Cuban Black Beans and Rice

I got this off of recipezaar.com and used some of the modifications suggested in the comments. It is the quick, lazy way to make this dish and it makes about four to five servings.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped green pepper (red works, too)
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 (15 ounce) can black beans (undrained)
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 package Sazon Goya without annato (substitution I used: 2 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. chicken boullion, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar (you can use cooking wine, too)
2 cups cooked white rice
pre-cooked ham steak (optional)

Directions
Heat oil in a medium sauce pan, sauté onion,green pepper, and garlic. Sauté until tender, about 5-10 minutes.

Add in remaining ingredients and stir until boiling, reduce heat and simmer until sauce is reduced, about 20 minutes. You can smash some of the beans to add to the flavor. Serve over white rice.

In order to make this more of a main dish, I diced a dinner ham steak and tossed it in.

Crockpot Chicken

2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 14oz can of black beans-undrained
1 cup of salsa
1 cup of frozen corn
8 oz cream cheese-cubed

Place chicken, undrained black beans, salsa and corn in a crock pot. Cook on high for 5 hours. Shred chicken and dump cubed cream cheese in crock pot. Cook another 45 minutes-1 hour on high. Stir until cream cheese is blended with chicken mixture.
You can use this as a dip with chips or as a filling for enchiladas or quesadillas.

Cheesy Ham and Hash Brown Casserole

I found this on allrecipes.com.

1 (32 oz) package frozen hash brown potatoes
8 ounces cooked, diced ham
2 (10.75 oz) cans condensed cream of potato soup
16 oz sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix the hash browns, ham, soup, sour cream, and cheddar. Spread evenly into the baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake for one hour or until bubbly and light brown.

Roasted Beets with Feta

I'm a sucker for Feta cheese, so when I had some beets from the farm share to use, and I saw this recipe...

4 beets, trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil, and place onto a baking sheet.

Bake beets in preheated oven until easily pierced with a fork, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once done, remove from oven, and allow to cool until you can handle them. Peel beets, and cut into 1/4 inch slices.

While the beets are roasting, whisk together shallot, parsley, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and red wine vinegar in a bowl until blended; season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.

To assemble the dish, place the warm, sliced beets onto a serving dish, pour vinaigrette over the beets, and sprinkle with feta cheese before serving.

From allrecipes.com

One Bowl Brownies

Someone asked if I had a good homemade brownie recipe. These are the best.

4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Microwave chocolate and butter or margarine in large bowl at HIGH for 2 minutes or until butter or margarine is melted.
3. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour.
4. Spread in greased 13 x 9 inch pan (I line a pan with foil and grease that. That way you can lift the foil out with the brownies in it.). Bake for 35 minutes (do not overbake).

Homemade Granola Bars

From allrecipes.com

2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

I just baked these yesterday, and they are delicious. They are pretty sugary, almost like a cookie, so next time I will cut down the amount of sugar. I also won't cook them quite as long so they will be chewier. And I'll play around with other dried fruits, nuts, peanut butter, or chocolate (I might try this one first).

Mojo Chicken Kabobs

I'm sparingly using up my precious Wegmans ingredients. We just grilled this one up tonight and, wow, was it delicious. It's from the Summer 2008 Menu magazine.

1 pkg (about 1 lb) Wegmans Mojo Marinated Chicken Breast Cutlets, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used my own chicken and marinated it with the Wegmans Mojo Marinade which I found on the salad dressing isle).

1 sweet red pepper, cored, 1-inch dice

1 large sweet onion, peeled

salt and pepper

Assemble kabobs: 1 piece chicken, pepper, chunk of onion, chicken, pepper, onion, chicken, pepper onion. Preheat grill on HIGH 10 min. Clean grill with wire brush. Using soft cloth, coat grill grate lightly with vegetable oil. Season kabobs with salt and pepper; place on grill. Sear kabobs about 2 min, until they have changed color one-quarter of way up from bottom; turn over. Sear 2-3 min, turning kabobs. Reduce heat to MEDIUM; close cover. Cook 8-10 min until internal temp reaches 165 degrees. Transfer to clean platter.

Brown Sugar Lemonade

6 lemons, juiced
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ice cubes

In a large pitcher, combine fresh lemon juice and water. Stir in brown sugar until it dissolves. Stir in ice cubes.


The brown sugar adds a great flavor to this lemonade. It's perfect for a summer barbecue! Found this on allrecipes.com

Amy's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies came from a family friend, Marty Larkin, who always made yummy chocolate chip cookies for our family. When she moved away, I asked her for the recipe and have used it my whole life. I think the secret to good chocolate chip cookies is taking them out at 12 minutes and letting them cool on the cookie sheet for another few minutes so they are no longer puffy. I then transfer them to a paper towel on the counter. They turn out really soft and yummy and some of the extra grease is absorbed by the towel too.


Blend together until smooth
1 Cup Shortening
3/4 Cup white sugar
3/4 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons water

Blend in well 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix in 2 1/4 cups flour until smooth

add 6 ounces chocolate chips

spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. (until just barely golden brown) Let cool on paper towel.

Pioneer Woman's Apricot Bars

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 3/4 sticks (regular, salted) butter, cut into pieces
1 10-12 ounce jar Apricot Preserves

Mix all ingredients except Apricot Preserves. Press one half of the mixture into a buttered 8" square (or small rectangular) pan. Spread with a 10-12 ounce jar of apricot preserves. Sprinkle second half of mixture over the top and pat lightly. Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes or until light brown. Let cool completely, then cut into squares. Eat as many as you want because they don’t have any chocolate in them and therefore, they’re totally healthy and non-caloric.

Karla's Fast Gooey Bars

1 white or yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter/margarine
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9x13" pan. In a medium size bowl, mix the first three ingredients together. Press 2/3's of the cake mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. In a different microwave-safe bowl, combine the last three ingredients. Melt in the microwave for one minute; then stir until all melted. Pour chocolate mixture over cake mixture in pan. With the rest of the cake mixture, take tablespoonfuls and press flat, then lay on top of the chocolate mixture, leaving space in between the flat pieces to form an aesthetic-looking dessert! bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

My mother-in-law found this recipe in a book complied from her ward in Moroni, UT; Karla Bench is author of these delicious treats. I have found they are best after cooling completely. Even after refrigeration or the next day they are so good. My husband doesn't like semi-sweet chocolate, so I use milk chocolate chips and they taste just as good.

BBQ Meatloaf

This is a twist on traditional meatloaf. I typically do not care for meatloaf as most recipes call for bread and it ends up tasting soggy. But the stuffing mix binds the meat well and the BBQ sauce gives it a little kick. I use Dinosaur BBQ Sauce but you can use any that you prefer.

2 eggs beaten
2 lb ground beef
1 6oz pkg of chicken flavored Stove Top stuffing mix
1 c. water
1/2 c. BBQ Sauce

Preheat oven to 375

Beat eggs in bowl. Add in ground beef, dry stuffing mix, water and 1/4 c. of BBQ Sauce. Mix together and place in loaf pan. Top loaf with remaining BBQ Sauce. Bake for 1 hour till 160 degrees.

Soft Vegetable Tacos

Something fun for Cinco de Mayo.
This is an easy, inexpensive meal that our family enjoyed this weekend. Recipe is from the Taste of Home Simple and Delicious cooking magazine and can also be found on their website that has great easy and tasty recipes. www.bestsimplerecipes.com

1 2/3 cups, fresh corn or frozen corn, thawed.

1 small zucchini, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup salsa

8 flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, saute the corn, zucchini and onion in oil until tender. Stir in beans and salsa. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Spoon a heaping 1/3 cupful onto half of each tortilla; top with sour cream and cheese. Fold tortillas over filling; serve immediately.

*we made guacamole to go with this and it was so yummy. This is a new family favorite and I love that it is a meatless dish that my family will eat.


TIP- most of the seasoning/flavor for this dish comes from the salsa you use. I recommend Wegman's Brand Roasted Tomoato. It adds some great spice and minimal heat.

Crockpot Fajitas

I got this recipe from Veronica Haymore. I think she said she got it from Tiffany Johnson. It is super easy and so very, very good.

2 lb. chuck roast
1/2 cup brown sugar
2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning*
juice of two limes**

Combine everything in a crock pot and cook on high for 6 hours. Shred meat and serve with taco fixings. You can adjust the quantity of seasoning if you have a bigger/smaller roast.

*Dinosaur Barbecue makes a Cajun seasoning that is really great. You can buy it at Wegman's
**I keep a bottle of lime juice in the fridge and just use that. Some would turn up there nose at that, but it is just easier. I use about 1/3 of a cup.

Feta Chicken Salad

3 cups diced cooked chicken
2 large stalks celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
6 tablespoons sour cream
1 (4 ounce) package feta cheese, crumbled
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

In a serving bowl, mix together the chicken, celery, pepper, and red onion. In a separate bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, feta cheese, and dill. Pour over the chicken mixture, and stir to blend. Taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving (it tastes even better the second day).

Found this on allrecipes.com

Easy Parmesan Cheese Chicken

1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing mix
6 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Mix cheese, dressing, and garlic.
Moisten chicken with water; coat with cheese mixture. Place in shallow baking dish.
Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

Again, found a basic recipe on allrecipes.com but modified it in so many ways that I'm taking ownership.

1 lb. cubed beef stew meat
2 cans condensed golden mushroom soup (different than cream of mushroom)
1 onion, chopped
1 packet beef onion soup mix (Lipton makes this)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
12 ounces sour cream
*1/3 cup chopped green pepper (optional)
1-2 large bags egg noodles

In the crockpot combine the first 9 ingredients and stir. Cook on low for 6 hours. Right before you're ready to serve add sour cream. You can either mix in the noodles or serve them with the sauce on top.

I grew up with green pepper in my stroganoff. The problem is that if you put it in with the other ingredients, it adds a strong flavor to the sauce. I sautee the green peppers with some olive oil until they're soft and then add them with the sour cream.

Mexican Spaghetti

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. (13-16 oz) spaghetti
1 can Rotel chilis and tomatoes
1/2 pound Velveeta cheese (cut into chunks)
2 Tablespoons chicken base

Boil chicken and shred. Set aside. In a large pot, bring 6-7 cups of water to a boil. Add chicken base and spaghetti. Cook until tender. Do not drain. Add Rotel, Velveeta, and chicken. Stir until cheese is melted. You can drain excess liquid if it's too runny.