Mom's Taco Salad

Recipe Courtesy of Mom


PHOTO CREDIT

This recipe came from my mom. It is one of Ryan's favorite meals. Sometimes, the simple recipes are the best!

INGREDIENTS
Mixed Greens
Tomatoes, chopped
Green Onions, chopped
Cheddar Cheese, grated
Ground Beef, cooked
Black Beans, drained and rinsed
Black Olives, sliced
Avocado, sliced
Tortilla Chips, crushed

Dressing
Mayonnaise
Taco Sauce

DIRECTIONS
Toss all salad ingredients together in a large bowl. These ingredients are flexible. Use the quantities you like. Eliminate ingredients you don't.

Mix mayo and taco sauce. For spicier dressing, add more taco sauce. The darker the dressing, the spicier it will be.

Toss salad with dressing and serve.

Mom's Mock Marie's

Tastes similar to Marie Callender's Navy Bean Soup

Recipe Courtesy of MOM

Serves 6 hungry people

INGREDIENTS
1 Sm bag navy beans
1 pound bacon
1 med yellow onion
2 lg carrots
3 lg celery stalks
1 can chopped tomatoes
4 c chicken stock (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Wash, clean and drain navy beans. Place in pot and cover with water. Bring to boil for 10 minutes then place in crockpot.

Slice bacon into small pieces, chop onion into small pieces, dice carrots and celery into tiny pieces. Sauté bacon until crisp, drain, and add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté for several minutes until veggies begin to get tender. Pour mixture over beans in crockpot.

Add canned tomatoes. Cover with water (or chicken stock) one inch above mixture in crockpot. Add one teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Cook on HIGH for 6 hours. Halfway through cooking time, mash some of the soup (or use immersion blender). This helps the soup to be creamy and thick. Add more salt and pepper to taste just before serving.

Note: The longer the beans cook, the better the flavor.

Serve with cornbread or warm tortillas.

Black Bean & Toasted Corn Tacos

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Vegetarian Times
Modified Slightly

Makes 4 Tacos

INGREDIENTS
1 cup cooked black beans
1/2 cup prepared salsa
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, divided
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
black pepper
cayenne pepper
4 6-inch corn tortillas
baby spinach leaves or chopped lettuce
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 small green onions, finely chopped (1/4 cup)

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring beans, salsa, garlic, and 1 tsp. cumin to a simmer in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft. Remove from heat, and mash with fork to crush beans for creamier filling, if desired.

2. Heat skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with olive oil cooking spray. Wrap corn in paper towels, and squeeze out excess water. Add corn to skillet in single layer, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tsp. cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Cook 5 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy, stirring frequently.

3. Warm tortillas. Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup beans, 1/4 cup corn, spinach or lettuce leaves, cilantro, and green onions. Serve immediately.

Southwestern Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing

Recipe courtesy of Vegetarian Times

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce or salad mix
1 15oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen/thawed)
1/4 cup green onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine
2 ripe avocados
1 1/2 cups salsa (prepared, not chunky)
1/2 - 1 cup low-fat sour cream
6 tablespoons lime juice
4 drops Tabasco sauce (optional)
salt
pepper

Corn chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Mix the lettuce, beans, tomatoes, and corn in a clear glass bowl. Sprinkle green onions and cilantro on top. Or, even better, make a salad bar. Mix the lettuce & tomatoes in one bowl, the cilantro & onions in another, and the corn & beans in another and let people choose the amount of each option for themselves.

Mash avocado in a separate bowl, and whisk in salsa, sour cream, and lime juice. To make it smoother and creamier, puree it in a food processor.

Season with hot sauce, if using, and salt and pepper.

Top individual salad portions with dressing, toss well, and top with crushed corn chips if desired.

Crockpot Beans

Recipe Courtesy of Carla and some of the ladies of the Sanger Ward

INGREDIENTS
1 - 2 pounds dried pinto beans
Water
Salt
Onion or garlic (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Rinse and inspect dried beans. Place into large crockpot. Fill crockpot to the top with water and add a good amount of salt. Add a bit of onion or some garlic cloves (optional). Cover and cook on high for 8 - 10 hours. Stir, taste and add more salt if needed. Serve with slotted spoon. Can also be mashed and refried.

Black Bean Wraps

Recipe courtesy of Brittany Ryan

PHOTO CREDIT

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
4 tomatoes, cubed
1 avocado, cubed
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
½ red onion, chopped

Mix all ingredients except avocado. Add avocado just before serving. Could also add grilled chicken, sour cream, green salad, and/or rice to the mix.

Dressing:

1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ tsp. cumin
2 T. lemon juice
¼ c. cilantro, chopped

Warm these ingredients on the stove and add to above mix. You may want to double or triple the dressing, depending on your preference.

Spoon into tortillas and enjoy!

Creamy Black Bean Soup

When I told Ryan I was making black bean soup tonight, he wrinkled his nose. Well, guess who ate his words (not to mention lots of soup)???

Recipe Courtsey of Valerie Geary

Photo Courtesy of slim-shoppin.com

Makes 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 Tbs olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 heaping tsp chili powder (or more if you want it hotter)
1 heaping tsp cumin
1/2 cup cream, half in half, or milk (depending on the fat content you want in your soup - I use milk and it works just fine)
1/4-1/2 cup fresh (deli-type) salsa
chopped green onions (optional)
sour cream (optional)
avocados, diced (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive oil in heavy saucepan and saute onions, celery, and garlic for about 3-5 minutes until tender. Stir in beans, broth and seasonings. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for 25-30 minutes.

Cool slightly.

Puree about 75% of the soup (adding small batches at a time) in a blender (or use an immersion blender). The more soup you puree the creamer. If you want chunkier soup, puree about 50-60% of the soup.

Return to pot and stir in cream and salsa. Cook on medium heat until soup is hot again.

Serve topped with onions, avocados and sour cream as desired.

Sausages with White Beans

As I was making this tonight, Ryan commented over and over how weird this meal looked. Out of the entire cookbook, what could have ever possessed me to choose this meal? As we ate it, Ryan commented it was fairly good, and if I made it again, he would eat it. Later, I caught him eating more straight from the pan. I guess it's a keeper.

It is a weird dish, but can be strangely comforting, especially on a cold day. Serve with crusty garlic bread. Yum.


Recipe Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
Modified Slightly




INGREDIENTS
4 Hot, mild, or sweet Italian sausages
1 cup white cooking wine
2 Tbls Olive Oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large, red bell pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
Oregano (2 Tbls fresh or 1 tsp dried)
3/4 cup chicken broth
Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook the sausages - Prick sausages with fork and cook in 1/2 cup white wine. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn down to med-low. Simmer for 5 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to med-high, and cook the sausages until well browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Cook the veggies - While the sausages cook, in a separate pan, cook the onion and pepper in the oil until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add beans, oregano, broth, and remaining 1/2 cup wine. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until half of the liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes.

3. Finish the dish - Add the sausages to the beans (slicing the sausages first melds the flavors together nicely - the presentation is not as pretty but it makes the dish easier to eat) and simmer to warm through. Season with salt and pepper.