Black Bean Taco Salad

Let me start off by saying that Trader Joe’s is my favorite grocery store. Did anyone have any doubts about that? Probably not. However, the other day, I went hiking with Elise and I was close to a Wegman’s so I decided to give it a try. I’m not sure how large they normally are, but this Wegman’s was about four times the size of the Trader Joe’s I normally go to. As a result, I was literally there for 2 hours! There are so many isles, so many different flavors and variations of foods that I normally do not see, and therefore was slightly overwhelmed! One of the different things I bought that I do not normally see, were these Caribbean flavored black beans. Instead of just plain canned black beans, these had added spices! I’m a big bean fan as it is and could not pass these up. Of course, driving back home, I was already thinking of dishes I could make to incorporate these beans. Because at least two times a week I try to incorporate meatless days into my diet, I figured this could be one of those days.

This dish came together very easily because the beans did not need any additional preparation! See below for a tasty meatless meal.

Ingredients (makes about 2 meals):

1 can of Caribbean Black Beans (regular black beans would work fine!)

1/2 yellow onion

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 beefsteak tomato

1/2 avocado

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

approximately 4 cups of mixed greens

Directions:

Cook the brown rice using the instructions on the back of the package. While the rice is simmering, under medium to high heat, saute the onion, 1 tbsp coconut oil, and the can of black beans, stirring occasionally. Once the rice is fully cooked and the onions are translucent, transfer the rice to the pan with the black beans and onion, and add all spices. Once fully mixed, plate the mixed greens (around 2 cups per plate) and pour the black bean and rice mixture over the greens. Slice the tomato and avocado and place on top. Top with taco strips and some fresh lime juice. Add a small amount of salad dressing or olive oil if desired and sprinkle some additional sea salt on top.

Light, simple, and delicious! 

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito

Am I the only one that gets so excited when a random meal turns out to be amazing? I know that must sound weird to some, but the other night some magic happened right here in the heart of Baltimore.

I needed a burrito. Not just the typical Chipotle burrito, I wanted something a little lighter and healthier. I decided to challenge myself with food that I already had in my pantry. Sometimes, this is disastrous and I get mad at myself for not following recipes, but this time, it turned out right. The ingredients list is short, and so simple, but trust me. This burrito is so tasty, not to mention a great meatless monday idea!

Since I always have black beans, I knew this was a must. I needed protein and I asked myself, “what goes with black beans?” And I thought, Sweet potatoes, baby, SWEET POTATOES! So, I went to work. I decided that I wanted the black beans to be similar to refried beans so I cooked them at the same time as the sweet potatoes. This allowed them to become quite soft by the time the sweet potatoes were cooked all the way through. I added about 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil to 1/2 can of black beans and 2 small cubed sweet potatoes. I stirred these around until the sweet potatoes were soft. This took around 10-15 minutes.

Because I am completely obsessed with kale, I had to add some to my burrito, along with huge slices of avocado. I always add garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper to my food. It’s starting to become a habit which might not be a good thing but, so far so good! I also added 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and the flavoring was perfect.

I also found that by heating up the tortilla first, it allowed the burrito to be rolled much more easily. I lightly toasted each side of the whole wheat tortilla in a pan and placed everything inside of the burrito while still warm. Roll it tightly, cut the burrito in half, and enjoy.  Be sure to add about 1/4 of an avocado. This was one of my favorite parts of the burrito!

Delish! I ate my burrito with a small salad because I was starving. Mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, and some balsamic dressing did just the trick.

In the burrito:

2 Small Sweet Potatoes

1/2 Can of Black Beans

1/2 Cup of Raw Kale (unfortunately this is all I could fit! If you can fit more, go for it!)

1/4 Sliced Avocado

1 Tbsp Balsamic Dressing

Sea Salt, Garlic Powder, and Pepper to taste

Bangin’ Black Bean Burgers

Before we started this blog, I was (still am) a big blog reader. I have a few favorites that I check in with every day. One of my favorites is Jenna at EatLiveRun. A while back, she made these WONDERFUL black bean burgers. She called them “Boyfriend-approved” and let me tell you, they totally are. Not only does my boyfriend love them, he craves them! Go Jenna! So, I decided to make them yesterday evening for dinner for my parents so I could share them with you guys!

The ingredients in these delicious bad boys are:

2 Cans of Black Beans (drained and rinsed with cold water)

1 Egg OR 3 tbsp water + 1 tbsp Ground Flax seed (I like to eat this mixture raw some times so I choose the flax option!!)

1 Jalapeno seeded and chopped (keep your hands away from your eyes!)

2 Cloves of Garlic roughly chopped

2 tbsp Tomato Sauce

1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

2 tsp Cumin

1 1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Corn (canned or frozen)

Directions:

1. Add the ground flax seed and water together. Let it sit for 5 minutes before adding to other ingredients.

2. In the mean time, combine the roughly chopped garlic and jalapeno into a food processor and pulse until minced. Add a can of rinsed black beans and pulse until a chunky mixture

3. Transfer the bean mixture into a big bowl. Add the corn, tomato sauce, panko bread crumbs, cumin, salt, and the ground flax seed mixture. Thoroughly mix, then add the other can of black beans.

* I normally make these in advance and store them in the fridge until dinner. If making them right away, continue to step 4.

4. Turn on stove to medium-high, spray pan with olive oil cooking spray

5. Shape black bean mixture into patties and fry them for 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown

*Tightly pack the burgers so they do not fall apart when flipping!

Snapshot of my step-dad’s meal. The burgers with a slice of polenta and avocado on top!

There are so many ways to eat this burger! Some ways that I have tried are:

-As pictured above with sliced polenta and avocado

-On top of a salad (goes well with just about any dressing)

-On top of a whole wheat english muffin (more like a burger)

All of these ways were delicious. Jenna suggests topping them with hot sauce and avocado, so do I 🙂