Recipe review

In recent weeks I have been cooking a vegetarian meal--usually based on beans--once a week. I have been doing this because it is very healthy (I use dry beans, not canned) and because it is inexpensive. Larry is never excited about a meat-free meal, but he liked this one the best of all the vegetarian meals I have made. And Sara loved it!

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

Kan Kanbayashi

Makes 4 servings

Hands-on Time: 0hr 20m

Total Time: 0hr 40m

This recipe is: Kid Friendly, Quick & Easy

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (next time I make it I will use two)
  
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 15.5-ounce cans black beans, rinsed (I used dry beans that I cooked)
  
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 4 radishes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook for 1 minute.

2. Add the beans, oregano, and 1 cup water (I will probably increase the water a little next time). Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and smash some of the beans with the back of a fork to thicken.

3. Serve the beans over the rice and top with the radishes and cilantro.

Tip

Pack this hearty dish for lunch: Simply scoop the beans and rice into large tortillas or pitas.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories 368; Fat 5g; Sat Fat 1g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 1077mg; Protein 14g; Carbohydrate 71g; Fiber 11g

Real Simple, March 2009

Recipe review: Chicken burritos with mojo

Since Thanksgiving was last week, I sought out recipes I would be able to use with leftover turkey. I really enjoyed this one and will happily make it again with chicken or turkey. The rice to me was the weakest component of the dish. It was okay, but nothing special. The beans were good in the burrito, and Sara LOVED them! They took longer than the 1.5 hours to cook fully for me, though.

Easy Chicken Burritos with Mojo

Ingredients

Mojo Sauce:

• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 serrano chilies, seeds removed
• 1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves
• Juice 2 limes
• Juice 1 orange
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 large flour tortillas
• 1 (3 to 4 pound) whole roasted chicken, shredded (I used leftover turkey)
  
• Yellow Rice, recipe follows
• Spicy Black Beans, recipe follows
• 2 avocados chopped
• 1 cup grated queso blanco or Monterey jack cheese
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions

Make the Mojo Sauce: Put the garlic, chilies, cilantro, lime juice, orange juice, and olive oil into a blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To make the burritos: Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds in a dry skillet or on the grill until pliable. Place some chicken down the center of a tortilla and top with rice and beans, avocado, grated cheese, and Mojo Sauce. Roll up the burrito and serve topped with a generous drizzle of sour cream; garnish with cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime juice.

Yellow Rice:

2 cups long-grain rice

4 cups water

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 bay leaf

Put all the ingredients into a heavy bottomed pot, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed the water, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and serve.

Yield: 8 servings

Spicy Black Beans:

2 cups (about 1 pound) dried black beans, picked over and rinsed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Quick soak the beans: Put beans in a pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let soak for 1 hour. Drain the beans.

In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and bay leaf and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and cover with water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste the beans and season them with salt and pepper.

Yield: 8 servings

Well baby visit, books, and a recipe

Sara had her one year well-baby visit today, and the doctor said she looks good! Her head circumference is now "only" in the 90th percentile, her length (29.5 inches) is in about the 60th or 65th percentile, and her weight (22 pounds, 10 oz) is in the 75th percentile. Dr. G asked me a few times about her belly and whether I feed her healthy foods. I promise I do!

In other news, I haven't written about my readings in quite some time. Right now I'm reading my way through the Little House series, which I'm really enjoying. After that, I'll be moving on to a couple of parenting books I've purchased of late to prepare me for the toddler years. After that, maybe I'll finally get around to Atonement but I can feel more Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum titles calling my name...

I haven't posted any recipes in ages, which doesn't mean I haven't made anything new. My most recent new favorite has been pumpkin risotto with prosciutto. Yum!

Recipe review: Jerk Chicken with rice, black beans, and pineapple

I improvised a lot on this one. I realized that I had forgotten to buy pineapple, plus the sauce tasted too acidic to me when I followed the recipe. After the chicken was cooked, I threw two chopped apples and a handful of sliced scallions into the pan and cooked until the apples were soft. I also poured about 1/8-1/4 of a cup additional jerk sauce into the mix.


The end result was good. Larry said he liked it and gave it an 8 out of 10. I agree and will definitely make this again in my improvised style. :)

Jerk Chicken with Rice, Black Beans, and Pineapple

1 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup spiced rum or orange juice
2 tablespoons jerk sauce (such as Pickapeppa Sauce)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 ounces fresh pineapple, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch scallions, sliced

Cook the rice according to the package directions.

Combine the vinegar, rum, jerk sauce, and ginger in a measuring cup or small bowl; set aside.

Pound the chicken to an even thickness. Season it with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and add the vinegar mixture. Return the skillet to low heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes.Divide the chicken and sauce among plates.

Stir the beans into the rice. In a medium bowl, combine the pineapple and scallions. Serve both with the chicken.

Tip: The chili peppers in jerk sauce shouldn't overwhelm the other ingredients. Taste yours before adding it to a dish. If the sauce is too spicy, cut the amount you use in the recipe by half.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 542(10% from fat); FAT 6g (sat 1g); SUGAR 7g; PROTEIN 40g; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; SODIUM 357mg; FIBER 11g; CARBOHYDRATE 73g

Source: Real Simple, February 2008

Recipe Review: Moroccan Shrimp

On Sunday night I made Moroccan shrimp. I really liked this one. I tend to like dishes that combine the sweet and the savory, and this dish did that nicely with the golden raisins (which are way yummier than normal raisins). Larry's only complaint was that the dish needed more shrimp. The recipe calls for couscous, but I made it with quinoa instead.

MOROCCAN SHRIMP

1 10-ounce box couscous
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup golden raisins
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 lemon, halved

Prepare the couscous according to the package directions; set aside.

In a large skillet, over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the black pepper. Cover and cook until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the bell pepper and raisins and cook for 4 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and heat for 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the cumin, cinnamon, and the remaining black pepper. Squeeze the lemon over the shrimp and toss to combine. Add the shrimp (but not the liquid) to the tomato mixture in the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork, divide it among individual plates, and spoon the shrimp over the top.

Tip: Add flavor and color by stirring about 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or scallions into the couscous just before serving.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 580.46(10% from fat); FAT 6.42g (sat 0.97g); PROTEIN 35.32mg; CHOLESTEROL 172.36mg; CALCIUM 179.62mg; SODIUM 580.55mg; CARBOHYDRATE 94.46g; IRON 7.06mg

Source: Real Simple, November 2005

Ham and pasta skillet--Recipe review

Since ham was on sale before the Easter holiday, I bought one and planned about three different ham meals for this week; this one is a new recipe. I know three ham meals in one week is excessive, but I never cook ham, so we'll have plenty of time to get over inevitably being sick of it.

Larry and I both agree that this one is about a 7/10. It's tasty enough to eat again, but it doesn't inspire any kind of enthusiasm. It's just okay. It's easy-to-make, so for that reason alone I'm sure I'll make it again. I'm all about easy. ;)

Ham and Pasta Skillet
1 can condensed broccoli cheese soup (I couldn't find this, so I used cream of broccoli and threw in three slices of American cheese)
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli
3 cups cooked shell macaroni (about 2 cups dry)
8 oz cooked ham cut in thin strips

Combine first three ingredients in a skillet. Add broccoli. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; cover; cook until broccoli is tender. Add macaroni and ham. Heat through, stirring occasionally.

Source: Campelll's Quick and Easy Recipes

California chicken rolls and random movie notes

I usually try a new recipe out about once a week. I keep intending to post about the recipe on here, but it hasn't happened yet despite some successes (like crock pot chicken and dumplings) and some failures (like vegetarian chili out of a cookbook). Since Larry liked tonight's dinner so well, though, I'll use the opportunity to make my first recipe posting.

California Chicken Rolls
Mix together 10 oz thawed chopped frozen spinach, 4 oz blue cheese, and 3 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes. Spread onto thinly pounded chicken breasts. Roll up and secure with toothpicks. Cook in skillet until golden brown and chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Source: Healthy Meals in Minutes (some mail-order cards I bought in the months before we got married!)

This was quick, yummy, and fancy-looking. ;) Thumbs up!

Movie notes: This week we've watched Michael Clayton and Blood Diamond. Both are worth seeing. Michael Clayton is just really well done--very smooth. Blood Diamond has some cheesy moments, but overall it's good. It made me stop and wonder about where my diamond might have come from.