Black Beans and Rice

Happy Nom Nom Monday! Today's recipe is a simple Black Beans and Rice.  This recipe is extra healthy and vegetarian.  Though adding meat tastes great too.  

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons of olive oil

- 1/2 cup onion

- 1/4 cup green pepper

- 2 cloves of garlic

- 1 can of black beans (15 oz.)

- 3/4 cup water

- 1 teaspoon dried oregano

- 1/4 teaspoon sugar

- 1 package of sazon goya

- 1 tablespoon cooking wine

- 2 cups cooked white rice

Directions:

Cook a cup of dry white rice in 2 cups of water, and set aside.  Dice the onion, cube the pepper, and mince the garlic.  Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan, and sauté the onion, green pepper, and garlic.  Cook until the onions are translucent, about 8 - 10 minutes.

Add in the beans, cooked rice, water, oregano, sugar, sazon goya, and cooking wine.  

This is sazon goya if you are unfamiliar, and in the above photo the bright orange stuff is what it looks like.  

Mix it all together, and let everything cook together for a couple minutes, and then serve.  

This is a giant batch, so it lasts awhile for my husband and I.  To mix it up I cooked up come cubed chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin.  The flavors melded perfectly with the black beans and rice.  I want to try this out with sausage next time.  Obviously I'm a big meat fan, but I love that this is also a great vegetarian meal.  It might even be vegan, but I'm not sure if the sazon goya has any animal by-products in it.  I'm sure if it does you could replace with other seasonings for a vegan meal.  Hope you all enjoy, happy Nom Nom Monday, chris!

Chicken Divan

Happy Nom Nom Monday!  Today's recipe is called Chicken Divan.  

Ingredients:

- 1 cup uncooked white rice

- 2.25 cups of water

- 1 package of vegetable dip mixture

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 2 cups frozen peas

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breast

- salt and pepper

- 10 ounce package of frozen broccoli in cheese sauce

- 1 cup alfredo sauce

- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

- 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Combine the rise, water, dry vegetable mixture, and salt in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, and add the frozen peas, and return to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.  

Chop the chicken up into bite sized cubes, and season with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in a medium sized frying pan.  Add the chicken, and cook on medium heat until all the chicken is cooked through.

Cook the frozen broccoli according to the package instructions.  Mix with the cooked chicken.  Then layer 1 cup of the rice mixture onto the bottom of an 1 1/2 quart baking dish, then the broccoli and chicken, then the alfredo sauce, and top with the grated cheeses.  Cook in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes.  

Let cook for five minutes after removing from the oven, and then serve.  

This was soooooo yummy.  As soon as I placed the first spoonful in my mouth I knew I would want to make this again.  It's flavorful and filling.  A great dinner for a cold winter night.  Next time I make this I'm going to double the other ingredients, and use the whole rice concoction, and bake it in a 11 x 9 baking dish.  That way I have more leftovers!  Have a fantastic week, and Happy Nom Nom Monday, chris!

Ginger Berry

Ingredients:

- shot of dark rum

- ginger ale

- a couple strawberries

- water

Directions:

A few hours or days in advance clean and cut the strawberries into small pieces.  Then place chunks in a clean ice cube tray, fill the tray with water, and stick in the freezer.  

When the ice cubes are ready pour the rum into a glass, add the ice, then pour the ginger ale over the top.  Stir and enjoy.

This drink has me dreaming of spring.  I think it might taste even better with 7up, but I'm not a giant fan of Ginger ale.  But hey, this recipe helped me finish off the liter I bought of ginger ale a few months ago when I was feeling sicky!  Happy Thirsty Thursday, chris!

Chicken Alfredo French Bread Pizza

Happy Nom Nom Monday!  Today I have a great recipe for Chicken Alfredo French Bread Pizza.  I found the recipe on What's Cooking With Ruthie.

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

- 2 chicken breast (boneless skinless)

- salt and pepper

- half a french bread

- 1/4 cup alfredo sauce 

- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

- 2 plum tomatoes

- a few basil leaves

Directions:

Cut up the chicken breast into bite sized cubes, and then season with salt and pepper.  Heat a skillet with the olive oil, and add the chicken chucks.  Stir regularly, and cook until the chicken is done, about 7 - 10 minutes.  While that's cooking dice up the plum tomatoes. 

Preheat the oven to 475ºF.  Cut the half of french bread in half, and then halve it lengthwise.  Place the bread on a cookie sheet, and spoon the alfredo sauce onto the bread.  My mom gave me a jar of Newman's Own sauce, but feel free to make your own or use a different brand.  

Shred the mozzarella onto the bread slices.  

Carefully place the tomatoes and cubed chicken on the bread.  Then bake for 5 minutes.  Top the pieces with torn basil leaves.  Serve and enjoy!  

This was so yummy I used the other half of french bread to make it for lunch the next day!  I also cooked three chicken breast instead of two, so I would have plenty of leftovers to recreate this.  I'll have to try different versions of this with other toppings and sauces.  What a great way to make a simple pizza for two.  Plus we have a great bakery within walking distance of our house, so it's hard to resist the fresh local bread.  So glad I found this recipe!

Hope you had  a great President's Day, and Happy Nom Nom Monday, chris!

Cottage Pie

Last night I made a tasty dinner called Cottage Pie.  I found the recipe on Martha Stewart's website here.  It's a simple take on shepherd's pie, but with all the flavor and more!

Ingredients:

- 3 tablespoons of butter

- 1 onion

- 2 carrots

- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

- 1 pound of ground beef

- 1 cup of a dark porter beer

- 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme

- 2 tablespoons of flour

- 1 cup water

- 3/4 cup frozen peas

- 1 large russet potato

- salt and pepper

Directions:

Chop up the onion and carrots into small pieces.  Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet, and add the onion and carrots.  Cook until the onions have browned a bit, and the carrots are beginning to get tender.  Add the tomato paste and ground beef.  Cook until the meat begins to brown.

Then add the porter beer.  My husband is a big beerie, and he picked out this nice beer called Lucky 7 Porter by Evolution Craft Brewing.  The flavor worked really well in this recipe.  I want to make this again, and I definitely plan on using this beer next time too.  

While adding the beer also add the thyme, and season with salt and pepper.  As you can see in the photo I didn't remove the leaves from the stem, but I wouldn't suggest that.  I thought they might fall off, and then I could simply remove the sticks.  That didn't happen, and my husband had to help me remove the hot saucy leaves, so we could get all those unpleasant stems out.  

After the beer has reduced a bit add the flour and water.  Let reduce a little more, and add the peas.  

While that's reducing clean the potato, and cut it into thin slices.  Once the meat mixture has reduced pour it into a 2 quart dish, and cover with the potato slices.    Cover the potato slices with the remaining butter, and season with salt and pepper.  Bake in the oven for 40 - 45 minutes.  The potatoes will be soft in the center, and the skins will be crunchy.  Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.  The liquid will soak in during that time. 

This was so yummy!  The perfect cold night meal.  I loved the flavor of this, and it was so simple to make.  I want to cook this again sometime soon!  Happy Nom Nom Monday, chris!  

Leek and Thyme Soup

Happy Nom Nom Monday!  Today I'm cooking up a batch of Leek and Thyme Soup.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of butter

- 2 pounds of leeks

- 1 sprig of fresh thyme

- 1 pound of potatoes

- water

- 1 1/4 cups milk

- salt and pepper

Directions:

Clean the leeks.  It's important to properly clean the leeks or your soup will be gritty.  Chop the leeks into 1/4 inch thick disks.  Clean the potatoes, and remove their skin.  Cut into one inch chucks.  

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan on medium heat.  Add the leeks and thyme.  Cook until tender.

Add the potatoes to the pan, and cover with water.  Cover the pan, and let cook for 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally. 

Add the milk, and season with salt and pepper.  Stir, cover, and let simmer for another 30 minutes.  

Remove the thyme stem, and serve.  The recipe I was following suggested adding a tablespoon of heavy cream, and a small sprig of thyme to garnish.  I didn't have any heavy cream, so I skipped the garnish.  

This soup tasted great.  Next time I need to take better care to wash the leeks properly though.  It was a bit gritty, which made it hard to enjoy. Though I could tell the flavor would be worth making this again, and making sure to properly prepare the leeks.  

Happy Nom Nom Monday, chris!

Adult Coffee Soda

Happy Thirsty Thursday!  Last week's Homemade Cream Soda was so yummy, I had to concoct an adult version.  

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons of a dark rum

- 2 tablespoons of coffee

- a handful of ice

- 1/2 cup club soda

- 2 tablespoons of hazelnut syrup 

- 1 tablespoon of vanilla

- 1 tablespoon of half and half

- whipped cream and cherry for garnish

Directions:

Pour the rum and coffee into a glass.  Then the ice and club soda.  Stir, then add the syrups, and stir. Pour the half and half over the top, add the whipped cream and cherry.  Admire.

Fully stir everything together, and enjoy.  

This drink is yummy!  The alcohol flavor is very subtle, and the coffee with the hazelnut complements the rum flavor nicely.  Again Happy Thirsty Thursday, chris!

Chocolate Cake for Two

Happy Nom Nom Monday!  I've been on a chocolate kick lately.  I just can't get enough of it.  Most days I don't think about chocolate at all.  Then like clockwork four o'clock rolls around, and I'm salivating for a candy bar, or ice cream with any kind of chocolate chunkiness.  Sure a melty chocolate cake would be delish, but bake a whole cake for one? or two?  Not gunna happen.  Though, as you know I've recently discovered mug cakes that you can cook in the microwave or oven, and they are an amazing solution. Today I made a melty Chocolate Cake For Two.  

Ingredients:

- 4 tablespoons of butter

- 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (I had to substitute with baker's unsweetened chocolate & 3 TBSP of sugar)

- 1 egg

- 1 egg yolk

- 2 tablespoons of sugar

- 1 teaspoon of flour

- powdered sugar for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450ºF.  Butter an oven proof dish that can hold one cup, and coat the dish with sugar.  In a double boiler melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring regularly.  

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the egg, yolk, and sugar.  Once those ingredients are thoroughly combined add the chocolate mixture while whisking.  Add the flour, and continue stirring until the mixture is smooth.  Then pour into the small buttered dish.  Place in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes.  Remove and turn upside down on a plate to cool.  

Let cool for a few minutes, then gently tap the sides, and lift the dish releasing the cake onto the plate.  If it doesn't come loose, you can flip it upside down and using a butter knife gently separate the cake from the edges of the dish.  Then turn it upside down again, and hopefully it will drop out.  Garnish with powdered sugar, and enjoy with a close friend or lover!    

This dessert is extra decadent.  Part of me wanted to gobble the whole thing down, but my thighs reminded me I should share.  I love warm melty desserts, but I need to remember moderation is the key.  With these cold days and onslaught of holiday gorging, I mean festivities, my pants have become uncomfortably tight.  Time for me to eat more greens, and exercise more!  On that note, Happy Nom Nom Monday, chris!

Spinach Pasta Bake

Happy Nom Nom Monday!  Today I'm sharing  a recipe I found for a Spinach Pasta Bake.  A long while ago I bought In the Kitchen with America's Favorite Brand Name Recipes from a thrift store, and every once and awhile I'll break it out for a recipe.  Though I'm not a brand name kinda person, so I rarely use exactly what the recipe calls out for.  Either way I get yummy results.  

Ingredients:

- 8 ounces of spinach fettuccine

- 1 tablespoon of butter

- 1 cup fresh mushroom 

- 1 green onion

- 1 clove of garlic

- 4 to 5 cups fresh spinach

- 1 tablespoon water

- 15 ounces of nonfat ricotta cheese

- 1/4 cup milk

- 1 egg

- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

- 1/4 cup shredded Gruyére cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Begin cooking the pasta according to the package instructions.  Drain and set aside.  

Slice the mushrooms, green onion, and mince the garlic.  Heat a medium sized skillet with the butter in it.  Add the mushrooms, green onion, and garlic, and cook until the mushrooms are tender.  

Roughly chop the spinach, and add it to the skillet with the water.  Cook until the spinach is wilted, about three minutes.  

In a bowl mix together the ricotta cheese, milk, egg, nutmeg, and black pepper.  Then stir in the veggies, and the noodles.  After everything has been throughly mixed pour into a buttered 8" x 8" pan.  

Cover with shredded Gruyére cheese.  The recipe in the book called for Swiss, but we had some gruyére we needed to use.  We thought it was a terrific substitute.  Bake the dish for 25 to 30 minutes.

This dish had great flavor.  I will definitely be making this again.  I've been looking for ways to get more spinach and mushrooms into my diet, and this is right up my ally.  Fantastic vegetarian meal.  

Enjoy Nom Nom Monday, chris!