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) Quick and Easy Beany Soup
Take 1 can each of black beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans, and butter beans, open, drain and set aside. (Yes, you may substitute whatever beans you have on hand.) Now, take a large pot, pour about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil in, add 1 cup diced onion and 1 cup finely diced celery. Over medium to medium low heat, cook until celery is transparent. Then add 1 clove garlic, crushed, and let cook for a minute or so. Now pour all your beans into the pot along with 1 small can of diced tomatoes, use seasoned tomatoes if you wish, and 1 small can of chicken broth. Cook nice and slow so it's just simmering for 20 minutes or so. Soup's on!
2) Loads Of Beans Salad
For this one, you'll want to use a variety of solid texture canned beans, like black beans, butter beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, waxed beans, and the like. Drain and rinse all the beans and put them in a big bowl. Add some nice sweet onion or green onion, some finely chopped celery, a little parsley, some thyme or rosemary if you like, and top it all with a drizzle of a good vinaigrette dressing like Paul Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette. This is a surprisingly easy and refreshing salad. Even the kids like this one!
3) Simple Black Beans and 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 Cottage Cheese Salad
Quick and simple salads are sometimes the best. In a serving bowl, put about 1 cup of cottage cheese, sprinkle some salt over the top and add a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Now, drain and rinse a can of black beans, and spoon about 1/2 cup of the black beans over the cottage cheese. Chop up some celery and sprinkle over the top. You now have a snack or side salad that delicious and nutritious, loaded with protein, iron, calcium and fiber.
5) Quick Black Bean Burrito
With just a few items you keep on hand, you can always create a wonderfully classic burrito. Grab a corn or flour tortilla, heat it up if you like, and set it on a plate. Thoroughly drain and rinse a can of black beans. Now you can begin designing your burrito with whatever you have in the kitchen. Lay some black beans on your tortilla, add celery, tomatoes, shredded cheese, onion, leftover rice or even potatoes, diced chicken, sour cream, or any food you have to eat up. I usually prefer a little more black beans with just a few other items for flavor and texture. Just add taco sauce or salsa and dig in.
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. - 15275
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) Quick and Easy Beany Soup
Take 1 can each of black beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans, and butter beans, open, drain and set aside. (Yes, you may substitute whatever beans you have on hand.) Now, take a large pot, pour about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil in, add 1 cup diced onion and 1 cup finely diced celery. Over medium to medium low heat, cook until celery is transparent. Then add 1 clove garlic, crushed, and let cook for a minute or so. Now pour all your beans into the pot along with 1 small can of diced tomatoes, use seasoned tomatoes if you wish, and 1 small can of chicken broth. Cook nice and slow so it's just simmering for 20 minutes or so. Soup's on!
2) Loads Of Beans Salad
For this one, you'll want to use a variety of solid texture canned beans, like black beans, butter beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, waxed beans, and the like. Drain and rinse all the beans and put them in a big bowl. Add some nice sweet onion or green onion, some finely chopped celery, a little parsley, some thyme or rosemary if you like, and top it all with a drizzle of a good vinaigrette dressing like Paul Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette. This is a surprisingly easy and refreshing salad. Even the kids like this one!
3) Simple Black Beans and 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 Cottage Cheese Salad
Quick and simple salads are sometimes the best. In a serving bowl, put about 1 cup of cottage cheese, sprinkle some salt over the top and add a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Now, drain and rinse a can of black beans, and spoon about 1/2 cup of the black beans over the cottage cheese. Chop up some celery and sprinkle over the top. You now have a snack or side salad that delicious and nutritious, loaded with protein, iron, calcium and fiber.
5) Quick Black Bean Burrito
With just a few items you keep on hand, you can always create a wonderfully classic burrito. Grab a corn or flour tortilla, heat it up if you like, and set it on a plate. Thoroughly drain and rinse a can of black beans. Now you can begin designing your burrito with whatever you have in the kitchen. Lay some black beans on your tortilla, add celery, tomatoes, shredded cheese, onion, leftover rice or even potatoes, diced chicken, sour cream, or any food you have to eat up. I usually prefer a little more black beans with just a few other items for flavor and texture. Just add taco sauce or salsa and dig in.
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. - 15275
About the Author:
Nicole Dean is the mostly-sane mom and owner of ShowMomtheMoney.com - a fun and informative site to help moms achieve success working from home. She welcomes you to learn more ways to save money in her Frugal Moms section. Be sure to sign up for her free lessons for work at home moms.