Why I Love Black Beans
Once upon a time you could open my pantry door and you would see a deep shelf entirely filled with cans of beans. Lots of chickpeas. Lots and lots of cannellinis—and one neglected can of black beans I never used. “Why?” I pondered. I looked up their nutritional value and my culinary world changed. These little jewels are packed with bone-building nutrients. For starters, they’re a great source of protein. They contain the magic combination of calcium, manganese, copper and zinc, which when taken together, helps prevent spinal bone loss. This combination teams up with magnesium for strong bone structure and potassium for neutralizing metabolic acidity. It’s still true that you’ll find only one or two lonely cans of black beans in my pantry at a time, but now it’s because I go through them so quickly I can hardly keep them in the house!
I do think the dried bean soak and simmer method can make a flavorful addition to the two savory recipes that follow, if the dried beans are simmered with aromatics. Try a small onion, a carrot, fennel seeds, peppercorns, a bay leaf or two, and of course, a splash of olive oil. Stick to the canned variety for the brownies…or when you’re feeling a time squeeze…or when you’re just feeling lazy. Either way, elevating black beans to a starring role in your repertoire is a nutritional, flavorful and visual blast!
Black Bean and Charred Corn Salad
Serves 4
Here’s a bowl full of goodness! Lettuces, usually thought of as water laden delivery systems for crunch, have a nutrient hierarchy all their own. Romaine, bib and radicchio bring lots of vitamin K to the table, which has proven to increase bone density and decrease fracture risk, especially in the hip area. Vitamin K also partners with Vitamin D to ensure bone strength by clearing the path for calcium to make its way directly to our bones. The amount of potassium found in these lettuces are an added plus for alkaline neutrality, so chomp away! And if you can’t find fresh corn-on-the-cob, pick up some frozen corn and char them straight from the freezer in a very hot cast iron pan with a spritz of olive oil and a pinch of salt. You’ll get that same toasty flavor and snap you get from grilling fresh corn.
4 ears fresh corn
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 each red and orange baby bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced, green and white parts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking
Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar)
1 small head romaine or bibb lettuce
1 head radicchio
Salt, pepper
Crumbled feta cheese to taste, optional (but highly recommended!)
Shuck and remove silk from corn. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Place ears of corn on grill and let sit till kernels start to blacken and char. (A few drops or a quick spray of olive oil can help this along.) Rotate ears and cook till patches of kernels are toasty and dark and surrounding kernels are a deep yellow. Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
When cool enough to handle, cut the kernels form the cob and place in a mixing bowl. Add beans, bell peppers, scallions and thyme. Gently toss with olive oil and lemon juice. (Reserve some lemon juice to sprinkle on lettuces.)
Slice the romaine and radicchio heads into quarters from top to bottom so that the leaves of each quarter remain attached at the core. Rinse, keeping leaves intact and pat dry. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then place cut side down on the hot grill pan. Grill until slightly wilted and grill marks start to form. Flip to the other cut side and do the same, then remove. Don’t over grill—they should retain some of their bright color. Sprinkle with reserved lemon juice.
Arrange the grilled lettuce wedges on a plate or platter. Top with the bean and corn salad, then the crumbled feta if using.
Black Bean Noodle Bowl with Scallion Sauce
Serves 4
This noodle bowl is awash with bone building nutrients. Leslie’s suggestion to work in a scallion sauce was right on the mark in more ways than one-those long, green stalks don’t just make a pretty garnish. Flavorwise, the sauce adds a mellow, peppery flavor to the beans without being overly assertive. Nutritionwise, scallions are packed with vitamin K, which along with vitamin D, are like two hands on a steering wheel, making sure calcium finds it way straight to our bones. A one-cup serving of chopped scallions boasts twice the daily recommended amount of vitamin K for adults and that means more bone boosting protection for you. Bok choy, another green powerhouse, adds more protein and potassium to the black beans as well as vitamins C and K. Soba noodles’ manganese boosts collagen production, making for a healthier bone matrix. But we’re not here for just a nutrition lesson, are we? There’s lots to enjoy with these winning flavor and texture comes: Creamy black beans with celery root crunch; peppery bok choy and a warm and sharp ginger-spiked scallion sauce, all cushioned by mellow soba noodles. A perfect medley of of flavors and textures for a quick and satisfying lunch or a perfect dish for a picnic.
3 bunches scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and chopped
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
2-3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce, lite soy sauce, or Bragg’s amino acids
8 oz. package soba noodles, or other whole grain noodles
4 bunches (or more if you like!) baby bok choy, halved
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup peeled and finely diced carrots
1 cup peeled and finely diced celery root
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Put up a pot of water to boil, then make the sauce:
Place the scallions in a bowl. Add the ginger, sesame oil and soy sauce. Stir together, cover and let sit for at least 20 minutes. The ingredients will marinate and wilt to a sauce consistency (similar to Salsa Fresca).
Place soba noodles in boiling water and cook according to package directions, usually 3 minutes or so. Drop in the bok choy at the same time to blanch. Remove and drain the bok choy. Drain the noodles in a colander, then quickly run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain thoroughly. Place noodles in a mixing bowl. Mix in scallion sauce (reserve 1 tablespoon per serving to top each bowl), carrot and celery root. Toss gently and divide among 4 bowls. Add blanched bok choy and a scoop of black beans to each bowl. Top with a bit more sauce. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Triple Win Brownies
Makes 12
Who knew that the combination of black beans, flaxseed meal and dark cocoa could be not only healthy, but also make for the richest brownies ever? Dense, chocolatey, not cloyingly sweet. In other words, just right. You can call them a grown-ups brownie, except that kids will like them too. Not only that—they happen to be vegan and gluten-free as well, so everyone can enjoy them. That makes these brownies a real Triple Win!
3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing pan
½ cup sugar
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
¾ cup dark cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flax meal in a small bowl with 3 tablespoons warm water. Set aside for a few minutes while you gather the rest of your ingredients. Grease a 12-cup standard sized muffin tin with coconut oil. Set aside.
Place sugar in a food processor, and process a minute or so until sugar is a bit finer. Add the remaining ingredients. Pulse to combine until the beans are fully pureed and smooth, like cake batter. Add the flax meal mixture. Pulse again till smooth. Scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Should you need it, add water, a little at a time to bring the mixture to a proper batter consistency, up to 2 tablespoons.
Divide the batter among the 12 cups in a standard size muffin tin. Bake 20-25 minutes, until tops are dry and edges pull from the sides of pan. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing.
Food stylist and recipe developer, Leslie Orlandini. Brownie photography by Stephen Murello. Other photography by Francine Matalon-Degni. Logo and Graphic Design, Zoe Miolla