Easy Sweet Potato Veg Burgers

Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
makes 7-8 large patties

2 cans cannellini white beans, drained
1 large sweet potato, baked/peeled/mashed (about 2 cups)
2 Tbsp tahini
2 tsp maple or agave syrup
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning OR Cajun seasoning (or another fave spice!)
1/4 cup wheat flour
optional: additional seasoning (whatever you have on hand - I used a few dashes cayenne, black pepper and a scoop of nutritional yeast)
salt to taste if needed

plentiful Panko crumbs
safflower oil for pan

burgers: avocado, Dijon mustard, grain buns, romaine, onion, olive oil, pepper

Directions:

1. Bake sweet potato. Peel, place in large mixing bowl.
2. Add drained beans to mixing bowl. Mash beans and potato together.
3. Mash in seasoning, flour and any additional seasoning. Your mixture will be quite soft and moist. But you should be able to form a patty. Add more flour or a scoop of breadcrumbs - or dry rice to thicken the mixture if needed.
4. Heat 1 Tbsp safflower oil in a pan over high heat.
5. Form a patty from mixture and coat in Panko crumbs. Thick coating. Then drop the patty in the pan. Repeat until the pan is filled. Cook until browned on both sides. You could also bake. If baking, use less Panko.
6. Transfer cooked patties to paper towel. Cool for a few minutes.
7. Serve on toasted bun with lotsa toppings.

Note: yes this patty does fall kind of apart as you eat it. But that is OK because it tastes yummy. 


Recipe from Lunch Box Bunch

Slow Cooker Enchiladas

Tried these the other night with no meat, and they were tasty and filling.  I used whole wheat tortillas (4 - 12inch), and I added a dash of cayenne and a little cilantro.  I also switched the yellow onion to red onion.

Serves 4-6

1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, diced small (any color)
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - we like monterey jack
2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa
12 6"-8" tortillas, flour or cornOptional: 1 cup leftover meat - chicken, pork, hamburger, or shredded beef

In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly.

Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese.

Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt.

Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Additional Notes:

• You can cook the enchiladas for longer (6-8 hours on LOW), but we found that the tortillas in the middle start to get mushy while the ones touching the sides of the cooker get crispy. Still tasty, though!

• To cook these enchiladas in the oven, layer the rolled tortillas in a 9x13 baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes.

• We haven't tried it, but we so reason why this recipe couldn't be doubled if your slow cooker is big enough. Just continue creating layers in the slow cooker and bake as usual.

 From The Kitchn

Super Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken

The Ingredients
--6-9 chicken thighs, or equivalent body parts
--1 can rinsed black beans
--1 cup chunky salsa
--1 cup frozen white corn 
--1 small can green chilies
--salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, sazon, and any other spice you feel fits in
The Directions

Put your chicken in the crockpot; add spices. Top with the rinsed black beans, salsa, and corn.

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. Cooking time will vary depending on whether or not your chicken is frozen, and how big the pieces are.

If you decide to use breasts, increase your salsa by 1/2 cup. Breasts are drier than thighs.


Serve with rice, quinoa, or another grain.




Original recipe found here, with additions/changes made by me.

Brazilian Black Bean Soup

Makes 4-6 servings


Ingredients
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (29 oz) black beans, drained
1 can (14.5 oz) vegetable or chicken broth
3 T Cayenne pepper sauce
2 T chopped cilantro (or 2 t dried cilantro)
2 t ground cumin
2 T rum or sherry (optional)

Heat oil in 3 quart saucepan.  Cook and stir onion and garlic 3 minutes or just until tender.  Stir in 1.5 cups of water and remaining ingredients except rum.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook, partially covered, 20 minutes or until flavors are blended, stirring occasionally.

Ladle about half of soup into blender or food processor.  Cover securely.  Process on low speed until mixture is smooth.  Return to saucepot.  Stir in rum.  Cook over medium-low heat 3 minutes or until heated through and flavors are blended.  Garnish with lime slices, sour cream, minced onion, or cilantro, if desired,

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

We think this dish tastes just as good cold!

black bean burgers

vegetarian low-fat burgers from recipezaar- super scrumptious! I substituted Adobo for onion powder and celery salt for seasoning salt and it was fabulous, so feel free to add your own spices! I also used spelt flour instead of whole wheat flour- I used one TB though will probably up it to the 2 or 3 next time. I cooked them for about 3-5 minutes per side on medium-medium high heat in my cast iron skillet.

MAKES 3 burgers {or 6 smaller ones}

Ingredients
1 1/2-2 tablespoons pureed onions (I prefer green onions)
1 cup black beans, well drained
1-3 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1 slice whole wheat bread, very well crumbled
1-1 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
salt and pepper
oil (for frying)
* can substitute seasoning and bread with pre-made seasoned bread crumbs

Directions
1) In a large bowl, mash the beans until almost smooth (or puree with the onions).
2) Add onions and the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, adding the flour a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is at your desired consistency.
3) Form bean mixture into flat patties and fry patties in a small amount of oil until slightly firm.

Momma's Veggie Soup

So this recipe is from my mother-in-law and is a huge hit anytime it's served! You could easily leave out the blending and just chop the veggies, whichever you prefer! I added a dash of salt and Italian blend spices, in addition to a can of black beans.

Ingredients:

2 carrots

1 can diced tomatoes

1 onion

2 celery stalks

3-4 potatoes

4 c. water

2 bullion cubes

a few TBs olive oil

pepper to taste

-optional-

1 zucchini

1 can beans, drained

noodles

handful of rice

other spices

Directions:

Chop potatoes into bite sized pieces. Put the other vegetables through the blender. Saute the vegetables in the olive oil in a large soup pan for a few minutes, then add the water and bullion cubes. Bring pot to a boil. Add pepper and any other spices. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add beans, rice, and/or noodles shortly after bringing to a simmer.

classic minestrone

recipe can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to a month, it takes a while to defrost in the refrigerator, so leave plenty of defrosting time! feel free to tweak the amount of each vegetable- I'm not a huge celery fan, so I used more potatoes and carrots, two cans of black beans instead of just one can of cannellini, and Italian seasoning instead of just rosemary. As you can see, you can really tweak this to your personal preferences! This recipe just fits into a 4 1/2 quart pot. Since the base is just water, it really brings out the vegetables' natural flavor. If you prefer the broth to be flavorful as well, you could substitute with chicken or vegetable broth, or simply throw in a bullion cube or two!

SERVES 6-8

Ingredients
3/4 cup leek, white and light green parts sliced thin crosswise, rinsed well
3/4 cup diced carrot
3/4 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced celery
1 1/4 cups diced baking potatoes
1 1/4 cups diced zucchini
3 cups spinach leaves
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, packed in juice, drained, and chopped
8 cups water
1 pinch salt
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans
1/4 cup basil pesto (or 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary mixed with 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1 tablespoon extra-vir)
1 pinch ground black pepper

fresh parmesan to garnish

Directions
1) Bring vegetables, tomatoes, water, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in a soup kettle or pot. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender but still hold their shape, about 1 hour.
2) Add beans and cook just until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Stir in pesto (or rosemary-garlic mixture). Adjust seasonings, adding pepper and more salt, if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls, top with grated fresh parmesan, and serve immediately.

originally from recipezaar

Rice & Beans

this is essentially the recipe that's on the back of the Goya black bean can, but tweaked some over time by my husband and myself. This is a staple in our home!

RICE
.: ingredients :.
2 c. rice
4 c. water
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
½ c. sweet onion
dash of flour
dash of salt

.: preparation :.
In a large pot over medium heat, saute onion in olive oil until clear and soft. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Stirring occasionally, cook until the water has absorbed fully into the rice, about 20 minutes.

BEANS
.: ingredients :.
1 16 oz. can black beans
1 c. water
1 packet Sazón Goya
2 cloves garlic
1 TB cider vinegar
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
¼ c. sweet onion
¼ c. green pepper
¼ tsp dried oregano
dash of Adobo {optional}

.: preparation :.
In a medium pot, saute onion, pepper, and garlic over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
NOTE: Adjust amount of water added based on your preference- additional water will create more of a broth for the beans. If too much water cooks out during the simmer, additional water can always be added.

END
.: to make the meal :.
Place desired amount of rice on a plate or bowl. Add rice on top. Top with Mexican Cheese Blend if desired.

Soup: Pasta, Sausage & Bean Soup

Serves: 8

From: epicurious.com

Notes: Can be made vegetarian easily by adding more veggies and taking out the meat, and exchanging chicken broth for veggie broth. I always am changing which veggies I decide to put in.

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1 lb Italian sausages, casings removed

1 1/2 cup chopped onions

1 1/2 cup chopped carrots

1 celery, chopped

1 T minced garlic

1 t dried basil

1 t dried rosemary

1/4 t crushed red pepper

1/4 t dried rubbed sage

5 cups chicken broth

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 15-16 oz can kidney beans, drained

1 cup elbow macaroni

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausages and saute until beginning to brown, breaking up with back of spoon, about 5 min.

Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, rosemary, crushed red pepper, & sage. Saute until vegetables begin to soften- about 10 minutes.

Add broth, tomatoes With their juices, and beans. Bring soup to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors blend, about 20 minutes.

Add pasta to soup and simmer until tender, about fifteen minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Serve with fresh parmesan cheese grated on top.

Definitely one of my favorite soup recipes- easy to make, easy to change to what's in the fridge, and smell & tastes amazing. I have switched out pretty much everything at one time or another- be it the kind of beans, the vegetables, the pasta for barley, the spices... etc.