Bean and Fish Tacos

I started a new eating plan in August (which I will talk about in a different post) focused on whole unprocessed foods.  With that I decided to try my hand at a more vegetarian/vegan diet.  This is not to say I haven't had any meat, cheese, eggs, etc., but I have drastically cut down on the amount I consume.  I have barely had any meat since I started and try to only eat a small quantities of cheese during the week.  I am constantly looking for new recipes and when I can across these tacos, I knew they were a must try.

I pretty much followed the recipe verbatim, with the exception of the limes and the lettuce.  I ended up juicing both limes for the onions, not serving one as an accoutrement.  I also was tired of chopping and it was getting late so I decided not to shred lettuce to serve with the tacos.  We didn't seem to miss it.  I did soak and cook my own black beans (again, trying to eat less processed foods, which include things in a can), but you could easily use canned black beans, just make sure they don't have any additives in them!  One cup of black beans would suffice for 2-4 people as we had a TON leftover. 

Here is a picture of Matt's plate after he put his tacos together...they tasted as good as they look!

If you are looking for a great vegetarian recipe that is fairly easy to whip up on a weeknight, I highly recommend these tacos.  I think you could even use the rub on chicken and it would be delish...maybe just marinate for a couple hours and grill. 

Pulled Pork

I have been in search of a good crock pot pulled pork recipe for quite sometime. I have tried the ones where you add a can of coke/root beer and just haven't been that thrilled. Well, after a little Internet search, I think I found one that is a keeper. Although I didn't think so before I added the BBQ sauce, I think the key with this recipe is the rub. Courtesy of Beantown Baker, here is the recipe:

Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Spice Rub:
1 T. ground black pepper
1-2 t. cayenne pepper
2 T. chili powder
2 T. ground cumin
2 T. dark brown sugar
1 T. dried oregano
4 T. paprika
2 T. salt
1 T. granulated sugar
1 T. ground white pepper (or increase black pepper to 2 T. if you don't have white pepper)

1 (6-8 lb.) bone in pork shoulder (I used a 3 lb. pork loin and a 4 lb. bone in pork shoulder)
1/2 t. liquid smoke (I omitted)
Whole onion, chopped (Optional)
2 c. barbecue sauce (I used an entire 23 oz. jug)

Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl

Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours (I did mine over night) or up to 3 days.

Unwrap roast and place in slower cooker. Add liquid smoke, if using, and 1/4 - 1/2 cup water. Add onion, if so desire. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork tender.

Transfer roast to cutting board; discard liquid in crock pot. Pull by tearing meat into thin shreds with 2 forks. Discard fat.

Place shredded pork back in slow cooker; toss with barbecue sauce and heat on low for another 30-60 minutes, until hot. You could probably add the onion at this time if you wanted it less cooked. Serve with additional barbecue sauce.

Enjoy!

This recipe made a ton (serving at least 10 probably), but I am planning on freezing mine to be used at a later date!

Foodie

Matt and I have been trying to cook dinner for ourselves as much as possible lately. In order to keeping things interesting, we like to try a variety of recipes we receive from friends and family or found online and in magazines and newspapers. While some of the recipes we try end up in the garbage because they prove to be too time consuming or just plain terrible, we have found quite a few that are really delicious. I wanted to share with you 2 great recipes that we have really enjoyed (well, we both loved the orzo, but only I really love the paella) and will be making again!

The first recipe is Chicken, Lemon, and Dill with Orzo found in November 2009 Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

Chicken, Lemon, and Dill with Orzo

4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound chicken tenderloins, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound orzo
4 ounces crumbled feta
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400. In a sauce pan, bring broth, 3/4 cup water, butter, salt, and pepper to a boil. In a 3 quart (I used a 2 quart and everything just fit) baking dish, combine chicken, orzo, feta, dill, lemon zest and juice. Pour broth mixture over orzo and stir to incorporate. Bake until orzo is tender and cooking liquid is creamy, 40 minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

The second recipe is one that I love from Weight Watchers new Comfort Classics cookbook. It is not quite as easy to put together as the orzo, but equally delicious.

Chicken and Sausage Paella

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (1/4 lb.) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
4 ounces turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup long grain white rice
1/2 cup frozen peas
8 small pimiento stuffed olives, sliced
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate.

Add the kielbasa to the skillet and cook 1 minute, stirring often, until browned; transfer to the plate with the chicken. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken, kielbasa, broth, tomatoes, rice, peas, olives, and saffron and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 20 minutes. Remove fro the heat and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

We hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do! And if you have any that you would like to share, bring them on, we love to try new things!

Halloween Weekend

Ethan had a great 1st Halloween and looked so cute in his costume, if I do say so myself. He didn't get to wear it nearly as long as I would have liked because the weather was just too gorgeous for Halloween and I picked the hottest fleece footed costume!

The weekend kicked off with my mom, sister, and Ben coming over Friday night for some yummy chili. We enjoyed the gorgeous night and about 20 trick or treaters. We had special visits from the 3 chicks (Abbie, Lauren and Ellie) that live below us and Amy, Patrick, and Lindsay Forebaugh. I love seeing all the kiddies dressed up so I was thrilled to have a lot more visitors than we did last year. I even used most of the 6 lb. bag of candy I bought. Thank goodness or I would be eating all the leftovers and believe me, that would not be a good thing!

Saturday my mom and I went for a long walk around the neighborhood. Can the weather be any nicer for the end of October/beginning of November? I am loving this! While I went to the airport to pick up Matt, my mom made her infamous Vidalia Onion Dip and Rice Krispie Treats (only this time we added Candy Corn and drizzled chocolate on top). Just a side note, I am so glad Matt is home from Russia....Ethan and I really missed him while he was gone. We then headed over to Gibson's for a Halloween party. Really, it was just an excuse for all of us to get together, have a few drinks, and dress up all the kiddos again. The costumes were so so cute and all the food was delicious. Thank you to the Gibson's for having us all over, I know it was a lot of work, especially with Laura not feeling well. After the party, Matt and I went to see Miranda Lambert (more on that in another post) and my mom and dad got to spend some quality time with Ethan (aka...babysitting!).

Sunday, Matt tried to catch up on some sleep and get over his jet lag, while I tried to get some things done around the house (tried being the key word in that sentence!). That evening, we had a dinner date with the Dill's and the Rice's. Katie really out did herself with a great Italian meal....Caesar salad, spaghetti and meatballs, and then apple crisp. It was so delicious (even if it was more like spaghetti and meatloaf!). Thanks to the Rice's for having us over for dinner....it was so much fun!

I have posted some of the images from the weekend, but you can see them all here. Hope everyone had a great Halloween!

Berry Upside Down Cake

Over the weekend, Matt and I headed out to Crystal Lake to see my mom and dad. As many of you know, my mom is an excellent cook and is always trying new recipes. Yesterday for breakfast, she made Berry Upside Down Cake and it was delicious. I thought I would share this recipe with all of you, as it is great for breakfast, but could also be served with ice cream for dessert. Enjoy!

Berry Upside Down Cake
Cooking Spray
2 T. butter, melted
1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 c. blackberries
1 c. raspberries
1 c. blueberries
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 T. vegetable oil
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. almond extract
1 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 1/3 c. reduced fat butter milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Spray 10 in. cake pan or 8x8 square pan (the actual recipe calls for a 9 in. cake pan, but that is way too small for all the ingredients, as we learned yesterday) with cooking spray. Pour in melted butter (or melt in pan). Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Scatter berries over sugar.
Place butter, oil, and sugar in bowl; beat with mixer at medium speed, until well blended. Beat in egg and extracts.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture; beating at low speed until just combined.
Pour batter on top of berries. Bake 30-35 minutes until top is golden and sides are bubbly.
Remove from oven. Cool 5 minutes, and invert onto serving plate.

Baked Garlic Fries

After two days of scouring the refrigerator for something to eat because we didn't have dinner planned, Matt and I thought it was about time to get back into our dinner routine. Before heading to the grocery store, we raided the freezer to see what we had because most of it is starting to get old and needs to be used in the next couple of weeks. We found plenty of main dishes that just need an accompaniment, which made for an easy shopping trip.

I remembered I had found a recipe for baked garlic fries that sounded tasty on Made Healthier, which seemed like the perfect side to go with our brats. We decided to give these a try and they were delicious. While they take quite a long time to bake (about an hour), the wait was well worth it. We used regular salt instead of the garlic salt, which did not seem to take away from the flavor. I do think I will try the garlic salt next time just to see if there is a difference. If you are looking for an easy side with lots of flavor, I highly recommend trying these fries, they are so good! We will be making them again in the near future!

St. Patrick's Day Dinner

As Matt mentioned in his last post, we made Corned Beef and Cabbage for the first time last night and it was pretty good. Our original plan was to make it on Sunday night because the corned beef has to be boiled for several hours. But after a lot of good food over the weekend, we decided to hold off until St. Patty's Day. I was concerned about making it during the week because of the cooking time; however, I found a recipe to cook it in the crock pot for 12 hours and it turned out really good. I think Matt enjoyed it more than I did, but it was still tasty. I can't say that I will be making it again before next St. Patrick's Day, though. To accompany our corned beef and cabbage, we made Irish Soda Bread compliments of Shannon. Even though I was 2 Tbsp short of sour cream, it was still delicious and I will be making this again!!! Thanks Shannon for the recipe! If anyone would like the crock pot recipe for corned beef, let me know, it is a cinch to make.

Cute Cupcakes

Who doesn't love cupcakes? Well these cupcake bites I found on Bakerella can't get any cuter! They would be adorable for a birthday party or just for fun!

Zesty Chicken Soup

Over the weekend, Matt and I made one of our favorite soup recipes. I thought I would share because 1) it has been a long time since I posted a recipe and 2) it is so delicious and easy to make, lowfat, too. All credit goes to my mom for this recipe. I am not 100% positive where she found it, but does that really matter?

This recipe makes a fairly large batch so, it is great for a large group or to make and freeze for future dinners.

Zesty Chicken Soup
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
4 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. canola oil
3 cans (14 ½ oz. each) Mexican diced tomatoes(I used 2 zesty & green chilies; 1 chili style diced tomatoes)
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 cup medium salsa
3 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 medium carrots, quartered and sliced
1 cup frozen white corn
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
3 tsp. ground cumin
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried basil
Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips, optional

Place chicken in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add water. Bring to a boil;reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10-15 min. or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken; cut into ½ inch cubes. Return to cooking liquid.
In a large skillet, saute onion, celery and garlic in oil until tender; add to the Dutch oven. Stir in the next 11 ingredients. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Garnish with the cheese and tortilla chips, if desired.

Soup may be frozen up to 3 months.

10 servings - 1 ½ cups (without cheese and tortilla chips) equals 152 calories, 3 g fat,31 mg cholesterol, 523 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 16 gprotein.

Chocolate Carmel Brownies

When we were in C-ville a couple of weekends ago for Konneker Christmas, my grandpa made these amazing brownies. I wanted to share the recipe with everyone because they are delicious!!!





Chocolate Caramel Brownies
1 box German Chocolate Cake mix
3/4 cup butter
6 ounces condensed milk
14 ounces caramel candies (this should be 1 bag), unwrapped
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 9x13 pan.
In mixing bowl, combine German Chocolate cake mix (just the powder) with butter and 4 ounces of condensed milk. Mix together well and spread half the mixture in the bottom of 9x13 pan. Set aside.
In a saucepan, over low heat, stirring continuously, combine remaining 2 ounces of condensed milk with the caramels. Continue stirring until smooth and creamy. Pour melted caramel over cake mix. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over caramel. Press remaining cake mix on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 16 - 18 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Above is the original recipe, but I have made these brownies twice, and made a few changes the second time around. I used a bag a half (maybe a tad less) of caramels and only 1/2 cup of nuts. This definitely make the brownies much gooier and harder to get out of the pan, but Matt and I found them to be much more tasty!!! Enjoy!

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

This bread is delicious and so easy to make....I thought I would share with all of you!

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
½ cup Libby’s Solid Pack Pumpkin (100% pure pumpkin)
¼ cup margarine or butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup (6 oz package) semi-sweet white chocolate morsels
¼ cup finely chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease loaf pan.
Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in large bowl; make well in center. In small bowl, combine milk, pumpkin, butter, and egg; add to well in flour mixture. Add morsels and nuts; stir just until moistened. Pour into loaf pan.
Bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Couple of notes....

• You can make muffins as well...grease muffin cups and bake at 400 F for 18-20 minutes.
• I never add nuts, but I am sure it tastes great with them.
• You can substitute the white chocolate chips for regular chips.
• If you use a dark, non stick pan, I would recommend turning the oven down 25 degrees or bake for 45 minutes at the most. I find mine gets really overcooked if you bake the bread for 50 minutes in the dark pan.

ENJOY!!!

Mmmm, Mmmm Good!!

A brand new Dominick's just opened up within walking distance of our house and I am extremely excited. I am actually more excited about the metal "wheely" cart we bought to transport groceries back and forth, but that is a different story. With the opening of a grocery store so close, I am hoping that Matt and I start making dinner on a more consistent basis.

So on Sunday, as we were deciding what to have for dinner this week and making our grocery list, I ran across a recipe from Williams Sonoma for Risotto with Prosciutto and Asparagus. Peaking our interest because we had some great risotto in Italy, we decided to try it for dinner that night. The risotto was really good and quite easy to make. We do not have a pressure cooker so we used the stove top instead. Because of this, we only used 4 cups of chicken stock. The recipe made a ton so, this would be perfect as an accompaniment to steak or chicken if you are entertaining.

Enjoy!!

Recipes

As most of you know, I am blessed to have a mother and mother-in-law who are fabulous in the kitchen. I think they have recipes for every occasion that are both fantastic and fairly easy to make (once you have mastered them, of course). The thing I love and admire about both moms is that cooking for family and friends is both something they enjoy. One of my favorite things about going home to Crystal Lake, Green Lake, or Lafayette, is knowing there will be a delicious home cooked meal and plenty of treats waiting when we arrive.

Although I have not mastered the art of cooking like our moms, I do enjoy trying new recipes now and again, while still using old standbys that both moms have given me over the years. I wanted to share two recipes with you that we made in the past week. One, the Wild Rice Chicken Salad, an old standby that is perfect for BBQ's, showers, and family get togethers. Not only does it taste great, but 1 recipe makes a large quantity, which is perfect for entertaining. The second, Oven Baked French Toast, is a new recipe Carol tried this weekend, as she so kindly made breakfast for the Hunt's and the Konneker's. It is a great alternative to egg casserole. Again, delicious and easy to make.

Enjoy!!

Wild Rice Chicken Salad
2 (6.2 oz) pkgs Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice (can use instant)
2 (6 oz) jars marinated artichoke quarters, undrained and chopped
4 cups chopped cooked chicken (4-5 breasts depending on size)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
5 green onions, chopped
1 (2.25 oz) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 tsp. salt
1 cup mayonnaise
1 ½ tsp. curry powder
Leaf lettuce (optional, for serving)

Cook rice mix according to package
Drain artichoke quarters, reserving ½ c. liquid
Stir together rice, artichoke, chicken, and next 4 ingredients.
Stir together artichoke liquid, salt, mayonnaise, and curry powder; toss with rice mixture.
Cover and chill 8 hours. Serve on leaf lettuce

Couple of notes:
Last night I made half a recipe and it still made a decent amount. Enough to fill a medium sized serving bowl.
Matt was kind enough to get all the ingredients for me at the grocery store. He bought the 90 second Wild and Long Grain rice and it worked perfectly. Although the bag is a little larger than the recipe calls for (8.8 oz vs. 6.6), the additional rice did not pose a problem.
I also used light mayo and this did not affect the taste at all.

Oven Baked French Toast
1 loaf (8 oz.) French Bread
6 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
4 tbsp. sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
Ground cinnamon (optional, but highly recommended)
Powered sugar
1 lb. strawberries sliced
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. lemon juice

Spray 9x13 pan to grease. Cut bread into 1 in. thick slices (10-16 slices); arrange closely in a single layer in pan. Beat eggs with whisk in 2 qt. bowl. Whisk in milk, 3 tbsp. sugar, vanilla, and salt; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hr. or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400. Sprinkle bread with cinnamon, if desired. Bake, uncovered, 30-40 minutes; or until golden brown. Remove from oven; sprinkle with powered sugar. Slice strawberries; add lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining 1 tbsp. sugar. Mix lightly and serve over warm French Toast.

Couple of notes:
We did not use the lemon zest and lemon juice with the strawberries and it still tasted good. I am thinking you could use blueberries or raspberries as well for a garnish.
We found that serving the French Toast with syrup was a nice addition.