunt Ann entitled Recipes from Baja. It was put together by the East Cape Guild of Baja California Sur, Mexico where my aunt and uncle now spend about about half their time during the year.
Before I share the recipe, I have to share a little bit about my Aunt Ann (or AA; double A as she is referred to by family and friends), because she’s a pretty amazing woman by all standards. One of the many reasons I say this is because my aunt is an oarsman on the Colorado River. She guides people down the Grand Canyon and has been doing so with her husband for almost 35 years now.
I have always been in awe of her ability to just get out there and do what she loves. She was one of the first women to professionally guide people down the Grand Canyon. She does her job really well and she is extremely respected within the rafting community. She has taken all levels of people down the river including politicians, movie stars, sports stars and, of course, little ‘ol me. Here is a picture of her on the river with Tom Cruise (this was before he married Nicole Kidman and went a bit off the edge of reality).
I was fortunate enough to be able to take a river trip with my aunt and uncle when I was a junior in high school. It was an eighteen day trip, completely paid for. All I needed to do was help out around camp and assist the research group that was taking the trip with us. They were studying the humpback chub (a fish for all you non-biologist types out there) and it was right up my alley as I was planning to go to college for a degree in Wildlife Biology. I’ll never forget how amazing that trip was. Many people only dream of having the opportunity to take such a trip and I was fortunate enough to get the chance.
My aunt and uncle have since “semi” retired from the rafting business although they still take the occasional trip down the river and run their own company selling custom whitewater rafting gear. If you’re ever in the market, you can check out her company, The Summit.
A big portion of their time is now spent down in Baja California where they own their own piece of land on the ocean. No home on it, just a trailer and a boat for marlin fishing. And they relish every minute of it. They love Baja and I love that they want to share a piece of the culture with us.
The cookbook they passed on to us has so many amazing recipes in it, including the bean recipe I’m going to share with you today. I hope to share more recipes from this cook book in the future and when I do, I’m sure I will think of my aunt and what an amazing woman she is. Here’s a picture of them taken in 2006 with my middle son, Alex.
And now, without further ado, the Sweet and Spicy Black Bean recipe. Here’s what you’ll need to put them together. Keep in mind when you’re looking at this recipe, that it puts together a really large batch so if you’re cooking for a smaller group you might want to cut the recipe in half.
Another thing to note is that I was trying to whip these up quickly while simultaneously putting all three kids to bed before all the guests arrived for the Cinco de Mayo cooking club, so I ran out of time to take my step by step pictures for these. I apologize for dropping the ball today (or the camera as the case may be!)
Ingredients Needed:
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
2 Medium Onions, Finely Chopped
1-2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
2 Jalapeno Peppers, Seeded and finely Chopped
4 15oz. Cans of Black Beans
1 28 Oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes with Basil Garlic and Oregano, Undrained
1/3 Cup of Honey
1/3 Cup of Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 Tsp of Gnger
1 Tsp of Salt
Grab a large frying pan and heat your olive oil on medium high heat. To the heated oil add your onions and stir. Cook the onions for 5 minutes and then turn the heat down to medium and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes stirring frequently so they don’t burn. Your onions should cook down to about half of what you started with and they should be a nice golden brown color.
While your onions are cooking, chop up the jalapeno’s and garlic and set to the side. Drain and rinse your black beans and add them all to a large pot on medium heat. Along with the beans add your tomatoes, honey, brown sugar, ginger and salt.
After your onions have cooked for an additional 15-20 minutes, add in the jalapeno and garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Then add the onion mixture in with the beans and heat through until hot.
There is also a note from the cookbook that says you don’t necessarily have to cook your onions for 20 minutes but this will make the dish if you do. Those golden browned onions will impart a wonderful sweet flavor you won’t want to miss.
Here’s my finished pot hot on the stove and ready to be served up:
And here’s a picture of a serving about to be given to Andrew. The kid tore these up. It looked like a bean massacre when he was done. The final product:
Sweet and Spicy Black Beans
Total Time: 30 min
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Onions, Finely Chopped
1-2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Jalapeno Peppers, Seeded and Chopped
4 15 Oz.Cans Black Beans
1 28 Oz. Can Diced Tomatoes with Basil Garlic and Oregano, Undrained
1/3 Cup Honey
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Ginger
1 tsp Salt
Directions:
Grab a large frying pan and heat your olive oil on medium high heat.
To the heated oil add your onions and stir.
Cook the onions for 5 minutes and then turn the heat down to medium and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes stirring frequently so they don't burn. Your onions should cook down to about half of what you started with and they should be a nice golden brown color.
While your onions are cooking, chop up the jalapeno's and garlic and set to the side.
Drain and rinse your black beans and add them all to a large pot on medium heat.
Along with the beans add your tomatoes, honey, brown sugar, ginger and salt.
After your onions have cooked for an additional 15-20 minutes, add in the jalapeno and garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Add the onion mixture in with the beans and heat through until hot.
French Quarter Nachos
In the spirit of March madness, I felt the impending need to concoct a big, fattening, ooey gooey, forget the diet, mound of nachos. Because, as we all know, despite our year in and year out efforts to get the perfect college tourney bracket, we will once again forgo the $10 ante in favor of a losing team that shouldn’t have lost in the first place (dang you Georgetown!) and be left with nothing to show for it but a lighter wallet and a bracket lined with crossed out loser teams. But I digress.
In thinking about what type of nachos I wanted to make, I dug deep into the depths of my freezer and discovered a pack of Trader Joe’s chicken andouille sausage. And from there the idea for French Quarter Nachos was born. These nachos were delightfully delicious and did a great job of dulling the pain of yet another inevitable losing year. Here’s what you’ll need for your nachos:
Ingredients Needed:
1 Pound Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1/3 Cup of Salsa
1/2 of a Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove of Garlic
2 tsp of Cilantro
1 tsp of Cumin
1 tsp of Chili Powder
1 tsp of Corriander
1 Bag of Tortilla Chips
1 Can of Black Beans
1 Chopped Tomato
1 Chopped Green Onion
2 Cups of Chopped Green Spinach
2 Cups of Cheddar Cheese
A few notes before we begin. First off, I put lettuce in the shot above, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t end up using it for these nachos. I’m always trying to sneak a little bit of healthy in, so if I have the choice to use spinach over lettuce, I’ll do it. That being said, I know lots of people who prefer lettuce to spinach, so feel free to make your own choice on this one! Second, another mommie brain moment, but I put salt in the picture instead of olive oil. I know, I know, not at ALL the same thing. Finally, see if you can find Waldo in the picture above. He insisted on hiding in the background.
Alright, let’s get started. Heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Throw your chopped sausage in and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add in the onion and continue to cook about 4 minutes more. Finally, add in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and salsa. Stir to combine and let cook for one minute more. While your mixture is cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and throw your bag of chips in a large oven safe dish. Once your meat mixture is finished, dump it on top of the chips making sure it is evenly distributed. Next add your black beans, spinach (or lettuce if you prefer), and finally the cheese. Place your dish into the oven and cook it until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbling; about 8-10 minutes. Pull it out, sprinkle your chopped tomatoes and green onions on top and serve it up. You’re done! Here’s the finished product:
I like to serve mine with guacamole and sour cream and I’ll put my quickie guacamole recipe up tomorrow for those that are interested. Happy Eating and may your bracket bring you good fortune!
French Quarter Nachos
Total Time: 30 min
Ingredients:
1 Pound Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Salsa
1/2 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Coriander
1 Bag Tortilla Chips
1 Can Black Beans
1 Tomato/span>, Chopped
1 Green Onion, Chopped
2 Cups Green Spinach, Chopped
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, Cheese
Directions:
Heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Throw your chopped sausage in and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes.
Add in the onion and continue to cook about 4 minutes more.
Finally, add in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and salsa. Stir to combine and let cook for one minute more.
While your mixture is cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and throw your bag of chips in a large oven safe dish.
Once your meat mixture is finished, dump it on top of the chips making sure it is evenly distributed.
Next add your black beans, spinach (or lettuce if you prefer), and finally the cheese.
Place your dish into the oven and cook it until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbling; about 8-10 minutes.
Pull it out, sprinkle your chopped tomatoes and green onions on top and serve it up.