Black Bean Chili with Avocado Salsa

Whole Wheat Navajo Tacos (fried in coconut oil)

Navajo tacos were one of my favorite things to eat as a kid. There are dozens of ways to eat them but my favorite is Mexican style: refried beans, cheese, avocado and tomato. Thanks to coconut oil, I can still indulge in them from time to time.

Whole Wheat Navajo Tacos
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups whole wheat flour (one half cup at a time as needed)
coconut oil for frying
toppings- refried beans (I love mine mixed with salsa and sour cream), cheese, avocado, tomato

Dissolve yeast in warm water with honey. When yeast is bubbly, stir in melted (cooled) butter, salt and 1 cup of flour. Continue mixing and add 1/2 cup of flour at a time until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl- you want it to be soft but not sticky.

Cover and let rise until double. Roll dough out into 2 thin rectangles (about 1/4" thick) and using a pizza cutter slice into squares (I cut each into 12 small squares) and let rise until double.

Heat coconut oil in a small pot (the smaller the better). I don't like to waste a lot of oil so I used about a 1/2 cup but it's easier if you have more oil. I also make mine smaller due to less oil. Dip the corner of one piece of dough in the oil- when it bubbles right away the oil is ready.

Fry one piece of dough at a time, using a spoon, scoop oil over the top of the dough until it puffs up (or you can tip and rotate the pan around in circular motions so that oil covers the top of the dough). When the top has puffed, flip over and cook until brown. Drain on a paper towel and repeat for all pieces of dough. Top with desired toppings and serve warm.

For sweet dough, dip in powdered sugar, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar or drizzle with honey.

Quinoa and Black Bean Burritos

If you are a lover of Mexican food, you HAVE to try this. It is amazing. I modified the recipe from the Cooking Quinoa blog (a fabulous site for incorporating this superfood into everyday meals). This is fabulous by itself, with chips or in a tortilla. I didn't add meat to mine and didn't miss it a bit. Seriously, couldn't get a healthier, tastier burrito. We used the leftovers to make quesadillas and they were just as great. This is definitely being added to my regular meal rotation.

Quinoa and Black Bean Burritos

Olive oil
1 small onion, diced
Diced green and or red pepper (I used both)
1-2 cups black beans (or one can)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (less if you use canned beans)
2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 lime (or 1/2 lemon)
1/2 bunch cilantro (I forgot to add mine and it still tasted fabulous)
diced avocado, tomato

Heat 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil in pan and saute onions and peppers. Stir in black beans, salt, cumin, chili powder and garlic powder. Stir in quinoa just until heated through. Remove from heat and toss with lime or lemon and cilantro.
Serve with avocado and tomato. I had mine with whole wheat tortillas. I didn't add any sour cream or cheese, but that would also be a nice addition.

Chipotle style burritos: Black Beans, Cilantro Lime Rice, Pico de Gallo & Guacamole

I think I've mentioned before how much I LOVE Chipotle. Sadly, we don't have one near us, so the only time we get to indulge ourselves is when we travel. SO we like to make our own version at home. I am pretty close on everything except the chicken- I am not willing to spend the time to figure out those complex flavors, so for now I just go with grilled chicken marinated with a little lime juice and montreal seasoning or zesty italian dressing.

The cilantro lime rice recipe I posted previously here http://ldsbaker.blogspot.com/2010/10/cilantro-lime-rice-with-black-beans.html  the image shown is with barley, but you can also use white rice (pictured above). I also added a little chopped green onion to the version shown above.

Black beans...Squeeze the juice of one lime, stir in some salt, cilantro and cumin to flavor your beans. See below for simple instructions on cooking these in the pressure cooker- takes only 30 minutes!

Simple Pico de Gallo: This is my simply "wimpy" version of pico de gallo- simply chop a bunch of tomatoes, some green onions (including white part), cilantro and juice of one lime. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Guacamole: I never measure these spices, just add a bit here and there until you reach the flavor your tastebuds desire... 1-2 ripe avocados, salt, pepper, fresh lemon or lime juice, garlic powder, diced tomatoes, cilantro.

Serve in warmed tortilla with or without grilled chicken.

Cooking Black Beans in Pressure Cooker:

I have been asked a few times how to cook beans in a pressure cooker. It is really simple. I just take 2 cups of dried beans- sort and rinse, (no soaking necessary) add to pressure cooker and fill with water to the 2/3 full line. Turn stove on medium high and as soon as you hear the whistle, turn it down a bit so that it still whistles softly but isn't steaming it's top off. Continue cooking for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit on the burner while you prepare the rest of your food. I, as you know, am impatient and if I need them fast, I use a fork or knife to lift the release valve and let the excess steam out. Once the steam is all out you can open it, rinse the beans and eat.

Fresh cooked beans have a different flavor so you may find that you need to salt them, although after time you'll get used to not having so much salt on them. There is a great chart about how long to cook different types of beans at this website http://www.fabulousfoods.com/articles/27942/how-to-cook-beans-in-a-pressure-cooker

Enjoy!

New World Chili

To go along with my post on pumpkins- here's a yummy fall recipe to try. I've made it several times before but forgot how easy it really was to make. I whipped it up in less than 30 minutes and that includes the cooking of the pumpkin. Like all soups/chili's you can mix up the beans and veggies any way you like and it's so easy to shrink or expand the batch. If you follow my version of this recipe it makes a big batch enough for 2 meals (unless you have a really big family!) I like to freeze half and save for another day when I'm too busy to make dinner.

3 cans diced tomatoes (14.5oz)
2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 8oz can tomato sauce (I used spaghetti sauce)
1 small pumpkin or butternut squash, seeded, cooked, peeled and chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 onion chopped
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 cup dried cranberries
1 can green chilies (I didn't have any and it still tasted great)
1 tablespoon chili powder (or to taste)
1 teaspoon cumin (or to taste)
2 cloves garlic
4oz monterey jack cheese, shredded

Cut pumpkin in half, remove seeds and place cut side down on microwave safe dish. Cook 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in large stockpot add all remaining ingredients except cheese, and cook until heated through, 15-20 minutes. Peel skin off pumpkin and chop into cubes. Stir into chili mixture. Top each serving with cheese.

*original recipe stirred in 2 cups shredded fresh spinach, I have not tried this but bet it would be yummy
*original recipe includes chicken breast, I went meatless, but think shredded chicken or turkey would be a great addition

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Have I mentioned that I love black beans??? This soup is yum. Doesn't look too appetizing, but it really is good. And can't get much easier.

1/2 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oil

2 cans black beans

1 tablespoon cumin (to taste)

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup sour cream

Heat oil in large pan, cook onions and garlic until golden. Add black beans and mash with potato masher or food chopper (I mash mine right in the pan). If you prefer a smoother soup, use a blender, I just prefer chunky soup. Stir in cumin, chicken broth and salsa and cook until heated through. Stir in sour cream. Garnish with sour cream, avocado, tortilla strips, and cilantro.

Cilantro Lime Rice with Black Beans

I love Chipotle, this is my rendition of lime rice- I used barley because I have a ton of it, but you could also use rice.

1 cup barley (or rice)

1 tablespoon oil

2 cups chicken broth

1 lime

1 can black beans

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Cumin (or to taste)
S&P to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat, add barley and cook until browned. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmering 30 to 40 minutes or until barley/rice is tender. Microwave lime for 30 seconds, slice in half and squeeze juice over barley/rice. Stir in black beans and cilantro. Makes a great filler for burritos.

Black Bean Salad aka Cowboy Caviar

This is one of my favorite dishes because it's so simple and so healthy. It is my "go to" dish when I'm exhausted and don't feel like cooking. You can eat it warm or cold, with a spoon, tortilla, or chips. Plain, over rice, or lettuce. So versatile, and did I mention healthy?

2 cans black beans
1 can corn, drained or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 avocado, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
1/2 cup zesty italian dressing
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Chop the tomatoes, onion, avocado and cilantro and toss with beans and spices. Here is a great recipe for zesty italian dressing (I simply mixed a little olive oil, garlic powder, honey and italian seasoning together and liked it much more than the storebought stuff I used to buy). Refrigerating it for a few hours helps the flavors to soak in and give the beans a good flavor.

For an even healthier boost- try adding some cooked quinoa to the salad.

Sloppy Joes (lentil style)

If you tried the lentil tacos and enjoyed them, I think you'll really like these. I've been wanting to try it for a while and finally got the courage. They are really yummy. Either use the recipe below or just mix in with your favorite canned sloppy joe mix (I'm partial to the home made kind).

1 cup lentils

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped bell pepper

1 clove minced garlic

1 teaspoon mustard

3/4 cup ketchup

3 teaspoons brown sugar

s&p to taste

Boil lentils in water with chicken broth, reduce heat to medium and cook until tender, 45 minutes to an hour. In a skillet over medium heat saute onions, pepper and garlic in a tablespoon of oil. Stir in mustard, ketchup and brown sugar and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in lentils and serve on hamburger buns.

Southwestern Barley Salad

I know I promised barley recipes, I just got distracted. Here is a really yummy one. It's great for the summer because it tastes great warm or cold and can be eaten plain or with tortillas.
3 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup barley
1 can corn (or 1 cup frozen)
1 can black beans (or 1 can dried, cooked beans)
1/2 chopped red pepper
1/2 chopped yellow pepper
1/2 onion chopped
1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin

Bring chicken broth to a boil in medium saucepan, stir in barley. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until barley is tender, about 40 minutes. Chop all vegetables. Roast onions and peppers in oven on broil for 5-10 minutes or until tender. Toss all vegetables with lime juice and cilantro in a large bowl. Stir in warm barley. Serve warm or cold with avocado, sour cream and or salsa.

Smothered Burritos

I LOVE smothered burritos. It's one of the things I miss the most about Utah. You just can't find these anywhere else. My favorite place was Los Tres Amigos in Provo- they were awesome. My last pregnancy I craved these almost every day. I have tried numerous ways to make them and just can't seem to get it perfect. This is as close as I've come and it still isn't the same, but it's better than nothing...I can't wait to get a real one in less than a month!!!

Small pork roast (I used part of the roast for my pulled pork the other night)
Green Enchilada sauce (recipe below)
Refried Beans
Tortillas
Cheese

You can use canned green enchilada sauce or use the recipe below. Slow cook pork with sauce in crockpot on low for 10 hours or high for 5. Shred pork with fork until mixed in with sauce. Heat refried beans and spread on a tortillas. Add a scoop of the pork mixture some cheese and roll up. Smother the top with more pork mixture and cheese. Broil in the oven until cheese is melted.

  

 

Green Enchilada Sauce

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cup chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

4 oz chopped green chilies

Mix this just like you would a white sauce gravy. Melt the butter, whisk in the flour and slowly add the broth, whisking until smooth (add more or less depending on desired thickness). Stir in sour cream and green chilies.

Black Bean Quesadillas & Black Refried Beans

I love black refried beans. Black beans with lime are a match made in heaven. They are so easy to make and so yummy. I like to use them for black bean quesadillas or just as chip dip. Add spices to suit your taste. I don't care for spicy food so I limit the chili powder and I love lime, so I use lots of it. I also love to make my own chips and sprinkle with lime juice. Yum.

Black Refried Beans
1 can black beans (or dried, cooked black beans)
1 can diced green chilies
cumin to taste (about a teaspoon)
chili powder to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
lime juice (fresh or you can use limeaid, about half of a fresh lime or a spoonful of limeaid)
salt to taste (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)

Mash black beans with potato masher. Heat a tiny bit of oil in a non-stick skillet. Add all ingredients and heat thoroughly, stirring so the beans don't stick to the pan. These beans combined with ripe avocado make the best burritos, tostadas or meatless enchiladas.

Black Bean Quesadillas

Spread black refried beans over a flour tortilla, top with tomatoes, cheese and other desired toppings. Cover with another flour tortilla. You can cook in a skillet with a bit of butter until brown and crispy on both sides or broil in the oven until crispy.

Lentil Tacos (they really are good!)

I know what you are thinking- the first time I saw this recipe I thought- Lentil Tacos? That sounds so gross. I remember my mother making us lentils once and we all gagged but I have since made lentil soup and I really like it(sorry mom, I'm sure you tried). Anyway...Anthony needs really high protein meals when he does his 1000 calorie workouts; and I've been thinking about foods we can eat that abide more by the word of wisdom, SO...I figured I'd give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised...

Apparently you can add chili powder and cumin to anything and make it taste great! I am not even tempted by beef tacos any longer- this is my new taco substitute that I use in everything Mexican (I even used them for baked beans and they were so yummy).

I also have a bunch of pearl barley and have found some yummy looking recipes for that so you'll probably be seeing a lot of *interesting* recipes around here. But rest assured if it tastes nasty I won't be posting it. I refuse to eat something healthy if it tastes like crap (we die either way, right?) plus I have young kids who have to eat my food (and franky I love meat- just not every day)... If you have any healthy meatless dishes please share! And stay tuned for lots of experimental barley recipes...

FYI: Lentils are much quicker cooking than other dried beans and they have tons of protein and fiber. For more info click here.

Lentil Tacos

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup salsa

Serve with:
taco shells, tortillas or chips
shredded lettuce
chopped fresh tomato
shredded Cheddar cheese
avocado
sour cream

Directions
1.In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low; cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly.

2.Stir in salsa. Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell/tortilla. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado and sour cream.

*recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Egg Fried Rice

This is yet another recipe I have tried to make and failed miserabley many many times. I finally found this recipe here where they explained the *secret* to making fried rice.

I was always using fresh rice- it needs to be old rice. I didn't plan in advance- but I tried his method of putting the rice in the fridge uncovered for a few hours. Then I dumped it out on a cookie sheet, broke up the rice and let it sit uncovered for a few more hours to dry it out. It turned out great- FINALLY!

Ingredients


5 cups cooked white rice
4 eggs, beaten
Diced onions
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, lightly crushed
Ham, julienned
1/2 cup carrot, finely sliced
1/3 cup chicken stock
4 tablespoons soy sauce

Method
Break rice into individual grains with your hands and put aside.

Beat eggs. Add 1/2 of onions, salt and pepper. Mix well. Heat a frying pan to a medium and make an omelette. Slice into small pieces and set aside.

Heat oil in wok at a very low heat. Add garlic and fry for a minute until oil is fully garlic-flavoured - do not brown garlic. Remove garlic but leave as much oil in wok as possible.

Bring wok to full heat. Add pork, stirring rapidly for 30 seconds. Add carrots, and onions while stirring. Add stock and soy sauce. Return garlic to wok. Cook vegetables for no more than a few minutes.

Add rice and stir everything together for a few minutes until rice is hot. If rice starts to stick to wok, reduce heat. Add omelette and cook for a minute more before serving on a plate.

Hawaiian Haystacks

There's really nothing Hawaiian about this dish- but is super easy and fun for kids. Just cook up some rice, heat the gravy till it's warm and top with your favorite veggies. This is how I like it:

Rice, cooked

Gravy:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk- I don't really measure, just add some until it's not too thick, but not so thin that it's soupy
1 packet of white albacore tuna or canned chicken breast

Toppings:

Chopped celery

Grated carrots
Chunky pineapple
Grated cheese
Flaked coconut
Sliced almonds
Chow mein noodles
Any other veggies (mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc.)

Black Bean Veggie Chili

1/2 red pepper diced

1 can of diced tomatoes

2-3 garlic cloves

1/2 Large sweet onions diced

2-3 C chicken stock

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp Chili pepper

1 1/2 C black beans-cooked (or one 15 oz can)

1 C chopped carrots

1 C chopped zucchini

1 C corn

1. Sauté onions, garlic, peppers, carrots and zucchini, for about 5+ minutes until onions are tender. Then add stock. (You can add this some at a time) cook about 10 more minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, beans and spices simmer until thick. Add the corn then cook about 3-5 more minutes.

3. Top with sour cream, cheese and fresh cilantro, and serve with avocado!

*Recipe from Joann- just modified a bit

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 skinless, boneless chicken breast

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup chopped onion
1 can black beans (1 cup dried beans, cooked)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
S&P to taste
1 cup chunky salsa
3 corn tortillas (optional, here is a great recipe to make corn tortillas)
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

In a large pot over medium heat, saute the chicken in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and mix well. Then add the broth, corn, onion, chili powder, lemon juice and salsa. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Cut corn tortillas into thin strips and either broil in the oven or fry in olive oil until crispy. Top with Monterey Jack cheese, tortilla strips and a little sour cream.

Notes: to double the recipe simply add another can of black beans, if you use dried beans you will need to add salt to give it flavor, but if you use canned beans, there is no need to add salt.

White Chicken Chili

This is my favorite soup recipe, it's so simple yet delicious. Thanks Heather for the recipe!

 

1 lg. onion

1 stick unsalted butter

¼ c. whole wheat flour
¾ c. organic chicken broth
2 c. milk
1 1/2 t. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. white pepper (I use black)
2 cans Great Northern Beans (about 1 cup dried beans cooked)
2 cans green chilies
3-4 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 1/2 c. Monterey jack cheese
1/2 c. sour cream

In skillet cook onion in 2 T. butter until softened. In 6-8 qt. stock pan, melt remaining butter over med-low heat and whisk in flour. Whisk constantly until blended and smooth. Stir in onion and add broth and milk, stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer until thickened. Stir in Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, salt, and white pepper. Add beans, green chilies, chicken and cheese. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Serves 4-6

*Recipe from Heather McVay
Notes: I only use one can of green chilies, chicken bullion instead of broth, one chicken breast marinated in zesty italian dressing and broiled in the oven, omit tabasco and black pepper instead of white.