Baked Beans

BEANS, BEANS THE MUSICAL FRUIT……

Always a classic! I was so in the mood for some goooood baked beans the other night.  I put this recipe together and could not believe how simple it was and how ah-mazing it tasted. It was a spur of the moment side dish so I did not take the time to take step by step pictures.

 I know that classic baked beans are baked, but I just did this on my stove top. I If you would like to go classic with your beanies, probably 30 to 40 minutes in the oven would do it.

6-8 slices of bacon, cut into bite sized pieces

3  15 oz cans pork and beans

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup ketchup

2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

dash of liquid smoke (opt)

I like to precut my bacon into bite size pieces before I cook it, makes things a lot easier and a lot less greasy. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. I made mine extra crisp because it softens in the beanies and I wanted nice bacon pieces. Drain onto paper towel, reserving about 1 – 2 tablespoons of the drippings in skillet. Add diced onion to reserved drippings and cook over medium heat about 4 minutes or until desired tenderness.

In medium sauce pan combine two cans of pork and beans, brown sugar, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in bacon and onions. If you want to add a dash of liquid smoke for a more outdoorsy flavor you can! Cook until sauce thickens and beans are heated through, about 5-10 minutes. ( Or place in 350 degree oven for 30 – 40 minutes ) If you want to add a dash of liquid smoke for a more outdoorsy flavor you can!

::  enjoy  ::

Sweet Potato + Turkey Chili

>>>>>>>>>> 

Fall is my absolutely favorite time of year. Of course living in Arizona I don’t get the Fall I love in Utah. (Heard they had about 4 inches of snow a few days ago.) So while the weather is not telling me to pull out my hearty soups and savory dishes, my mouth sure is. I found this recipe online and decided to try it. I cannot say whether it is a quick meal to make or not – I was on the phone with my Mom the whole time and I can’t cook and talk at the same time! But it seems like a pretty easy recipe if you are not distracted by gripping tales from Salt Lake!

This recipe worked great for me because I had everything in my pantry, minus the ground turkey, but I am sure I could have substituted ground beef. So first gather all the ingredients so they are close at hand.

Then begin the chopping! Here is a handy little hint - I found that sometimes when I would get going on chopping my board would slide around. I clipped out a piece of that rubber mat you put in drawers and slip it under my cutting board. Works great! A Small wet dishcloth works too. 

So chop up the onions, garlic, sweet pepper, and jalapenos. 

If you don't know the simple way to chop an onion here is a quick little tutorial:

Peel your onion and cut in half horizontally and make a cut through the middle

Make cuts from one end to the other of your desired size

Then starting from the flat cut end begin chopping desired cubed sizes

I always keep a "garbage bowl" on my counter when I am cooking. I can discard everything into it and then just dump it all when I am finished. 

Heat your skillet on medium heat and add 1 1/2 tsp olive oil. When shiny, add onions, peppers, garlic and jalapenos. 

Saute about 5 minutes until they become fragrant.

While this is sauteing, chop mushrooms. When pepper mixture is ready remove from heat and place into slow cooker. Return skillet to heat and add remaining olive oil. Add ground turkey and mushrooms. Sprinkle in seasonings : cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder, and paprika. Cook thoroughly and add mixture to slow cooker.

While turkey mixture is cooking, peel and dice sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. 

Add your sweet potatoes, tomatoes, black beans, beef broth, pumpkin puree, cinnamon and cocoa powder to slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Cooking times :

 4-6 Hours on High

8-10 Hours on Low

I think this would a be perfect swerved in little cleaned out pumpkins with cheesy cornbread on the side. 

::  enjoy  ::

Ingredients

1 TBS olive oil

1 medium onion, dices

2 garlic cloves, mined

1 bell pepper, diced

1-2 jalapenos, mined

20 oz ground turkey

8 oz mushrooms, chopped or minced

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp salt

1.2 tsp pepper

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 pounds sweet potato, peeled and diced 1/2“ pieces

1 – 28oz. can diced tomatoes (not drained)

2 – 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

32 oz beef broth

1 – 15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder


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Behind the scenes

The after math......

Who wants to come clean my kitchen???

Sweet Potato Hummus

I love hummus….oh yeah I do!

But it is expensive (at least for my budget) and you do not get very much in those little containers. The great thing about hummus is that you can make so many different kinds. I love the roasted red pepper and the chopped olive flavors. This recipe has sweet potatoes as the “add-in” ingredient. I just threw all the ingredients into my Vitamix and let it go.

Done in a minute.

1 can 29-oz Sweet Potatoes, drained and rinsed

1 can 15.5-oz Chickpeas, drained and rinsed (reserve 1/4 cup juice)

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1/4 cup Tahini Paste

2 TBS Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil

2 tsp Ground Cumin

1 Garlic Clove Chopped *(1 tsp Granulated Garlic)

Season with Salt and Pepper

Drain and rinse Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas, reserving 1/4 cup juice from chickpeas (or use 1/4 cup water as replacement). Combine all ingredients in food processor except reserved juice or water and blend. If too thick add juice or water to thin out. Will stay good one week in refrigerator. I have frozen this and had no problems once thawed out

*If you are using a Vitamix and have the same issue I have with garlic cloves, replace with 1 tsp granulated garlic.

Serve with chopped veggies, on chips, over black beans, egg burritos, fresh avocados, on whole wheat tortilla, cheese slices, the list could go on! I mixed this with my Summer Salsa recipe, AH-MAZING!

::  enjoy  ::

Summer Salsa + More!

No silly, not that kind of salsa!

This kind of salsa…..

I absolutely love this recipe! It tastes so fresh and is versatile. I have been toying with a few variations on this recipe and have been pleased with the outcomes.  So I will start with the basic recipe and then give you my different takes.

2 TBS Olive oil – I have used canola and been fine

1 TBS fresh lime juice

1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (depends on your taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 1/2 cups fresh corn – I have used canned and been fine

2 avocados diced

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/2 diced red onion

Whisk together in medium bowl oil, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients. Toss to coat. Serve with tortilla chips.

So that is the basic recipe. Making a few adjustments like using canned corn or canned diced tomatoes not only works fine, but helps me with my dreaded canned good rotation! And while I am a huge fan of the lovely avocado, it can go brown rather quickly, so I would suggest only adding the darling fruit to the mixture you are consuming within a few days. I have also substituted onion powder (to taste) for the chopped onion.

Alright, now for my variations! I love playing test kitchen…..

To your oil mixture add one can corn, one can black beans (drained + rinsed), one can diced tomatoes (drained + rinsed). Season with salt, pepper and onion powder to taste. Simple huh! And who doesn’t have these basic ingredients in their pantry? I enjoyed this for breakfast, taking a whole wheat tortilla, spreading some roasted red pepper hummus on it and filling her up. So good! And filling! You can of course put a chopped avocado on top or on the side of this dish.

The next one I tried was with the same variation as above, but cooked. I place the mixture onto a whole wheat tortilla, sprinkled some cotija cheese, folded it burrito style, and then threw it on my wonderful Cuisinart Griddler – which I just learned  also has a WAFFLE PLATE!!  SQUEE!  Anyway….the burrito! I just grilled it for a few minutes to heat the little stuffed confection up and TA-DA! I of course threw on some more cotija cheese (me and my cheese) and had the avocado on the side with a little salt.  

Such a wonderful recipe! Great summer side dish and wonderful vegetarian meal!

Would love to hear any variations you come up with!

::  enjoy  ::

OVEN-BAKED CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS  (Cooks Country Recipe)
     I like a nice crisp tortilla sometimes over a soft burrito but chimichanga's are usually deep fried.  This is a lighter/healthier version and without all the frying mess.  I have made these with  rice, beans and just a little bit of meat and a vegetarian version with just "cowboy beans" and a little cheese.  Anyway the fillings could be anything --I just thought the method of baking  them was worth passing on.
      1/4 cup vegetable oil
      1 onion, chopped fine
       1 (16 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
      1 (8.8 ounce) pkg Uncle Ben's Ready Rice ( I just used about 3 cups leftover rice)
       3 cups shredded chicken (leftovers or rotisserie)
      2 teas.minced chipotle chille's in adobo sauce (cut back amount, leave out or used canned green chilies)
      1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
       1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
       salt and pepper
      6 burrito size tortillas (I used smaller size for smaller portions. They worked great )
1. (Don't skip this step) Place a rimmed baking sheet in oven and heat to 450 degrees. Heat 2 T oil in large skillet. Cook onion until sot (about 3 minutes) .  Stir in rice, beans, chicken and chipotle and cook until heated through (about 3 minutes).  Off heat, stir in cheese and cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper.
2) Stack tortillas on plate and microwave, covered, until pliable, about 10 seconds.  Working with one tortilla brush one side of tortilla with oil .  Flip over tortilla and add filling to unoiled side. Fold in sides and roll up tightly.  Set aside .  Fill all tortillas then place on pre-heated baking sheet.  Bake until crisp and golden
8-10 minutes.  

Red Beans and Rice

I actually first made this about a year and a half ago when I had a lovely touch of Montezuma's revenge. The only thing that sounded good was rice and beans. I have added spices to the recipe I make now so it is not so bland – actually I still enjoy it ‘bland’ with just a little salt and pepper and a hint of lime. Anyway, here is the recipe for red beans and rice. I love this recipe so much! You can add and change whatever you want to make it fit your meal. It is great for a side dish or a main dish with a lite salad.

 

 Very simple.Very tasty. Very filling. Very meatless!

2 TBS oil

1/4 -1/2 cup white onion, diced small

1/4- 1/2 cup red or yellow pepper, opt.

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, opt.

Salt and pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 cup rice (not instant!)

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth

 

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, pepper (if using) and garlic and cook until onion is soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add cumin, cilantro, and rice, stir and cook 1 minute. Add the beans and broth, stir all together. Bring to a boil, then cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes until rice is done.

 

Serve with lime slices if desired.

chopped, episode one

Tonight I decided to play CHOPPED. I had some things in my kitchen that needed to be used up so I got creative.  I love tomatoes so that was the base of my recipe. They were medium sized so I just cut the top off, but it you had larger ones I am sure you could cut them in half and get two for one! I cleaned out the guts inside, can you tell where this is going….? I then made a simple vinaigrette in bowl with oil, vinegar, sugar and basil (from my little herb garden!).  I whisked that together then added some chopped up spinach, about 2 cups, loosely packed.  I had about half a jar of marinated artichoke hearts that I chopped up and added as well.  I mixed it altogether and then stuffed it into my tomatoes.

Oh, I was trying to figure out a way to get the little darlin’s to stay up and thought to put them in my muffin tin – perfection!  And what is a stuffed anything without cheese? I just used parmesan. 

 I had preheated my little toaster oven – can I go off on a tangent for a moment to how much I L.O.V.E  my little toaster oven? I use it so much more than my regular oven, which I think gets used pretty much when I do cakes or cookies and that’s it. My little oven works great for the meal sizes I make. I hate heating up that huge oven to make a small pan. Anyway…..I had preheated my little oven to 400 degrees. I cooked the stuffed tomatoes for about 15 minutes. Don’t they look great!

I think that a side of wild rice would go so well with these little tomatoes. Maybe next time! So this was a super easy and lite meal to make.  I don’t think I will play CHOPPED too often; my family might get a nice surprise of cheetos and chocolate cupcakes! But it was fun tonight and it came out great! 

For three medium sized tomatoes:

Preheat oven 400 degrees

Wash tomatoes, cut off tops and remove the guts

In medium bowl mix together:

1 TBS oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1/8 cup sugar

Pinch of basil

About 2 cups loosely packed spinach, rinsed and chopped

1/2 jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped, do not rinse

Add to vinaigrette and mix well. Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray and place tomatoes in muffin cups. Stuff with mixture and sprinkle with shredded (the good stuff!) parmesan cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes.

ENJOY!!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

This recipe is so easy it’s wrong!

I used Grandma’s fabulous-only-pancake-recipe-you-ever-need. I made a cinnamon roll filling mixture and put it in a squeeze bottle I have. The tip was a bit too small, so I think that next time I would cut it down just a little. Just make your pancake recipe as you normally would, pour batter on the griddle and then use your squeeze bottle to make a swirl on your pancakes. When it is ready to flip, FLIP! Then let it cook the rest of the way and TA-DA you are done! What I l.o.v.e.d. about these was that the cinnamon roll filling gets all crispy. It will leave behind a little cinnamon roll goo on your griddle, so just keep in mind that every other pancake you make in that batch will be flavored with cinnamon roll. Unless you take the time to clean it in between of course. I have seen this recipe done with a powdered sugar glaze just like a cinnamon roll, but I thought it would be too sweet. I ate these pancakes hot of the griddle, no syrup or anything, and they were PERFECT.  I think that about covers it, enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Filling:

4 TBS (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, just melted (not boiling)

1/4 cup + 2 TBS packed brown sugar

1/2 TBS ground cinnamon 

WHITE TEXAS SHEET CAKE
     This is a nice alternative to the Chocolate Texas Sheet cake
1 cup butter                                           1/2 teas. salt
1 cup water                                            1 teas. baking soda
2 cups flour                                            1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar                                           1/4 cup milk
2 eggs                                                     4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup sour cream                                 1/2 teas. almond extract
1 teas. almond extract                             1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
     In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup butter and water to a boil.  Remove from heat, and stir in flour,, sugar, eggs sour cream, 1 tea. almond extract, salt and baking soda until smooth. Pour batter into a greased 10 x 15 x 1 inch baking pan.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 22 minutes, or until cake is golden brown.  Cool for 20 minutes.
     Combine 1/2 cup butter and milk in a saucepan, bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Mix in powdered sugar and 1/2 teas. almond extract.  Stir in nuts.  Spread frosting over warm cake.
     Note: The almond flavoring is very light.  You can substitute vanilla extract for a vanilla cake.  I think it would be good to try a coconut extract in the cake a frosting and then sprinkle unsweetened, toasted coconut over the frosting.

                                              Customizable Bread Bowl Breakfast
8 crusty bread rolls
2 T. butter
salt & pepper
* assorted fillings
8 whole eggs
     Preheat oven 350.
     Slice tops off of each roll and scoop out inside.  Brush insides with butter. Season with salt and pepper.
     Fill with toppings & crack an egg over the top. Season with salt and pepper.
     Bake  10-12 munites.  Then cover loosely with foil.  Bake additional 20-25 minutes.

Assorted fillings: Crumbled bacon, grape tomatoes, herbs, shredded cheeses, herbed feta, carmelized onions, precooked-shredded potatoes, ham, sausage, mushrooms, spinach.

Tofu Stir Fry

I made this recipe last night for dinner, it was so good! I loved all the fresh veggies and the sauce was just enough to add flavor but not overpower the dish. I found that I did need to double the sauce, but you might be fine.  I added shrimp to my dish and I think that chicken would be good as well. Now I know that some of you might be afraid of tofu, but when prepared like this it is really good. Just be sure to get the firm or extra firm. I like to get my tofu nice and crispy in the pan. We ate this dish over rice, and I think it would be good over noodles as well. ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound firm tofu

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 small onions, cut into wedges

9 ounces button mushrooms, quartered

1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch squares

1 1/4 pounds bok choy, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, stem and green pieces separated

1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed

1tsp ground ginger or more to taste

1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons cold water

Lime wedges, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Halve tofu block lengthwise; slice each half into 8 rectangles. Arrange on a paper towel-lined baking sheet; top with more paper towels and another baking sheet. Weigh down with canned goods or a skillet. Refrigerate overnight or at least 20 minutes. I threw mine in the fridge while I was cutting my veggies and it was the perfect amount of time!

Transfer tofu to a shallow dish. In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil with 1 tablespoon water; pour over tofu. Marinate 5 minutes (reserve marinade).

Heat canola oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook tofu until golden. Set tofu aside.

Stirring constantly, cook onions in skillet over high heat until browned, 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook 2 minutes. Add red pepper and bok choy stems; cook 3 minutes. Add peas and ginger; cook 1 minute. Add marinade, cornstarch mixture, bok choy greens, and tofu. Cook until heated through. Season with soy sauce as desired. Serve with limes.

Aunt Kathy's Lasagna

Tonight I made Aunt Kathy's lasagna-YUM! But I made is meatless, swapping the meat with veggies. So instead of sauteing the meat with onions and garlic I put in finely shredded carrots, chopped zucchini, and chopped portobellos. Added the remaining ingredients for the sauce and let it simmer for the thirty minutes. I also like to add a layer of fresh spinach in-between the mozzarella and the sauce. I have done this for a long time and goes great with the meat sauce too. Curtis really liked it. I asked if he missed the meat and he told me that he missed the texture but that was all....and seeing half my 9x13 pan empty, I believed him! I think that if you were to chopped the portobellos up a little more fine and add them to the sauce just before layering in the pan it might give the illusion of meat, I do not know. So try the veggies in Aunt Kathy's Lasagna, it is really good!