My New Fave -- Sweet Potato Tacos

Move over tortellini with butternut squash and sage, there's a new favorite in town!

From sweet potato hater to lover like that *finger snap*.

You cannot thank me for this, though.  All the credit goes out to Jess at CookSmarts.  She is a brilliant one, I tell ya, and if you are looking at this thinking, "Man, if only I could cook," look no further because she is here to help.  With her videos, easy recipes, and all these handy kitchen tips, you can't help be leave her site a little bit more handy in the kitchen.  Where was she when I needed her two years ago?!

Oh well, she is here now and so are these tacos.  Which I have had six of in the past twenty-four hours.  Dinner last night, lunch today, and now dinner tonight.  I guess you really can't have too much of a good thing...

Click here for the recipe for Sweet Potato Tacos.  I did it word for word, minus the cayenne pepper, and choosing Greek yogurt for my dairy.  Leave the dairy off and you've got a great vegan plate. And now I am hoping that my husband will say, "Yes, we can have them again, for the third time this week..."

COST: $5.97    COST PER SERVING (4): $1.50

Kick-off to October Unprocessed: White Bean Soup with Kale and Sausage

Canned food is not real food.  At least that's what my Brazilian husband tells me.  Canned beans are not really beans, but something to to be prodded with a fork and stared at.  Then dump down the drain.  I used to laugh at him, but you know what?  Now I pretty much agree.

Have you tasted fresh beans compared to canned beans?  WOW.  So much difference.  And the most interesting part?  Canned beans don't go bad for a long time.  Really.  You can leave them in the fridge for a week and a half and they still smell normal.  That can't be natural.  Too many preservatives, I suppose.  So we are 99% of the time can free.

Except for Campbell's.  Don't take away my Campbell's.

Monday starts the month of October, and with that means in our house (and many houses around the country -- maybe even world) October Unprocessed is about to start, as well.  As I shared last year at this time:

What is this, exactly?  Well, according to the mastermind behind it, Andrew Wilder, it is a push to get people to stop and think about what they putting in their bodies.  For the month of October, over 1,800 of us (yes, you read that correctly) have decided to put away packaged goods and go for it. 

Of course, each person might consider something processed that another does not, so here is the working definition for unprocessed food that we are using for this challenge (taken from Andrew's blog, Eating Rules!).

Unprocessed food is any food that could be made by a person with reasonable skill in a home kitchen with readily available, whole-food ingredients.  It doesn’t mean you actually have to make it yourself, it just means that for it to be considered “unprocessed” that you could, in theory, do so.

What does that mean for us?  Well, Ok, you can take away my Campbell's.  And the Skippy.  Condiments will be shelved for the month and I will be baking with raw sugar and unbleached flour.  But really, it isn't that hard.  See this bowl of soup?  Beans, in the pressure cooker, with some garlic and fresh chicken stock (not Knorr, which I usually use).  Add some kale, grill some fresh chicken sausage from Trader Joe's (no preservatives, just meat), and top with some Parmesan, also from TJ's (ingredients: milk, live bacteria, salt).  

Easy.  Fresh.  Unprocessed.

Last year at this time I was terrified.  TERRIFIED.  How on earth was going to survive a month without processed foods?!  But I did.  And I thrived.  I learned a lot, tried new things, and pretty much started a new way of eating year round, not just in October.  

Not to mention, I lost some pudge around my belly.  That was a completely unexpected result, but one that I will take gladly!

I have looked through my recipes from this year and have some great tasting and easy to make recipes that fit this bill, so I am going to be making a menu plan for each week for any of you brave enough to try October Unprocessed.  The first weekly plan will be up tomorrow, so check back to prepare for the week. WE CAN DO IT, Friends!  

Are you brave enough to join me?  Come on, let's do it!

(To read through my experience last year, click HERE.)

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food, September 2012

YIELD: 8 servings       PREP TIME:  15 minutes        TOTAL TIME:  1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried white beans
• 4 cups fresh chicken broth, either from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, or make your own
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt
• 1 large bunch kale, roughly chopped, ribs removed
• Vegetable oil, for grill
• 1 pound chicken sausage, from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods (or a butcher)
• Grated Parmesan, for serving  (remember -- FRESH.  Nothing weird on the ingredients list!)

Directions

1. In a 6-quart pressure cooker, cover beans by 2 inches water, bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Let soak 30 minutes. Drain beans and return to pressure cooker. Add broth and garlic; season with salt. Secure lid. Bring to high pressure over medium-high heat; reduce heat and cook until beans are tender, 20 to 22 minutes (adjust heat to maintain pressure). Remove from heat, vent pressure, and remove lid. Stir in kale.
2. Meanwhile, heat a grill or grill pan to high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. Grill sausages until browned, about 12 minutes; let rest 5 minutes, then slice. Serve soup topped with sausages and Parmesan.

Cook's Note

To get the basics on pressure cookers, click here.

COST: $6.93    COST PER SERVING (8): $0.87

Beans & Rice Veggie Burgers

Me: Babe, I am going to make you veggie-burgers from scratch tonight!

Him: I am pretty sure you are confused.  You are making YOU veggie-burgers from scratch tonight, and I just happen to be around to eat them.

Yeah, pretty much.

Me: But they have beans and rice in them, your favorite.  You will like them, I promise.

Him: Beans and rice?  What about meat?  Of course I like beans and rice... but with meat.

This boy, he's a smart one...

Him (as we are eating): Well, it doesn't taste like meat...

Me: It's not supposed to.  It's a VEGGIE-burger, remember?

Him (taking another bite): ... but it tastes good, and I actually like them.  You can make these again and I won't complain.  I mean, as long as we can have real burgers sometimes.

:)

(As a long-time connoisseur of veggie-burgers, I must say, I was quite impressed with these.  If you are looking for a good VEGGIE burger, here you go.  And if you like regular meat in your burgers, well, my husband AKA eater-of-all-things-meat gives you the proof -- they aren't too shabby!)

Beans & Rice Veggie Burgers

Adapted from Everyday Food, June 2012

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh pinto beans OR 2 cans, rinsed and drained
• 1 3/4 cups cooked long-grain white rice
• 1/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
• 1 bunch green onions
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil, divided

• 8 hamburger buns
• Toppings, such as mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce, avocado, tomato, cheese, and cucumber or whatever you want!

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mash beans until a coarse paste forms. Add rice, breadcrumbs, green onions, eggs, and garlic salt; gently fold to combine. Form into eight 3/4-inch patties.
2. In a large skillet, heat half the oil over medium-high; add half the patties and cook until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Place on plate in oven on 170 to keep warm. Serve burgers on buns with desired toppings.

COST: $7.07 (including buns and condiments)
Cost per burger (8): $0.89

Stewed White Beans with Spinach

Don't have much to say about this one, quick and easy, mix and cook, the end.

This is a great dish to have when friends are over because you can easily make it and top with bacon and cheese (which is my style), leave off the bacon to make it vegetarian, or leave off both the bacon and cheese and cook with vegetable broth to make it vegan.  And it takes only about 20 minutes start to finish.  Like I said above, easy.  And fresh.  Perfect.

(A picture of my life, right there.  Food on the stove, Havaianas on my feet, and comfy clothes on my body.  Life.  It's great.)

Recipe adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray, March 2011

Ingredients 

• 4 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon, gave it a lighter feel, but any would taste good)
• 1 pound baby red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 15 ounce cans white kidney beans beans, rinsed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups packed baby spinach
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, turning halfway through, until just crisp, 8 to 10 minutes; drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet.
2. Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, chicken broth and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the liquid is almost absorbed, about 7 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. Crumble the bacon on top and sprinkle with the parmesan.

Cost: $9.74                 Cost Per Serving (4): $2.44

A Week of Meals on the Cheap

My husband and I are those kind of people that really watch what we spend.  No, we are not cheapskates, but we try to be aware of what we have available to us, what we want to do with it, and what we need to do to make that happen.  That means we are budgeters.  For the first couple years of our marriage I had no problem sticking within the food budget.  We pretty much just ate the same seven dishes rotating through our week nights and so the expenses were quite consistent from week to week.  Now times have changed.  Now I love cooking, and I spend my free time pouring over food magazines and blogs and find myself constantly saying, "I want that!"  Usually that requires ingredients I don't normally have on hand, which means I then need to run to the grocery store and get some extra stuff.  If this happens enough you can imagine what can happen to our budgeting skills... POOF!   They are out the window.

So I came up with a plan.  I didn't want to give up my discovery-of-great-food process, we wanted to make sure we still had money at the end of the month to spend elsewhere, and he always wants more beans and rice.  Seeing as how marriage is all about compromise, we put this all together and decided that one week a month we would do a "meals on the cheap" week, with beans and rice as our base to save the money for the other, more "glamorous" weeks.

Have a moment to see what I came up with. 

//beans and rice//        //ground beef skillet//      //tomato salad//

//beans and rice//      //avocado pizza//      //tomato salad//

//beans and rice//      //avocado pizza//      //spinach salad//

//beans and rice//      //radish toast//      //sauteed broccoli//

//beans and rice//      //radish toast//      //spinach salad//

There you have it!  Five nights, five cheap and yummy dinners.  A few things I would like to point out:

• You do not see a lot of meat.  Beans and rice make a complete protein.  We are not opposed to meat, but we like to eat meat-free dishes about half of the time, and this week we just went almost-veggie.
• Originally I planned other things in addition the avocado pizzas and the radish toast as the main portion, but they were so good and we had enough stuff left over, so we went for it.  They were YUM.
• I only had to spend one night really cooking (Monday).  I made all the beans and rice that day and just spent about 15 minutes in the kitchen on the other days.
• For the "radish toast" nights I included the cost of two pieces of toast, as one was not enough.  So that price you see is how much it took us to feel full, not the bare-bones price.
• Total spent on dinner that week (for two): $12.08
• We took similar things for lunch (beans and rice with ground beef/ beans and rice with fried eggs and veggies/ beans and rice with _______ ), keeping our week in total at $40, including breakfast.  I know, I amazed even me.
• No, we did not get sick of eating beans and rice every single day.  Husband is Brazilian, I have spent considerable time that beans-and-rice-loving-country, and we are both A-OK with it.  And if you tasted my beans, you would be, too ;)

The Glue that Holds Us Together... (Made-from-Scratch Black Beans)

Let me tell you a thing or two about Brazilian men.  No, wait, first let me tell you a thing or two I used to think about Brazilian men.  Back in the day, when I was single and ready to mingle, my friend Querubia kept saying, "Let me take you to Brazil.  The men will love you down there and you will find a great guy."  And my response?  "No, thank you.  One of those boys will make me fall in love and then run away with my heart, leaving me in the dust.  Nope, not for me." 

Oh, how life teaches us to "never-say-never"! 

So now I have this Brazilian man by my side.  Yes, he was good at making me fall in love with him.  And unlike the stereotypes I had been told, he did not leave me in the dust, left to pick up pieces of a broken heart.  Quite the opposite actually.

So now I feel qualified to tell you a thing or two about Brazilian men.  First of all, they love the women in their lives.  Mom is their superhero.  Sister is their confidant.  You know when they say to look at how a man treats his mother to see how he will treat his wife?  Brazilian men have that one down.  They know how to treat a woman.  (Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, and I speak based off of what I know/see from my life and the lives of my friends, but this seems to ring true for most situations.)

Other very important things to know about Brazilian men -- soccer is king.  Don't try to come between a Brasileiro and his soccer team or death and destruction might come your way. 

The beach is life. 

Love is not just something said, but something shown. 

And beans and rice keep a smile on his face.

I knew going into our marriage that would have to learn to make beans and rice the Brazilian way.  He learned a whole language for me (or mastered it, as he was already learning it), so it only seemed fair.  My idea of opening a can of beans and throwing them into a pot was not going to fly anymore.  It was time to actually make beans, not just heat them up.  The taste difference is totally worth it.  Beans from the can are good, don't get me wrong.  But my beans?  Well, I eat them by the spoonful.  Cold.  Straight out of the fridge.  Yup, they are that good.

My husband is very good at eating American food (and by American food I of course mean Italian-Mexican-Greek-Anything-we-want-to-eat food).  His friends freak out, FREAK OUT, when he says something like, "I think the last time I ate beans was three weeks ago."  "WHAT?!" they shriek.  "Your wife is starving you!"  But I am proud to say he quickly comes to my defense with something along the lines of, "No, she is not.  You should try her food and then you will see why I don't need beans and rice all the time."  Nope, he does not need nor eat it all the time, but I do try to get some in front of him every once in awhile.  Right now we are on about once a month.  But when we do... SMILE from ear to ear.

Today I am just sharing the recipe for beans because I believe you already know how to make rice.  And before I can show you how to do Brazilian rice (which is different than throwing it in the rice cooker), I need to get really good at it.  I am only there about 15% of the time.  So for today, make some rice in the rice cooker or whatever to go with these beans.  As long as you are not feeding them to a Brazilian you should be fine ;)

I think I do them differently than others do, but this is how I have figured out how to make beans my Brazilian friends approve of.  First, I add the beans and the water and boil for about twenty minutes.  Then I put the lid on the pressure cooker (after adding some vegetable oil and salt) and cook for another half an hour-40 minutes.  Finally, after the the pressure is gone, I add onion, garlic, and bay leaves and boil for another 15 minutes.  This gives the beans a nice fresh flavor with flavor-packed mouthfuls of everything good in life.  Yes, it takes some time, but we make enough for five days and eat it every single day until it is gone.  And I do not complain once.  Because I (now) love beans and rice, too.

My Bean Recipe:Ingredients -

1. beans (about 1 1/2 cup)
2. 1/2 onion, chopped
3. three cloves of garlic
4. salt, much more than a pinch (maybe 2 teaspoons???)
5. two bay leaves
6. a little bit of oil
7. 3 cups of water 

Directions -

1. Sort and rinse beans.  Add to pressure cooker.  Cover with water until about knuckle-deep.
2. Boil for 15-20 min.  Add more water at end if needed.
3. Cover with lid, and cook on high until the pressure cooker starts singing.  Lower heat to medium and cook for 25 - 35 minutes. 
4. Turn off heat and let cool down so the pressure releases. 
5. Add onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and oil, and bring back to a boil.  Boil for 15 more minutes.  (Add more salt if desired).

Viola!  Delicious (and incredibly nutritious) beans!

Cost: $1.90        Cost per serving (with rice): $0.25

Who knew eating fresh felt so good in your mouth and in your wallet?  Not to mention in your body! ;)

Getting a little fresh...

The ingredients that I am working with.  Fresh and easy. 

Looks like salsa is happening, but it's not.  Check back tomorrow to see what is up around here :)

Costa Rica Salad with a Brazilian Twist

A few weeks ago I posted about the dinner my friends and I put on to raise money for the world hunger project.  I was so excited to tell you all about the dinner that I didn't even tell you what we ate.  Well, have no fear, I have that information for you right here!

After all of our eating out this past week, we decided we needed to eat fresh food this week -- and lots of it.  So I rummaged around in my recipe book -- AKA my brain -- and came up with fresh and light but filling foods.  Costa Rica salad was high on my list of fresh-and-hearty foods to eat. 

As you can see above, I start with beans.  In our house beans come in the form of dried beans that I cook in the pressure cooker, but you can use beans from the can if you want.  However, fresh beans taste so much better.  I always cook my beans with lots of onion, garlic, and two bay leaves.  And let me tell you, my beans are incredibly good.  My rice on the other hand, eh...  but you do need rice for this dish, so find a way to make it that works for you.  (I try to make Brazilian rice, with sauteed garlic and onion and salt, but it always come out half Brazilian/half Filipino.  Both styles are good, to be sure, but for rice you want one or the other.)

Ok, so now you have your rice and your beans.  The rest is simple.

Easy ingredients: Chopped cabbage, shredded carrots.  Make a dressing out of 3 T. olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, the juice of two limes, some cilantro, and salt.  Mix it all together and let sit for 15 minutes.

Then, when everything is done, pile it on your plate.  Beans first, rice on top, cabbage salad on top of that, and some sliced tomatoes to finish it off.

Simple?  Yes.  But fresh, delicious, and hearty?  Yes, yes, and yes.  And coming in under a buck per serving AND using no animal products, I consider this dish a winner.

Ingredients needed:
1 onion
1 head garlic
2 bay leaves
beans (canned or fresh)
1 1/2 cup rice
3 cups water
1/2 head of cabbage
3 carrots
1 tomato
1/2 bunch cilantro
3 T. olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 limes
salt to taste

COST: $3.65              COST PER SERVING (4): $0.91

Pura Vida Comida

For the past few weeks I have been MIA, I know, but I have a really good reason.  I promise.

Instead of living the usual rat race, working and cleaning, cooking and shopping for toilet paper and other things I hate spending money on, we enjoyed the tropical breeze and beautiful sunsets of Costa Rica.

Ahhh... that is the sweet life.

Of course, my days weren't only filled with zip-lining and surfing.  We needed to eat, too, right?  Not that we minded.  The food was delicious, the fruit was fresh, and Paulo received his necessary rice and beans (or casados in Costa Rica -- actually meaning "married couple", a great way to describe those two).

I wouldn't want you to feel left out, so I have some recipes to share with you.  You may not have the chance this summer to hop on a plane to Central America, but it doesn't mean you need to live without a little Pura Vida in your life.  Go ahead, put down that To-Do list and close your calendar on your computer screen.  Sometimes the simple things are the tastiest.

Pura Vida.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken

1 chopped onion.

1 chopped red sweet pepper.

2 big carrots or the equivalent, chopped very tiny.

1 chopped cilantro roll divide in 2 portions.

4 big chicken bullion cubes"Maggi". (Not Knor, apparently it tastes terrible.)

2 teaspoons of anato (find in the Mexican section of the grocery store)

2 cups of Jasmine rice

Directions:

1)  Cut the chicken in big pieces ( if you don't know how, buy it from the store already in pieces, no worries).  Place the chicken in a big pot and cover with water.  Add about 3/4 of the chopped onions, the 4 chicken bouillon cubes, 1/2 chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon of anato, 1 chopped sweet pepper. Cook this for about 1 hour or until chicken is completely cooked. Taste the broth to see if it needs a little bit of salt.  When you are happy with the flavor set aside.

2)  Take another pot, and add the rice, the carrots, 1/4 of the onions, and using a strainer add the broth from the chicken that you just cooked, (about 2 cups and a half). Put the stove on high  and stir a couple times. Once the broth is simmering cover with a lid, lower the heat to very low heat for about 10 minutes more. Taste it to see if the rice is soft.

3)  Take the chicken in a bowl or in a cutting board ( you may have to wait until the chicken is cold enough to work with it), make it in a little pieces with 2 forks.

 4)  In a another pot, add olive oil ( about 2 tablespoons) in medium heat, add 1/4 teaspoon of anato, add the chicken in tiny pieces, add the rice, and start to mix everything together with a spoon.  Add the other 1/2 of chopped cilantro.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole pineapple, peeled, cored and cut in medium size chunks
• 6 cups of water
• ¼ cup to ½ cup sugar, adjust based on preference and sweetness of the pineapple
• Juice from 1 lime

Directions:

Working in batches place the pineapple chunks with the water, sugar and lime juice in the blender, and blend well.  Strain the juice and serve with ice.

Typical Costa Rican breakfast --

Ingredients:

• 1 lb black beans
• 8-10 sprigs cilantro
• 1 small or medium onion
• ½ small red or yellow sweet pepper (optional)
• 3 cups chicken broth or water
• 2 cups white rice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1-3 Tablespoon oil to fry the Gallo Pinto

Directions:

1)  If beans are dried, cover with water and soak overnight, if they are fresh, just rise them off. Drain the beans and add fresh water to an inch (2.5-cm) above the top of the beans, salt, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce heat to very low simmer until beans are soft (~3 hours).

2)  Chop cilantro, onion, and sweet pepper very fine.

3)  Add 1 Tablespoon oil to a large pan and saute the dry rice for 2 minutes over medium high flame then add half of the chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro and saute another 2 minutes. Add water or chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer until rice is tender (20-35 minutes). This is also the recipe for Tico rice used in other favorites like tamales.

4)  Once the rice and beans are cooked you can refrigerate or freeze them. Keep a significant amount of the “black water” with the beans (½-1 cup 120-240 ml). This is what gives the rice its color and some of its flavor. Saute the rice, beans reserved chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro together in vegetable oil for a few minutes. Sprinkle with a little fresh chopped cilantro just before serving.

Once the rice and beans are cooked you can also refrigerate or freeze them. Make up small batches of Gallo Pinto when you want it by simply sauteing them together.

One Week Meal Plan -- Vegetarian (RECIPES)

Click here for the shopping list.

DAY 1 -- Mushroom Risotto

PREP -

• Chop one onion and two garlic cloves
• Prepare 3 cups of chicken or vegetable bullion (easiest way is to cook 3 cups water in microwave for 3 minutes and add either 3 cubes or 3 teaspoons, however your bullion comes)
• Grate 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

In large skillet, melt 1T of butter over medium heat.  Add sliced mushrooms, 1/2 of the onion, some dill, and a bay leaf.  Saute until onion is clearish in color.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In medium sized pot, melt 1T of butter over medium heat. Add the rest of the onion and the garlic.  Cook for 3-4 minutes until onion is clear.  Add 1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice (or whatever other rice you have), stirring for one minute.  If you like, add 1/2 cup of white wine and cook until evaporated.  Add three cups of bullion.  Cover pot and turn heat to low.  Simmer for 20 minutes. 

After the 20 minutes is up, stir in the mushroom mixture along with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.  Make a small salad, butter some bread, and enjoy :)


DAY 2 -- Portobello Medallions with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
PREP -

• Trim edges off of a large handful of green beans
• Peel and cube 3 Russet (or other large) potatoes
• Scrape out gills and stem of 2 Portobello mushrooms

Put potato cubes in medium sized pot; cover with water (until about knuckle deep).  Add some salt and boil. 

While the potatoes are boiling, heat up some olive oil in a non-stick pan (large enough to hold the two mushrooms) on medium heat.  In either a zip-lock bag, mix 1/3 cup of flour with 1/4t of both salt and pepper.  Quickly rinse the mushroom caps, coat with flour by shaking in bag.  Add to the frying pan.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes each side.  Set aside.  (If you are feeling fancy and would like a sauce to go with it, you can make a cream sauce with 1T butter, 1T flour, 1c heavy cream, and 1T bullion -- Add the first two ingredients over medium heat, through in your favorite seasonings, add the cream and the bullion and cook until thickened.  Otherwise, have at it.  They are good either way.)

When the potatoes are soft (check by inserting a fork), remove from heat and drain.  Put drained potatoes back in the pot and add 1/4 cup of milk and 2T of butter.  Mix with a fork (or a potato masher if you have one) until potatoes are soft.  I often add some sour cream or cream cheese if I have it, but it is not necessary.

Cook green beans in boiling water for 4-5 minutes, uncovered.  Drain, throw on a dash of salt, and enjoy :)

DAY 3 -- Peas and Carrot Soup with Dumplings

PREP -

• Thinly slice 3 carrots
• Chop 1 rib celery
• Chop one medium onion
• Prepare 4 cups bullion
• Mix 2 cups Bisquick mix with 2/3 cup of milk.  Leave in bowl for now.

Heat 2 T of olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat.  Melt 3T of butter.  Add the carrots, celery, and onion; season with salt and pepper.  Cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally for 7 minutes.  Sprinkle 2T of flour on the veggies and stir for a minute.  Whisk in the bullion and stir until thickened.  Stir in 1 cup of frozen peas and 1 T of Dijon mustard. 

When the soup is bubbling, roll the Bisquick batter into medium sized balls and drop (carefully) into soup.  When all the batter balls are in the soup, cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes.  Enjoy :)

DAY 4 -- Stewed White Beans with Spinach

PREP -

• Cube 1 lb. of baby red potatoes
• Make 1 cup of bullion
• Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into a cup or whatever
• Grate 1/2 cup Parmesan
• Slice 1/2 onion into small slices

In large skillet, heat 2 T of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add potatoes and cook until golden, 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in most of the onion, leaving just a bit to garnish later.  Cook for 5 minutes and then add 2 cans white kidney beans (drained), the bullion, and the lemon juice along with a bit of salt and pepper.  Simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in 2 cups of spinach and cook just until wilted (about 1 minute only).  Enjoy :)

DAY 5 -- Mac & Cheese with Broccoli

PREP -

• Chop 1/2 onion

• Cut the stems off of 2 lbs. of broccoli and discard
• Prepare 1 cup bullion
• Grate 3 cups of cheddar cheese

Bring medium sized pot of water to boil.  Add 1 lb. of macaroni elbows, the onion, and some salt.  Cook 5 minutes and add the broccoli.  Cook three more minutes and drain.

Meanwhile, in medium sauce pan melt 3 T of butter.  Add 3T of flour and whisk until bubbling, then cook one more minute.  Then whisk in 3 cups of milk and the bullion; raise heat and bring to a boil.  Let cook 5 minutes or until thickened.  Add the cheese and 1T of Dijon mustard, some salt and pepper, and stir until melted.  Add to macaroni and mix.  Butter some bread, make a small side of salad, and enjoy :)

(This one makes A LOT.  Make it on a day you plan to feed many.)

DAY 6 -- Beans & Rice with Tomato Salad and a Fried Egg

PREP -

• Chop 1/2 onion
• Chop 1 garlic clove
• Dice 3 Roma tomatoes
• Chop 1/4 of a green bell pepper (one side)

Prepare rice according to the style you like -- in the rice cooker, instant rice, over the stove, whatever.  Set aside.

In small pot, heat 2 T of olive oil over medium heat.  Add half of the onion you chopped and the garlic and cook until clear.  Add 1 can of black beans and some salt.  Cook until warm.  Set aside.

For the tomato salad, mix the tomatoes, the remaining onion, and the bell pepper you already chopped.  Add 1 T of white vinegar and some salt to taste. 

Fry an egg, scramble an egg, or whatever you want.  Just cook the egg!   Put your beans and rice together, add a side of tomato salad, and throw that egg on your plate.  Enjoy :)

DAY 7 -- Tortellini with Green Beans and Tomatoes

PREP -

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Trim the edges off of two large handfuls of green beans.  Cut so the beans are about 1 inch in length.

• Cut 1/2 pound of mozzarella into small cubes.

Cut a pack of grape or cherry tomatoes in half and set on foil-lined baking sheet, cut sides facing up.  Drizzle olive oil on the tomatoes (no worries if you don't get all of them) and season with salt and pepper.  Place in oven and let cook for 15 minutes.  (Don't put them on the top rack, though!  The oil will pop up and cause the oven to get smoky.)

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil.  Add one pack of fresh Tortellini.  Cook for 3 minutes and add the green beans.  Cook for 3-4 minutes more.  Drain.

When the tomatoes are done, add them to the pasta/green bean mixture along with the mozzarella and stir.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Butter some bread and enjoy :)  And then celebrate.  Why?  Because you have a delicious meal in front of you AND you did it... you cooked seven meals.  WAY TO GO, YOU!

(Disclaimer - none of these pictures were taken by me.  They were found via a google search, and I did not mark down where I got them from.  But they are rather pretty, I think.)

Beans, beans, the musical fruit...

I sang it as a child, and I am sure you did, too.

Beans, beans, the musical fruit

The more you eat, the more you toot.

The more you toot, the better you feel,

So let's have beans for every meal!

And then, like you, I giggled ("We just said 'toot'!") and then went on my way, not thinking about it anymore.  After all, nobody wanted to toot all the time, so nobody would even consider having beans for every meal, right? 

Until four years ago I could easily count the time I had eaten beans.  It was pretty much limited to the large spoonful that was slopped onto a tortilla at Taco Bell whenever I ordered a 7-Layer and my haystacks that were devoured at after-church potlucks.  And I am not even sure we can consider that brown mush that is served up with the label "refried beans" as beans.  It should more accurately be labeled, "Bean Puree".  It once was in the state of beans, yes, I agree, but now?  Nah, brown-bean-mush with a ton of seasonings.

And then I wound up with a Brazilian man, and this answered my what-I-once-considered-a-rhetorical-question:  Yes, there really are people who like to eat beans at every meal.  As far as most Brazilians (and Puerto Ricans and Costa Ricans and many others I hear) are concerned, a meal is not a meal unless it has the necessary components of beans and rice.

So a new quest began.  Not only did I need to learn how to cook, but I needed to learn how to cook beans.

Luckily for me, my best Brazilian friend Querubia taught me how to make beans: saute the onion and garlic in oil, open the can, add the beans, and cook.  Easy!  No problem!  Obrigada, Querubia, not only did you get me the man, but you taught me how to feed him, too.  She is quite a wonderful friend to have around...

Except Paulo didn't believe that beans from the can counted as beans.  Try as I might ("See, 'Beans', it says so right there.") he didn't see my point.  Yes, he agreed that they were beans, but they were not real beans.  However, being the ever gracious man he is, he said, "It's OK, I don't need beans and rice.  You are a good cook, I can live without it."  A quick kiss and a smile to let me know that I had his support, beans or no beans.  One of the many reasons I love this man.

We continued on, living in our bean-free existence, until one night we had some Brazilian friends over.  The conversation was great until they found out that Paulo had gone two months without eating beans and rice.  "WHAT?!"  This was uttered so loudly that you would have thought we had said Paulo had gone two months without food.  Apparently to our friends, this was the same thing.  "It's not a problem," Paulo answered.  "Tiffany is a great cook, I don't need beans."  "No, no!  You cannot be saying this.  You are BRAZILIAN!  You need BEANS!"

Well, today I can make beans.  All it took was a little lesson while I was in Brazil one day and a pressure cooker.  Then I came home, quickly forgot everything I learned, and made up a recipe myself.  I am not going to say that I make them as frequently as Paulo's friends would expect, but I make them often enough to keep Paulo happy.  And he is really the only one whose opinion counts.  About once a month, maybe twice (maybe) I pull those beans out and get to work.  It is not that hard, it just takes a little bit of time.  As far as the beans-and-rice, well, my rice sucks.  It is always too wet or too sticky or whatever, so Paulo makes the rice, I make the beans, and together we have a dinner that counts as the only true option in the mindset of most Brazilians.  Although he really does like everything else I make and always compliments me, whenever the smell of beans fills the house a smile crosses his face.  "Yes," he says, "tonight we are going to eat real food!"

My Bean Recipe:
Ingredients -

1. beans (about one cup)
2. 1/2 onion, chopped
3. two cloves of garlic
4. salt, much more than a pinch (maybe 2 teaspoons???)
5. one bay leaf
6. a little bit of oil
7. water to cover the beans plus a little more

Directions -

1. Sort and rinse beans.  Add to pressure cooker.  Cover with water until about knuckle-deep.
2. Boil for 15-20 min.  Add more water at end if needed.
3. Add onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and oil.  Cover with lid, and cook on high until the pressure cooker starts singing.  Lower heat to medium and cook for 25 - 35 minutes. 
4. Turn off heat and let cool down so the pressure releases.  Viola!  Delicious (and incredibly nutritious) beans!

Beans

Rachael Ray Weekly Planner - March 2011

I did it! Seven new recipes done and complete, except for the left-overs in the fridge. This project was a blast. Not only did I get to learn new things and enjoy doing something I like to do, but I got to eat really scrumptious meals every night of the week. I like my regular cooking -- I do a good job at it. But it is nice to mix things up once in awhile! Some highlights:

• The estimated price for the weekly grocery list was $80.90, which I stayed well within.
• Since I already do a weekly menu and weekly grocery list, this was no different than my norm. But it was so nice to have someone else do that work! The best was not having to search my brain for seven meals that sounded good, would work with our time frame, and haven't been served in the previous week(s).
• As each recipe is for four people, Paulo and I had lunch for the next day out of the leftovers. Easy-peasy!

NOTE -- "Cannellini Beans" are also White Kidney Beans. Save yourself and the Trader Joe's guy some time by writing that down on your grocery list!
*Also, for several of the recipes there are vegetarian variations listed.  But you are all smart, you can figure it out if you want to!

The food I started with:

(One week's worth of groceries for the our little family.)

The meals I wound up with:

(Click on a picture to be taken to the recipe.)

Chicken and Orzo Soup ~

Instead of a chicken soup, I made it with potatoes.  Delicious.  Paulo and I both loved it, even though he is a hater of soup. 

Beef-and-Mushroom Tacos with Avocado Salad ~
My favorite!!!  I left out the jalapenos because, well, they are too hot for me.  But the meal was fantastic.  Paulo has asked me to do it again this week.

Stewed White Beans with Spinach and Bacon ~
My other favorite.  Very hearty.  Beef Bacon is a great bacon choice for this, but Turkey Bacon would probably work well, too.

Baked Buffalo Chicken with Blue Cheese Salad ~
Delicious!  BBQ sauce was substituted in place for the Buffalo sauce, and it turned out great.  The salad is quite heavy as it has a sour cream and blue cheese dressing, and although the chicken made great leftovers, the salad did not.  So only make enough salad for that night and have the chicken separate if using it for lunch the next day.

Orzo Risotto with Spring Greens ~
Ok, but I make a better risotto on my own.  I eat minimal cheese (if any) so risotto has to be done in a certain way in order for it to be cheese free, and this one didn't allow for that.  Not going to repeat, but alright for one time.

Peppers 'n' Potatoes Beef Skillet Supper ~
Paulo loved it, I was OK with it.  Made without beef because I already had beef in the tacos and beef bacon in this and another recipe and I like to limit beef consumption.  Still tasted fine.  All the same ingredients as a Shepherd's Pie, yet completely different taste as the bell peppers add a bit of flavor.




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Tilapia with Bell Peppers and Parsley-Spiked Couscous ~
Yum!  So simple, yet great flavor.  I was afraid that it would be bland, but not at all.  A repeater.




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