ONLINE EXTRA: Black bean bonanza

Torta Americana

4 crusty dinner rolls or 2 medium baguettes

1 cup refried black beans

4 ounces crumbled queso fresco (Mexican white cheese)

8 ounces sliced ham

¼ cup chopped cilantro

2 limes, halved

¼ cup each: salsa, sour cream, optional

Split the dinner rolls in half lengthwise. If using baguettes, cut them in half, then split each half lengthwise.

Spread each roll with refried black beans; sprinkle the queso fresco equally over the halves. Top with ham; sprinkle with cilantro. Drizzle each half with lime juice.

Press the sandwiches lightly with your hands to flatten a little. Serve sandwiches with sour cream and salsa as a dressing, if desired.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 351 calories, 26 percent of calories from fat, 10 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 36 milligrams cholesterol, 42 grams carbohydrates, 23 grams protein, 1,237 milligrams sodium, 6 grams fiber.

Nuevos Huevos Rancheros

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 cup chunky salsa or pico de gallo, divided

1 16-ounce box Mrs. T’s potato and cheddar pierogies

1 tablespoon butter

4 large eggs

1 ripe avocado, seeded, peeled and sliced

Lime wedges, cilantro sprigs

Heat oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until just tender; about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin and salt; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in black beans, lime juice and ½ cup salsa.

Saute pierogies as box directs; keep warm.

Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Break eggs into the skillet; cook until the whites have set, but the yolks are still loose and runny.

To assemble the dish, spoon ¼ cup black bean mixture on serving plate; top with 3 sauteed pierogies. Top eggs with remaining salsa. Garnish with avocado slices, lime wedges and cilantro sprigs.

Yield: Serves 4.

Black Bean Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 medium Spanish onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 cup red wine

3 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

3 jalapeno chilies, roasted, peeled and seeded

1 poblano chili, roasted, peeled and seeded

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the wine, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half.

Add the beans and reduce the heat to medium. Add the chiles and broth and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Using a blender or food processor, puree half of the soup and return it to the pot. Bring to a simmer before serving. Garnish with finely chopped red onion, coarsely chopped avocado, diced tomatoes and sour cream.

Yield: Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 306 calories, 6 grams fat, 36 grams carbohydrates, 20 grams protein, no milligrams cholesterol, 731 milligrams sodium, 13 grams dietary fiber, 20 percent of calories from fat.

Corn and Black Bean Salad

15- to 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup uncooked fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels

1 large ripe tomato, cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 cup)

1 small red onion, cut into ¼-inch dice (about ½ cup)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Place the black beans, corn, tomato, onion and parsley in a large bowl and stir gently to combine.

To make dressing, whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

Just before serving, pour the dressing over the bean mixture and toss to coat. Can be kept at room temperature for up to 6 hours.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 270 calories, 15 grams fat, 28 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams protein, no cholesterol, 406 milligrams sodium, 8 grams dietary fiber, 48 percent of calories from fat.

Black Bean and Pork Stew

2¼ pounds thin pork chops

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large bell peppers, coarsely chopped

1 large white onion, coarsely chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

½ cup chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

3 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

¾ cup sour cream

Trim the bone and any excess fat from the pork chops and cut the meat into 6-inch cubes; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bell peppers, onion, jalapenos and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.

Add pork and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.

Reduce heat to low and stir in the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Continue to stir for 1 minute, then stir in the beans and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 1 hour and 20 minutes, adding water if necessary.

Divide soup among soup bowls and garnish with cheese and sour cream.

Yield: Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 617 calories, 38 grams fat, 37 grams carbohydrates, 34 grams protein, 95 milligrams cholesterol, 1,116 milligrams sodium, 14 grams dietary fiber, 54 percent of calories from fat.

Spring Fever Salsa Soup

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 16-ounce jar salsa

1 32-ounce container low-sodium chicken broth

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

1½ cups frozen corn kernels

½ cup each: chopped cilantro, shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 small avocado, cubed

Tortilla chips, crumbled (optional)

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the salsa; cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the broth; heat to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low; add the chicken, beans and corn. Cook until chicken cooks through, 5-7 minutes. Turn off heat; stir in the cilantro.

Divide the soup into four bowls; stir in the cheese and avocado. Top with tortilla chips, if desired.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 467 calories, 36 percent of calories from fat, 21 grams fat (6 grams saturated fat), 75 milligrams cholesterol, 44 grams carbohydrates, 39 grams protein, 1,437 milligrams sodium, 13 grams fiber.

Spicy Black Beans and Rice

1 pound dry black beans

¼ cup olive oil

2 onions, chopped

1 shallot, minced (optional)

2 bell peppers (red or green), chopped

4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced

1½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon paprika

1 packet Goya Sazon (seasoning)

¼ cup white wine (or wine vinegar)

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 teaspoon Frank’s Hot Sauce

Pick over beans to remove imperfect beans and any foreign matter. Rinse well in cold running water.

In a pan, bring beans to a boil in 6 to 8 cups water. Boil over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, then cover and set aside for an hour. Alternatively, boiling can be omitted if beans are soaked overnight.

Drain and rinse beans. In a large saucepan, soak beans in 8 cups fresh water. (This time, do not drain.)

In a skillet, saute onion and pepper over medium heat until onions are tender and translucent. Add garlic and oregano when onions begin to color (about 5 minutes). Do not allow garlic to brown. Add remaining ingredients; mix well.

Stir mixture into beans in saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low.

Simmer until beans are tender. Serve over steamed white rice while still hot.

Can be prepared in a slow cooker. Just soak beans overnight and put everything into the Crock-Pot in the morning. Set on low and cook for 8 hours, or until beans are tender.

If you own a small (2.5- to 4-quart) pressure cooker, these can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. Saute onions, then add presoaked beans to pressure cooker; cover with water or broth and remaining ingredients. Cover and cook at 10 pounds pressure for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to sit 10 minutes, then reduce pressure; season to taste and serve.

Can be frozen in smaller portions for up to 6 months. If preparing larger quantities just for freezing, omit the seasonings and add them in while reheating, instead.

Black Bean Stew and Rice

1 pound black beans

2 ounces bacon

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 chopped green pepper

1 chopped tomato

1 chopped onion

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon chopped coriander

Salt to taste

Soak beans overnight. Drain and cover with water 3 quarts and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook for an hour until they become soft.

In a separate pan, saute the bacon, green pepper, onion and tomato in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add them to beans while they simmer.

Remove the stew from heat when the sauce has thickened and the beans are tender. Serve over rice.

Rice and Black Bean Salad

3 cups cooked rice, room temperature (about 1 cup raw)

1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium red bell pepper, minced

1 medium green bell pepper, minced

4 green onions, minced

¼ cup minced fresh cilantro

1/3 cup peanut oil

¼ cup fresh lime juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Lettuce leaves

2 avocados, peeled and sliced

1 papaya, peeled, seeded and sliced

Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk together oil and lime juice in small bowl. Pour over rice mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Line large bowl with lettuce. Mound salad in bowl. Garnish with sliced avocado and papaya and serve.

Yield: Serves 6.

Black Beans with Turkey and Rice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

¾ pound ground turkey

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped sweet green pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons soy sauce (low-salt)

1 cup tomato sauce

2 to 3 cups cooked black beans

3 cups hot cooked brown rice

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat, add the turkey and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking up all the clumps. Add the onion, green pepper and garlic and saute for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, chili powder, soy sauce, and tomato sauce. Add this to the turkey mixture, combining the ingredients well. Stir in the beans and cook over medium low heat for 20 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice

Stuffed Poblanos with Black Beans and Cheese

1 cup uncooked white long grain rice

1½ cups water

3¾ teaspoons kosher salt

8 medium poblano peppers

1 cup cooked black beans

1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds

¾ cup sour cream

¾ cup crumbled Cotija cheese (about 4 ounces)

½ cup chopped cilantro (about ½ bunch)

1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (about 2 small tomatoes)

2/3 cup chopped scallions (about ½ bunch)

1 jalepeno, finely chopped

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place rice in a colander or a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Combine rice, water, and ¾ teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan and reduce heat to low; cook until water has been completely absorbed, about 10 minutes (rice will be slightly undercooked). Remove the lid and set the pan aside to let rice cool.

To prepare peppers for stuffing, use a paring knife to cut a wide circle around each stem (like when carving a jack-o’-lantern), so you end up with a cap that can be replaced once you’ve stuffed the peppers. Be careful not to puncture or rip the peppers. Clean any seeds and membranes from the cap and from the interior of each pepper; set aside.

Place beans in a large mixing bowl. Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, lightly mash them (some whole beans will remain). Stir cumin, sour cream, Cotija, cilantro, tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, pepper and remaining salt into mashed beans and mix until evenly combined. Gently mix in cooled rice. Taste mixture and, if necessary, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Note that the filling should be quite salty to compensate for there being no salt on the peppers.) Stuff each pepper with the filling and replace caps, securing with a toothpick.

Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals out evenly over the charcoal grate. Place stuffed peppers on their sides and close the lid. Roll each pepper a quarter turn every 7 minutes or so to cook all four sides. The peppers are finished once the filling is hot, the skins are well-charred, and the flesh is soft to the touch, about 30 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve.

Chipotle Black Beans

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

½ cup chopped red bell pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup bottled chipotle salsa (such as Jardine’s)

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add bell pepper and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salsa and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Yield: Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 268 calories, 20 percent of calories from fat, 6 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 15 grams protein, 42 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, no cholesterol, 462 milligrams sodium, 67 milligrams calcium.

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