Two Black Bean Dishes..."kill two birds with one stone"

 

I'm so sorry to disappoint all of you with my simple dishes and not making ooey-gooey cupcakes, cakes, and super rich dishes, so I decided at least the things that I do make are healthy, and delicious...that is if you like black beans!
The one thing, or maybe two things you might have noticed since I started my Weight Watchers diet program, is that I'm concentrating more on making things look attractive, and improve on my photos, as well!

Remember that huge container of black beans? well, I made another big pot of black beans from dried black beans.
This first one is a delicious CUBAN BLACK BEANS, and the second one coming up, is my BLACK BEANS PAPAYA SALSA...I decided to "kill two birds with one stone"...I'm sure you've heard the meaning before!

Not my own photo...courtesy of National Geography

Realistically speaking...who would want to kill these beautiful Rainbow bee-eaters? The term killing two birds with one stone is "performing two tasks at the same time" has been mentioned that it originated from the Japanese, the Chinese, the Romans, and from a Greek Mythology! Well, they all can call it their own, but this famous Idiom Definition is referred by Hobbes, in 1841, in England. According to Hobbes, it was to "satisfy two arguments with one answer." It is almost impossible to kill two birds with one stone, unless they are sitting close together as these lovely birds!

My second bean dish is BLACK BEAN PAPAYA SALSA...a very nice, refreshing salsa that is perfect as a side dish with BBQ or just have around as a great snack to satisfy the in-between meals hunger!

Love this refreshing salsa, and so easy to make. I will post both recipes for you, and for the next post I will try to keep it on the sweet side by making a yummy dessert of some sorts!

Cuban Black Beans
adapted slightly from: Everyday Food from the
Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion diced
2 celery stalks diced
2 garlic cloves smashed, and peeled
2 carrots, diced  
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
coarse salt, and ground black pepper
2 lbs dried black beans, soaked according
to package instructions
1 dried bay leaf
1 small bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated, stems tied together with kitchen twine and leaves reserved

In a large Dutch oven, or a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, celery, and garlic, and cook until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Add carrots and cumin, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add black beans, 8 cups water, bay leaf and cilantro stems and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender and liquid is slightly thickened, about 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf and cilantro stems. (To store, refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 6 months. You will be able to use these beans to make other recipes with it. Makes 7 cups
Points value: 6

Black Bean Papaya Salsa
adapted by: All Recipes.com

2 cups cooked, or canned black beans
2 small, or 1 large papayas peeled seeded
 and diced small
1/2 red bell pepper diced small
3/4 cup pineapple juice
 ( I used 7 1/2 oz can crushed pineapple)
!/2 cup lime juice (4 limes)
(I used 2 limes)
2 Tbsp minced green chile peppers of your choice
( I also used 1/2 of a medium purple onion, diced)

Dice the papaya in small pieces

If your onion is large, just cut in half, wrap the other half and save for next time. Peel and dice in small pieces.

I used green chiles, sliced them with the seeds. You can slice in half, scrape the seeds out, and dice them if you don't want it too spicy.

Clean and slice half of the red bell pepper in thin long slice, and dice the pepper in small pieces.

 Rinse the black bean in cold running water, in a colander.

Chop a handful of fresh cilantro.

Layer all your ingredient in a big bowl. I also used about 2 teaspoon of jalapeno sauce...you can use red hot sauce if you can't get jalapeno sauce.

With a fork squeeze the lime into the bowl and just turn the fork well with one hand and squeeze with the other to get all the juices in there.

Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro, and stir together gently, and serve...Enjoy!
Points value: 6

Sweet Potatoes with Vegetarian-Vegan Black Bean Chili

As I mentioned to you in the near past, that we have vegetarian, and vegan meals at least 3, 4 times a week, seafood once a week, and the weekend is pretty "iffy"...never knowing what we're going to eat. That's where I get in trouble with my WW points system, even though I'm allowed extra points, every weekend I gain back at least 2 or 3 pounds; then, start again on Monday, and it takes an entire week to lose those extra pounds, and struggling to lose another pound or two. So, this is the "lifestyle". As long as I'm on track and know what's taking place, I'm more conscious of it!

This dish is the ultimate vegetarian...vegan, if you don't top the chili with the Lebni (kefir/yogurt)...but I must confess that Lebni is so creamy, tangy, thick, and the perfect topping to tame the hot and spicy flavor of this gorgeous chili topped baked sweet potato! I don't claim to be a recipe developer, or a food stylist, but then, I am a professionally trained chef, for decades now... which I never talk about, but I do mention it on the bottom of my  "about me" section. I guarantee, that you haven't seen a chili assembled like this, but there are plenty of sweet potato chili recipes out there. This way, you have the best of both...baked sweet potato, cooked black beans, and separately cooked spicy vegetables, all assembled...with LOVE!

I totally went off the original subject that I want to post about...oh yes! The Red Gold Tomato Giveaway winner!
As you can see these beautiful spicy vegetables that are still simmering, and steaming (you could actually see the steam)...they are made with the Red Gold Tomato Diced Tomato Chili Ready tomatoes.

Here's the tricky part. I did calculate the winner on my handy little Random.Org widget, and wouldn't you know who came up as #14 winner? Wendy @ The Weekend Gourmet. She specifically asked me not to include her, since she also hosted a giveaway last year, and this year, she had the opportunity to visit the Red Gold Tomato plant in person...you can read about her fabulous trip on her blog!

Next, the generator picked my Hungarian food blogger friend, Erzsi @ Troll a Konnyhamban...so sorry, but only U.S. and Canada are eligible....that was # 7...so now, I didn't want to spin the numbers again, that's how I went to the next number, which is # 8...Claudia @ What's Cookin' Italian Style!

Congratulations, Claudia...I will get in touch with you by e-mail...to get your address, so I can send it to Red Gold, and they will ship your giveaway package to you, directly!

Linking to: Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage
                Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherines Corner

Sweet Potatoes with Vegetarian-Vegan Black Bean Chili
my own recipe

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-14 1/2 to 16 ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
(I used Red Gold diced tomatoes, Chili Ready)
1 15- to 16 ounce can black beans, rinsed, and drained
( I made a large pot of black dried beans, the day before, and used 2 cups of it, rinsed and drained)
3 small yellow crookneck squash diced 
1 Tablespoon minced seeded if you like, jalapeno chili
4 lime wedges

Plain nonfat, Lebni, our sour cream (optional)
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork, and wrap them separately in foil paper. Place sweet potatoes in baking dish and bake until tender, about 1 hr. 15 minutes.




Note: the day before, make a large batch of dried black beans, and refrigerate in large plastic container, to make at least 3 different meals out of it, or just season it to make a side dish chili, or black bean soup. This is optional, you can use a good quality canned beans for this recipe, as well!

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add diced bell pepper and shopped onions and saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir mixture 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and ground cumin, then the diced yellow squash. tomatoes.Reduce heat to low, and cook for about 15 minutes, adding about 1/4 cup of water if it's needed.
Add diced tomatoes with their juices, and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes...not longer, to keep the diced pieces whole.

Heat the black beans separately in a small saucepan. You can add an extra can of beans, or the fresh cooked beans to make sure you have enough. Important: in order to spice up the beans, take a small portion from the spicy veggies, and stir them into the beans.


Arrange 1 sweet potato on each of 4 plates. Split potatoes open; mash slightly. Spoon some black beans in center of each. top with the spicy vegetables, and squeeze lime juice over.

Top with Lebni, Greek yogurt, or sour cream (optional)
 

This is an amazing healthy, colorful, and filling dish.
I figured out the WW points value, which is 7 points.
Even if you're not a vegetarian, you will love this!
Enjoy!












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Rajma...and WW Corn Bread

Just recently, I was browsing through some food blogs of friends that I haven't visited for a while, and my eyes
got caught on a simple spicy bean dish...an Indian spicy vegetarian chili that inspired me so much...
knowing that I had all the spices, and it's a Weight Watchers approved dish, as well, plus the fact that I truly love, spicy foods!
When something really inspires me that someone makes, I usually leave a comment saying that "I would love to try this"..."I'm going to make this"..."I'm bookmarking it to print and copy the recipe"...how many of us say these over and over again?...only to just put it aside and forget about it! Nancy, and her husband Veejay are the authors of the Kitchen Gypsies, and I mentioned to my friend Nancy, that I would like to make this dish, and I actually did, in my slow cooker...a huge pot of it! So thanks for the inspiration, Nancy!

 Do visit their blog for the recipe, and browse through for some amazing authentic Indian, and American cuisine, that they have to offer.
Points per serving with rice: 10

Linking to: Cookbook Sundays @ Couscous-Consciosness

When I get inspired about a recipe...especially if I have the ingredients on hand, I could hardly wait to "jump" on it to make it, especially when it doesn't require an electric mixer, or a long time for preparation, and baking time. I can honestly say that this Weight Watchers Corn Bread recipe is the BEST by far, and guilt free light, super moist, and delicious of any corn bread or corn muffins I have made. It's pure, and simple...no butter, no fat, or oil added, just pure buttermilk!

Just look at the beautiful color, texture, and natural thickness of these healthy and delicious red kidney beans, soaked, and then cooked for several hours in the slow cooker! I served them over Thai Jasmin rice...amazing, spicy, and totally comforting and satisfying!

You can see the lines on the slow-cooker crock pot where it started to cook, cooking down and getting thicker.

The next day, I served it with my cornbread, which is a Weight Watchers recipe, that I will share with you.
I topped the Rajma with a generous spoonful of Lebni, which is a thick Middle Eastern Kefir, that can only be purchased in a Middle Eastern market, which we have here, locally, in West Palm Beach.






Recipe for the WW Cornbread...click on!

Corn Bread
from Weight Watchers Complete Cookbook

1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
4 teaspoons sugar
2/12 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8" square pan or a 11-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

(Quaker Yellow Corn Meal is by far, the best to use, and Pam Original cooking spray.)

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, beat the buttermilk and egg. Pour over the flour mixture; stir, just until blended (do not overmix).

Transfer to the pan. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center come out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack 10 minutes; serve warm.
Makes 12 servings
Points per serving: 2










Just a little update...maybe, not so short; to share with you on my weight loss project. Since I mentioned to you, that I gained back 2 lbs of my 9 lb weight loss, since Super Bowl weekend.To make matters worse, I skipped a WW meeting following that week...knowing I had gained weight back. Well, I did get the courage to go get weighed in, this week, all bundled up in sweat suit, jacket, and heavy sneakers (going to the gym afterwards) I told the lady, I am not removing my jacket, or my sneakers, I know I gained 2 lbs, plus, all these heavy clothes, and shoes, and late afternoon...already had lunch, another 2 lbs will be packed on. Sure enough she marked 4lbs extra weight!

I am not going to the meetings any more for a while, did have to pay $42.per month, to get back online to be able to get the E-tools. When they say it's FREE online...sure, it's free, just to sign up, but then you have to pay for what the call the PASS to get you started, to be able to track your own weight, and follow with the program, at your leisure time. Now, this way I could go to the meetings (just to get weighed in)...and not have to sit through the meeting, and just come back home to get online, and follow through! Also, this way it still comes out cheaper, than the $15. you have to pay to go in person to the meetings, once a week!

OK...last, but not least. I have been carefully watching, and counting my points this week; I decided to get on the scale...wouldn't you know, I made my goal of the 10lbs loss...actually lost probably about 11, or 12 lbs. since Jan. 2nd. of this year...slow, but sure! Whewww! ...a huge guilt is lifted from my conscience, and also the weight. It's been 6 weeks of trying...failing, and determined, but I did it, and will continue!
Thanks for all your support, and caring, and I am determined to continue because I do want to be healthier and live longer to see my little grandchildren grow up, and be there for my family!

Hugs... and have a wonderful and Blessed weekend, my friends:DDD