When your family budget is stretched just about as far as it will go, you need some real tools to stretch it even further. One of the means we can use to squeeze a few more pennies out of your paycheck is to cut back at the grocery store. This is where our friend the black bean comes in.
You've come to the end of a long week, and the end of your budget, so which direction should you go when you find yourself lost in the grocery store? Follow me over to the black bean aisle. The first thing you'll notice is the price; can they really be that inexpensive? Yes, and black beans are also low fat, and are even packed with protein, calcium, iron, and fiber. That's a lot of value for your hard earned money. You'll want to start loading up your cart with black beans and keeping a supply on hand. The next step is creating meals that the family will love featuring the fabulous black bean.
1) Easy Bean Soup
You'll need 1 can each of black beans, garbanzo beans, butter beans, and navy beans (although you really can use any kinds of beans). In a large pot, pour 2 tablespoons olive oil, add 1 cup chopped celery and 1 cup chopped onion. Cook until celery is a little tender. Now add 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed and cook for just a minute. Open and drain, but do not rinse, all four bean cans and pour into pot. Add 1 small can diced tomatoes and 1 small can chicken broth. Simmer slowly for about 20 minutes. It's ready to eat.
2) Loads Of Beans Salad
Pick your favorite canned beans like, black beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans, butter beans, waxed beans, kidney beans, and any others that you may like to try. Drain and rinse them all very well. Put them in a nice big serving bowl. Add to the salad bowl some chopped onion, celery, chives, fresh parsley, rosemary if you like, thyme, or any other herb on hand. Season by sprinkling a good vinaigrette salad dressing all over and mixing in well. I prefer for this salad Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette; it's reasonably priced and good for a lot of recipes.
3) Too Easy Black Beans & Taco Sauce
Try it and I guarantee you'll be wondering why you haven't thought of this before. My daughter was the person who "invented" this recipe in our family, and now we're all sold on it. Simply drain and rinse a can of black beans. If you have those little packets of taco sauce laying around, leftovers from carry-out, just squeeze a few in your black beans, give it a toss, and you have an incredibly delicious side dish that is sure to please. You'll have to try this one to believe it. You might want to try some hot salsa instead of the taco sauce, but use only a little, just enough to flavor the beans. (Throw some shredded cheddar on top and you're set.)
4) Black Bean Salad with Cottage Cheese
A simple but delicious use for black beans is turning it into a creamy salad. Put a 1 scoop of cottage cheese in a serving bowl, and sprinkle a little salt and freshly ground black pepper on top. Then top with some drained and rinsed canned black beans, about 1/2 cup. Add a bit of chopped celery to the mix and you have a great, crunchy, creamy lunch, packed with protein, calcium, iron and fiber.
5) Use-It-Up Black Bean Burrito
If you have a few staples in your pantry you can whip up this simple burrito. You'll need a flour or corn tortilla, either heated or not, that's up to you. Drain and rinse your black beans, then start building your burrito however you want. I add black beans, some diced tomatoes, a little onion, lots of shredded cheddar cheese, a little sour cream, leftover rice, some chopped up pieces of chicken from last night, and whatever else I have to use up. Depending on how I feel that day, I go a little heavier on the black beans and lighter on the other stuff. Get your salsa or taco sauce ready and enjoy.
These recipes are just a few ways to use the wonderful, and versatile black bean. All five of these simple black bean dishes can be tweaked easily by you to show off your individual style and to become your own family favorites. - 15634
You've come to the end of a long week, and the end of your budget, so which direction should you go when you find yourself lost in the grocery store? Follow me over to the black bean aisle. The first thing you'll notice is the price; can they really be that inexpensive? Yes, and black beans are also low fat, and are even packed with protein, calcium, iron, and fiber. That's a lot of value for your hard earned money. You'll want to start loading up your cart with black beans and keeping a supply on hand. The next step is creating meals that the family will love featuring the fabulous black bean.
1) Easy Bean Soup
You'll need 1 can each of black beans, garbanzo beans, butter beans, and navy beans (although you really can use any kinds of beans). In a large pot, pour 2 tablespoons olive oil, add 1 cup chopped celery and 1 cup chopped onion. Cook until celery is a little tender. Now add 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed and cook for just a minute. Open and drain, but do not rinse, all four bean cans and pour into pot. Add 1 small can diced tomatoes and 1 small can chicken broth. Simmer slowly for about 20 minutes. It's ready to eat.
2) Loads Of Beans Salad
Pick your favorite canned beans like, black beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans, butter beans, waxed beans, kidney beans, and any others that you may like to try. Drain and rinse them all very well. Put them in a nice big serving bowl. Add to the salad bowl some chopped onion, celery, chives, fresh parsley, rosemary if you like, thyme, or any other herb on hand. Season by sprinkling a good vinaigrette salad dressing all over and mixing in well. I prefer for this salad Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette; it's reasonably priced and good for a lot of recipes.
3) Too Easy Black Beans & Taco Sauce
Try it and I guarantee you'll be wondering why you haven't thought of this before. My daughter was the person who "invented" this recipe in our family, and now we're all sold on it. Simply drain and rinse a can of black beans. If you have those little packets of taco sauce laying around, leftovers from carry-out, just squeeze a few in your black beans, give it a toss, and you have an incredibly delicious side dish that is sure to please. You'll have to try this one to believe it. You might want to try some hot salsa instead of the taco sauce, but use only a little, just enough to flavor the beans. (Throw some shredded cheddar on top and you're set.)
4) Black Bean Salad with Cottage Cheese
A simple but delicious use for black beans is turning it into a creamy salad. Put a 1 scoop of cottage cheese in a serving bowl, and sprinkle a little salt and freshly ground black pepper on top. Then top with some drained and rinsed canned black beans, about 1/2 cup. Add a bit of chopped celery to the mix and you have a great, crunchy, creamy lunch, packed with protein, calcium, iron and fiber.
5) Use-It-Up Black Bean Burrito
If you have a few staples in your pantry you can whip up this simple burrito. You'll need a flour or corn tortilla, either heated or not, that's up to you. Drain and rinse your black beans, then start building your burrito however you want. I add black beans, some diced tomatoes, a little onion, lots of shredded cheddar cheese, a little sour cream, leftover rice, some chopped up pieces of chicken from last night, and whatever else I have to use up. Depending on how I feel that day, I go a little heavier on the black beans and lighter on the other stuff. Get your salsa or taco sauce ready and enjoy.
These recipes are just a few ways to use the wonderful, and versatile black bean. All five of these simple black bean dishes can be tweaked easily by you to show off your individual style and to become your own family favorites. - 15634
About the Author:
Nicole Dean is the owner of ShowMomtheMoney.com - a fun and informative website to help moms achieve success working from home. She invites you to learn more ways to save money and make money by checking out her Home Business Ideas section.
