Black Bean Chili with Red Onion Salsa

This is one of our favorite cold weather recipes. I found this when I was looking for a good black bean soup recipe as I wasn't too thrilled with the one I usually made. I'm thinking I could make this in the crockpot next time :)


A couple of notes on this recipe: If you don't think you would like lots of salsa on your chili, you can halve the ingredients for the Red Onion Salsa. I've also used it to top brats, burritos, or to mix with scrambled eggs. Okay, on to the recipe.

Black Bean Chili

4 cups dried black beans
5 to 6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
Black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Crushed red pepper or cayenne, to taste
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 medium-sized green bell peppers, chopped
1/2 cup tomato puree
2 (4-oz.) cans diced green chilies
Red Onion Salsa
Grated cheese and sour cream

1. Soak the beans in plenty of water for several hours or over night. Drain off the soaking water, and cook in fresh boiling water, partly covered, until tender. Check the water level during cooking; add more as necessary. Transfer the cooked beans to a large kettle or saucepan. Include about 2 to 3 cups of their cooking water.


2. In a heavy skillet, saute garlic, seasonings, lime juice, and bell peppers in olive oil over medium-low heat until peppers are tender.


3. Add the saute to the cooked beans, along with tomato puree and canned green chilies. Simmer, covered, over very low heat, stirring every now and then for about 45 minutes. (Make salsa at this time.)


4. Serve topped with Red Onion Salsa, grated cheese, and sour cream.

Red Onion Salsa
2 cups chopped red onion
1/2 cup packed minced fresh cilantro
2 cups minced fresh ripe tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed minced fresh parsley
Black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix well. For a finer consistency, give the mixture a brief whirl or two in a food processor or blender.

6 to 8 servings

I usually serve this with the Red Onion Salsa, sour cream or Greek-style yogurt, and tortilla chips.

Creamy Pinto Beans

This is our favorite way to cook pinto beans. They are good on their own, over rice, with cornbread, or anywhere else I use pintos. I also mash them to make refried beans.

3 cups dry pinto beans, soaked overnight
1 chopped onion
3 tablespoons bacon fat or butter
hot water
Salt to taste

Drain soaked beans. Put beans, onion, bacon fat or butter, and hot water to cover into slow-cooker for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Add salt to taste.

Rick's Huevos Rancheros

After making a large crockpot full of Creamy Pinto Beans and finding some chorizo in the freezer, my husband suggested this dish. It is loosely based on Huevos Rancheros, which has no meat or beans in it, but the chorizo gave it a wonderful flavor and an added richness to the dish. And the beans, well, they are just so good, I couldn't leave them out. Just one of these was very filling. If you can't find chorizo in your grocery store, here is a recipe for it that you may want to try.

And if you want to serve 4 people, just fry up 2 more corn tortillas and 2 more eggs, and you're good to go.

Rick's Huevos Rancheros

2 corn tortillas

Oil for frying

Creamy Pinto Beans, mashed or 1 can refried beans

Salsa, store-bought or homemade

cilantro, chopped

2 eggs

Chorizo, 1/2 pound

Chopped onion, about 1/4 cup

Shredded cheddar cheese

Start by cooking the chorizo and chopped onion in a skillet until the chorizo is completely cooked and the onion is soft. Set aside.

In a small saucepan heat the beans and mash with a potato masher (if using a can of refried beans, just heat them).

In another skillet heat the oil, just enough for frying the corn tortillas. When the oil is hot fry the corn tortillas until crisp. Drain almost all of the oil from the skillet and fry the eggs over easy or sunny side up.

To assemble:

Put the fried corn tortilla on a plate. Spread on beans, then a little chorizo, one egg, some salsa, chopped cilantro, and cheese. Enjoy!

Serves 2.

I'm linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesdays at the Table.

Lentils Are the Budget-Minded Girl's Best Friend

Lentils graphic by All Posters

There's nothing glamorous about lentils. They are cheap, bland on their own, and have been around for thousands of years.

They aren't attached to the most pleasant story from the Bible, either. Lentils was the dish that Jacob gave to Esau in exchange for his birthright. Esau was so hungry from a day of hunting that he was willing to trade one bowl of these legumes for his birthright, the blessing that only the eldest son could receive from his father.

So, why have they been around for so long? There must be something to them that gives them this longevity. People today still eat them regularly.

I wasn't real familiar with lentils until I was married. We had a bone from a leftover ham and my husband asked me if I would make some lentil soup like his mom used to make. I went to the store and picked up a small bag of lentils for the first time, brought them home and with the help of my husband made a very good soup. That was about all I did with lentils for about 20 years.

Then I started seeing how using this little legume was good for our grocery budget. I read blogs and recipe sites on the Internet and found out that people were using them in place of meat sometimes. So, I started using them in different recipes. Some we loved, others we didn't care for. I've even learned how to make lentil soup without the ham bone. Here's a few that we make regularly.

Oh, and the best part of all is the fact that they are a quick-cooking legume. No soaking!

Lentil Soup
Make sure you have a nice loaf of crusty bread for dunking!

3 cups dry lentils
7 cups water (For more flavor, you could use chicken, beef, or vegetable broth instead)
2 teaspoons salt
6 to 8 medium cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups chopped onion
2 medium carrots, sliced or diced
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Lots of black pepper
2 to 3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes or 1 large can diced tomatoes
red wine vinegar to drizzle on top

Place lentils, water, and salt in a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to the slowest possible simmer, and cook quietly, partially covered, for 20 to 30 minutes. Add the vegetables, except the tomatoes, herbs and black pepper. Partially cover, and let simmer another 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If you are using fresh tomatoes, you will need to peel them: Heat a medium saucepanful of water to boiling. Drop in the tomatoes for 10 seconds, then take them out, peel off the skins, and squeeze out the seeds. Chop the remaining pulp and add to the soup. Otherwise, add the can of tomatoes, but make sure the lentils are tender first. The acid from the tomatoes can hinder the lentils from getting soft.

Cook another 5 minutes to heat through and serve hot with a drizzle of vinegar on top.
Makes 6 to 8 servings and freezes very well.



Lentil-Rice Casserole
This is good as a side dish or a main dish and I've seen it on many websites. I can't believe how much my husband likes this one. It's good with a big green salad. This would probably work very well in the crockpot, too.

3 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup lentils, uncooked and rinsed
1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme

Blend all together in a casserole dish. Bake, covered, for 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees. During the last 20 minutes, top with 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese.

Lentil Cakes

1 1/2 cups cooked lentils
1/3 cup minced red or white onion
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
Dry bread crumbs
Oil

Mash lentils and mix well with the onion, parsley, and seasonings. Chill well and form into 6 flat patties. Dip in the egg and coat well with bread crumbs. Let dry on a wire rack for a few minutes. Brown well on both sides in a little oil, turning only once.

Menu Plan Monday and Waiting for Baby!

It's been quite awhile since my last post and I'm very sorry. I've still been cooking and trying to keep my freezer full of make-ahead food. I've been working a lot but now that my schedule has eased up a bit I can plan a little better for what we eat and have more time to share it with you.
I find that if I shop the specials and loss leaders, I almost always have the ingredients I need to make meals that we enjoy. Our freezer is pretty full right now, so I really won't have to do much grocery shopping for the month of December except for special holiday baking and our Christmas dinner on Christmas day. We have two freezers: one in the kitchen above the refrigerator and one in our basement that is the chest type. I made a list of everything that was in each freezer and will be working with what we have for our meals. Here's the menu plan for this week, that is if I'm not at the hospital with our oldest daughter and son-in-law-she is due to have her baby any day now!!

Monday-Indonesian Ginger Chicken and Stir-Fry Vegetables (I will be sharing these recipes later this week!)

Tuesday-Monterey Beans, a recipe I got from The Urban Homemaker years ago, served over brown rice, green beans

Wednesday-Mustard Meatballs (another new recipe!), noodles, salad

Thursday-Lentil Chili (from the freezer) and cornbread

Friday-Pizza with mushrooms, onion, and green pepper

I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie

Calico Beans

Since going back to work I'm learning to use my crockpot more and last week I cooked my dry beans in it to freeze for later. I also made this recipe that I got from Organized Everyday and it was a big hit with the whole family. I know there are lots of different ways to make this dish but I've never tried any of them before and since a fellow blogger recommended it, I thought I would give it a try. This recipe makes lots and lots so I usually make the whole batch and freeze the rest for another time, which will really come in handy to have when I need to focus on holiday meals in the next few weeks. My notes or variations on the recipe are in italics.

Calico Beans

1 pound of lean ground beef, (I had some already cooked in the freezer)

1 large onion, diced, brown these together and drain

1 dried bag of 15 bean mix: cook in pressure cooker until done

OR you can buy canned beans: 2 cans of kidney beans and 2 cans of garbanzo beans (or store them cooked and frozen in the freezer)

In the crockpot add:

Beef, onions, and beans plus

2 cans of baked beans (any brand)

1 cup of real bacon bits or fry your own (6 slices) (I fried the bacon and onion together)

1/2 c. ketchup

1/2 c. of brown sugar

1 T. vinegar

1 t. of prepared mustard

1 t. salt

Mix it all and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours

OR in the oven 350 degrees for 1 hour

If you choose to fry your own bacon, cooking it with the onions saves time..

If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can still cook your own dried beans in the crockpot, but you have to plan for this a day in advance. (I cooked the beans ahead of time and stored them in the freezer until I put them in the crockpot.)

This is really good with cornbread :)

I'm linking up with The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap and EKat's Kitchen Friday Potluck

Cooking On A Shoestring Budget: Beans

Oh, you knew there would be a post about beans for saving money at the grocery store, didn't you? Beans are a great way to stretch the grocery budget and very nutritious to boot! I'll add some links to some of our favorite bean recipes at the end of the post.



I want to show you how very easy it is to have some beans in your freezer. I cannot remember the last time I bought beans in a can because I find it to be just about as convenient, once I get them made, not to mention much cheaper, to buy them dried. For every 1 pound of dried beans you get in a bag, you get the equivalent of 4 (15-oz) cans! For example, I buy lots of black beans because they are our favorite for about a dollar per pound. A 15-oz can of black beans would cost about 75 cents each. For me, that's a savings of $2 that I can spend on something else that I really want to buy at the grocery store. There are 4 steps to taking dried beans from the bag to the freezer:








Empty the 1 pound bag of dried beans into a large bowl and cover with water. Make sure you have at least 2 inches of water above the beans. Leave overnight or at least 8 hours. In the morning they will be plumped up.

Drain them into a colander and rinse.

Put the beans in a slow-cooker and cover with water. Turn on low and leave all day until the beans are firm but tender. Let cool. Alternatively, you could put them in a large pot on the stove, bring to a boil, and let simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or so.


When the beans have cooled put them in some kind of container like glass jars or in baggies. I save jars from pickles, salsa, and jellies that I buy at the store and use those to freeze some of my beans. I do measure out how much I put in each jar and label them with the date so I don't have to try to remember how much I put in there later. Just remember to leave about 1 1/2 to 2 inches of jar space between the beans and the lid because they will expand as they freeze.

If you want to use baggies for storing, measure out about 2 cups of beans with their juice into a small sandwich bag, which is about 15 ounces. Lay it flat in the freezer so that it will freeze flat, which will save on storage space in the freezer. You can double up the baggies if you want OR you can put all the little baggies after they have frozen into a larger freezer bag.

Some dried beans are even more convenient because they don't have to be soaked, like split peas and lentils!

Here are some of our favorite recipes for using beans to give you some inspiration:

Garlic, White Bean, and Chicken Stew

Pork and Poblano Skillet with Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans

Black Bean Chili with Red Onion Salsa

Chickpea Salad

Split Pea Soup

Black Bean and Salsa Soup-the easiest soup I've ever made!

Tuscan White Bean Soup

I'm linking up with Frugal Friday.

Chickpea Salad

This is one of our favorite salads to have when tomatoes and cucumbers are at their peak. Plus it comes together in minutes! I got the recipe from a Better Homes and Gardens magazine several years ago.

Chickpea Salad

3 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes (about 4 medium)
1 15-oz can chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), or 2 cups cooked, rinsed and drained
1/2 of a large cucumber, peeled, quartered, and sliced (about 1 cup)
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon sugar

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, chickpeas, cucumber, green pepper, cilantro, and onion. Set aside. In a small bowl or jar with a lid, combine the oil, vinegar, salt, garlic, and sugar and mix (or shake) well. Pour over the vegetables and lightly toss to coat. Cover and chill for a couple of hours and serve. Makes 8-10 servings.

I'm linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace and Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Bedlam and Beauty.

Fourth Of July Weekend Food

It's always great to have a long weekend because that means I have more time to be a little more creative with our food. Like with the Black Bean Salsa that I made. It was originally a recipe for Black Bean Salad but my husband loved to eat it like a salsa and asked for me to put in more onions and tomatoes the next time I made it. So, I changed some things from the original recipe and came up with this one.

Black Bean Salsa
2 cans (or 4 cups cooked) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon basil

Combine the beans, onions, tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, whisking together to combine. Pour over the vegetables and toss lightly to coat. Let sit for about an hour to allow the flavors to meld. Serve with tortilla chips.


On Friday evening I stopped at our local Farmer's Market and picked up some fruit and vegetables. And since we were cooking on the grill, I made a double recipe of the dressing ingredients from my Black Bean Salsa and marinaded some onions, yellow squash, baby portabella mushrooms, and red peppers for about half an hour. I then put them on skewers and my husband cooked them on the grill. We haven't had kebabs for a long time and these were a nice change of pace.

Although this isn't your typical Fourth of July food fare, I had some leftover mashed potatoes in the back of the refrigerator as well as a couple of leftover baked potatoes and decided to make some Potato Patties to round out one of our meals. This is my favorite way to use up cooked potatoes.

Potato Patties

1 1/2 cups cold mashed potatoes or scooped-out baked potatoes (mashed)

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 egg

Salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients with a fork, mixing well. Heat a skillet on medium heat and place 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter, oil, or bacon. Form the potatoes into patties and place in hot fat. When golden brown on one side, flip and brown the other side.

I like to top these with just butter and salt or sour cream.

I'm participating in Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Delicious Dishes.

Garlic, White Bean and Rosemary Chicken Stew

I was looking for a recipe that used what I had in the pantry and I found this, but for the life of me can't find where I found it online, so if this is your recipe, let me know and I will give you the credit you deserve for this recipe. I cannot believe the amount of flavor in this dish! My husband couldn't stop eating it, even with all the carrots in it, an ingredient he isn't too fond of. I also love how easy on the budget this is, too. While I used only chicken legs and thighs, you can use whatever chicken pieces you would like in this recipe, but I would recommend using bone-in pieces. If you only have boneless pieces, wait to add the chicken until later when you add the vinegar and first cup of broth.

Garlic, White Bean and Rosemary Chicken Stew

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 pounds chicken parts, skins removed
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
5 garlic cloves, chopped
4 ounces bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans white beans
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or pot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot and brown on both sides. Take out the chicken and place on a plate. Add to the pot the bacon, onions, and carrots. Cook until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Put the chicken back into the pot. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and 1 cup of chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by about a third (this took about 6 minutes). Stir in the beans, rosemary, and the other 2 cups of chicken broth. Bring back to a boil and simmer, covered 20 to 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serves 4.

June Freezer Cooking

I love using my freezer to store my food. When we aren't going to use up some leftovers or other food that is in the fridge, I label it and toss it in the freezer. I also like to make food ahead of time and put it in the freezer to make my life easier later. For those of you that read my other blog, you know that I am actively looking for work outside the home, so I will need meals that come together easily when time and energy are low. (Update: job found-Hallellujah!) Jessica at Life as Mom is doing another freezer cooking month and I'll be joining with her to fill up my freezer with meals or parts of meals that will save me time and money. My husband will be taking his annual fishing trip to Wisconsin with his best buddy, his twin brother, his brother-in-law, and our two sons-in-law this weekend, so I figured that will be the perfect time to get some cooking done and stocking up our freezer.





Here's the plan:



I have about 10 pounds of chicken legs and thighs that I plan on putting in the crockpot. It will not only cook the meat until it's incredibly tender for lots of dishes like my chicken potpie but it will also make a wonderful chicken broth for soups, sandwiches, and other dishes.

I already have some cinnamon rolls in my freezer that I plan on using for easy breakfasts and desserts.

I'm going to be trying Rhonda's method for freezing pizza dough, along with a couple of other breads and roll recipes so that we can have homemade bread even if I haven't been home to make it that day.

I have some white beans in the freezer now but I want to add some black beans, lentils, and pinto beans to that. I can make my Tuscan White Bean Soup, Black Bean Chili with Red Onion Salsa , lentil cakes, refried beans, and salads. I have yummy recipes for a chickpea salad and a black bean salad that I will be sharing soon since we are in the warmer months, which is when we enjoy salads the most.

I also have a whole chicken that I plan on cutting up and marinating in the freezer for the grill. Mary Ann-I will do a tutorial on how to cut up the chicken :)

Since it's often just my husband and myself at home to eat, I will set aside some of the leftovers for our daughters or for the next day's lunch, and put the rest in the freezer. I will be putting some of the leftover soups in separate small containers in the freezer for taking to work for our lunches, too. Even after I find the right job,(found it!) we want to try and eat as little fast food and premade foods as possible. We've been eating this way for so long that I think it will affect the way we feel and we are going to need extra energy!

Pork and Poblano Skillet with Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans

I love finding recipes that let me use meat as more of a condiment rather than the main item on my plate. It almost always means less calories and it's usually less expensive, too. Remember the big pork roast I cut up? Well the pork for this dish was sitting and waiting in my freezer until I had all the ingredients to put it together.



Starting at least the day before, prepare your Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans. Soak 1 cup (I doubled this part of the recipe) of whatever kind of beans you like (I used pinto) overnight. The next morning, drain the beans and put them in the slow-cooker, along with a chopped up onion, a minced clove of garlic (optional) a tablespoon of bacon fat or butter and enough hot water to cover the beans. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for about 6-8 hours until the beans are cooked through. Add salt to taste, reduce heat to keep warm until you are ready to serve.



When you are ready to prepare your meal, slice a poblano in half vertically; remove core, membrane, and seeds. Flatten halves skin-side up on a sprayed baking sheet or a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under the broiler until the skins blister and blacken, like above. Remove from the broiler, fold the foil over the pepper to form a tight packet; let rest 5 minutes.

Lift off and discard the skins; chop up the remaining flesh. Meanwhile, heat oil on medium high and add the pork, salt to taste, and stir often until browned, about 5 minutes.

Leaving the liquid behind, remove the meat to a plate. To the pan, add onions, cook until it begins to brown, add the garlic, water and Worcestershire sauce and cook for a minute. Stir in the tomato and poblano. Cook down a bit, about 5 minutes. Return the meat to the skillet; cook 15-20 minutes until the sauce darkens and thickens, adding cilantro in the last 5 minutes.
Serve with Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans, and/or cooked rice, and a dollop of sour cream.

Pork and Poblano Skillet With Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans

1 cup dry beans (your choice), soaked overnight

1 chopped onion

1 tablespoon bacon fat or butter

hot water

Drain soaked beans. Put beans, onion, bacon fat or butter, and hot water to cover into slow-cooker for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Add salt to taste.

Pork and Poblano Skillet

1 poblano pepper

1 tablespoon oil

1 pound pork tenderloin or boneless pork loin, cubed

Salt to taste

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2/3 cup water

2 tablespoons Worcestershire

15 ounces canned diced tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Sour cream

Slice pepper in half vertically; remove core, membrane and seeds. Flatten halves skin-side up on foil on baking sheet. Place under broiler til skins blister and blacken. Remove from broiler, fold foil over the pepper to form a tight packet; let rest 5 minutes. Lift off and remove skins; chop up pepper.

Meanwhile, heat oil on medium high til shimmery in large skillet. Add pork, salt to taste, stir often til meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Leaving liquid behind, remove meat.

Add onions, cook til beginning to brown; add garlic, water, and Worcestershire. Stir in tomato and poblano. Cook down a bit about 5 minutes. Return meat to skillet; cook 15-20 minutes until sauce darkens and thickens, adding cilantro in last 5 minutes. Serve with beans and rice and a dollop of sour cream.

I'm posting this as a part of $5 Dinner Challenge and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Cabbage Dishes

I currently have 2 and 1/4 heads of cabbage in my refrigerator right now, not to mention the bowl of coleslaw I made on Saturday. We love cabbage around here, and when it's only 18 cents a pound, I tend to get as much as I think we can eat. I have lots of ways that I like to use cabbage and I know not everyone likes it, plus the aroma that often lingers in the house after cooking it.

Coleslaw is one of our #1 ways of using cabbage. We also like it just as a side dish for whatever we are having for dinner, lightly steamed with a pat of butter and some salt. And, since we are in the month of March, we like to have a good Irish-style dinner on St. Patrick's Day, which is coming up tomorrow.



So, corned beef and cabbage with red potatoes and carrots are on the menu for this week, along with Irish Soda Bread-Yum!





I recently found a recipe for sauteed cabbage that I adapted from my Joy of Cooking Cookbook.





Sauteed Cabbage


One 2-pound head cabbage, outer leaves and core removed


4 slices bacon


3/4 cup chopped onion


1 teaspoon salt


1/4 teaspoon paprika





Shred or thinly slice the cabbage. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Add the cabbage to the bacon fat remaining in the skillet, adding the onion, salt, and paprika. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring until the cabbage is crisp-tender. Crumble the bacon and add to the cabbage and serve. Makes about 4 servings.





I've also made this hearty Ham, Cabbage, and Bean Soup a couple of times. Accompanied by a loaf of homemade bread makes it a complete meal.





1/2 head cabbage (about 1 1/2 lbs), cut into 1/2-inch strips


1 cup chopped yellow onion


2 cloves garlic, minced


2 carrots, chopped


1 mdium potato (about 1 lb.), peeled and cubed


8 cups stock, any kind


1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram


1/4 teaspoon dried thyme


1 bay leaf


Salt to taste


pepper to taste


2 cups cooked cubed ham


2 cans (15 ounces each) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed





In large soup pot, combine vegetables, stock, marjoram, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until veggies are tender, about 30 minutes. Add ham and beans and simmer until flavors are blended, 30 to 40 minutes longer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf and discard. Serves 8-10. This soup freezes very well.

I hope these ideas about cabbage will spur you to cook with it more. The health benefits are amazing and is one of the most economical fresh vegetables in the store.



I'm participating in the $5 Dinner Challenge and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday


Cabbage graphic courtesy of Everyday Health.

Cilantro Recipes

Sandra recently asked if I would post some recipes using cilantro, and I'm glad to do it since it is one of my favorite fresh herbs to use. I can always find it at my Mexican or regular grocery store for as little as 3 bunches for one dollar. I use it in salsas all the time and I even found a recipe to use it in as a rub for chicken.

This salsa recipe is my new favorite because I almost always have the ingredients on-hand to make it. It's adapted from a recipe I found on Fishmama's cooking blog and have made it several times as a sauce for our Mexican cooking.

Salsa

28 ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed well

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1/2 chopped canned chipoltle pepper in sauce or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper or 1/2 chopped fresh jalapeno

1 Tablespoon lemon or lime juice

salt and pepper

In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips or other Mexican dishes.

This is another one of my family's favorites that I got from the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. It is a vegetarian cookbook but she does such wonderful things with food that I really love trying some of her recipes. Lots of flavor! I originally posted this recipe and the next one on my other blog but since this is my new cooking blog, I thought I would copy onto this post so it would be available to me and to whoever else was interested.

A couple of notes on this recipe: If you don't think you would like lots of salsa on your chili, you can halve the ingredients. I've used it to top brats, burritos, or to mix with scrambled eggs. Okay, on to the recipe.

Black Bean Chili

4 cups dried black beans

5 to 6 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 1/4 teaspoons salt

Black pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Crushed red pepper or cayenne, to taste

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 medium-sized green bell peppers, chopped

1/2 cup tomato puree (You can also use crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce)

2 (4-oz.) cans diced green chilies

Red Onion Salsa

Grated cheese and sour cream

Soak the beans in plenty of water for several hours or over night. Drain off the soaking water, and cook in fresh boiling water, partly covered, until tender. Check the water level during cooking; add more as necessary. Transfer the cooked beans to a large kettle or saucepan. Include about 2 to 3 cups of their cooking water. (You can certainly do this ahead of time and freeze the beans or put them in the refrigerator for a few days until you are ready to use them.)
In a big pot or Dutch oven, saute garlic, seasonings, lime juice, and bell peppers in olive oil over medium-low heat until peppers are tender.
Add the the cooked beans, along with tomato puree and canned green chilies. Simmer, covered, over very low heat, stirring every now and then for about 45 minutes. (Make salsa at this time.)
Serve topped with Red Onion Salsa, grated cheese, and sour cream.

Red Onion Salsa

2 cups chopped red onion

1/2 cup packed minced fresh cilantro

2 cups minced fresh ripe tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup packed minced fresh parsley

Black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix well. For a finer consistency, give the mixture a brief whirl or two in a food processor or blender.

6 to 8 servings

I wish I had a picture of this next dish for you. Better yet, I wish you could taste it and see how very delicious it is. I've made this once using skinless, boneless chicken thighs because that's what I had. It was also in the middle of January, so I used my cast iron grill pan to cook them on inside. The important thing is the rub you put on the chicken. So good!

Chile-Cilantro Grilled Chicken

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced jalapeno chile

1 tablespoon grated lime peel

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon salt

4 bone-in skin-on chicken breast halves or whatever parts you like

Heat grill. Combine all ingredients except chicken in small bowl. Generously rub over chicken and under skin. Grill, covered, over medium heat or coals 14 to 18 minutes or until no longer pink in center, turning once.4 servings

For those of you interested, this dish contains per serving: 235 calories, 11.5 g total fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 28 g protein, 4.5 g carbohydrate, 75 mg cholesterol, 525 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

This is a recipe I got from the Cooking Pleasures magazine.

There are a couple of things to remember about cilantro: It is best to use cilantro at the end of the cooking time because it will lose some of it's flavor as it heats. As with all fresh herbs, they will only last about a week in the refrigerator. When I bring cilantro home, I will trim the stems a little and place the bunch in a glass of water and set it in the refrigerator. You can also store it wrapped in a damp paper towel placed inside a large baggie.

I hope this gets you started on using cilantro in your kitchen. In fact, I have some in my fridge that I need to use up before it goes bad.

I'm participating in Grocery Cart Challenge's Recipe Swap and Foodie Friday