Enchilada Gravy Remix

I felt like remixing the enchilada gravy and rice recipe to reflect my recent cravings: cilantro and lime.

2 C (dry) jasmine rice
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 TBS olive oil
3 large chicken breasts (boneless, skinless), diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can cream of chicken soup (make your own if you need to be dairy free, like me)
1 7oz can salsa verde
3-4 TBS cilantro paste (I buy a tube in the produce section of my grocery store)
4-5 TBS lime juice
Salt
Pepper
Crushed red pepper
Cumin
Garlic powder

I put the rice (and necessary water) in my rice cooker with the garlic cloves and a dash of salt and pepper.

Sauté the onion and pepper until soft. Add the chicken, and season with a few dashes of the spices (easy on the crushed red pepper if you want it less spicy). When the chicken is nearly cooked add the black beans and a splash of lime juice. When the chicken had cooked through, add the salsa and cream soup. Stir until well mixed and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Once your rice is done, add the cilantro paste, a few tablespoons of lime juice and extra salt (to taste), stir well. Savor how awesome it tastes, then remind yourself that you aren't just eating rice for dinner.

Mix the rice into the chicken gravy, or serve the gravy on top on the rice.

Enjoy!

Jambalaya

recipe is my own

I need to get this recipe up on this blog as much for myself as for my friends and readers. I have never written it down before, and I have a feeling it has changed slightly each time I make it. Luckily, it still tastes great every time! This is how I made it tonight:


2 TBS. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 C. celery, chopped
2 cans kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 pack of kielbasa/smoked sausage, cut into coins, then quartered 
1 C. rice, uncooked
2 TBS. (or more, according to taste) Cajun seasoning
water, as needed


Heat the oil in a large pot, add the onion and cook until transparent. Add the bell pepper, and cook for a few more minutes (this is when I cut up my sausage). Add the sausage, and cook for a few more minutes (this is when I cut up my celery). Add celery, beans, tomatoes, and seasoning. Add enough water to just barely cover everything in the pot. Add the rice. Once boiling, lower heat and let simmer. Stir occasionally, and add more water if needed, until the rice has fully cooked and all the water has been absorbed (about 30 minutes). I like things spicy, so I usually add more Cajun seasoning....enough to get my nose running by the end of the meal! But you can add as much or as little as you prefer. You could easily replace the sausage with shrimp, if you wanted to make a seafood jambalaya!

Sweet Potato and Lentil Burritos

original recipe found in Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Mothering Magazine

I don't care for sweet potatoes all the much...and neither does my husband. But this recipe is actually really good. And I feel good about eating it, because it is so stinkin' healthy!

2 large sweet potatoes
2 C. cooked lentils
1 C. salsa
2 C. Pepper Jack cheese (or cheddar, or Monterey Jack, or whatever strikes your fancy), shredded
1 TBS. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
salt, to taste
whole wheat tortillas

Bake the potatoes for an hour at 425 degrees F. When they come out, let them cool enough to handle (I usually skip this part...because I'm hungry and don't want to wait), peel them and mash them in a large bowl. Add the cooked lentils, salsa, spices and about 1 1/2 C. of the cheese. Mix it all up really well. Put a big  dollop of the mix onto a tortilla and roll it up like a burrito. Place in a greased 9x13 pan. Fill the pan tightly with your rolled burritos. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and put in the oven (still at 425 degrees) for 10-15 minutes.

My husband (who, remember, doesn't like sweet potatoes) says that these taste like they are full of taco meat...with just a slightly softer texture. In other words, he likes them...except for the fact that they are sweet potatoes.

Fire Beef

original recipe from Becky Stansbury

This is the recipe that broke the camel's back....but in a good way. I have been talking to my aunt and my sister about sharing recipes for a while, and I was having a really hard time actually getting around to typing out the recipes and emailing them to whoever wanted them. Finally, while talking to my sister, I decided that I would start a blog to have an easy way to share all the recipes that I'm learning about and loving. (Also, I get another excuse to show off my love of alliteration....do you like the blog title??) This is the recipe that I really wanted to share with my sister, but I knew I had so many other recipes to share as well....and so the blog was born. I LOVE fire beef. Full of flavor and absolutely delicious! Enjoy!

2 C. soy sauce
1/2 C. olive oil
1 C. water
3/4 C. sugar
1 TBS. ground ginger
2 1/2 TBS. crushed red pepper
2 TBS. garlic powder
2 TBS. dark sesame oil
1 bunch green onions (about 6)-sliced thin
2lbs flank steak

Mix all ingredients (but not the steak yet) in a large pan (I use a 9x13...or that one Pyrex that is bigger...what size is that?). Slice the steak into thin strips, add to the pan. Marinade for at least 6 hours. I usually prepare it the night before I'm planning to eat this for dinner. Fry over medium heat until brown.

I usually heat the leftover marinade enough to kill off any germies, then put in on the table along with the steak, rice and stir fried veggies. Sooooo good! But be warned, the longer this marinates, the spicier it gets!