Slow-Cooker Chicken and Navy Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb Navy Beans, rinsed (and soaked overnight, if desired)

8 C Homemade or Quality Chicken Broth

2 C Pre-Cooked Chicken, diced or shredded

2 T Olive Oil

1/2 t Granulated Garlic

3 T Dried Minced Onion

1/2 lb Carrots, peeled and sliced

6 Celery Stalks, sliced

1 Bay Leaf

1 T Fresh Rosemary (or 1 t Dried Rosemary)

1/2 T Fresh Thyme (or 1/2 t Dried Thyme)

1/2 t Smoked Paprika

1/2 t Ground Black Pepper

2 t Sea Salt (plus more to taste)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in slow-cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. 

Taste for salt and add more if needed. 

Serve with fresh rolls or cornbread!

* Adapted from https://www.happy-mothering.com/02/recipes/slow-cooker-navy-bean-soup/

Cilantro Lime Quinoa and Black Beans

Ingredients:

1 C Quinoa, rinsed
2 C Chicken Broth
1 15 oz Can Black Beans, rinsed
1 C Diced Tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 T Lime Juice, fresh or bottled
1 t Dried Cilantro
1/2 t Ground Cumin
Salt, to taste

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa, chicken broth and black beans to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes. 

Uncover and stir in diced tomatoes, lime juice, dried cilantro and Cumin. Simmer, uncovered as needed to evaporate any excess liquid, stirring frequently. 

Salt to taste and serve with sour cream. 

Yield: 4-5 Servings

Nightshade Free Layered Bean Dip

Layer these ingredients from bottom to top in whatever amounts you would like:

1. Refried pinto beans (make sure there are no added spices for NSF)

2. Black beans mixed with cumin and black pepper

3. Sour cream

4. Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

5. Chopped black olives

6. Finely sliced green onions

Serve with corn tortilla chips. Best with blue corn tortilla chips!

Note: Can be made the night before. Cover and refrigerate. 

16 Bean Ham and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

20 oz Bag of 16 Bean Soup Mix (or bean mix of your choice), discard flavor packet

5-6 oz Smoked Ham Steak, diced (with bone, if possible)

1 Large Onion, diced

4-5 Carrots, peeled and sliced

4 Garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 Medium Green Pepper, diced

4 Celery Stalks, sliced

2 Green Onions, sliced

1 T Dried Cilantro

1 C Tomato Sauce

3/4 t Ground Cumin

1 T Kosher Salt

1 t Black Pepper

1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary

2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme

2 C Kale, coarsely chooped with stems removed (fresh or frozen)

Directions:

Rinse beans. In a large pot cover beans with water (according to package directions) and soak overnight. 

Discard the water and add 15 cups of fresh water to pot of beans. Cook uncovered for 1 hour on medium-heat. 

Add ham, onion, carrots, garlic, green pepper, celery, green onions, cilantro, tomato sauce, cumin, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and kale. 

Lower heat to low and simmer, covered for about one hour, stirring occasionally or until beans are cooked through. 

Add more salt, to taste, if needed. 

Yield: 8 Servings

* Adapted from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2016/01/16-bean-soup-with-ham-and-kale.html?m=1#more

Chickpea Flatbread

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C Chickpea Flour (Garbanzo Flour)

3 1/2 C Cold Water

1 t Salt

1/2 t Pepper

1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Measure chickpea flour into a large bowl. Slowly whisk in cold water. 

Stir in salt and pepper. 

Allow to sit at room temperature for 3 hours. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Skim off any bubbles that formed on the flour/water mixture. 

Pour olive oil into a large rimmed cookie sheet/jelly roll pan. 

Pour chickpea mixture into pan. 

Bake for 30 minutes, until golden. 

Allow to cool slightly before cutting. 

Serve immediately. 

* Adapted from http://inpursuitofmore.com/2012/11/12/recipe-authentic-italian-chickpea-flat-bread/

Slow-Cooker Ranch Beans

Ingredients:

1 Pound Dried pinto beans

3 C Beef broth

2 T Dried minced onion

8 oz Tomato sauce

1 Jalapeño, chopped

3/4 t Garlic powder

1 T Kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 t Chili powder

1 t Apple cider vinegar

1 t Ground cumin

1 t Packed Dark brown sugar

1 t Paprika

1/2 t Black pepper

1/2 t Dried oregano

1 Smoked ham hock or 2 pork chops with bones

Directions:

Place rinsed dried beans in slow-cooker and cover with hot water. 

Cook on high 4 hours. 

Drain if needed. 

Add all remaining ingredients and cook on low an additional 2-4 hours until beans are soft and meat is done. 

Remove bones and serve. 

Optional: Top with sour cream. 

Yield: 4-5 Servings

* Adapted from http://www.chow.com/recipes/30795-slow-cooker-ranch-style-pinto-beans

Slow-Cooker Cajun Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

1 lb Dried Small red beans (or pinto beans)

13-16 oz Smoked sausage

5 C Water

8 oz Tomato sauce

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 t Salt

1/2 t Black pepper

1 1/2 T Cajun Spice Mix

2 1/2 T Dried minced onion

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. 

Serve over rice. 

* Adapted from http://www.plainchicken.com/2012/02/slow-cooker-red-beans-rice.html

Bean and Bacon Soup

Ingredients:

12 oz Bacon, cooked and diced (reserve bacon grease)

1 C Diced Yellow onion

1 C Diced Celery

1 C Diced Carrots

2 Garlic cloves, minced

4 C Chicken broth

6 C Great Northern beans, cooked

Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional: 8 oz Tomato sauce (this will not be nightshade-free)

Directions:

In a large pot, cook onions, celery and carrots in bacon grease until they begin to soften. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. 

Stir in broth and beans. Season with salt and pepper. 

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer one hour. 

Using an immersion blender, purée about half of the soup. (You can also transfer soup to a blender)

If desired, add tomato sauce. 

Add 2/3 of the bacon and stir to combine. 

Simmer until heated though. 

Serve topped with remaining bacon. 

* Adapted from http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/homemade-bean-bacon-soup/

Black Bean Hummus

Ingredients:

2 C Black beans, cooked

1/2 t Dried chives

1 t Dried cilantro

1 T Tahini

1 Garlic clove

1/2 T Lime juice

2 t Ground cumin

1/4 t Salt

2 T Olive oil

Water

Directions:

Combine black beans, chives, cilantro, tahini, garlic, lime juice, cumin and salt in a food processor. 

While pureeing bean mixture, slowly add in olive oil. 

Add water as necessary to bring to desired consistency. 

Top with a little extra oil and cilantro. 

Note: To make pinto bean hummus, replace black beans with pinto beans and then follow original recipe. Also great with Lima beans!

* Adapted from http://www.bakeyourday.net/black-bean-hummus/

Easy Homemade Hummus

Ingredients:

1/4 C Tahini

1/4 C Lemon Juice

2 C Cooked Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

1 Garlic clove, minced

2 T Olive oil

1/2 t Kosher salt

1/2 t Ground cumin

2-3 T Water

Dash of paprika

Directions:

Combine Tahini and lemon juice in food processor and process for 1 minute to whip. Add half of the beans and process for 30 seconds. Add remaining beans and process another 30 seconds. 

Add garlic, Olive oil, salt, and cumin and process. 

Add water to bring to desired consistency. 

When serving, sprinkle a little paprika on the top. 

* Adapted from http://www.inspiredtaste.net/15938/easy-and-smooth-hummus-recipe/

Crockpot "Refried" Beans

Ingredients:

2 Pounds Pinto beans, dry (approx. 5 C)
1 Large onion, chopped
1 t Garlic powder
2 1/2 T Salt
1 t Black pepper
4 t Cumin
10 C Hot water

Directions:

Rinse the beans in a colander. Pick out any bad beans.

Combine all the ingredients in the crockpot. Remove any floating beans. Cover, and cook on high for 4 hours AND on low for 2 hours (or more to cook beans to desired doneness). 

Uncover, and remove extra liquid. Leave enough liquid to reach the desired consistency when the beans are puréed. 

Purée beans in a food processor. 

Optional: To make the beans into a dip, add jalapeño hot sauce (this will no longer be nightshade-free), lime juice, salt, and cilantro to taste when pureeing!

Serve warm. Store in air-tight containers in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks, or freeze in ziplock bags for later use.

* Adapted from http://penniesandpancakes.blogspot.com/2012/09/crockpot-refried-beans-019-per-cup.html

Yield: About 16 cups.