Sweet and Sour Chicken With Green Beans

Ingredients:
1 c. white rice
1 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. white vinegar
1 T. vegetable oil
1 1/4 lbs. chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 bell peppers, seeded and diced large
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved
5 green onions, thinly sliced
2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 T. chopped roasted peanuts (optional)

Directions:
Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile in a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar. Set aside.
In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over high. Add chicken, bell peppers, and green beans and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. add scallions, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes.
Whisk soy sauce mixture, add to skillet, and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Fluff rice with a fork. To serve, spoon chicken mixture over rice and top with peanuts if desired.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 25 minutes.
447 calories per serving.

Verdict:
Yum. I thought it was a little strange that this recipe called for white vinegar instead of the traditional rice vinegar but I liked the way it turned out. We will definitely be eating this one again.

Three Bean Pasta Salad

For the salad:
2 c. dry ziti or penne
2 c. fresh green beans, trimmed
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 oz. Genoa salami, diced or sliced thin
2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 c. red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c. black olives, sliced
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed
1/4 c. fresh basil, minced
1/4 c. fresh parsley, minced

For the vinaigrette:
1/3 c. Parmesan
3 T. olive oil
2 T. white wine vinegar
1 t. garlic, minced
1/2 t. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked pasta to a colander. Cook green beans in the same boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; drain. Rinse pasta and green beans under cool water; transfer to a large bowl.
Add garbanzo beans, salami, tomatoes, onion, olive, mozzarella, basil, and parsley to bowl with pasta; toss until well combined.
Combine all ingredients for vinaigrette in a jar with a tight fitting lid; shake until well mixed.
Drizzle vinaigrette over salad just before serving; toss until evenly coated. Serve cold.

Makes 12 servings. Total time 20 minutes.

Verdict:
It is good. That is all I have to say about that.

Veggie Burger

Ingredients:
1/2 c. bulgur
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. Swiss, grated
1/2 c. carrots, finely grated
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
coarse salt and pepper

toppings can include:
avocado
sprouts
hamburger buns

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine bulgur and 1 c. boiling water. Cover tightly and let sit until bulgur is tender, 30 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to remove liquid, then return bulgur to bowl. In a food processor pulse pinto beans until coarsely chopped. Add beans to bulgur, along with Swiss, carrots, green onion, and egg. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
In a large skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium. Add 1/2 c. bean mixture and press lightly with a spatula to flatten. Make 3 more patties, working in batches if necessary (add more oil for second batch), and cook until browned and cooked through, 3 minutes per side. Serve burgers on buns with toppings.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 20 minutes.

Verdict:
When Blake first walked into the house he said "oh, something smells good." Then he walked into the kitchen and you could tell the obvious disappointment on his face. But he was brave and tried them anyways. Here is a shocker...he thought they were good. He said that they are the best veggie burgers that he had ever had. I thought they were good too and we will be having them again.

Tex-Mex Turkey and Bean Chili

Ingredients:
4 slices of bacon, cut in to 1/2 inch strips
3 lbs. ground turkey
4 onions, coarsely chopped
2 jalapenos, minced, ribs and seeds removed for less heat if desired
3 T. chili powder
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
4 t. ground cumin
2 cans (28 oz. each) whole peeled tomatoes in puree
2 T. unsulfured molasses
1 c. water
3 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Assorted toppings: cheddar cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro

Directions:
Heat a dutch oven or heavy 5 quart pot over medium. Add bacon; cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Raise heat to high; add turkey. Cook, stirring and breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 8-10 minutes.
Add onions, garlic, and jalapenos; cook until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cocoa and cumin; cook stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Break up tomatoes with kitchen shears or your hands, and add them to the pot along with the puree. Add molasses, the water, and 4 t. salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook partially covered, 30 minutes.
Add beans; continue cooking (uncovered) until turkey is very tender and liquid has thickened, about 30 minutes more. Serve hot, with assorted toppings if desired.

Makes 8 servings. Total time 1 hour 30 minutes.

Verdict:
My sister got me a cast iron pot for my birthday and this was the first thing I made in it and I loved it. It made cooking the chili really easy. I also like that it doesn't take much effort, just a little bit of stirring here and there. The flavor was good and I enjoyed it. Blake is not a huge fan of chili so he just thought it was OK but he did say we could eat it again. It made so much that we froze half of it to eat another day when I don't feel like making dinner. One more thing. I don't know what the difference is between unsulfured molasses and regular molasses so I just used regular.

Chicken and Cheese Burritos

Ingredients:
2 t. olive oil
1 c. onion, diced
1 T. garlic, minced
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (15oz)
2 c. cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 T. ground cumin
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 jalapenos, diced
1 T. lime zest, minced
2 T. lime juice
2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. kosher salt
1.4 t. pepper
6 whole wheat tortillas (8 inch)
1 1/2 c. cheddar, shredded, divided

Directions:
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until softened, 2 minutes. Stir in beans.
Toss chicken with cumin to coat; add to skillet. Stir in tomatoes, jalapenos, zest, lime juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook mixture until tomato and jalapenos soften slightly, 5-8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; (if packaging for later let filling cool completely.)
Place tortillas flat on counter. Divide filling evenly among tortillas, placing about 3/4 c. filling on each tortilla. Top each tortilla with 1/4 c. cheddar. Fold in sides of one tortilla; bring the front of the tortilla (the side closest to you) over the filling. Continue rolling and tucking in the filling until it's completely enclosed. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Wrap each burrito in two layers of plastic wrap. Tightly seal wrapped tortillas inside freezer bags. Freeze burritos as long as 8 weeks.
To reheat: unwrap burrito; discard plastic wrap. Place burrito on a microwave safe plate. Heat frozen burrito in the microwave for 3-4 minutes.

Makes 6 burritos. Total time 40 minutes.

Verdict:
When ever a recipe calls for already cooked chicken I use a rotisserie chicken from Costco. It makes life so easy. We ate these for dinner and then froze the leftovers. Blake ate the leftovers at work and said that they were good.

Red Beans with Andouille Sausage

Ingredients:
1 t. vegetable oil
1 lb. andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, diced small
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bag (1 lb.) dried small red beans, soaked overnight and drained
coarse salt and pepper

Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat oil.
Add andouille; cook until fat is release and sausage is slightly golden in spots, 10-12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
Add onion and garlic to pan; cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add beans and 4 1/2 c. water; bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer, partially cover and cook until beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding more water if necessary. Stir in andouille and heat through; season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 1 hour 20 minutes.

Verdict:
Some preparation is needed to make this soup. You have to soak the beans overnight which requires a little planning. I couldn't find andouille sausage so I substituted a cooked chicken sausage. You could also use kielbasa or another smoked sausage. This was a hearty soup. It would be good with cornbread as it has kind of a Southern feel. I would probably add a little red pepper flakes to give it a little kick.

Warm Green Bean and Potato Salad

Ingredients:
1 lb. red new potatoes
coarse salt and pepper
1 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
1-2 T. lemon juice

Directions:
Boil potatoes in salted water until they are tender when pierced with a fork, 15-20 minutes.
Drain thoroughly. In a large skillet, heat oil.
Add potatoes and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, mashing potatoes slightly, until golden brown in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a dish.
Add bacon to skillet and cook until bacon is crisp. Add green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
Add potatoes along with lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 30 min.

Verdict:
We were originally going to eat this for dinner by it self and then I decided at the last minute to make some chicken to go with it. It was good, but it was better as a side. The beans in it were really good. I think it has something to do with cooking them in bacon grease.

Southern Pork Tenderloin with Chow Chow, Beans and Greens

For the pork:
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. each kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

For the Chow Chow:
1/2 c. yellow mustard
1/4 c. onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish (I think sweet relish is nasty so I opted for dill relish)
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

For the beans and greens:
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 c. onion, diced
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. dry sherry
1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. chicken broth (I used 1/4 c. water and one bouillon cube)
1 bunch mustard greens (I used turnip greens)
2 tsp. cider vinegar

For the pork:
Preheat grill
Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl. Stir in oil. Rub mixture over pork tenderloin.
Grill pork, covered, turning every 3 minutes until cooked through. Remove pork from grill and tent with foil. Serve sliced and with chow chow sauce.

For the Chow Chow:
Simmer all ingredients for chow chow in a small saucepan over medium low heat for 3-4 minutes.

For the beans and greens:
Heat oil in saute pan add onion and cook 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Deglaze with sherry. Simmer until sherry has evaporated, about 1 minute.
Stir in black eyed peas and broth and bring to a simmer. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add mustard greens and cook until wilted 2-3 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4. Total time 30 minutes

Verdict:
This was good. I have had a lot of pork that is like this with the spices all a little different. So it was nothing super special but it was good. The mustard sauce was good. Better than the mustard sauce that went with Cubano chicken. I liked the beans and green the best. What can I say I am a fan of the black eyed peas (musically and for eating.) Laney ate the beans and Gavin ate some pork after much persuasion. Blake didn't say he loved it but also didn't say that he didn't like it. That is really no help is it? Just try it. I am sure you won't dislike it.