Hummus--The Best Ever!

I do not like chickpeas, they are big and beany. At the salad bar I eat my way around them. So why do I like Hummus? I think something amazing happens when they take a ride in my trusty food processor. Just add a few simple ingredients and in just seconds a wonderful dip is born! Serve Hummus with pita chips, veggies or crusty bread, it is delicious!

Hummus
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini
1 (15.5 ounce can) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced parsley
Add garlic, lemon juice and tahini to food processor. Pulse for about a minute until smooth. Add beans, salt and pepper, cumin, red pepper and 3 tablespoons water. Process until smooth. With processor running slowly add the olive oil, process until just combined. Add additional water to reach desired consistency. Store covered in refrigerator. Refrigerator for at least two hours before serving. Just before serving drizzle with olive oil and chopped parsley.
Printable Recipe

BBQ Chicken Salad

This tasty salad comes together quickly. The dressing uses ingredients you probably have on hand. It is a simple salad with a delicious flavor. If you can get hold of garden fresh corn and tomatoes this will be awesome (if not your local market will have what you need year round, still yummy).  Grill your chicken and it will smell like you spent hours on dinner! This is one amazing summer meal.
This could be a 30 minute meal with a little advance prep and a sous chef!!

BBQ Chicken Salad
BBQ Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup BBQ Sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried dill
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.  The dressing was quite thick, feel free to thin it with a bit of additional buttermilk, milk, or water.

Salad Ingredients
Chopped Romaine
1 diced cucumber
1 cup corn--if you are grilling your chicken it would be great to grill an ear of corn or two, Yummy!
1 fresh tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
2 green onions, sliced
1 carrot julienne strips
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
grated cheddar or pepper jack cheese
1-2 cups grilled chicken, thinly sliced
Frito's, crushed tortilla chips or cute colored corn strips--it is the crunch you are after.
Printable Recipe

 I can't remember where I found this Dressing Recipe--when I do I will give credit. The salad is pretty much what I had in the house the day I made it. It was a great combo!!

Corn and Bean Salsa

Don't let the plain name of this fool you; it is way more than beans and corn. This dish is full of flavor and all good things. We took this to a summer party and got rave reviews. This recipe originates from Southern Living, I found it on You Go Girl and adjusted it to suit what I had and like. You can do that you know!

Corn and Bean Salsa
4 ears fresh corn
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 or 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 large tomatoes. seeded and diced
1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 avocados, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Roast corn, cool and cut off cob. Whisk together lime juice, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Toss, cover and chill for 2 hours. Serve with corn chips.
Printable Recipe

One Year Ago--------Breakfast in a Scone
Two Years Ago-------Puff Pancakes
Three Years Ago------Banana Mini Muffins
Four Years Ago-------Pasta Chicken Cashew Salad

Taco Chopped Salad

I wish I could say that my weekly menu plans were chosen from all the fun foods on my Pinterest boards. But really it is something like this: I look in the pantry, fridge and freezer and see what needs to be used. This week I had a half a bag of my favorite tortilla chips that somehow got crushed, a few olives, and 2 heads of romaine that were screaming 'use me'! I also had some shredded cheese and some freshly made Cracked Pepper Dressing. This looked like the perfect week to have Taco Salads!
Chopped Salads make a stunning presentation. And as I tell my girls--presentation is everything. Chopped Salads are great for picky eaters; they don't have to eat the tomatoes or beans or whatever they don't like.
So here is my version of:

Taco Chopped Salad:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion
1/2 cup Catalina Dressing
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Brown ground beef and onion, season with salt and pepper. Add dressing, water, chili powder and beans, simmer for a few minutes, adding more dressing or water to taste.
On a large platter make rows of:
shredded romaine
spinach
chopped tomatoes
shredded cheese
diced avocado
matchstick carrots
cucumber
chopped red pepper
any other veggies that sound good
tortilla chips or Frito's
ground beef and bean mixture 
Serve with Ranch or Cracked Pepper Dressing
Printable Recipe 

Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice

This 30-minute meal from Cooks Country had plenty of promise. We made a few additions and had one yummy meal!


Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup long grain white rice
salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds of chicken)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups Frito's, crushed
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro


Combine 1 cup broth, rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until liquid is absorbed about 6-8 minutes. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking, Cook chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Add remaining broth, rice, tomatoes and beans to now empty skillet and bring to a boil. Return chicken and juices to skillet and cook, covered over medium low heat until chicken is cooked thru and rice is tender 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes then cut into 1/2 inch slices. Meanwhile let rice mixture stand covered for 5 minutes. Combine Frito's and cheese and cilantro in a bowl. Stir chicken and juices into rice mixture. Sprinkle Frito mixture over the chicken and rice mixture and put under heated broiler until golden. 
Leave  the Frito's whole and use as dippers.
This was good as is but we thought it needed a little more so we topped the dish with diced tomato, finely diced onion and sour cream. Avocado would also been a great addition. It was a yummy quick meal.
It would also have been good minus the chip as a filling for a Toastada or burrito. It was very flavorful, plenty of meat and I love the combination of the rice and beans. But, however you serve it the toppings really make it.

Quick Taco Soup

 I can't believe I haven't blogged about a favorite family meal. I've had this recipe for years and have no clue where it came from. If you gave it to me please let me know. I liked this recipe because it does NOT use a packet of taco seasoning. I prefer not to use these little packets, I read the ingredients list and knew I could do better.
This simple soup is a 30-minute meal, it feeds a crowd of hungry kids. It is easy to adapt to personal tastes.

QUICK TACO SOUP

In a large saucepan combine:

1 pound of cooked ground beef with onion (cook two pounds of ground beef with onion, use half and freeze half. Put it in a freezer bag and label it. Use it within 2 months for the best flavor.)

1 cup petite frozen or canned corn

1 can drained and rinsed black beans (red or pinto beans work fine)

28 ounces crushed tomatoes in puree

½ can EL PATO sauce (Mexican hot tomato sauce)

2 cups water

Simmer about 20 minutes
I'm sure that after browning the ground beef and onion you could put everything in a Crock Pot and cook on low for 4 hours.

Serve in bowls topped with tortilla chips, grated cheese, sliced olives, and sour cream.  This is an easy recipe to double—then you have leftovers for another busy day.  My boys like this recipe without the added water. It is thicker, almost like a dip, you can scoop it with a chip—it’s a boy thing. 

When your tired of turkey and need a quick meal this is it. This is also a pantry meal. Most of the items to make this soup are easily stored in your pantry. You probably have ground beef in the freezer. Cheese and sour cream are staples in my refrigerator and I always have a bag or two of corn chips in my pantry. Good for Nachos, dips etc.

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

I went to a class on cooking with a crock pot. It was taught by the author of 101 Things To Do With A Crock Pot, Janet Eyring. It was very interesting, did you know that every time you lift the lid on your crock pot you add 30 minutes cooking time to the recipe? That would explain why dinner is late!
I made one of the recipes suggested and it was delicious. A perfect meal for a busy fall evening.

 Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded

1 small can diced tomatoes

1 can enchilada sauce, 10 ounces

1 small can chopped green chilies

1 can chicken broth

1 can corn or frozen corn

1 onion diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups water

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon dried cilantro--look for this in the produce department

1 bay leaf

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese.

Janet Eyring—101 Things to do with a Slow Cooker

I asked Janet why the recipe called for cooked shredded chicken. She cooks a crock pot full of chicken breasts and shreds them. She then bags them in 2 cup portions and freezes them. So when she makes this recipe she just puts a bag of frozen shredded chicken in. Making it a very quick meal to assemble.

Candise tried it with frozen chicken tenders, she said it cooked perfect. She just took out the tenders before serving and shredded them and put them back in the soup. Candise added a can of drained black beans and served the soup with diced avocado and a splash of lime. Perfect.

Did you know it takes about 9 chicken tenders to equal a pound? I love my kitchen scale. When I made the soup I used homemade enchilada sauce, it was pretty warm, we liked it. Candise used a can of mild enchilada sauce, next time she would use either a medium or hot variety of enchilada sauce.

So friends, here is way more information than you probably need. Try this soup, it was delicious.

Ham and Bean Soup

The holidays are over but my freezer holds the remnants of a delicious holiday ham. In a big freezer bag is a ham bone with lots of tasty morsels attached. I have good intentions but too often the bag gets hidden only to be discovered when it is past its prime.
Not this year. I made a tasty pot of Ham and Bean Soup, hubby loved it!
There are as many recipes for this simple soup as there are cooks. This pot tasted especially good so I wrote down the recipe!

Ham and Bean Soup
Put ham bone with plenty of meat attached in your big crock pot, add 3-4 cups of water. Let cook several hours until the meat falls off the bone. Refrigerate broth, remove fat. Cut meat in bite size pieces.

1cup dry white beans I used cannellini, cooked till soft or use 1 can of beans, drained

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 cup chopped celery

2 carrots, diced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 cups diced potatoes

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 bay leaf
Saute onions, garlic, carrots and celery in a little olive oil till soft. Add broth, potatoes and seasonings. Cook till potatoes are tender. Add beans, ham and additional water. Taste to adjust seasonings, it may need salt.

Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve on a cold winter day with a loaf of crusty bread.

Oven Chili

I found this recipe in a Pampered Chef Stoneware Cookbook. I like the flavor of chili but have never been a bean lover. This recipe is full of onions, tomatoes, peppers and lean beef. Just one can of beans to serve 10 people. I knew it would be a winner. It was and continues to be a family favorite. I have had requests to add more beans. Sometimes I do. 

HEARTY OVEN CHILI

2½ Pound boneless beef rump roast—trimmed of excess fat and cut in ½ inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1½ teaspoons dried oregano leaves
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoons black pepper
2 cups onions, coarsely chopped
2 cups green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
3 cans (14½ ounces each) diced tomatoes, I give them a spin with my Immersion Blender
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1-2 cans (15.5 ounces) pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed

Sprinkle garlic and seasonings over beef cubes; stir to coat meat. Add vegetables and beans. Put in stoneware baker or heavy pan. Cover and bake at 350 for 2½-3 hours until meat is tender. Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sliced olives, chopped green onions and sour cream. Serves 10
This can also be cooked in a large crock pot on high 4-6 hours or until meat is tender.

White Bean Chili

I am sad to say it is still 'soup weather' in Utah. The good news is I have a great pantry soup recipe to share with you. I was asked to be a judge at a cooking contest, when I tasted this soup I just wanted to stop and eat a bowl. I gave it a blue ribbon. Use rotisserie chicken and this soup comes together in minutes.

White Bean Chili

2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1 can (15 oz) Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

1 package (9 oz) frozen shoe peg white corn

1 can (7 oz) salsa verde

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Mix chicken, broth, beans, corn, and salsa verde in a 3-quart saucepan.  Heat to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Stir in cilantro.  Thin with additional chicken broth if desired.  Garnish with sour cream and/or guacamole.

Refried Beans and Enchilada Sauce

Refried beans is one of my most requested recipes. These little gems cook up as smooth and creamy as butter and are simply delicious.

Provident living is being stressed in many circles. Beans are cheap and packed full of protein and fiber. Please remember--always use fresh beans. Yes, I know dried beans keep for years. They are a great storage item. Buy fresh and use them up this year. Next year buy more fresh beans! Your family will thank you.


I was an unbeliever at first, I mean dried beans are dried--does age matter? So I made two identical batches of beans, one batch using fresh purchased beans, the other using beans that had been in my storage several years. The difference was more than slightly noticeable. The new beans whipped up creamy and smooth. The old beans cooked much longer and still had small hard spots. They whipped, but were not creamy. They were edible, but not delicious. Fresh is Best!



REFRIED BEANS

3 cups pinto beans
Beans need to soak before cooking. This can be done a couple different ways.
1. Rinse and soak overnight.
OR
2. Bring beans to a boil, boil 1 minute, cover and remove from heat and let sit for one hour.
After your beans have soaked, drain, rinse and cover with clear water.

Add:
3 bay leaves
1 whole clove of garlic
1 whole peeled onion
Pressure cook for 12 minutes, let pressure drop. Drain some of the liquid from beans (save for later use). Remove bay leaves, onion and garlic-discard.

To beans add:
4 tablespoons butter
1 can chopped green chilies
2 tablespoon chili powder
Salt
½ cup salsa

Beat till smooth, adding reserved liquid if needed. I use my food processor.

You now have the base for many quick and delicious meals. Refried beans can be frozen for about a month.
When a fresh pot of beans is made we often have bean burritos for dinner. Homemade enchilda sauce is essential!


ENCHILADA SAUCE

3 Tablespoons oil
2 Tablespoons flour
¼ cup mild chili powder
1 can chicken broth
2 cans tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Pampered Chef Southwestern Seasoning
Heat oil and stir in flour. Cook for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.

Spread refried beans on a flour tortilla; add a spoonful of enchilada sauce and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll and heat in the microwave for a few seconds; serve with sour cream and guacamole.