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6 sun-dried tomatoes
Vegetable cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and veins discarded, minced
2 cans (15 ounces each) Black beans or 3 cups cooked dry-packaged Black beans, rinsed, drained
2 cups frozen thawed whole kernel corn
1 to 2 tablespoons honey
1 cup finely chopped cilantro
3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup (2 ounces) fat-free Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Mexican white or farmer's cheese

1. Pour hot water over sun-dried tomatoes in small bowl; let stand until tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Drain tomatoes and coarsely chop.
2. Spray large saucepan with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Sauté onion, garlic and jalapeño pepper until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Combine all ingredients, except cheeses, in 1 1/2-quart casserole; sprinkle cheeses over top. Bake, covered, at 350° F. until bean mixture is hot, about 30 minutes or microwave on medium high for 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

Makes 4 main dish servings or 8 side dish servings.

NOTE: Although B.E.A.N. recipes usually call for a specific variety, any canned or dry-packaged bean variety can be easily substituted for another.

Nutrient Information Per serving: Calories 387; Fat 6g; % Calories from Fat 12; Carbohydrate 72g;s Sodium 863mg; Protein 30g; Cholesterol 16mg

TIPS:

Soaking Dry-Packaged Beans:

Before cooking, soak dry-packaged beans to help soften and return moisture to the beans and reduce cooking time. Most beans will rehydrate to triple their dry size, so be sure to start with a large enough pot.

Preferred Hot Soak and Quick Soak Methods -- Hot soaking helps dissolve some of the gas-causing substances, making the beans easier to digest. For each pound beans, add 10 cups hot water; heat to boiling and let boil 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and set aside for at least one hour (Quick Soak), or up to 4 hours (Hot Soak).

Traditional Overnight Soak -- For each pound (2 cups) dry-packaged beans, add 10 cups cold water and let soak overnight, or at least 8 hours.

Cooking Dry-Packaged Beans:

• Drain soaking water and rinse beans; cook in fresh water. In general, beans take 30 minutes to 2 hours to cook depending on variety. Check bean packaging for specific cooking times and instructions.
• Spice up beans while they cook. Seasonings such as garlic, onion, oregano, parsley or thyme can be added to the pot while beans are cooking. Add acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes, vinegar, wine or citrus juices, only at end of cooking, when the beans are tender.
• Add salt only after beans are cooked to tender. If added before, salt may cause bean skins to become impermeable, halting the tenderizing process.
• To test for doneness, bite-taste a few beans. They should be tender, but not overcooked. When cooling, keep beans in cooking liquid to prevent them from drying out.

Recipe provided courtesy of The Bean Education & Awareness Network.