Beans & Chicken Bake

I got this recipe from Carla Davidson years ago and it was one of Taryn's favorites.

1 TBSP Olive Oil

1/2 - 1 Cup Chopped Onion*  

1/2 - 1 Cup Sweet Pepper (any color)* 

1 TBSP Minced Garlic (3 small cloves)

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Can Black Beans, rinsed & drained

1 Can Red Beans or Kidney Beans, rinsed & drained

1 can crushed tomatoes  

½ tsp. black pepper

Shredded Cheese to cover top

Flour Tortilla (uncooked variety is best)

Guacamole

Sour Cream

Cook onion, sweet pepper & garlic in ½ oil.  Put in 13 x 9 pan, coated with cooking spray.  Cook diced chicken in same pan w/remaining oil until no longer pink.  Combine beans, tomatoes, black pepper & chicken in 9 x 13 and mix well with onion mixture.  Cover w/cheese & cook for about 30 minutes or until hot.  Serve with tortillas, sour cream, & Guacamole and more shredded cheese.

*I slice the peppers lengthwise into strips so that those who don't care for peppers can easily avoid them.

*I usually chop my onion really fine or I slice it into rings for the same reason as the peppers:)  

Quick and Easy Black Beans

From Our Best Bites

2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 T olive oil
2/3 C diced onion
2-3 garlic garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
1 C chicken broth (or 1 C water + 1 t chicken bullion)
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lime

In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Sauté onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and sauté abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula so smoosh (yes, that's a technical culinary term) some of the beans. You don't want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken the sauce. I like mine on the thicker side so I smoosh quite a bit. They will thicken more upon standing.

If you want a more soupy consistency, just add a little more broth.

Creamy Cilantro Dressing

From Tammy Nielsen

1 -16 oz. jar of green salsa with tomatillo as 1^st ingredient (I like the mild Herdez salsa verde from Macey’s)

1 pkg dry buttermilk ranch dressing mix

½ cup sour cream

½ cup low fat mayonnaise

½ cup buttermilk

1 cup fresh cilantro

2 cloves garlic pressed

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt

2 TBSP fresh lime juice

½ tsp cumin

½ cup sugar

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.  Makes 4 cups, enough for about 32 servings when used with pork tortillas.

Sweet Pork

I have tried a lot of recipes for Sweet Pork (most with a bottle of Dr. Pepper which I never have on hand), but I like this one the best.

 Rub:

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 tsp. rubbed sage

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

Rub on pork roast and cook until tender.  Add some water so it doesn’t dry out

Glaze:  ½ cup white sugar

1 TBSP corn starch

¼ cup vinegar

¼ cup water

2 TBSP Soy Sauce

 Heat on stove top until thickened.  Add to shredded pork and simmer in crock pot until ready to use.  

I serve this with rice, black beans, tortillas and lettuce for Sweet Pork Burritos or Salad.  Add a little Creamy Cilantro Dressing and it's just like Cafe Rio!

Powdered Laundry Detergent

I trade off between this and a laundry detergent that I purchase because it usually takes me a couple of weeks to make a new batch even though it is SUPER EASY!  I feel like this detergent gets my clothes clean and it is incredibly cheap to make.  I especially like to have all of the ingredients in my storage.  Because it has no fillers, it uses FAR less per batch and therefore lasts much longer.  

1  4 lb. box Borax
1  4 lb. box Baking Soda
1  4 lb. box Washing Soda
3 bars Fels Naptha or 2 bars Zote
3.5 lbs. Oxyclean (approx.)
Laundry Crystals or Fabric Softener Pellets (optional)

Finely grate Fels naptha or Zote.  Mix altogether.  Use 2 TBSP per batch.  It's tempting to use more because 2 TBSP doesn't seem like enough, but this soap has no fillers and it really only needs 2 TBSP!

Posole

I am not sure where the original recipe comes from.  I believe it comes from Cooking Light.  I have also used leftover cooked chicken in place of the pork and my homemade marinara sauce in place of the stewed tomatoes.  I substituted creole seasoning for the chipotle seasoning.  It does give it quite a kick.  You could use a little less than 2 teaspoons.

Cooking spray
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into bit-sized pieces (or chicken)
2 tsp salt-free Southwest chipotle seasoning blend (such as Mrs. Dash) (or creole seasoning)
1 (15.5 ounce) can white hominy, undrained
1 (14.5 ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeno peppers and spices (such as Del Monte), undrained
1 cup water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Sprinkle pork evenly with chipotle seasoning blend; coast evenly with cooking spray.  Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned.  Stir in hominy, tomatoes, and 1 cup water.  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until pork is tender.  Stir in cilantro.  Yield: 4 seasonings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups).

Southwestern Chicken and White Bean Soup

I am not sure where this recipe comes from.  I was given it by a nutritionist.  It is delicious!

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 Tbls taco seasoning
Cooking spray
2 (14 oz) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16 oz) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup green salsa
Light sour cream
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. Combine chicken and taco seasoning; toss well to coat.  Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken; saute 2 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned.  Add broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
2. Place beans in a small bowl; mash until only a few whole beans remain.  Add beans and salsa to pan, stirring well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thick.  Serve with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.  Yield: 6 servings (Serving size: 1 cup)