Here a couple of my favorite bean recipes. I made the soup this week, it was fabulous as usual! I have enough left for one more bowl for lunch
Spinach Chickpea Leek Soup
This is SO good and so fast and easy to make - makes plenty for several days. Great to make on a Sunday and eat all week.
1 tbs olive oil
2 leeks, sliced thinly (circles)
1 zuchini, chopped
minced garlic (I use tons)
2 14 oz cans tomatoes
small can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3 3/4 cup veg broth
1 14 oz can chickpeas (gabanzo beans) drained
block of frozen spinach (thawed, drained)
1 tbs oregano
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
fresh parm cheese for topping
Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, add leeks and zucchini and cook briskly for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, vegetable broth, chickpeas and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.
Shred the spinach finely, add to the soup and boil for 2 minutes. Season to taste. (the longer it cooks on the stove, the better it is). Remove the bay leaf, sprinkle with parmesan cheese (if desired).
Quinoa Black Bean Sweet Potato Quesadillas
1 cup quinoa, washed/drained (use brown rice if you can't find quinoa)
1 large sweet potato (diced small)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic (I used more)
1 14 oz can of tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained
1 can green chiles
2 tbs minced cilantro
Some low fat cheese
Whole wheat, low fat tortillas
Salsa
Cook quinoa in 2 cups of water. When done, set aside.
While the quinoa is simmering, I cut up the sweet potatoes into small pieces (dice sized) and spray a cookie sheet with PAM. I bake the potatoes for around 20 minutes (shaking often) until they are soft and getting crispy. (if I don't have time, I nuke them for 5 minutes!)
Saute onion, garlic. Stir in tomato (crushed, with juice), black beans, chiles, cilantro. Add quinoa, potatoes. Season with salt and pepper (I added some red pepper flakes, because i like spicy). Stir and heat through. I've also started adding spinach leaves, they wilt down nicely.
Put in tortillas, add some cheese so it sticks together, grill on both sides. Top with lots of salsa.