What to do with black beans...

Dr J. is a mad fan of black beans. I blame two years in Mexico but since they are cheap and he pretty much accommodates everything we do in this house I accommodate him. These are two easy meals you can make with a bag of black beans.Meal one: Clean and rinse a bag of beans. Quick soak the beans by brining them to a boil in a pan of water, a sprinkle of salt and backing soda. Turn the heat off and let the beans sit on the stove for an hour. Dump water and put beans, several dashes of salt, water, chopped garlic, and sliced onion on to boil. Cook until tender (about one hour). We like to eat our black beans with corn tortilla quesadillas and Spanish rice.

Meal Two: Take four cups of cooked beans with bean juice and pour into crock pot. Add three chicken breast, a cup of salsa, and two cans of diced tomatoes. Cook on high for four hours. Add chips and cheese and you have tortillas soup.