(Courtesy of Susan Wolfe)

It’s hard to believe, but Hurst has now been a sponsor of MLLA for over a year! Started by Susan Wolfe (The Well Seasoned Cook), this monthly contest features some amazing legume recipes from around the food-blogging community. The 26th installment is hosted by briciole and will accept entries through August 31st. We will continue to supply each monthly winner with a 6-pack of Hurst’s products and want to thank Susan for allowing us to be a part of these great events!

This past Sunday in the Hurst Bean Field®, we hosted our 3rd Annual Hurst Bean Cookoff during the pregame tailgate party. Once again, we were blown away by the amount of creativity and effort that went into the presentation of these dishes. From the “Hurst Hoosier Gumbo” (served with Dom Perignon!), to the Dugan Family’s winning “Spicy Sausage and Chicken with Black Beans”, we appreciate all who participated and can’t wait for next years’ contest!

Continue reading for some of our favorite entries and pictures!

A special thanks to our 3 judges, they consumed enough beans (and booze!) to last through the holidays.

Zack Legend (http://zacklegend.com/)

Mel McMahon (http://twitter.com/melmcmahon)

Chef Wendell Fowler (http://www.chefwendell.com/)

Winner: Dan and Amanda Dugan, Spicy Chicken & Sausage with Black Beans

Recipe:

2-tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lb. bulk hot Italian sausage

1/2 lb. Andouille sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces

1- large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 large onion, chopped

2- carrots, shredded

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

1 bay leaf

10 oz. Hurst’s® Black Beans

5-6 sprigs fresh sage

1 cup dry white wine

3 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 loaf Italian bread

3- tbsp. butter, melted

3-4 sprigs thyme

Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Boil black beans according to package directions, drain and set aside. Heat oil in Dutch Oven. Add Italian sausage and crumble into small pieces. Cook until it begins to brown, then add Andouille sausage. Cook until edges begin to crisp. Remove sausage to a paper towel. Add chicken to pan and season with salt a pepper. Lightly brown, then add carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaf. Cook until veggies become soft. Add sausage, beans, and sage to pan. Stir in wine to deglaze, then add stock and stir to combine. Cut bread into large chunks and toss with butter, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Spread bread across top of pan and place under broiler for about 5 minutes to brown. Serve directly from the pot.

Other Favorites:

“Craig n’ Em’s Cajun 15 Beans n’ Rice w/ Andouille Sausage

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped

1/2 lb. smoked sausage, chopped

1/2 lb. ground beef

1- medium size onion, small dice

1- green bell pepper, small dice

4- stalks celery, chopped

1- package Hurst’s® 15 Bean Soup®

1- can chicken stock

1- can diced tomatoes

3- bay leaves

1 Tbsp. thyme

1- Tbsp. Oregeno

1- Tbsp. Cajun seasoning

Cooked rice

Grilled Andouille sausage

Sauté bacon, sausage, and ground beef until fat is rendered. Add veggies, sauté until tender. Add Hurst’s 15 Beans, stock, tomatoes, and seasonings. Simmer until beans are soft. Serve over rice and topped with grilled andouille sausage.

“Kona Coast” HamBeens® Soup – KC Kern

1- Pkg. Hurst’s® HamBeens®

6-8 Cups water

1 lb. cubed ham

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple

1- Jar (9 oz.) habanero a roasted pineapple dip (optional)

Place beans in pot and cover with 1-2″ water. Bring to a boil, then slow simmer for 2 hours. Chop up peppers. Add ham, pineapple, butter, brown sugar, salt, peppers, and habanero dip. Continue on medium heat until slow simmer returns, about 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!

15 “Beaña” Colada’s - Kathy Mueller

4- quarts “15 Bean Ice cream” (made using cooked and pureéd Hurst’s beans)

1- 46 oz. can pineapple juice

1- 16 oz. can cream of coconut

8 shots of dark rum

-Soften the ice cream, then blend all ingredients and serve immediately.

Click below for more pics from the ’09 Cookoff!

Georgia has its’ Vidalia Onions. Idaho has its’ potatoes. Even Oklahoma has its’ (controversial vegetable) Watermelons. So it’s hard to believe (especially around this time of year) that Indiana hasn’t made Sweet Corn its’ official vegetable yet. Drive for several hours in any direction and as soon as the buildings disappear, 6′+ giant stalks appear. The ears are enormous and have a taste as sweet as anywhere you will find. I try to incorporate the delicious veggie into at least 2 meals a week while in season. So with that in mind, I made a trip to the downtown Indy Farmers’ Market to find the ingredients for some Sweet Corn and White Bean Chowder.

What you need:

1- Package Hurst’s® HamBeens® Great Northern Bean Soup

4- Cups fresh sweet corn (about 6 large ears)

1- Cup diced onion

1- Cup diced celery

1- Cup diced carrot

1- Cup diced potato

1/2- Cup heavy cream

2- Bay leaves

Salt and Pepper to taste

Crumbled bacon (for garnish)

Chopped green onion (for garnish)

1. Place the dry beans into a colander or sieve and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Check for any small stones or debris and discard.  Place the beans in a large (6 quart) soup pot and add 12 cups of water. With the heat on high, bring to a rolling boil, then cover and reduce the heat and simmer the beans for 1 hour.

2. While the beans are cooking, prepare the vegetables. Dice the onion, carrot, celery, and potato all into 1/4″ pieces. Boil the corn for 10 minutes, then remove from the water and allow to cool before cutting the kernels off the cob.

3. After cooking the beans for 1 hour, add the carrot, onion, celery, potato, corn and bay leaf into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil once again, then cover and simmer for 1.5 – 2 hours, or until beans are tender. (***You can also add the used corn cobs back into the pot during this time to extract even more flavor. Just remove prior to the next step.)

4. Once the beans are tender, turn the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream along with Hurst’s ham flavor packet. Remove the bay leaves, then salt and pepper the soup to taste.

5. Sprinkle some of the crisp bacon bits, green onion and a little extra black pepper on top of the chowder. The results combine both the sweet flavor of the corn with the delicious smokey ham flavoring in the bean soup. I like to add a little hot sauce to my bowl and think it finishes the chowder off perfectly… Enjoy!

*This is my submission for this month’s My Legume Love Affair: 14th Helping. Hurst’s Beans is proud to sponsor this monthly event and will provide a bean prize to the winner! Thanks to The Well-Seasoned Cook for hosting this great event in August!

One of my all-time favorite “I could eat this everyday” meals is black beans and rice. Hugely popular throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, it is one of those simple-to-make dishes that still has incredible flavor. Throw in some slow cooked pork, cilantro-lime sour cream, and your favorite bottle of hot sauce, and this recipe can make even Hoosier country feel like an island paradi… well, let’s not get carried away.

From Wikipedia:

While simple, the dish is very nutritious. Rice is rich in starch, an excellent source of energy. Rice also has iron, vitamin B and protein. Beans are also protein-rich, and contain a good amount of iron and other necessary minerals, and both offer an important and basic kind of protein. Rice and beans together create a complete protein not available in either ingredient alone.

…and if it’s on Wikipedia, it HAS to be true.

In all reality, beans and rice are the quintessential “recession proof” foods. It’s not only cheap to make (less than $1.00 per serving for this recipe) but also incredibly good for you. So grab a cold Kalik, throw a big pot on the stove, and enjoy this island favorite.

What you need:

1-Package Hurst’s® HamBeens® Spanish-American Black Bean Soup

1- Cup diced yellow onion

1- Cup diced carrot

1- Cup diced celery

1- Cup diced green pepper

1lbs. Pork chop

3-4 Cloves crushed garlic

1-Tablespoon fresh cilantro

1-2 Bay Leaves

(Optional)

1/2 Cup sour cream

3-Teaspoon lime juice

Hot sauce

1. Place the dry beans in a colander or sieve and rinse with cold water. Check for any unwanted debris and discard. If time permits, place the beans in a large bowl and cover with 1″ water. Let soak for at least a few hours. (If you don’t have time for soaking, just increase the cooking time.)

Prepare the fresh vegetables. Dice each into 1/4″ size pieces, then place in a large soup pot with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot.

3. Over Med-High heat, saute the vegetables until the onions become translucent and the others become slightly tender. Add the crushed garlic cloves in the last few minutes of cooking. Once the vegetables are ready add 7 cups of H20, black beans, pork chop, and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for about 3 hours. Stir occasionally.

4. After a couple hours, the pork should be fork tender. Remove the pieces from the pot and once cool enough to touch, chop/pull into bite sized pieces. Once finished, add back to the pot for the remainder of the cooking time.

5. After 3 hours, the black beans should be completely tender (if not continue to cook, check every 15 minutes or so until done). Remove the lid and stir in Hurst’s Black Bean Seasoning package.

6. Add all but a small pinch of the fresh cilantro to the pot and stir to combine. Allow the beans to simmer uncovered while you prepare the rice and cilantro-lime sour cream* (recipe below). This should help reduce some of the liquid and thicken the mixture.

7. Serve black beans over a long grain rice with a dollop of the sour cream and your favorite hot sauce (or jalapenos!).

Enjoy!

*Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream:

Just as it sounds… Mix remaining cilantro and lime juice into some store-bought sour cream. Incredibly easy and gives a delicious citrus flavor that cuts through the richness of the black beans.

Whenever I spot a bean dish on the menu at a restaurant, I am instantly drawn to taste it. Whether it’s to sample something new and intriguing, or to compare recipes and flavors, I always like to get some knowledge of how beans are cooked outside of my kitchen. Recent visits to two national chain “Italian” restaurants made me realize that a lot of times, you really don’t get what you pay for… especially when it comes to Pasta Fagioli.

The beans were mushy. The pasta fell apart. The seasoning was weak. Three strikes in a row (at both restaurants) made me head straight for the kitchen to prepare some decent “pasta and beans”.

Traditional Pasta Fagioli recipes are usually meat free (this dish was originally made by peasants as a low cost meal), but I had some bulk spicy sausage in the fridge and thought it would make an excellent addition to this delicious Italian soup.

What you need:

1- Package Hurst’s® Pasta Fagioli

1lbs.- Spicy Italian Sausage

1- Cup Carrot (diced or julienne)

1- Cup Diced Onion

1- Cup Diced Celery

1- Cup Diced Zucchini

3-4 Cloves Chopped Garlic

1- Can Diced Tomato

1- Can Tomato Sauce

1- Hand full Fresh Basil

1. Place the beans and pasta in a colander, rinse with cold water. Check for any small debris or unsightly beans and discard. Then in a large soup pot, bring 10-12 cups of water to a rolling boil and pour in beans and pasta. Continue to boil for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for roughly 60-70 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

2. While the beans cook, prepare the fresh vegetables. Julienne the carrot and dice the onion, celery, and zucchini into 1/4″ pieces. Give the garlic cloves a rough chop.

3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground sausage until browned. Use a wooden spoon to break down into bite sized pieces. Drain off most of the excess fat, leaving only enough to saute the vegetables.

4.  Saute the vegetables until they begin to soften and the onions become translucent. Add the garlic in during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Set aside mixture.

5. After 60-70 minutes, the beans should be almost completely tender and the pasta should plump up. Continue to simmer uncovered while adding the other ingredients.

6. Combine all of the ingredients in the pot. Add Hurst’s Italian (Vegetarian) seasoning packet, stir to combine.

7. Bring the soup back to a simmer and allow the flavors to combine for another 15 minutes. If you desire a more brothy soup, add water or a stock (vegetable, chicken, or beef) until desired consistency is reached.

8. Garnish with some freshly chopped basil and grated parmesan cheese. Serve with a slice of crusty, toasted bread. Enjoy!

Pinto beans are used in a wide variety of dishes in traditional Southwestern cuisine. Hurst’s® El Cantarito Pinto Beans come in a 2lbs. package and work great when trying to feed a large group (or just a few BIG eaters) without breaking the bank. (Feeds 12 for under a $1.00 per serving!)

The spiced flavors of the Southwest really give this recipe a kick. These pintos make a great side dish, but can be put over a bed of rice and make a very hearty and nutritious entree.

What You Need:

• 1- Package Hurst’s El Cantarito Pintos

• 1- Cup Diced Onion
• 1- Can Diced Tomatoes
• 1- Can Stewed Tomatoes
• 1- Small Can Diced Jalapenos (use 1/2 a can for less spice)
• 1lbs. Ground Pork
• 4- Cloves Minced Garlic
• 12- Cups Water

1. Place pintos in a colander or sieve and rinse well with cold water. Check for any stones or unwanted debris.

2. Dice onion into 1/4″ pieces and mince garlic cloves.

3. Over med-high heat, saute onion and garlic with 1 tbs. olive oil or butter.

4. When onions become translucent, add cans of tomato and jalapeno. Stir to combine and continue to simmer.

5. In a separate pan, brown the ground pork, breaking up large chunks with the end of a spoon.

6. Add the beans, pork, and Hurst’s Hispanic seasoning mix and stir to combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally.

7. After 2 hours, the liquid will be reduced and beans should be almost completely tender. Continue to simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes or until desired consistency is reached, stirring occasionally.

8. Serve hot over a bed of rice with some shredded cheese and your favorite hot sauce… ENJOY!

(Also tastes great rolled in a flour tortilla!)

*See more recession proof recipes at The Alchemist Chef.