If you have a family budget worked out, you know how hard it is to stick to it without having some real concrete plans and strategies to stretch your money as far as it will go. Usually, the first area we can squeeze a few extra dollars out of our wallets is on groceries. I'd like to introduce you to your new partner in your frugal endeavor, the black bean.
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) Easy Bean Soup
You'll need 1 can each of black beans, garbanzo beans, butter beans, and navy beans (although you really can use any kinds of beans). In a large pot, pour 2 tablespoons olive oil, add 1 cup chopped celery and 1 cup chopped onion. Cook until celery is a little tender. Now add 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed and cook for just a minute. Open and drain, but do not rinse, all four bean cans and pour into pot. Add 1 small can diced tomatoes and 1 small can chicken broth. Simmer slowly for about 20 minutes. It's ready to eat.
2) Bountiful Bean Salad
Pick your favorite canned beans like, black beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans, butter beans, waxed beans, kidney beans, and any others that you may like to try. Drain and rinse them all very well. Put them in a nice big serving bowl. Add to the salad bowl some chopped onion, celery, chives, fresh parsley, rosemary if you like, thyme, or any other herb on hand. Season by sprinkling a good vinaigrette salad dressing all over and mixing in well. I prefer for this salad Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette; it's reasonably priced and good for a lot of recipes.
3) Too Easy Black Beans & Taco Sauce
Alright, this one may appear a little strange at first, but my daughter actually sold me on its merits. Drain and rinse your black beans, making sure they're drained well. Put your black beans into a bowl and top them with any favorite taco sauce, even those little leftover packets from take-out. Mix gently and enjoy! You just have to trust me on this one. Of course, you may also use any taco sauce you have in your refrigerator, or even a nice hot salsa will do. But, just a touch, not too much sauce. You want to just flavor your black beans. (Of course you can sprinkle some shredded cheese on top, too.)
4) Black Bean Celery Salad with Cottage Cheese
A simple but delicious use for black beans is turning it into a creamy salad. Put a 1 scoop of cottage cheese in a serving bowl, and sprinkle a little salt and freshly ground black pepper on top. Then top with some drained and rinsed canned black beans, about 1/2 cup. Add a bit of chopped celery to the mix and you have a great, crunchy, creamy lunch, packed with protein, calcium, iron and fiber.
5) Black Bean Burrito Harvest
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.
We could go on forever with delicious ways to serve the incredibly nutritious and inexpensive black bean, but you've got the idea now. These five quick and easy black bean recipes are meant to just get you started in producing your very own collection of black bean dishes. - 16955
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) Easy Bean Soup
You'll need 1 can each of black beans, garbanzo beans, butter beans, and navy beans (although you really can use any kinds of beans). In a large pot, pour 2 tablespoons olive oil, add 1 cup chopped celery and 1 cup chopped onion. Cook until celery is a little tender. Now add 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed and cook for just a minute. Open and drain, but do not rinse, all four bean cans and pour into pot. Add 1 small can diced tomatoes and 1 small can chicken broth. Simmer slowly for about 20 minutes. It's ready to eat.
2) Bountiful Bean Salad
Pick your favorite canned beans like, black beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans, butter beans, waxed beans, kidney beans, and any others that you may like to try. Drain and rinse them all very well. Put them in a nice big serving bowl. Add to the salad bowl some chopped onion, celery, chives, fresh parsley, rosemary if you like, thyme, or any other herb on hand. Season by sprinkling a good vinaigrette salad dressing all over and mixing in well. I prefer for this salad Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette; it's reasonably priced and good for a lot of recipes.
3) Too Easy Black Beans & Taco Sauce
Alright, this one may appear a little strange at first, but my daughter actually sold me on its merits. Drain and rinse your black beans, making sure they're drained well. Put your black beans into a bowl and top them with any favorite taco sauce, even those little leftover packets from take-out. Mix gently and enjoy! You just have to trust me on this one. Of course, you may also use any taco sauce you have in your refrigerator, or even a nice hot salsa will do. But, just a touch, not too much sauce. You want to just flavor your black beans. (Of course you can sprinkle some shredded cheese on top, too.)
4) Black Bean Celery Salad with Cottage Cheese
A simple but delicious use for black beans is turning it into a creamy salad. Put a 1 scoop of cottage cheese in a serving bowl, and sprinkle a little salt and freshly ground black pepper on top. Then top with some drained and rinsed canned black beans, about 1/2 cup. Add a bit of chopped celery to the mix and you have a great, crunchy, creamy lunch, packed with protein, calcium, iron and fiber.
5) Black Bean Burrito Harvest
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.
We could go on forever with delicious ways to serve the incredibly nutritious and inexpensive black bean, but you've got the idea now. These five quick and easy black bean recipes are meant to just get you started in producing your very own collection of black bean dishes. - 16955
About the Author:
Nicole Dean is the mostly-sane mom behind ShowMomtheMoney.com - a fun and informative website to help moms achieve success working from home. She invites 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.
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