1,520 brain recipes

Gambardella's minestrone with five dried legumes, fresh fennel, basil, oregano, and Italian vegetables simmered into a thick, hearty soup. Serve over pasta or rice.

Cajun smothered round steak braised low and slow with the holy trinity of onions, bell peppers, and celery until fork-tender. Serve sliced over rice with all that pot gravy.

Frijoles de olla are traditional Mexican pot-cooked beans simmered slowly with onion, lard, and epazote. Soupy, soulful, and the foundation of countless Mexican meals from refried beans to soups.

Green bean almond rice with brown rice cooked in beef broth, toasted slivered almonds, red bell pepper, and tarragon. A savory side dish ready in 30 minutes.

Hearty Shaker bean soup simmered with a ham bone, navy beans, tomatoes, carrots, and spinach. A rustic American heritage recipe that feeds 12 and gets better every hour it cooks.

Broiled potato skins loaded with a fresh corn, black bean, tomato, and cucumber salsa with cilantro and lime, topped with melted cheese. A lighter take on loaded potato skins using Southwestern flavors.

San Antonio chicken with a spicy black bean, corn, and picante sauce spooned over cumin-rubbed chicken breasts. A one-skillet Tex-Mex dinner ready in under 30 minutes.

Four-bean salad marinated for two days in a sweet wine vinegar and cider vinegar dressing with tarragon and basil. Green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas layered with sliced onion rings.

Hearty crockpot vegetable soup with TVP, pinto beans, okra, rice, and tomatoes. Dump everything in, cook for 6 hours, and get a thick, protein-rich soup that tastes anything but meatless.

I've been making Headquarters Chili since before leaving Philly for Vegas in 1991. I use turkey meat, sometimes over rice, sometimes as Sloppy Joes, sometimes as a Tamale Pie. Traditionally I make it for Presidents' Day, but this year I'm doing it for Super Bowl Sunday. It keeps me off the Vegas Strip that replaces our lost Las Vegas Zoo.

Avocado veggie burgers blended from creamy avocado, cooked soybeans, onion, and mustard, then bound with whole wheat breadcrumbs and pan-fried until golden. Vegan and high-protein.

Light apple raisin crepes with an oat bran batter, part-skim ricotta and apple filling, and a warm cinnamon syrup poured over at serving. Just 178 calories per serving.

Tofu in black bean sauce stir-fried with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce, thickened with kuzu. A vegetarian Chinese-style main dish served over rice.

Hunter's minestrone with cubed beef, kidney beans, pasta shells, and red wine simmered for four hours in three stages. A hearty, meaty Italian soup built for cold weather.

No-bake Easter baskets made from shredded wheat, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips. A fun three-ingredient Easter craft kids can shape and fill with candy.

Beans with rare steak and pesto: grilled steak sliced rare over mashed cannellini beans with fresh basil-parsley pesto. A Tuscan-style dinner that's lean, protein-heavy, and deeply savory.