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Kids and Black Beans
Make a bean salad. Combine black beans with pinto, kidney or white beans. Add chopped onion, salt and pepper and a sweet or spicy vinaigrette. Make a bean puree. Make a bean dip by pureeing black beans. Use carrots, red peppers, broccoli or chips for dipping. The dip can be served cold or hot. Make burritos. Let your kids make their own burritos. Put out bowls of black beans, chicken, shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, avocado and lettuce and let them be creative. Black beans can also be added to quesadillas. Serve them as a side dish. Make “baked beans” by adding a little barbeque sauce to your black beans. It makes a great side dish to any meat dish. Put them in a soup. Mix them into a vegetable soup to add texture and fiber.
Reccomended Portion Sizes
Adult: 1⁄2 cup | Kids 9-12: 3⁄8 cup | Kids 5-8: 1⁄4 cup
In Season:
Fall
Types Of:
Also called turtle beans, black beans have been a traditional diet staple in Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Southern United States. It has a black skin, cream-colored flesh, and a sweet flavor.
Fun Facts:
Black beans are also called turtle beans.
How To Buy:
They are almost always shelled, but if not, look for pods that are completely dry and show no milk or mildew. For bagged beans, look for uniform shape and color and as few pebbles as possible (you will need to clean and sort dried black beans). Store dried beans in an airtight container for up to a year. And don't throw those stale beans away--old beans can be used to weigh down pastry crust to prevent an uneven center while baking. In a pinch, you can use canned, precooked beans--just look for cans listing beans, water, and salt only.
