Adapted from www.whfoods.com

• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 4 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1-1/2 cups sweet potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 cup green bell pepper, thinly julienned
• 1 cup red bell pepper, thinly julienned
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 TBS + 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 15  black beans, drained
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 whole wheat tortillas
• Prepared salsa (optional)
• 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded

Preparation

1. Chop onions and garlic and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. Prepare other vegetables.
3. Heat 1 TBS broth in a 12 inch stainless steel skillet. Saute onion, garlic, ginger, and peppers in broth over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garam masala and sweet potatoes and mix well. Add 1/2 cup broth and cook covered on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
4. Add beans making sure they are rinsed and drained well first. Mix, cooking for another 5 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. While vegetables are cooking, shred lettuce.
7. Place vegetable mixture in tortilla. Roll and top with salsa and shredded lettuce.

Adapted from http://smittenkitchen.com

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
  
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large green chili, chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 8 ounce can of tomato sauce (Muir Glen Organic Tomato Sauce)
  
• 3 cups boiled red kidney beans or 30 ounces canned red kidney beans, undrained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a deep sauce pan over medium heat for one minute. Add ginger, garlic, onion, green chili, and let sizzle for one minute. Add the tomato sauce, salt and remaining spices and cook for an additional five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the kidney beans with water or canned red kidney beans (undrained) plus one additional cup of water, and tomatoes.
2. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro.

Adapted from www.eatingwell.com

• 1 15-ounces black beans or pinto beans, rinsed
• 3 tablespoons prepared salsa (Native Kjali Fire-Roasted Red salsa)
• 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeño
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 ripe avocado, pitted
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 16- to 20-inch-long baguette, preferably whole-grain
• 1 1/3 cups shredded romaine lettuce

Preparation

1. Mash beans, salsa, jalapeño and cumin in a small bowl. Mash avocado, onion and lime juice in another small bowl.
2. Cut baguette into 4 equal lengths. Split each piece in half horizontally. Pull out most of the soft bread from the center so you’re left with mostly crust. Divide the bean paste, avocado mixture and cabbage evenly among the sandwiches. Cut each in half and serve.

Adapted from www.eatingwell.com

• 4 ounces whole-wheat pasta shells
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 ripe medium tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons oil-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced fresh basil
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Preparation

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beans and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the beans are just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add tomatoes, olives, basil and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Divide the pasta between 2 plates and top with the bean mixture and cheese.

Adapted from www.eatingwell.com

• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels, (about 2 ears)
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 pound prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
  
• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce (Russian River Fine Foods Smokey BBQ Sauce)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella, preferably smoked mozzarella

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Combine tomato, beans and corn in a medium bowl. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a large baking sheet. Stretch the dough into about a 12-inch circle and lay it on top of the cornmeal, coating the entire underside of the dough.
3. Transfer the crust from the baking sheet to the grill. Close the lid and cook until the crust is puffed and lightly browned on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Using a large spatula, flip the crust. Spread barbecue sauce on it and quickly sprinkle with the tomato mixture and cheese. Close the lid; grill until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  
• 2 small yellow squash, chopped
  
• 2 small zucchini, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
  
• 2 cups white beans (Cannellini are good)
  
• 3 cups vegetable broth or water
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus some for garnish
  
• 1 avocado, sliced
  
• 6 corn tortillas, baked in 350 degree oven until crisp, and cut into strips
  
• 2 fresh limes

Preparation

1. Heat oil in large saucepan.  Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 - 4 minutes. Stir in pepper and cumin and saute for 1 minute.
2. Add squash, zucchini, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper and saute 1 -2 minutes.
3. Add 3 cups water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.
4. Stir in beans and cilantro; cook for 5 minutes longer.
5. Place in bowls; squeeze 1/2 lime into each bowl of soup and stir.
6. Add sliced avocado to each bowl.
7. Top each bowl with tortilla strips and cilantro.

Adapted from recipe at www.whfoods.com

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 TBS + 1-1/2 cups vegetable broth (Pacific Naturals Organic Vegetable Broth)
• 6 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 15 oz cans black beans (or homemade), drained
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce (Muir Glen Organic Pasta Sauce)
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes - do not drain (Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes)
• 2 TBS ground cumin
• 2 TBS red chili powder
• 2 TBS dried oregano
• 1 cup corn kernels (Westbrae Natural Organic Whole Kernel Corn) 
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation
1. Heat 1 TBS broth in a medium size soup pot.  Sauté onion and bell pepper in broth over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic, cumin, and red chili powder and continue to sauté for another minute.
2. Add 1-1/2 cups broth and the rest of ingredients, except for the cilantro and corn. Simmer for another 20 minutes uncovered. Add corn and cook for another 2 minutes. Add chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.  over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic, cumin, and red chili powder and continue to sauté for another minute.
3. Add 1-1/2 cups broth and the rest of ingredients, except for the cilantro and corn. Simmer for another 20 minutes uncovered. Add corn and cook for another 2 minutes. Add chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Black Beans (aka Turtle Beans) are WONDERFUL for you and can be used in tons of different dishes.  Not only that, but hey are very inexpensive also.  I typically buy 5 cups at a time (of dry beans), cook them on a Sunday and use them all week long.  Here's how to do it:

• as many black beans as you think you can eat in a week, 1 cup of beans = 2 cups cooked (they can be frozen also)
  
• water

Preparation

1. Clean the beans by pouring them into a colander and rinsing them with water.  Sift through the beans to ensure that there are no stones and get rid of any funky looking beans.
2. Pour the clean beans into a large pot and cover them with enough water so that the water level is about one inch above the top of the beans.
3. Turn on high and bring to a boil.  Put the lid on the pot and turn the heat off.
4. Let sit for one hour.
5. Drain the beans, and rinse in a colander again.
6. Pour the beans back in the pot, cover with water (same amount as before) and bring to a boil.  Put the lid on the pot and simmer for 2 hours (or until desired softness). 
   
7. Store the beans in Tupperware in the refrigerator or freeze.
   

Adapted from recipe at www.eatingwell.com

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup drained canned corn kernels (Westbrae Natural Organic Whole Kernel Corn), drained
  
• 4 large tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice (Lundberg Farms Organic Long-Grain Brown Rice)
  
• 1 15-ounce can (or homemade) black beans, rinsed
  
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup prepared salsa (Native Kjali Fire-Roasted Red salsa <-- it's so good, you'll thank me and it's from San Francisco)
  
• 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup shredded Jack cheese (Clover Organic Monterey Jack cheese)
  
• 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (Clover Organic Mild Cheddar cheese)
  
• 2 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled tortilla chips (Mexi-Snax All Natural Stone-Ground Sesame Tortilla Chips)
  
• Lime wedges for garnish & a little extra flavor
  

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn; cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop 1 tomato. Add it to the pan along with rice, beans, chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato cooks down, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.
2. Coarsely chop the remaining 3 tomatoes. Combine with cilantro, salsa and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano in a medium bowl.
3. Toss lettuce in a large bowl with the bean mixture. Serve sprinkled with tortilla chips, salsa, cheese, and lime.