It's Bean Fun

Friday has become our fast food night once again, but tonight we decided to break the cycle and eat something junky at home. (Of course this decision was helped along by the fact that Jeff and I were exhausted this evening and that we can catch 2012 - the movie - on instant play from Netflicks.) Thus, we decided to have pizza, hot dogs, and chicken tenders, all of which were residing in the ice box snugly packed into microwave-safe left-over containers. (I'm betting you could guess which food each of us ate.)

The good news is that because we stayed home tonight, we actually came in under our $20 budget for the week, spending only $14 and change. The bad news, of course, is that we didn't eat anything interesting. However, I am considering some "Caramelized Black Bean Butter" for tomorrow night's gathering. This makes a wonderful dip that our guests always enjoy. It is also fabulous on sandwiches with grilled veggies. Here's the recipe (which I pilfered from Food Network.com).

Caramelized Black Bean "Butter"
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups chopped onion
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 10 minutes or until golden. Place onion, beans, vinegar, cocoa, salt, and paprika in a food processor; process until smooth. Place mixture in a bowl. Sprinkle with parsley. (Yields 3 cups)