Black Bean
Braised Lamb Shanks with Ginger and Five-Spice
These Asian-inspired lamb shanks are wrapped and baked in individual foil packets, then placed atop bowls of steamed rice. Serve with stir-fried bok choy or other Chinese greens. What to drink: Asian lager beer or a fruity red Zinfandel.
Black Bean Soup with Cumin and Cilantro
At Las Ventanas this soup and a corn soup are ladled side by side into the serving bowl.
Crusted Chicken and Black Beans
I came up with this recipe one day when I was boiling a big old hen for chicken soup and had plenty of meat left over, but if you don't care to fool with that, the casserole can easily be made with a nicely roasted chicken picked up in a deli or supermarket.
By James Villas
Chipotle Beef Chili with Lime Crema
A typical chili of the depression years consisted of cheap meat stretched by even cheaper beans. Chili remained modestly popular even when the hard times waned, until Lyndon Johnson boosted its national profile during the 1960s. Now chili is back and bigger than ever. Even with the modern addition of smoked jalapeños (chipotles), the inclusion of black beans and beer, and a stylish drizzle of lime crema, this recipe is a classic-hot, hearty and filling.
Polenta and Black Bean Casserole
To complete this meatless supper, have Italian bread and mesclun salad with pine nuts. End the meal with any type of winter fruit tart from the bakery.
Black Bean Soup with Chipotle Chiles
A dollop of yogurt adds a creamy richness and cuts the heat of the chiles.
Black Bean and Vegetable Wraps
"At the Manhattan law office where I'm a legal secretary, it seems as though the phones are always ringing," writes Lisa Caiazzo of Franklin Square, New York. "And if it isn't the phones that have me occupied, then there are lots of documents that need my attention. By the time I get home from the city, I usually have only about 45 minutes to put together dinner for my husband, Angelo, and myself. Still, that's enough time to make something filling and delicious, like a salad and a hearty pasta or soup. My best cooking, though, is done on Sundays during the fall and winter, when I become a football widow. An afternoon of cooking can be very therapeutic after a busy week."
Any mixture of vegetables you have on hand would make a great filling. Serve the wraps with purchased salsa and sour cream.
Black Bean Lasagna Kinstlinger-Bruhn
By Charlotte Kinstlinger-Bruhn