Black Bean, Corn, and Tomato Soup

I bought some corn bread mix last night at Kroger and thought it would go great with Black Bean soup.  I added a twist to the soup and it turned out great!

Saute the following in olive oil (I added a little salt and pepper to help the veggies soften):
1 chopped onion
handful baby carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic

Once they were soft I added:
1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2c veggie stock
1tsp ground coriander (approx)
1tsp oregano (approx)
3tsp or so cumin

I brought it to a boil and let it simmer for 30 minutes.  Once it had simmered, I blended it up with my immersion blender.  Then I added:

1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1c frozen corn
1 chopped tomato

I simmered this for about 15-20 minutes and we were ready to eat!

Easy Pulled Pork

Our trick or treat was on Thursday, October 28, so I wanted to make something easy in the crockpot.  I put a store bought pork rub on a pork roast and plopped it into the crockpot.  I cooked it on low most of the day.  When it was nice and tender, I took it out and shredded it.  I poured the "juice" that was in the crock pot in a cup and skimmed off the fat.  I added the pork back into the crock pot and most of the "juices."  I also added some Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce.  I turned the crock pot back on just to keep it warm until we ate.  Add as much or as little of the extra juice and BBQ sauce as you like!  Easy, easy, easy dinner!

Veggie Patch Pizza

This is reminiscent of the Veggie Patch pizza at Applebee's.  I'm not sure if they even have it anymore!  To my food processor, I added:

1 red pepper
1 clove garlic
a handful of spinach
a little olive oil
salt and pepper

I pulsed for just a second or two to chop the veggies, but still chunky.  Then I added about 2oz goat cheese and a handful (about a cup) of mozzarella cheese.  I pulsed again to combine, but still wanted everything fairly chunky.  My fear was that if it wasn't chunky, it would be brown instead of red and green.  I spread this on a flatbread and baked it at 375 for about 15-20 minutes until it was melted.  The kids loved it!

S'more Cups

I made these S'more cups for a Chili Cook-off this weekend and they were a hit.  It took me about 45 minutes to make 2 batches...very easy!  I'm going to make these as an "All Saints Day" treat for religion next week.  I checked the boxes and none of the ingredients are made from tree nuts, so it's safe for the people in my class who have allergies!  Note:  Nestle chocolate chips are a nut allergen, but Hershey's are not!

http://www.pamperedchef.com/recipe_search/recipe.jsp?id=91599

Vegetable Soup with Lentils

I'm baaack!  Simmering on the stove right now is a pot of vegetable soup with lentils, I'm sure they will love it! 

I sauteed an onion for a few minutes in olive oil and added 2 cloves garlic.  Then I added 1c lentils, a teaspoon or so of rosemary and thyme, 1 can diced tomatoes, 3 cups mixed vegatables (mine are the garden trio from Costco and it's just corn, carrots, and green beans) and a quart of vegetable stock.  Simmer for 45 minutes, or until lentils are soft, and it should be delicious!

Rotini with Walnut Sauce

This is a great meal if you have skinny kids - lots of good fats!  In my food processor, I combined:

1T melted butter
3/4c toasted walnuts
1/4c parmesan cheese
1tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper

I pulsed to combine then drizzled in 1/4c olive oil.  I put this in a bowl and mixed with a couple T of whole milk.  The recipe called for heavy cream, but I didn't have any.  I boiled about 1/3lb rotini, added it to the walnut mixture and stirred in about 1/4c of the pasta water.  I also mixed in some peas, but that's optional!

Rachel's chicken salad

I've been in the mood lately for chicken salad, but I don't always like regular chicken salad with the grapes. So I decided to make my own version. If you like dill, you'll like this.

3 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed. (I seasoned mine with sea salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Just a little cayenne though. It gives it a kick)
1/2 small red onion, chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
1 c. mayonnaise (I used regular, I don't know how I feel about reduced fat)
1 TBSP dill pickle relish
1 tsp. vinegar
1/4-1/2 tsp. cumin


So easy. Combine chicken, celery and onion. In a separate bowl, combine the pickle relish, vinegar and cumin with the mayo. (I do this separately so that I can taste the sauce and make sure I like it before I add it to the chicken. That way if I screw something up, I can better salvage the dish. ) Add the mayo mixture to the chicken mixture and Voila! all done! Just chill (or don't if you're really hungry) and serve on bread or whatever you like.