How to diet fast 1 week

Ive perfected black beans. Which is a good thing, since Safeway had a buy-one-get-one-free deal and I still have 5 unopened bags in the cupboard.

side note: the kids and I are *fascinated* by that Extreme Couponing show--- holy cow! What are they going to do with 84 boxes of Captain Crunch?

anyhow. 

Its summer, and I have fully embraced the "I dont want to do anything" vibe that summer gives off. Were staying up too late, sleeping in, watching mindless television, (Wipe Out? really? who comes up with these things?) and sometimes forgetting personal hygiene. 

you know, typical summer time stuff....

but yesterday I wanted to have something to show for myself, so I got up early and plugged in the crockpot. 

and then went back to bed. 

1 pound black beans, soaked overnight, then drained

(if you dont have time to soak overnight, no problem. Put them in a large pot, and cover completely with water. Bring to a rapid boil for 10 minutes, then turn off stove and cover pot. Let your beans sit for 1 hour, then drain water and put beans into crockpot)

6 cups chicken broth (if vegetarian, use veggie broth; Im concerned water wont provide enough flavor)

6 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, or 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Soak your beans overnight and drain (or use quick soaking method described above). 

Ive heard that you should water your outside plants with the bean water, but Ive never done so--- I really should give that a try.

Put the drained beans into your slow cooker, then add the chopped garlic, broth, tomatoes, cumin, and chili powder. Stir well to combine.

I used bouillon cubes for my broth. If youre on a low-sodium diet, you may want to use low-sodium broth, or only use 5 cups and then 1 cup of water--- Ive been cutting out salt and these beans tasted salty to me, but Adam and the kids thought they just tasted "good"--- 

cover and cook on low for 8 hours. If you live in a high altitude area, you may need to cook for longer. Were at sea level and my beans were perfect at 8 hours.

Everyone in my house loved these--- I ate them alone, but Adam and the kids had them alongside quesadillas and rice. The baby had 3 servings (small plastic bowls) and then painted the highchair with bean goop.

The seasoning is fantastic--- the cumin and chili powder complement each other nicely and I liked the bits of tomato and garlic. If you want some heat, opt for a can of tomatoes and chiles (Rotel)-- there is no heat here, just flavor.

This morning, the beans have soaked in more of the liquid, but taste marvelous, even cold. If youd like to freeze in batches, be aware that the beans will break down a bit-- no biggie, unless youd like them picture-perfect.

carnitas

fajitas

tacos

creamy tacos

vegetarian tortilla soup

(Today's choice for A Month of Daily Phase One Recipes is this unusual and delicious soup made from black-eyed peas, herbs, and a touch of spicy ground Chipotle pepper.  You'd have to limit yourself to a small serving of this for Phase One, since the soup is mostly beans, so enjoy it with something like Vegan Tomato Salad with Cucumbers, Avocado, Cilantro, and Lime on the side.)

Mention eating black-eyed peas, and most people think of Hopping John, the southern U.S. dish that combines black-eyed peas, ham, and collard greens. If I hadn't made Hopping John Soup a few years ago, and realized how much I like the taste of black-eyed peas, I might not have tried making this soup. That would have been just sad, because I absolutely loved this recipe, (which I did change a tiny bit, mostly to indulge my love for extra lime and cilantro.)

I promised one more idea for a red-and-green dish to celebrate the holidays, but Southwestern Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Green Chiles will make a delicious dinner any time of year.  This recipe uses my favorite techniques for stuffed peppers.  First, I start with raw peppers so they aren't too soft by the time the filling cooks.  Second, I trim the bottom ends of the peppers flat so they stand up in the dish.  Third, I chop the trimmed parts to add more pepper flavor to the filling, which in this recipe includes black beans, diced green chiles, cooked rice, tomatoes, and grated cheese.