Beans, beans, good for the heart….
We’ve all heard the rhyme, but I always thought ‘heart’ was in there due to its capacity for rhyming. Turns out I was wrong and beans really are excellent for the health of your heart, Black Beans in particular have become a staple food in our house, a legume that I had previously disregarded as being tasteless and unnecessary is now a major feature in many of our dishes including taco night, a nutritional favourite in our house!
But before I give you the delicious details of how we make taco night extra special, let’s talk about black beans and what they mean to you and your body.
The black bean’s fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin B6, and phytonutrient content, coupled with its lack of cholesterol, all support heart health. The fiber in black beans helps lower the total amount of cholesterol in the blood and decrease the risk of heart disease. As if that’s not enough, black beans also maintain healthy bones, help lower blood pressure, manage diabetes and help prevent cancer as well as aid in healthy digestion and weight loss. That must be enough reason to eat black beans and if you need more convincing the site below gives more detail:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/289934.php
So as soon as I found out that they were a super bean I went on a mission to make them delicious and something we would all enjoy. I took inspiration from several sources including Deliciously Ella, Jamie Oliver and some of my favourite superfood books.
The beans are simple enough, throw half a chopped onion into the pan with a couple of heaped tablespoons of Cajun Seasoning and some olive oil and sweat off before adding in the can of beans, liquid and all. Simmer until you like the consistency. Easy right?
Serve that up with some homemade chunky guacamole, a quick tomato salsa, some cashew cream (I know that sounds a little weird but once we tried it we loved it and Deliciously Ella has a really simple recipe), shredded lettuce and taco shells or if you are feeling really healthy just some warmed quinoa.
I know some of you may be thinking you won’t get this past the rest of the family without the meat so feel free to add some mince on the side (grass fed obviously) but you will find the black beans are quite meaty and leave you feeling very satisfied.
For details on the delicious cashew cream and a quick tomato salsa Deliciously Ella is a fabulous resource.
So there it is, a weekly staple in our house which my meat and potato husband would happily eat every night. Hope you enjoy it!
If you want to check the Deliciously Ella book out in full – there is over 30% OFF when you buy via amazon Here
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