Review: Black Bean Lasagna, 4/01

[RunnerKim]

Yes - I used an 8x8 glass pan. I cut the lasagna noodles to fit with scissors and 6 noodles (half) worked just perfectly. For 4 servings though you end up splitting a noodle in half, which does make it a bit sloppier.

Kim

[funnybone]

Barilla makes wide, non-boil, lasagna noodles that fit perfectly in an 8x8 pan.

[RunnerKim]

Had the Black Bean Lasagna last night and it was very good. I had made it up the night before and it was great to just pop it in the oven when I got home from work. It's a little sloppy. Changes I made: only did a half recipe, used whole wheat pasta and added an extra ounce of cheese (monterey jack with Jalapeno).

I served it with a tossed salad and "Zuni Indian Bread" from Bread Machine Magic - a multigrain/cornmeal bread with sunflower seeds.

Kim

[donleyk]

Thanks Kim, this is one we have been considering. Did you make it in an 8X8 pan, then?

[SusanL]

Thanks Kim, it is one of the recipes I have had my eye on, I have also noted your changes, that really helps!!
Your bread recipe sound great, too... if you have time to post it, I would appreciate it!

[This message has been edited by SusanL (edited 03-28-2001).]

[Luv to Cook]

We will be making this tonite...thanks for the suggestions RunnerKim...extra cheese is always good!

Anita

[laughsandlaughs]

For those who want to half or even make a quarter of the servings of lasagna, here's what I do and it makes a beautiful presentation too. Instead of making it with the noodles flat I cook the number of noodles I want to use and then put on them a layer of the cheese, a layer of the veggies and then roll them up and just put in the pan (can do either seamside down or on their sides) top with the sauce and extra cheese and bake. It really doesn't matter the exact size of your pan...i try to use one close to the right size, but it's not an exact science.

This is pretty and makes select-a-size lasagna possible!!

[This message has been edited by laughsandlaughs (edited 04-09-2001).]

[jldill]

I also made this and liked it. To save time, I used canned jalapeno peppers, rather than roasting my own. I also used a can of diced tomatoes with some fresh tomatoes. The canned tomatoes had jalapenos in them, so I cut back on the other jalapenos. You could probably skip the chopped jalapenos altogether if you use the canned tomatoes with jalapenos (not mild chiles). I also used non-fat sour cream and reduced-fat monterey jack to cut the fat back a little more.

[LynnSC]

We made this dish last night in our cooking group. We all really liked it. It was a bit spicy, but very good. There were four of us working on the dish, so the preparation was quite easy. I don't think it would be too difficult even with one cook. This is a definite repeater.

[LaraW]

We made this one as well. I made a few modifications (sounds like I was not the only one!). This was my "clean out the refrigerator" recipe, as I had canned tomatoes and canned chiles in there. I cut down the amount of jalapeno's and used my canned tomatoes. Also, I just use regular lasagna noodles, but I do not boil them. I find that working with boiled noodles is too hard! I made this the night before, and let it sit overnight. This allowed the noodles to soften up and when I cut it, it all stayed together, did not run around in pan.

Oh, I also used an 9-inch square pan.

This recipe re-heated very nicely in the oven for dinner the next day.

[KValley]

I finally got around to making this one- after a year of looking at it on my "to make" list. I needed something big and hearty to leave for DH as I head out of town tomorrow.

He had two huge helpings last night and I had a 1/2 slice for lunch today. Really really tasty and of course lasagna is always better the next day. Like most everyone, I made some modifications:

*Barilla no-boil noodles. LOVE these things- why would ANYONE ever boil noodles with Barilla's around??
*Combination of fresh and canned tomatoes. THe canned were diced with green chiles
*I did roast my own jalapenos- yum yum
*No cilantro- didn't have any, didn't want any
*Part of the salsa was a Lime and Green Chile version - the lime was a really cool flavor- completely different.

My dish is a 13.5 x 9.5, but even with the larger size the lasagna was still thick and lovely. THis is a definite repeater- great for a potluck or feeding a small army. It's delicious, filling, and if you use canned veggies where possible, it's not very time-consuming . And it's HEFTY- I nearly snapped my wrist trying to load this into the oven one-handed.

[Natasha]

I recall making this one last year and us all enjoying it. I am sure I took some liberties with the recipe, but honestly can t remember what right now (except I know I MUST have added more cilantro). ;) Thanks for bumping this up and reminding me of this dish.

:) Natasha

[kima]

Originally posted by KValley
I nearly snapped my wrist trying to load this into the oven one-handed. ]

Need to do more wrist curls Julie????:D
Weight training for real life right!!!
You know that dish has never real appealed to me until now! Thanks for all the reviews Guys!

(Now I know Julie is going to challenge me to an arm wrestle in Seattle....:D )

[beacooker]

I was re-looking at this article in the 2002 annual, and I noticed there was a little blurb that said 'don't be tempted to boil the no-boil noodles'. Who in the HECK would be tempted to boil no-boil noodles????

[LaraW]

Originally posted by beacooker
I was re-looking at this article in the 2002 annual, and I noticed there was a little blurb that said 'don't be tempted to boil the no-boil noodles'. Who in the HECK would be tempted to boil no-boil noodles????

Dunno. I use regular plain old lasagna noodles and I do not boil them. I just try to put my lasagna together ahead of time and let it sit and soften up. Works great.

[KValley]

At your request, my sweet:

Black-Bean Lasagna

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: April PAGE: 176

INGREDIENTS FOR 8 SERVINGS:
4 jalapeno peppers
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped tomato
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 (8-ounce) carton reduced-fat sour cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 (16-ounce) bottle chunky salsa
Cooking spray
12 cooked lasagna noodles
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:
The filling for this lasagna has a Southwestern flavor that's similar to that
of black-bean burritos.

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut jalapenos in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 4 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand
5 minutes. Peel and chop. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic; saute 6 minutes. Add tomato, cumin, and coriander; cook 3 minutes. Add jalapeno and beans; cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, sour cream, and egg.

4. Spread 3 tablespoons salsa in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles slightly overlapping over salsa, and top with half of the bean mixture, 1/2 cup cheese, and 3 tablespoons salsa. Repeat the layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining salsa over noodles, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 5 minutes. Yield: 8 servings.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
CALORIES 452 (25% from fat); FAT 12.6g (sat 6.7g, mono 3.4g, poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 21.8g; CARB 65.2g; FIBER 7.5g; CHOL 55mg; IRON 5.4mg; SODIUM 559mg; CALC 262mg

Maureen I've added wrist curls to my repertoire ;)

[lisas3575]

Danke Shaaaayyyynnne, darlin', Danke shaaaaayyyynnne..... ;)

[Jewel]

For those of you who have made this dish, does the addition of the sour cream in the bean mixture make for an ugly presentation? Every time I've stirred sour cream into something (especially black beans) the mixture looks like gray sludge! :eek:

Also wondering about prep and cooking time if I use canned jalepenos and canned tomatoes. I've got about about 20 minutes of prep time and 1/2 hour cooking time tonight! (I don't get home from class tonight till 6:45pm!) It's either this dish or the Lemon Asparagus Risotto made in my pressure cooker! Any thoughts?

[lisas3575]

Julie, this has been sitting in my need to make pile since April. :o Finally made it on Monday night. I was really not into roasting peppers so I used some canned mild green chilis (I know, I know). Jewel, it really didn't look like sludge at all. :D Very pretty actually. I halved the recipe and baked it in an 8x8 pan. The amount of cheese was super skimpy, so I upped it (probably doubled it) and used pepper jack. This is hearty but not heavy.

[Sheila in MD]

Somehow I missed this recipe a couple of years ago but it looks great! Has anyone tried this with fat-free sour cream? Just wondering if it would work as well....I will only buy one brand of FF sour cream-Naturally Fresh in the containeer that looks like a cow:-). Also-wondering if homemade fresh salsa would work-I make mine with coarse ground tomatoes so it is kind of "saucy" like jarred.

Sheila in MD

[lisas3575]

Not sure I'd recommend FF sour cream-- it has a tendency to curdle when exposed to heat. I think your homemade salsa would be great in this though! :)

[Jasmine-Rose]

Lisa, thanks for bringing this thread back to life. I think I'll make this on the weekend. It looks delicious and will be a great change from the standard italian version.

I have two questions, please. First, will this freeze well? I'd like to make a 9x13 pan and put some away for later use. Second, how in the world does 3 tablespoons of salsa cover the bottom of the 9x13 pan???

- E.

[lisas3575]

It should freeze a-ok... there's nothing in there to get gooshey. And LOL, I used way more salsa. I used almost 16 ounces, and had your exact words running through my head. :p

[Jasmine-Rose]

Thanks Lisa. I'll add more salsa to the grocery list so I'll be prepared for the increased requirement. Looking forward to trying this.

[Jasmine-Rose]

This just came out of the oven and it smells wonderful! I won't be tasting it just yet - it was intended to be a made-ahead meal, but I want to make sure I say thanks again for reviving the thread. I think this will be a hit.

P.S. I used the whole jar of salsa, as expected, and I used about 8 ounces of pepper jack cheese. I used a can of Muir Glen diced tomatoes with chili peppers instead of chopping fresh, and I threw in some dried pepper flakes just for the fun of it. Left out the jalapenos - I wanted to try it without the first time to get a feel for the heat level that would be provided by the salsa and tomatoes with chili peppers. Maybe next time...

[Jasmine-Rose]

Well, after a day of housework and yardwork I decided that I didn't want to make dinner from scratch last night. I made a salad, took homemade dinner rolls out of the freezer, and put some of this lasagna in the oven to warm. It was delicious! We probably won't be having the Italian version again. As Sweetheart said, it was very good and filling, but not the kind of filling you get from ricotta and mozzarella cheese.

We'll definitely be having this again.

[ErinM]

Yum. Yum, yum, yum!

Yes, I made this tonight! :D

It was SO good! I basically followed the recipe, although I did not use the jalapeno peppers as I did not feel like dealing with the roasting of them. Plus, I'd never done that before anyway, and didn't really feel like trying!

I did use monterey jack cheese that had jalapeno in it (although I didn't see any, so who knows?). I did not find it to be too spicy, but it did have a good kick.

I look forward to having the leftovers in the weeks(!) to come!