Slow Cooker Three Bean Taco Salad

There's been some really crazy weather around here lately. If you live anywhere in the Mideast, you probably also experienced the totally nuts derecho (the technical term for the giant windstorm of doom) that blew by on Friday/Saturday. Between the power outages that's caused and the record heat, it has not been a great time to try and cook.

I hate turning on the oven or cooking on the stove when it's nasty out. It makes the apartment so hot and I try not to work the A/C harder than it has to. That means crock pot season is in full swing. Even though it's running all day, it creates so much less heat and doesn't warm up my kitchen and living room at all.

This week, I adapted my Three Bean Tacos for a taco salad. I simplified it after a little experimentation, so this recipe doesn't require the beans to be pre-soaked. You just throw them into the pot and go.

Three Bean Taco Salad
makes 8 servings

What You'll Need:
1 cup dried black beans
1 cup dried kidney beans
1 cup dried pinto beans
2 cups frozen corn kernels
6 cups water
1 small can tomato paste
5 Tbs taco seasoning

For serving:
shredded cheese
lettuce
sour cream
lime tortilla chips

The Process:
   Put all beans, corn, and seasoning into the slow cooker. Spoon in tomato paste and pour the water over it. Mix to incorporate the tomato paste. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours until the beans are tender.

Plate beans and add your favorite toppings. Serve with lime tortilla chips. I definitely encourage you to use the lime chips because it really adds a nice flavor to each bite.

Three Bean Tacos

I was originally making a tasty three bean side dish when I started prepping this. I threw it into the slow cooker so it could cook while I was at work, but by the time I got home, I wasn't able to make anything to go with it. Then I remembered the leftover tortillas I stuck in the freezer from last week. Bingo!

It was designed to be 8 side dish servings I'd parcel out over the week, but this recipe makes a ton of tacos. You may want to scale it down unless you're feeding a small army or you have two teenage boys.

Three Bean Tacos
makes ~18 small tacos

What You'll Need:
1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 cup dried kidney beans
1 cup dried navy beans
2 1/2 cups water
1 small can tomato paste
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs oregano
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper (careful not to put in too much)

The Process:
Soak all your beans overnight (I did them in separate pots) or fast cook them and let them sit for an hour the day of.  Cook down the onions in some olive oil until soft, then add the garlic. Add the water, tomato paste, sugar, and spices. Whisk until well combined and the tomato paste is incorporated.

Put the drained beans into the slow cooker. Pour the tomato/spice soup over them. Let cook on low for 4-6 hours until beans are tender. Heat up the taco shells in a skillet with a little oil for serving and add the taco fixings you prefer.

You can use canned beans instead, just drain the liquid off and rinse them a little. You'll have to reduce the cooking time or they'll become mushy.

From now on, I think I will be having my Meatless Monday meal on Sunday, so I can take the photos, do the write up, and have it out in time for Monday. When it comes in on Tuesday, I always feel somewhat disappointed that I couldn't get it done in time.

Meatless Monday: Lentil Tacos

I haven't forgotten about Meatless Monday, but it has been getting shifted around the week lately. Hubby and I are big fans of tacos and burritos. However, you can very easily make them meatless with the addition of lentils.

Lentils are a great legume because they don't need to be soaked like many other dried beans. You just pop them into the pot with some water, cook for 20 minutes, and they're ready. They also have a great texture that I think makes them an ideal substitute for ground beef in tacos.

Lentil Tacos
makes 8 small tacos

What You'll Need:

1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lentils
1 can black beans, drained
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 a small can of tomato paste
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbs taco seasoning
Hard or soft taco shells
Toppings such as cheese, sour cream, or lettuce.

The Process:
   Bring the water to a boil in a pan with high sides. Add the lentils, cover, and turn down to a simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the onion in a small pan with a little olive oil until almost soft. Add the garlic and cook an additional 3 minutes.

   Once the water is nearly absorbed after simmering, add the tomato paste and combine well. Stir in the black beans, onion & garlic mixture, and your taco seasoning. Cook on medium-low heat for an additional 10 minutes.

If you are using soft shells, be sure to heat up a little oil in a pan so you can warm up the shells before serving. I prefer to do the shells on the stove, but you could also heat them up in a batch in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.

Then build your tacos to suit your fancy and enjoy!