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Fast & Easy Dinner: Turkey and Black-Bean Soup

partysugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:45:31 -0800

A delicious, filling soup need not simmer on the stove all day, this recipe comes together in less than a half an hour. Smoky bacon, juicy turkey, and fresh spinach combine to make a dish that is balanced and flavorful.

Cocoa and chili powders provide Mexican-style aromas. Leftover chicken is a great substitute for the turkey.

To look at the recipe — this soup would be a great meal the day after Thanksgiving —

Fast & Easy Dinner: Baked Potatoes With Spicy Vegetable Stew

partysugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:45:29 -0700

Baked potatoes are totally underrated, and for some reason they've got a bad rap. It's time we gave the stuffed potato some love. Instead of topping them with cheese and sour cream, these baked potatoes are filled with a spicy vegetable stew making them an entire delicious meal. The stew consists of black beans, carrots, zucchini, and squash, but feel free to stir in your favorite vegetables, or use the stew to top baked sweet potatoes.

To bring the baked potato back into your life,

Come Party With Me: Campfire Fiesta — Menu

partysugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:45:01 -0700

When my friends and I go camping, the food planning comes first. Once we've figured out who's making every appetizer, cocktail, main dish, and dessert, we focus on other details like who's bringing bug spray and how to get where we're going.

So for this week's campfire fiesta, I'm forgoing invitations in favor of a flurry of emails to work out the logistics. September is prime camping time: It's just getting summery in Northern California, while the more scorching regions of the country are cooling off. This Mexican-tinged menu celebrates the last days of Summer by featuring lots of fresh produce.

To start, I'm offering tortilla chips served with a gourmet caramelized black bean "butter" and store-bought pico de gallo. Some chips will inevitably get crushed in transit, so we'll put those into the main dish — tamale chicken packets — which cook over the fire with little effort. I'll also be grilling corn, brushed with lime and feta cheese, and a jicama-mango salad that you can make in advance and assemble on site. To get the recipes,

Fast & Easy Dinner: Black Bean and Corn Tacos

partysugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:45:15 -0700

Take a Tex-Mex vacation with these vegetarian tacos. A simple but flavorful mixture of black beans, corn, fresh zucchini, and prepared enchilada sauce makes a delicious filling. The recipe is incredibly versatile, so feel free to get creative. Mushrooms are a tasty alternative to zucchini, and any type of bean can be substituted for the black beans. Learn the technique when you

Fast & Easy Dinner: Barbecued Chicken Burritos

partysugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:30:00 -0700

On your way home from work this afternoon, pick up a rotisserie chicken and whole wheat tortillas. When you arrive, take some help from your pantry and make this delicious burrito for dinner. Filled with canned beans, yellow corn, barbecue sauce, and sour cream, it's hearty and scrumptious. This recipes also makes a great use of leftover barbecued chicken. To get your weekend started, serve with a cold beer, chips, and salsa. For the recipe,

Come Party With Me: Black and White Luau — Menu

partysugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:45:41 -0700

Fab is strictly enforcing the black and white dress code for our upcoming luau, so I'm creating a menu that features black and white dishes. Since the party starts after dinner, we'll offer guests only a few small bites.

Although it's not Hawaiian, a platter of sushi from our favorite Japanese restaurant is perfect for late night noshing. Homemade finger foods will include piña colada scallop brochettes and spicy black bean cakes. The scallops are easy to make and pretty to present. The black bean cakes will be served with a cooling lime scented sour cream.
To get these black and white recipes,

Sunday Dinner: Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salad

partysugar — Sun, 04 May 2008 06:00:06 -0700

For dinner tonight, serve a hearty, Mexican inspired salad. There are several steps to this recipe, but taking the time to prepare each component makes for a fresh, filling dish. The corn and black beans are roasted with onions and garlic to maximize the flavor. The mixture is tossed with a classic red wine vinaigrette and topped with not one, but two salsas!

A scrumptious mango salsa seasoned with chives and honey, and a tomato tomatillo salsa with parsley. Doesn't it sound delish? To get the recipe,

Not Your Regular Nachos: Nachos Frescos

partysugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 11:30:44 -0700

Although incredibly delicious, nachos are deceptively filling making them a dish that's easy to overeat. Since Cinco de Mayo is next week, I wanted to make a less-heavy variation of nachos that would allow for maximum margarita consumption. To make the nachos lighter — I have no clue if they're healthier, we'll have to ask FitSugar — I baked the tortillas instead of frying them and replaced the meat with black beans. The final nachos were fresh and delectable. I devoured them in minutes! For the details on how to make them,

Fast & Easy Dinner: Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice

partysugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:33:33 -0700

During the busy work week, it's easy to get caught in a cooking rut. If your meals have become monotonous, consider making this ham and pineapple rice dish.

Far from dull, the fresh flavors of sweet pineapple and spicy jalapeño are combined to make one incredibly exciting dinner. To entice your family with this recipe,

Fast & Easy Dinner: Kitchen-Sink Quesadillas

partysugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:56:19 -0700

Quesadillas are the perfect simple and quick dinner because they can be filled with anything, take little time to make, and are crowd pleasers. When paired with a leafy green salad, they make a satisfying meal. Tonight make vegetarian quesadillas filled with bean and corn salsa and lots of grated cheese. To make things even easier, bake the quesadillas in the oven instead of frying them on the stove. If this sounds appetizing to you, take a look at the recipe and

Fast & Easy Dinner: Black Beans and Rice

partysugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 05:01:57 -0700

Rice and beans are a delicious classic food combination. Chock full of vegetables, this recipe highlights the flavor of black beans. A pinch of cumin adds smokiness and a splash of red wine vinegar provides a tang. Serve the beans over your favorite type of rice for a hearty meal. To take a look at the recipe,

Not Your Regular Nachos: Black and White Nachos

partysugar — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:48:31 -0700

Now that Winter soups are a thing of the past, it's time to move onto a more interesting adventure. Recently I told you about my desire to open a restaurant devoted entirely to nachos, but in order for me to do so, I'll need a repertoire of nachos recipes. So to get started I've created a new feature entirely devoted to nachos!

Not your — not-yo, sounds like nacho — regular nachos, I'll be dishing out more than just tortilla chips and melted cheese. To get things started, I made a classic style dish that used items I already had in my pantry or fridge. To see how I made these black and white nachos,

Fast & Easy Dinner: 7-Layer Tortilla Pie

partysugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:03:31 -0800

When I was younger I loved to order Mexican pizzas from Taco Bell. Now that I'm older and steer clear of fast-food joints, I like to make a similar tortilla pie in the comforts of my kitchen. This is a meatless version that features two types of beans: pinto and black. Tortillas are layered with salsa, beans, cheese, and cilantro. The entire thing is baked in the oven until crisp. Serve with guacamole and sour cream for a fabulous fiesta!

Take a look at the recipe when you

Fast & Easy Dinner: Black Bean and Chicken Chilaquiles

partysugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:15:31 -0800

Chilaquiles are a lovely alternative to tacos and enchiladas. Made with strips of tortillas and a cheesy sauce, they are like lasagna and are deliciously warm and chunky. Use purchased chicken to make this recipe more middle-of-the-week friendly. Pair with a cold beer and crunchy tortillas chips for a Mexican fiesta! Get the recipe when you

What Would You Make?

partysugar — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 01:18:33 -0800

Here's the scenario: you are at home and hungry for food. You have to cook up something scrumptious for you and your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse/child/friend, but the ingredients you have on hand are limited.

You have canned black beans, frozen corn, and gouda cheese. Using these products, along with whatever you currently have on hand in your cupboard and refrigerator, what would you make?

To see what I would whip up,

Do You Know About Black Foods?

partysugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 01:00:00 -0700

Today is the 78th anniversary of the stock market crash that lead to the great depression. The day is known as Black Tuesday. In honor of the day I've put together a quiz to test how much you know about black foods.

Source

National Root Beer Float Day: The First Black Cow

partysugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 01:18:31 -0700

With smooth vanilla ice cream, coppery root beer, and frothy foam, a root beer float is an all-American classic. Root beer was manufactured, bottled, and sold starting in 1880, and legend has it that thirteen years later, the root beer float, which is sometimes referred to as a black cow, was first invented. After glancing out the window late one night, Frank Wisner of Cripple Creek, Colorado, was inspired to float a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of his glass of root beer. The illumination of the full moon allowed him to glimpse the snow on top of nearby Cow Mountain. The tasty treat was tremendously popular among the town's children, who then called it a "black cow."

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Today's Special: Pumpkin Polenta with Chorizo and Black Beans

YumSugar — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 08:51:18 -0800

Today's Special is full of fall meets southwestern flavors that can be made in less than thirty minutes. Polenta is an ingredient that I am trying to use more of, and tonight I'm going to whip up this polenta with chorizo and black beans for me and my hubby to enjoy. I'm also absolutely mad about manchego cheese and the recipe calls for one whole cup. As Rachael Ray would say, Yum-O! For the recipe