Black Bean Soup #Recipe @PegCochran

I really wanted to make black bean soup for dinner but I really didn't want to go to the grocery store!  I fished around on the Internet until I found two recipes that, when combined, either left out things I didn't have or used up things I wanted to get rid of--like a red pepper languishing in the vegetable drawer.  I must say, it was delicious and oh, so easy.  So if you keep your pantry stocked with things like several cans of black beans, diced tomatoes and chilies, you can whip up a pot of delicious, warming soup in no time.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 sweet red pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
2 14.5-ounce cans chicken or vegetable broth
3 cans black beans (1 undrained and 2 drained and rinsed)
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
1 cup frozen corn
1 ½ tsps. Cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
fresh chopped cilantro for serving

Mash one can of black beans with liquid either by hand or in a food processor.

Heat oil over medium heat.  Saute onion and red pepper until tender.  Add garlic and saute another minute.

Stir in broth, all the beans, chilies, corn, cumin, chili powder and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover.  Simmer 20 minutes.

Discard bay leaf, stir in lime juice and serve garnished with chopped cilantro.  

  Optional toppings:  sour cream, grated cheese, diced avocado.  

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A Park Avenue princess discovers the dark side of 1930s New York when a debutante ball turns deadly in this gripping historical mystery for readers of Victoria Thompson, Anne Perry, and Rhys Bowen.

Manhattan, 1938. Tired of being trapped in the gilded cage of her family’s expectations, Elizabeth Adams has done what no self-respecting socialite would think to do: She’s gotten herself a job. Although Elizabeth’s dream is to one day see her photographs on the front page of the Daily Trumpet, for now she’s working her way up as the newsroom’s gal Friday.

But fetching coffee isn’t exactly her idea of fun, so when veteran reporter Ralph Kaminsky needs a photographer to fill in for a last-minute assignment, Elizabeth jumps at the chance. At the Waldorf Hotel, Elizabeth is tasked with tracking down the season’s “It girl,” Gloria DeWitt, who will be making her society debut. Working her own connections to New York’s upper crust, Elizabeth manages to land an exclusive interview with Gloria.

Then Gloria’s stepmother is shot dead in a Waldorf bathroom, placing Elizabeth at the scene of a headline-worthy scandal: “Murder of a Society Dame.” Now Elizabeth will have to get the scoop on the killer before her good name gets dragged through the gossip columns—or worse. . . .

From a Goodreads Review:

"What absolute fun! Penned with wit, humor and style, MURDER, SHE REPORTED gets my definite, “Yes!”

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OUT NOW!

RT MAGAZINE TOP PICK!!

“The clever ‘Dear Reader’ asides serve up just the right amount of dry wit, and the occasional blog post snippet provides readers with some helpful tips alongside their mystery. The case is always well plotted, and the fictitious Michigan small-town setting provides an intriguing supporting cast with a bevy of interesting personalities. Readers will root for Shelby to solve the case and stay on the edge of their seats until she does.”

– RT Reviews

OUT NOW--BOOK #4 IN THE CRANBERRY COVE SERIES

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It’s a marriage made in murder in the new Cranberry Cove Mystery from USA Today bestselling author Peg Cochran!

The long-awaited wedding of Monica and Greg is the highlight of the harvest season in Cranberry Cove, drawing friends from far and wide to help them celebrate. Among the guests are an old college friend of Monica’s and the woman’s boisterous new husband, a man with many enemies and more than a few bitter women in his past. When he turns up dead on a boat, the victim of a fatal stabbing, Monica steps in once again to unravel the mystery.

As she dredges up clues and wades through a long list of suspects, Monica’s sleuthing becomes all the more pressing when the local police are convinced that her friend did the deed. Monica will have to clear her name fast and track down the real cu

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