Not-Just-Recipes

While hunting for more bean recipes on the internet I found an interesting web site called Not-Just-Recipes.com.

One recipe in particular that was really tasty was "Black Bean Soup with Israeli Couscous"


This is their picture

It is a vegetarian website and they are always looking for more people to contribute recipes, so if you have any you want to share, please send them in.

BBQ Meatloaf

I just added some beans to my moms meatloaf to stretch the recipe

Loaf:
3/4 lb. Ground Beef
3/4 lb. Ground pork or turkey
1/2 can of garbanzo beans, pureed
1/2 c.lentils, cooked until very tender in beef broth or water, will expand to about 1 cup of cooked lentils.
2 eggs
1/4 c. plain bread crumbs
1 1/2 Tbsp. parsley
1/4 c. water
1/2 onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cracked pepper

Sauce:
1 c. Del Monte Chili Sauce
1 c. Catchup
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. mustard
dash Tabasco

Combine all of the loaf ingredients and mix well. Shape into 4 to 6 loaves. Combine sauce ingredients. Top loaves with sauce and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Baste 3 or 4 times during cooking.

I have made these loaves and then frozen them with great success. I just combined the meatloaf ingredients, topped with sauce and then froze them until solid before wrapping them in plastic wrap and then tin foil. When ready to use just remove from the freezer the night before and defrost in the fridge. Then bake according to the directions.

Enchiladas with Tomatillo-Sour Cream Sauce

For Sauce:

About 2 c. tomatillos, cleaned and quartered

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. milk

1 small jalapeno, seeded (optional)

1 small egg

1 T. flour

salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp)

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Set aside.

For Filling:

1 bottle black beans, drained and rinsed

About 1 1/2 c. diced cooked potatoes (or rice)

1 c. shredded mexican blend or queso cheese

1/2 tsp. cumin

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and add about 1/3 of the sauce, or just enough to moisten.

To make enchiladas:

Pour about half of the remaining sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spoon about 1/2-3/4 c. filling into soft tortilla shells, and roll them tightly. Place them in the pan and pour the remaining sauce over them. Sprinkle with 1/2 c. additional cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 300 until filling is hot and sauce has thickened, about 45 minutes. Remove foil for the last 10-15 minutes to allow cheese to brown on top.

Creamy White Bean Stew

This tastes a lot like Alfredo with it's creamy garlicky sauce. If your beans are really soft don't add them with the potatoes or they will fall apart. Instead add them at the end with the cream cheese

2 cans white or garbanzo beans
1 Tbsp fat (butter, olive oil, or bacon grease)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. black peppers
1/2 tsp. Rosemary
1/2 tsp. Thyme
1/2 tsp. Marjoram
1/2 tsp. Basil
1/2 tsp. Oregano
4 cloves garlic minced
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese cut into cubes
2 c. water
2 chicken bouillon cubes (real or imitation are great)
3 large potatoes peeled and cut into 3/4 in cubes
3 or 4 carrots peeled sliced into coins
1 c. peas (optional)
3 Tbsp flour

Combine the salt, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, basil, and oregano. Heat fat in a skillet. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the water, bouillon cubes, potatoes, carrots, peas, and beans. Simmer over medium heat until the potatoes and carrots are tender enough to eat.

When cooked turn the heat to low and add the cream cheese in cubes. Stir until combined. Combine the flour and water to form a thin paste. Stir into the sauce after the cream cheese is thoroughly combined, whisk and cooked until thickened

Serve topped with a dusting of Parmesan cheese.

This is also tasty if you want to add some chicken in place of part of the beans. You can check out how to use fresh chicken, or just throw some cooked and shredded (read leftover) in after you cook the vegetables.

Chicken Style Bean Stew

Check my notes about Vegan at the bottom sent to me by a friend.

UPDATE as of 03/11/11 - I didn't have any cream soup on hand so I just simmered the vegetables in the chicken broth and then added some milk at the end right before stirring in the flour/water mix. I actually liked it better.

1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 carrots, cut into coins
olive oil
1 can garbanzo beans, drained (Or white beans)
1 can corn, drained
1 c. frozen peas
1 can cream of anything soup, undiluted (I usually use cream of chicken soup, but have used vegetarian cream of potato soup and it is great too)
5 c. water
3 chicken bouillon cubes (Imitation works just fine, still has the taste)
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 tsp. McCormick Rotisserie style chicken seasoning (Or a pinch of paprika and salt to taste, it doesnt contain any animal product though)
Large dash black pepper
1/4 c. flour

Saute onion and celery in oil until starting to get tender. Add carrots and saute 4 or 5 minutes more. Add water, chicken cubes, soup, corn, peas, beans, potatoes, and seasonings. Simmer until potatoes are tender.

Mix flour and enough cold water together to form a thin paste. Stir that into the hot stew and cook, stirring, until thickened.

The two pictures are from different batches of stew made on different nights.


Vegan Alteration Added on 9/23/2010: Ok, I friend sent this to me, she used my favorite Edward and Sons Vegan NOTChicken bouillon cubes and then flour to thicken it and just left out the cream soup all together.

White Bean Croquettes

3 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp freshly black pepper
1/2 c. plus 3/4 cup dry Italian bread crumbs
1/2c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
About 1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped pretty fine

Marinara dipping sauce

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Puree the beans. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir in the 1/2 c. italian bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Refrigerate several hours, until firm.

Form the mixture into balls, using a slightly rounded tablespoon for each one. Press one piece of mozzarella and a pinch of tomato into the center of each and reshape into a ball. Coat with the remaining bread crumbs.

Deep-fry the balls, a few at a time, until nicely browned. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with a marinara dipping sauce.

Caramelized Quinoa and Black Beans

I just made this again tonight and I used half quinoa and half brown rice. Both of which I cooked in Edward and Sons vegan chicken flavored bouillon. Regular chicken bouillon would be fine, I just was trying to get rid of the other so I didn't have it in my cabinet taking up space.


2 Tbsp. butter (or all olive oil)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, cut in half from the root and sliced
large pinch sugar
1 can corn
1 large carrot, grated
1 can black beans
1 can jalapenos
1 bunch green onions, sliced
3 c. cook quinoa
Mortons Nature Seasons o taste

Melt butter and oil in a large skillet. Add onions and saute until tender. Add sugar and let the onions brown a bit. Heat, stirring occationally until the onions are caramelized. Add the corn. Let the corn caramelize a bit too. Add the carrot, jalapenos, green onion and black beans. Heat through. Add the quinoa and toss to coat. Taste and sprinkle with nature seasons to taste.