Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

So, I think I have been in the mood for Mexican lately.  I can think of at least 3 dishes I've made in the past week that involved black beans!!  Maybe next week I'll choose a different cuisine to get obsessed with!
This is a super simple dish that you will want to DEVOUR!!  My husband declared it "Delicious!" and helped himself to more than one serving.  You can top it with pretty much anything you'd like, but I went with the standard scoop of salsa.  In the past I have loaded on the sour cream, but since I'm trying to be healthier these days, sour cream didn't make the cut.  I bet even crumbled up tortilla chips would be great, adding a crunch factor.
This is a great dish you can prepare in advance, individual servings freeze beautiful, and the leftovers are wonderful.  Can I say enough good things about this meal??!  Enjoy the deliciousness!

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie
4 10-inch whole wheat flour tortillas
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, dicred
1 jalapeno, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces beer (I used a bottle of Guinness)
10 ounces frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced
8 ounces shredded cheese (I used 4 ounces each Cheddar and Colby Jack)

Preheat the oven to 400F. 
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 5-7 minutes. 
Add the beans and beer to the skillet, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, 8-10 minutes.  Remove from the heat, and stir in the corn and scallions.  Season with salt and pepper.
Fit a tortilla in the bottom of the springform pan and layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup cheese.  Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on the top layer.  Bake until hot and the cheese is melted, about 25 minutes.  Unmold the pie, slice into wedges, and serve with garnishes.
Adapted from Martha Stewart
per serving: 448 calories, 18.5 grams fat, 20.3 grams protein, 51.8rams carbohydrates, 7.1 grams fiber

Spicy Black Bean Soup

We were supposed to be snowed in today, but apparently the weather gods did not get the memo.  Here in New Jersey, we got about 6-8 inches of snow overnight (hard to tell exactly how much because the wind moves things around so much), but that doesn't stop us from doing much around here.  A few weeks ago, we had over 2 feet, so this is nothing compared to that!
I had planned on staying in all day with the baby, soups bubbling away on the stovetop, curling up by the fireplace.  Well, that didn't quite happen.  When you know the roads are clear and you have things to do, it's hard to justify staying in all day and cuddling!  I was still, however, able to make a pot of soup that will be PERFECT for dinner tonight.

This is a very simple, straightforward soup, and the flavors in it are pretty classic.  You basically fry up a piece of ham for garnish, and put it to the side.  Cook up some aromatics, add some beans and water, let it simmer for awhile...and that's all, folks!  Very clean, Mexican-type flavors, but oh what a delicious soup it makes.  This would even be good with a dollop of sour cream on top, a cool creamy contrast to the dark, pureed beans and grassy green cilantro.  A wonderful, effortless dish, perfect for a cold winter's night.  Enjoy the deliciousness!

Spicy Black Bean Soup
serves 4
8 ounces cooked ham in one 1/2-inch thick slice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups water
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

In a large soup pot, cook ham over medium-high heat until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board.
Add oil to the pot.  Cook onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.  Add jalapeno, cumin, and oregano, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add beans and water and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in cilantro leaves.  Using an immersion blender, puree mixture until smooth.  If soup is too thick, add more water to the pot.  If soup is too thin, continue simmering on the stove until desired consistency is achieved.  .
To serve, top with cubes of ham, cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc.
Adapted from Martha Stewart and her book Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast

Tex-Mex Turkey and Bean Chili

I have really been in a soup and stew kind of mood lately, so I decided to try a new chili recipe instead of the gold standard one that I always use, from Ellie Krieger (which is FABULOUS!).  I was originally drawn to this one because it contained a few ingredients I am not used to using when making chili, namely cocoa powder, molasses, and bacon.  After reading through the recipe, I decided that starting a chili off by rendering some bacon is a wonderful idea, and I was almost disappointed in myself for not having thought of it first!  I used applewood smoked bacon, so it had almost a sweetness to it right off the bat, which I thought was really nice.

I must warn you -- this recipe makes a HUGE BATCH of chili!!  The recipe read that it makes 8 servings, so I thought it would be something that my husband and I could eat for a day or two, then I could freeze whatever remained.  Holy moly, was that ever the truth!  This makes 8 servings if each person is absolutely famished and eating a Fred Flintstone-sized bowl!  I guess I should have known when I read that it required 3 pounds of ground turkey, but I guess I just wasn't thinking.  Either way, it turned out very delicious and my husband and I both enjoyed it.  It won't be replacing the chili recipe I already have, but it was a nice take on an old favorite.  Enjoy the deliciousness!

Tex-Mex Turkey and Bean Chili
makes 8 mammoth servings
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick strips
3 lbs ground turkey (I used 94% lean)
4 onions, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeno chiles, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes in puree
2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup water
3 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp.  Raise heat to high and add turkey.  Cook, stirring to break up the meat, until no longer pink.
Add onions, garlic, and jalapenos and cook until soft.  Stir in chili powder, cocoa, and cumin, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, molasses, water, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
Add beans and continue cooking, uncovered, until turkey is very tender and liquid has thickened, about 30 minutes more.  Serve hot, with assorted toppings (such as cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro, etc).
Adapted from Martha Stewart, also available in her book Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast
per serving: 480 calories, 13.7 grams fat, 46.6 grams protein, 32.8 grams carbohydrates, 4.3 grams fiber