American Institute of Cancer Research

I just receive an article written by the
American Institute of Cancer Research, entitled

Health on a Budget: Three Strategies for Money-Saving, Cancer-Fighting Meals

The article begins:
"Did you resolve to eat healthier in the new year? Or perhaps you just want to save money at the supermarket without sacrificing taste and health."

I love that, and the reason I mention it, is while they have three ideas which you can read about by clicking on the link, the first idea is this:

1. Diversify Your Dinner with Beans.

And that's right up our alley.

As a matter of fact, we put together a list of more than 20 healthy, and inexpensive, recipes for you from our archives here at Bean Basics

Lentil Barley Soup

Harira

Cabbage White Beans Soup

Black Bean Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

Stuffed Peppers or Squash

Pesto Soup

White Bean Pitas

Chickpea with Garlic and Zucchini

Texas Stuffed Tomatoes

Mixed Whole Grain Pilaf

Cuban Red Beans and Rice

The most simple Black Beans ever made

Creole Red Beans

Southwest Skillet Supper

Caramelized Quinoa and Black Beans

Dill Spaetzle

Israeli Couscous and Green Vegetables

Vegetable Soup Penna

Cabbage Salad

Asian Salad

Daal

Chickpea Masala with Green Rice


We hope you enjoy, and have a wonderful and healthy New Year

Thai Pasta Salad

12 oz pasta,
1/2 head red cabbage, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 1/2 c. bean sprouts
1 1/2 c. julienne carrots
1 red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped


1/4 c. La Choy crispy chow mein noodles
1/4 c. Cashews


Sauce:
3/4 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. soy sauce
juice from 1 a lime
3 or 4 cloves chopped garlic
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
12 leaves basil, chopped fine
3 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
cayenne pepper to taste
2 Tbsp honey or agave
1 can Thai Kitchen coconut milk solids, liquids drained off and reserved for another use

Cook pasta according to package direction. Drain and plunge unto ice water to stop cooking. Toss with vegetables and sauce. Refrigerate for two hours.

Top with cashews and chow mein noodles right before serving.


For the sauce: Whisk all together until smooth. Taste and add salt or adjust flavors as needed


Other Addition that might be tasty:
Pea Pods
Green Onions
Chopped Chicken
Pineapple
Spicy Peppers

Mujadara

This can also be made with cooked barley, quinoa, or brown rice in place of the orzo, you just have to adjust the cooking time.

(This is actually the brown rice version and I prefer it)

4 - 6 large onions, sliced
3 Tbsp butter (optional, use more olive oil or vegan margarine)
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cumin
2 cloves fresh minced garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 c. brown Lentils
1 1/2 c. Orzo

1/4 bundle Fresh Parsley, chopped

Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, and cook over low heat until translucent. Add the sugar and continue to cook over low heat until caramelized, about 45 - 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook the lentils in 3 cup water until soft enough to eat, immediately drain. Return to pan and add 4 cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer until tender. Drain and add seasonings and then toss with onions.

Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top and serve.

Ham & Bean Dip

1 can Campbells Ham & Bean Soup, undiluted
1/4 c. milk or water
1/4 c. mozzarella cheese

Combine all and microwave until cheese is melted. It takes a little longer to melt with the water.

Serve with corn chips

My top 5, from 2010

1. Gumbo

2. Palak Channa

3. Chicken Style Bean Stew

4. Pumpkin Cream Pasta

5. Caramelized Quinoa and Black Beans

New Years Beans

It's considered good luck to eat black eyed peas on New Years Day, it's thought to bring prosperity. Cooked greens are supposed to as well. Maybe by saving you a bundle on your grocery bill?

Since both are traditional, and go great together, I serve cooked greens with these black eyed peas over rice on New Years Days. I like to round it out even farther with warm spiced apple sauce and cornbread.

1 can black eyed peas, undrained
4 strips bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp. Penzys ham soup base
Dash Black pepper

Saute bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from pan. Add the onion and saute in the bacon drippings until tender. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.

Add the beans with their liquid, water, and ham flavoring.

Simmer 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Check and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or pepper is needed. Serve with the crumbled bacon on top.

Soup in a Jar

I know what you're thinking. You're wondering why on earth we'd post a gift jar the week after Christmas, when you've surely finished making the rounds with holiday goodies and don't need any clever ideas until next year.

But if I had posted this two weeks ago, all of it's intended recipients would have seen it and ruined the surprise. Just look at it this way - you have a very early start on next year.

Unlike most dehydrated soup mixes, this doesn't come out powdery, gummy, or mushy. It was inspired by this 101 Cookbooks recipe, which is mostly composed of dried ingredients in the first place. I substituted dried shallots for the fresh, and they're really very good - none of the metallic taste or harsh flavor you often get from onion or garlic powder. Penzey's toasted onion flakes might be an interesting substitute also.

Ingredients Needed:

1 1/3 c. dried red lentils, divided

1/2 c. dry brown rice

7 tsp. chicken or vegetable bouillon, powdered (salt-free is acceptable)

4 Tbsp. dried shallots

pinch crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 pint-sized mason jar, with lid and ring

Pour a mounded 1/3 c. red lentils into the bottom of the jar. Layer with the brown rice and another mounded 1/3 c. of lentils, being careful to pour them in gently so that they don't displace the previous layer and mix together.

Mix the bouillon, shallots, red pepper, and paprika in a small bowl and then add as the fourth layer. Take a soup spoon or small spatula and gently but very firmly pack the seasoning mix down very tightly against the bottom layers. This will not only pack the seasoning mix down but will also pack down the layers underneath it and help keep them from shifting.

When the seasoning mix is packed tightly, add the remaining lentils (slightly more than 1/3 c). Add a few more if the jar is not completely full, so that it is packed full and won't shift easily. Top with lid and ring.

I like to print instructions and then cut them in a circle to place in the lid. They should read as follows:

Red Lentil and

Brown Rice Soup

Place in a medium sized soup pot.

Add 7 c. water.

Simmer until rice is very tender.

(about 45-60 minutes)

I shipped one of these across the United States. Lying on it's side the layers shifted a tad, so that they were slight slanted, but they did not mix together. If I were to do it again, I'd try to ship it upright. They can deal with being tilted quite a bit, but I guess lying on it's side all the way across the Rockies was just a bit too much!