cornmeal-crusted black bean cakes

1 16oz can black beans, drained but not rinsed
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 egg
1/2 c diced red or yellow bell pepper
1/2 c corn flakes cereal, crushed, or finely crushed corn chips
1 T chopped cilantro
1 t chipotle chile powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t granulated garlic
hot pepper sauce
1/3 c cornmeal
2 T olive oil

Combine all ingredients except cornmeal and olive oil in medium bowl; refrigerate 1 hour.

Place cornmeal in large shallow bowl. Shape bean mixture into 6 3" patties, using 1/3 cup per patty. Gently press each patty in cornmeal to coat.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Gently cook patties in batches, 6 to 8 minutes or until slightly browned, turning once. Serve with your favorite salsa, guacamole or sour cream.

6 servings, 160 cals, 6 g fat, 6.5 g protein, 21.5 g cabs, 6.5 g fiber

chicken and white bean soup with greens

from health.com

1 T olive oil

2-3 thinly sliced leeks, white parts only

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 c carrot, cut into 1/4" thick slices

6 c low sodium low fat chicken broth

1 1/2 c shredded rotisserie chicken

1 fresh rosemary sprig

1 19oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 c packed roughly chopped fresh kale

1 c packed baby spinach

1 T chopped fresh parsley

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, 3-4 minutes or until tender but not browned. Add carrots and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add broth, chicken and rosemary and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beans and kale, and simmer for about 5 minutes more. Add spinach and cook 2-3 minutes more or until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove rosemary sprig (and garlic cloves, if desired). Ladle soup into 6 warm bowls; sprinkle each with fresh parsley.

6 servings, 209 cals, 6 g fat, 20 g protein, 21 g carbs, 5 g fiber

Refried Beans with Cinnamon and Clove

from the weekly newsletter sent by the The Splendid Table

Excerpted from The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper: Recipes, Stories, and Opinions from Public Radio's Award-Winning Food Show by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift (Clarkson Potter, April 8, 2008). Copyright 2008 by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift

Serves 4 to 6

5 minutes prep time; 18 minutes stove time
The beans hold in the refrigerator for 5 days; add liquid as needed when reheating.

* Good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 large onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
* Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
* 4 garlic cloves, fine chopped
* 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and fine chopped
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* One 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained
* Two 15-ounce cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
* 1-1/2 cups water
* 2 Tablespoons butter

1. Generously film the bottom of a 10-inch skillet with olive oil, and heat over medium-high heat. Saute the onions with salt and pepper to taste until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. You want to hear a sizzle as they cook.

2. Add the garlic, jalapeño, cinnamon, and cloves, and cook the mix until it is fragrant, about 1 minute, taking care not to burn the spices. Add the tomatoes, crushing them as they go into the pan. Saute for another minute.

3. Stir in the beans and water. Bring to a fast simmer, crushing the beans with a potato masher (or the back of a large spoon) as they cook, and scraping the bottom of the pan as the beans begin to thicken. Simmer until the beans are thick, about 10 minutes. Blend in the butter, and taste for seasoning just before serving.

Spicy Bean, Pasta & Sausage Soup

2 15- to 16-oz cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas) [or 1 can chickpeas, 1 can cannellini]
2 T olive oil [more if using turkey sausage]
1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed [turkey sausage worked just fine]
4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped [maybe 3]
1/4 t dried crushed red pepper
1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes instead
4-6 c canned low-salt chicken broth
8 oz orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta) or other small pasta [elbow works well]
3/4 - 1 c grated Romano cheese

Strain liquid from canned beans into blender. Add 1 cup beans and puree until smooth. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add sausages, rosemary, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Sauté until sausages are cooked through, breaking up with fork, about 8 minutes. Mix in tomato paste. Add bean puree, remaining beans, broth, and pasta. Simmer until pasta is tender and mixture is thick, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Mix in cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Put a handful of fresh spinach in each bowl, ladle soup onto spinach. Let stand a minute and serve.

superior hummus

Ingredients (my proportions in parentheses):

• 1 large can (19 oz) garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved
• 1 can (14 oz) cannellini (Italian white beans)
  
• juice of a large lemon (around half)
• garlic cloves, peeled (2-4)
• olive oil (1 T)
• lowfat plain yogurt (4 T)
• sesame seed oil, preferably toasted sesame seed oil (2 T)
• kosher salt (1/2 T)
• fresh ground black pepper (1 t)
• cumin (1 t)

Combine all in food processor, until desired consistency.

For me, good hummus is a balance between all the flavors and it's easy to get carried away, so taste often and adjust seasonings a little at a time. Usually hummus has tahini, a sesame seed paste, in it. Since tahini is high fat, this recipe leaves it out, achieving a very similar taste with the sesame seed oil. Start with at least a tablespoon, and adjust to your taste. If too thick, thin with liquid from beans, extra lemon juice (carefully, as this can quickly overwhelm the other flavors), a little more oil, or more yogurt.

Probably this will not keep as long as traditional hummus (because of the yogurt), but it's so good that won't be a problem. Serve with whatever you like, but we think it's good with red bell pepper strips, cucumbers, toasted pita bread triangles.

Note on sesame oil: It's easy to find at any Asian market, or even the Asian section of most grocery stores. You may have to go to a specialty market to find toasted sesame seed oil, but it's worth it. The flavor is much richer and deeper, and when using oil for a flavoring, that lets you use less oil to better effect.

white bean soup

1 t olive oil
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
8 c low-salt chicken stock
1 T dried or fresh basil, chopped
½ t dried Greek oregano or 1 ½ t fresh
1 16-oz can peeled whole tomatoes, chopped
1 lb white cannellini beans, soaked overnight, quick cooked, and drained (see below)
1 T red wine vinegar
1 beefsteak tomato, chopped, for garnish

The night before, soak the beans to prevent skins from popping. In the morning, or just prior to making the soup, drain the water, and cover them with fresh water. Bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes and lower heat to low and cook until beans are tender. Drain the liquid.

Place a heavy-bottomed stockpot over med heat and when it is hot, add oil. Add onion and garlic, cook until tender. Add the stock, herbs, canned tomatoes, beans, cook partially covered until the beans have fallen apart, about 2 to 3 hours. Transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate up to three days. Place in a pot, add vinegar and gently reheat. Garnish with fresh whole basil leaves and chopped fresh tomato.