Black Bean

This hearty burrito comes together in just 22 minutes, but it's still full of flavor.

Smoky ancho chiles add heft to the beef meatballs in this recipe, which are topped with addictively crispy crumbled chorizo just before serving.

Created by Pamela Reed of Brooklyn Farm Girl.

This black bean spread gets a hint of unexpected sweetness from the ground fennel seeds. Traditional Mexican dishes often use dried avocado leaf, which has a similar flavor. Try the spread as a base for tostadas or nachos, or serve with chips for dipping.

Stash veggie-filled foil packets in the freezer for a weekday breakfast option that cooks in the oven while you go about your morning routine.

If you've got both a camp stove and a grill, you're golden: Prep the salsa over the live fire, and make perfect eggs on the propane stove.

Cooking corn this way adds a depth of flavor from the husk and keeps the kernels from drying out. Tossed together with zucchini and scallions, these quesadillas make for a super-satisfying vegetarian dinner.

Authentic barbacoa is a daylong event involving a whole animal and an underground fire pit. This take is easier and totally delicious.

Not in a carnivorous mood? Just opt for large peeled shrimp instead of beef and cut the cooking time by a couple of minutes.

They pack almost all your daily vitamin C.

Our no-soak bean recipe is foolproof and ripe for improvisation. Feeling smoky and spicy? Herby and garlicky? Whatever moves you, throw it in and simmer away.

Kosher Status: Meat
Prep: 10 Minutes
Cook: 2 Hours, 20 Minutes
Total: 2 1/2 Hours

For seven centuries, Moors and Christians fought one another in Spain, but in the guise of black beans and rice they surrendered to each other's charms within the all-embracing New World pot. Like the hybrid culture that flourished in medieval Spain, the rice dish known as moros y cristianos is an exemplar of exchange between civilizations. It is feast food in Cuba, where you'll find it in the western provinces. Considering that there is a Veracruzan version of this dish and that Cuba always imported black beans from Mexico, we are left in doubt as to which version came first. Regardless of its place of birth, it is one of the most felicitous rice and bean combinations I have ever tasted. The flavors of all the other ingredients are absorbed seamlessly by the rice, the vinegar providing point and counterpoint to the mealy beans, the aroma of cumin and oregano a subtle backdrop for the meaty smoked bacon, which in turn joins forces with the olive oil to add aroma and sheen to the rice. And then the color, a dark brown or hybrid of white and black.

Choose dried chiles that are fairly flexible, a sign they're not too old.

Susan O'Brien (adapted by Lori Sobelson) With yams, black beans, and amaranth, these burritos are seriously hearty fare. For a gluten-free meal, use brown rice tortillas, and for a vegan one, use a vegan sour cream substitute.

Chilled Rice Salad with Avocado, Tomatoes and Black Beans Who says white rice isn't healthy? Just look at the nutrient profile of this dish, and you'll surely change your mind. This chilled rice salad is chockfull of veggies, loaded with flavor, and a nice source of fiber and contributes valuable heart-healthy fats to the diet. Plus, it looks beautiful on the table! In particular, this dish is a favorite among the teenage girls in my household because, I am told, "It makes us feel healthy!" Who can argue with that? When you purchase the sun-dried tomatoes, choose those packed in olive oil, because you'll use the oil in the recipe. The rice salad will last 3 days in the refrigerator and makes a delicious lunch or summery dinner.

Everything about this breakfast is big—big tastes, big portion, and big satisfaction. The only small thing is the effort you need to make it. This soft flour tortilla stuffed with goodies—savory beans, scrambled eggs, spicy salsa, melting cheese, rich avocado, and tangy sour cream—is just the right size to keep you going all morning without weighing you down.