Read the labels. Beans are carbs.

They do have good amounts of fiber and other goodies, but basically, they are carbs. This makes your question a bit confusing.

Easy bean recipe? Try what my mother used to feed us for lunch back in the middle ages. She would mix canned kidney beans with a boiled egg or two, chopped celery, a little relish and some mayonnaise. Wheneve I tell people about this I get a few "ew" responses, but we kids thought it was good. Think of it this way. You have taken a tuna salad recipe and substituted beans for tuna.

Yes, this is slightly confusing since beans are carbs.

I love making a breakfast omelete with black beans and cheese and topping with salsa, avocado and tomato. Falafel is also a great breakfast, and another idea is making a white bean (or any other bean) hash. Just saute onion, garlic, peppers, and then add the beans and spices. Be careful not to stir too much or else they will become mushy.

Beans are a very versatile and inexpensive food, particularly when you buy them dry. Once you get the hang of working with them it will be a piece of cake!

There's always the faithful breakfast burrito.

The reason it's worth consuming some carbs for the tortilla is that when beans, eggs, and salsa are hastily combined before one's first cup of coffee, the look isn't always appealing, but the taste is great.

Beans are carbs, but I believe the difference is that they are "good" carbs. 7 grams of those carbs are fiber...definitely a good carb.

We are not trying to get rid of all carbs. just trying not to rely on breads, pastas, rice, potato, etc to build meals.

(I kinda figured the OP was using "carbs" to refer to the kind like rice or some breads, where one looks at the nutrition info on the label and wonders why one is taking the trouble to chew for nothing.)

The carb issue aside, with what beans you have why don't you start with:
-Red Kidney Bean Indian Curry (http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/02/red-kidney-bean-curry/)
-Cuban black bean soup with lime
-Lentil salad with Dijon vinaigrette: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2006/11/cheap-caviar-1/

Beans and corn make complete proteins. Try a black bean and corn salad.

There's a great 'cheater' black bean soup recipe from Real Simple:

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/black-bean-soup-10000000671406/index.html

You can try it with your 1 can of black beans.

BonAppetit also has a great Lamb/Lentil stew/soup that is delicious:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lentil-Soup-with-Lamb-and-Mint-231424

I love just beans and veggies. If its a can of black beans and I'm feeling lazy, I'll just dump some salsa on it and call it a meal. I also enjoy garbanzos (or another white bean) with parsley, lemon zest and juice, kalamata olives and some chopped parsley.

I love using canned black beans and corn to make this simple and fresh-tasting dish:

- 1 can black beans, rinsed well
- 1 can corn, rinsed well
- chopped tomato
- chopped cilantro
- chopped onion (I like red onion in this dish)
- chopped fresh jalapeno
- lime juice
- salt and pepper

Don't skip the rinsing step or you will end up with brown bean juices all over everything, which covers up all the bright colors.

Use the ingredients in whatever amounts you like and just mix together. It tastes really good the second day after the flavors have had time to meld. I like to eat it with avocado thrown in or on top of tacos/pupusas/etc. in place of salsa.

I like Mark Bittman's bean salad template and variations: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/featured-recipe-bean-salad/

One of my favorite variations is 3 kinds of beans (I like black, small white beans, and small red beans best), a can of tuna, chopped red onion, olive oil/balsamic vinegar/salt/pepper, and fresh herbs if you have them on hand. Super easy last-minute type of meal if the beans are already cooked or you use canned.

Lentils, chickpeas, and white all beans go well with Greek salad style stuff - cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, feta or plain yogurt, pomegranate molasses if you want to get fancy. You can mix them up into a cold salad or boil lentils up into a soup with some onion, garlic, and oregano and dump vegetables and cheese or yogurt on top. No recipe to offer because it's really easy to improvise.

Also, here's a super easy black bean salad (good for cold summer meals): http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/04/tabula-beana/ The onions get really sharp tasting over days spent in the fridge though, so maybe don't prepare for a full week's lunches.

Beans and sauteed greens are fantastic. Caramelize some onions to go with it. No grains or bread required.

My favorite grad school staple was a can of (drained and rinsed) black beans with cubed sweet potato (also a really good, healthy carb), cumin, cilantro and/or parsley, and a big squeeze of lemon juice.

Indian cookbooks are also a great resource for bean/legume recipes that are flavorful (and not at all boring!). Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain cooking is a good place to start.

i made a super simple hummus the other day without any oil:

http://theactorsdiet.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/while-youre-there/

just 4 ingredients! it was delicious!

http://slightlyirritatingandinconvenient.blogspot.com/2011/03/dinner-curry-lentil-soup.html
http://slightlyirritatingandinconvenient.blogspot.com/2011/03/baked-beans.html
http://slightlyirritatingandinconvenient.blogspot.com/2011/03/lunch-quinoa-salad.html
(note: If you're unfamiliar, quinoa isn't like couscous in the sense that it's straight carbs. It's actually mad protein!)
Refried beans in vegetarian tacos are my fave!
Chili's always a good standby as well
And yes, hummus is always an awesome choice!
Ooh! I forgot about these! They really are amazing!
http://www.mamamanifesto.com/2010/02/amazing-black-bean-brownies.html

How about bean burger patties, hold the buns? Or maybe you could adapt it to make black bean "meat"balls, and put some tomato sauce over them? I also just like to eat black or refried beans with cheese on top... yum! Or a stew!

+1 on the Lamb/Lentil stew suggested by fi_burke. I made it made it many times, and it's easy and delicious.

Another idea for a bean salad. Kidney beans, chopped walnuts, garlic, and cilantro. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

For a quick side I love to use cannelini beans, drained and rinsed. Warm the beans, top with chopped basil, tomatoes, salt, crushed red pepper flakes and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil. You could even shave some parmesan over it. This is delicious! Add some herb roasted chicken and you have a full meal.

I always have a can of beans in my house. Lately I've been making a lot of vegetarian chilis, soups, and cold bean salads. There are also a lot of Mexican dishes you can still enjoy if you just leave out or half the rice or the tortillas, like huevos rancheros. You don't just have to think Mexican, though. If you have a blender, beans make soups creamy and filling, and soup is ridiculously easy to make. I had a great white bean soup with spinach and garlic the other day, and of course lentil soup is a classic.

Here is my favorite lettuce-free salad: Dice cucumbers, onions, and a red pepper. Toss with chickpeas, garlic, oregano, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add feta and/or kalamata olives if you like.

This is my go-to Turkish red lentil soup, which manages to be both beany and bright.

Carbs, carbs, blah blah blah. Try this recipe posted on The Kitchn last year:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/main-dish/easy-dinner-recipe-slowcooker-black-bean-enchiladas-127016

My boyfriend and I made them two nights ago for the first time, and they are super easy, low fat, and delicious. Of course the fat content depends on how much cheese you use. We made a couple adjustments: Emeril's Essence in place of the spices and salt (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/vegetarian-chili-recipe/index.html), Spanish rice, and no meat.

When we make it again, we'll use twice the amount of beans.

I love black bean-mango burritos. Heat drained beans in a skillet with garlic and cumin. In a separate pan, saute diced mango in a tiny bit of butter and a half-spoonful of brown sugar. Add grated cheese when wrapping them up.

You could make them with low-carb tortillas to keep the carb count down. The leftovers are delicious and they also make a very filling breakfast.

-franks and beans
-bean salad with roasted peppers, lime juice, olives, cuke, tomato,
-hummus and veggies, beans on top of leafy green salad
-baked beans and slaw

Soup is always a good option (look for a beans and greens soup to start with). Beans are also great braised in the oven, though that's more pleasant in the winter. Chickpeas are great roasted in the oven with a bit of olive oil and spices. You can also saute beans with a bit of oil and garlic and then puree with spices and a bit of broth to thin. You can eat this as a dip with vegetables, or be fancy and use it as a base for a meal. "X on a bed of bean puree". Add them to salads to bulk them up.

I love this recipe. It calls for celery and scallions, but we have made it with any combination of celery, onions, scallions, and parsley. It's a great sandwich filling (I do a grilled cheese with this inside) but would also be nice on a bed of greens. Cheaper than tuna and no mercury/ocean decimation concerns.

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/vegetarian-lunch-chickpea-of-the-sea-114022

Also I have never used the type of vinegar called for in the recipe, I have used sherry vinegar, rice vinegar, and white wine vinegar and all have been great. I also think that you need less mayo--3 tablespoons is plenty.

This is my favorite lentil recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Warm-Lentil-Salad-with-Sausage-233546

The sausage and the vinaigrette are key. So delicious!

i thought beans were protein

1. Bean Soups! There are tons of recipes, they are easy and filling, just Google it and you'll find tons of recipes. Here's our favorite simple go to bean soup:

BROCOCCLI BEAN & CHEESE SOUP
1930 total or 161 per serving
Makes 12 servings (3/4 cup)

32 ounce carton Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth - 60
2 cup Water - 0
2 pound Broccoli Crowns, trimmed and chopped (about 12 cups) - 360
2 cans Cannellini Beans (31 oz), rinsed well - 630
8 ounces shredded Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheese - 880
1/2 teaspoon Salt - 0
1/2 teaspoon Ground White Pepper - 0

Bring broth and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add broccoli, cover and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in beans, salt and pepper and cook until the beans are heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer half the mixture to a blender with half the cheese and puree. Use caution when pureeing hot liquids. Alternatively use a stick blender in the pot. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining broccoli mixture and cheese. Serve warm.

2. Bean Burgers. We love to make our own instead of buying those processed veggi-burgers. Here's an easy recipe: http://www.tammysrecipes.com/mexican_black_bean_burgers

3. Bean Dip. You can take a standard hummus recipe and alter it to whatever bean/spice combo you like. Serve with multi-grain chips (we like Food Should Taste Good chips) or soy chips or veggie sticks for more protein and less carbs.

4. Bean Salads. Such as: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/chickpea-salad-recipe/index.html

5. Black Bean Brownies! There are so many recipes and I've tried several with varying results. None have been bad and some have been really really good. Here's a relatively easy one to try: http://www.naturallyknockedup.com/healthy-grain-free-brownies/.

Beans are pretty versatile. You can make them into just about anything and hide them in just about anything.