I have a long list of food allergies which is frustrating. They include multiple legumes, so I became wary of the entire category. It doesn’t help that medical advice sometimes is issued as “Oh, you’re allergic to an item in category X? Avoid all X!” nevermind that all other items in X might be OK. This can lead to a very restricted diet and sometimes I have trouble getting docs who don’t know me well to understand why I’d like to double-check on some things rather than just avoiding broad categories of food.
Last night I had some close friends over for dinner and one of them is a nurse. So I sampled the black beans and we all waited for me to be either OK or need 911 (I don’t really advocate doing this on a regular basis).
No problems.
Yay! I can eat black beans! Which is good 'cause I kind of like them.
I’m really tickled because usually I’m putting things on the “avoid” list rather than taking them off.
My favorite beans. Nutritious and delicious. I use them in chili instead of kidneys. My wife’s black bean/mango salsa (or salad)
1 can Black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Ripe mango, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
¼ cup Red onion, minced
1-2 T Rice wine vinegar
1 tsp Olive oil, extra virgin
2 tsp Ground cumin
¼ cup Fresh cilantro, chopped
Mix all ingredients, adding cilantro at the end. Chill.
Interesting - black beans are one of the few beans I like. I make refried bean soup with refried black beans.
Reposting the recipe, because there was a typo in the original:
Refried Bean soup. This was our go-to cold weather soup.
1 can Rotel Tomatoes
1 can refried beans (you can find vegetarian versions of this)
1 can chicken broth or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version
a cup or so of frozen corn.
small diced onion
Optional:
1 can beans
whatever meat you have on hand
Any frozen or canned veggies you have on hand
Cook the onions a bit first, then put everything else in the pot. It’s ready as soon as it’s hot enough to eat, but will last on the stove for quite a while.
Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips
Tomatoes and corn? Yes, I can see where that would be a problem. Can you do peppers? The real kernel (sorry) of the soup is the idea of using refried beans to thicken up a dump soup.
Also, you have my sympathies. I have food allergies, but not “eat this and die” allergies. Mine all come in the form of “Eat this and be nauseous and gassy for the next so many hours”.
Good in that I don’t have to worry about dying from lunch, but bad in that when I do get nauseous it’s “did I develop a new allergy, accidentally eat something from the known list, or is it the flu? Or is it the drug I just started taking”
Basically, damn near everything makes me sick to my stomach.
Rotel tomatoes are tomatoes with peppers, so go with the peppers to get the heat, and you don’t need the tomatoes.
Rice instead of corn, or any grain that might have a small bit of chew to it after cooking. Can you do the onions, or is that one of your allergens? That might be a problem with commercially produced refried beans, if they don’t have onions they will almost certainly have garlic.
If you can’t have onions and garlic, I’m officially weeping for you!
I met a woman once who had mild food allergies. Basically, if she ate any of her allergens, she would get bad skin problems (maybe more, but that’s what I remember)
She was allergic to
All alliums, crucifers and nightshades.
I met her at a middle eastern restaurant - we were both belly-dancers, and there was a free buffet for the dancers. She couldn’t eat anything they had.
Very good for you! Black beans are my favorite of the beans. I find their taste very smooth and not very “beany”. I’ve always suspected that if their color weren’t black, people wouldn’t perceive their taste as “meaty”.
We eat a crazy amount of black beans: a $1 bag is about ten servings, and they’re super-healthy, and everyone likes them. Plus, super-easy in the instant pot.
Don’t worry about soaking them. Our method:
-Chop an onion and fry it with salt, cumin, and garlic. Use a heavy hand with the flavors, because you’re flavoring a lot of food.
-Add 3-4 cups water (for an instant pot) or 8 cups+ (for stovetop).
-Cook according to instant pot directions, or ~2 hours stovetop. In the latter case, simmer and keep an eye on them in case you need to add more water.
Super easy, and so good in burritos or as a dip with chips & cheese or with rice or however you want.
