Black Bean Patty

To watch this Video-Recipe please click HERE!!

Hi Everyone! Today's recipe is another great vegetarian recipe that will for sure satisfy any meat-lover! This is one of those recipes that even if you are not a vegetarian, you need to try out, the combination of flavors and textures is fantastic, besides this patty do have as much  protein as a good piece of steak! It's easy, delicious and very budget friendly, perfect for any day of the week!
I hope you like it.


Makes 4 large patties or 6-7 medium size patties.
Ingredients:

• 4 cups of cooked Black Beans
• ½ cup of finely chopped Bell Peppers (any color you like)
• ½ cup of finely chopped Red Onion
• ½ cup of finely chopped Mushrooms (I used baby Portobello, use any kind you like)
• 2 minced Garlic cloves
• 1 minced Jalapeno Pepper
• ¼ cup of fresh Cilantro, chopped2/3 cup of Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons of Dry Oregano
• 1 tablespoon of Chicken Flavor bouillon Seasoning
• 2 teaspoons of Ground Cumin
• Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

These can be baked or pan fried or grilled. To Bake, preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Season the beans with 1 tablespoon of dry oregano, salt and black pepper to taste
and also add in 1 teaspoon of ground cumin. Mix well, and with a masher or a fork, mash the beans until there's no more whole beans left in there. Set a side for a moment.

In a skillet on medium heat, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and cook the onion for about 1 minute, add in the bell peppers, mushrooms, and minced jalapeno, give it a quick stir, then add in the garlic and season with 1 tablespoon of chicken flavour bouillon seasoning and pinch of black pepper, stir once again, and continue to cook on medium heat for 2 more minutes.

Now in large container, combine the black beans with the mixture of bell peppers and mushrooms,
also add in the fresh cilantro, 2/3 cup of Panko bread crumbs, mix well and also add in 1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and 1 egg slightly beaten, mix everything together until everything is well incorporated, taste the flavor and add any more salt or pepper if needed. Divide this mixture into equal portions to make the patties.

These patties can be baked at 400ºF for 12 minutes or until slightly brown.

Can be pan fried or grilled for about 4-5 minutes on each side. 

They make an awesome vegetarian burger, or can be served over a salad or with some rice!

Enjoy!

Homemade Refried Beans

These are a constant staple in our fridge nowadays.  We eat them with everything, whenever we can...  mostly because they are delicious, but also because they are so healthy.  I put them in a tortilla with my eggs in the morning, with quesadillas for lunch, or tacos for dinner.  Amazing.  This recipe comes from a friend whose parents we know and love, from our former Plano 8th Ward.  Her blog is FULL of great, easy, and cheap recipes.  Here's the link: Fast,Cheap, and Easy. (Picture below is a before picture).

courtesy

Homemade Refried Beans

Fast Cheap and Easy

1 32oz bag Pinto Beans
1 onion –  diced
1 1/2 T - Salt
1 T - Pepper
1/4 t - Cumin
9 C Water

Combine everything in the crockpot. Cook on high ALL day (8 hours). Blend everything until smooth using an emersion blender, Bosch, or Vitamix. If the beans look thick at the end of the day, add a touch of water. You’ll NEVER go back to canned refried beans. I freeze the leftovers in quart sized zip seal freezer bags. Just lay them flat and freeze them like file folders. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Enchilada Steak

I found this recipe on Pinterest and tried it last week.  It was so good and super easy to make.  I was picking at the steak meat all night long because it was flavored perfectly and really tender.  Plus, its done in the crockpot and you can do whatever you want with it afterwards- we used it for tacos, but the original recipe uses them for baked enchiladas.

courtesy

Crock Pot Enchilada Steak

Adapted from Chef in Training

2 lbs. stew meat (I used 1lb lean, 1 lb. with a little fat)

1 16-oz. can red enchilada sauce 

2 beef bullion cubes

Refried beans (see this recipe for homemade)

Tacos and desired fillings

Place stew meat in crock pot.  Top with crushed bullion cubes (if yours wont crush, put them in a small container with a little water for about 30 seconds and then crush) and enchilada sauce.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours, until meat is very tender and falls apart.  Drain off extra juice and use meat as desired.  Here's the link for the original recipe if you'd like to make enchiladas.

Piña-Coco Cookies

To watch this Video-Recipe please click HERE!!

Hi everyone! Today's recipe is an amazing cookie recipe, this one has to be one of the best cookies I have ever made, I loved them, I'm obsessed with them, and I'm not ashamed to say that when I baked them a few days ago, I ate 10 of them in a row... they are that good! I just couldn't stop eating them. I really recommend  you give these a try, and hopefully you will love them as much as I did!

Makes about 3 dozens
Ingredients:

• 3 cups of all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup of light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• ½ teaspoon of baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter soften (1 cup)
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup of finely chopped pineapple,
• 1/3 cup of sweeten shredded coconut, plus another 1/4 cup for garnish
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of pineapple juice

Preheat the oven to 300ºF (150ºC)

Combine the flour with ½ teaspoon of baking soda, ¼ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of baking powder, mix well, and set aside until you are ready to use it.

In an electric mixer blend the brown sugar and the granulated sugar until well combined, for about a minute or so, then add in the butter,  and continue to blend on medium speed until you get a grainy creamy texture for about 2-3 minutes. After everything is well incorporated, add in the egg, blend for about 30 seconds, and also add in the vanilla extract, pineapple juice, chopped pineapple, and 1/3 cup of shredded coconut. Blend on medium speed for 30 seconds or just until all the ingredients are well combined.


Set the speed to the lowest and slowly add in the flour mixture. Continue to blend on low speed until the flour is incorporated with the rest of the ingredients, but do NOT over-mix, you just want everything to come together without over-mixing.


To make the cookies, grab a tablespoon of the dough and roll it with your hands into a ball, place the cookie balls on a baking sheet, place them about 1½ in. apart from each other to prevent them from sticking together while in the oven.  Press each ball with your finger tips or a spoon, just a little bit to flatten them up a bit, and sprinkle them with more shredded coconut.

Bake them at 300ºF for about 20-22 minutes or until they become slightly brown. As soon as they are done, transferred them to a cold surface to cool down. Then Enjoy!

Julie Johnson's Rolls!!

Julie Johnson's Rolls

These are the best rolls!  She cooks them for our ward for all of our activities and everyone begs for the recipe.  The key to the recipe is the shaping so I made a video of how to do it!  Disclaimer: Please remember that I just had triplets about 4 weeks before the video and I hadn't gotten to the stage where I was putting make up on!  Another reason I love this recipe is that it is basically fool-proof!  Because you mix all of the ingredients but the flour in the blender you only have to knead the dough for about a minute or so!  It is so easy and so good!  Also, they make really good cinnamon rolls!  They just make good everything...but make sure you shape them correctly!

Blender Rolls
From my RS Pres, Julie Johnson

7 c. flour (bread flour works best but AP will work too)
2 1/2 c. water, hot
2 T quick-rise active dry yeast
1/3 c. sugar
2 t. salt
1 cube margarine
1 egg

Measure flour into a large bowl (If you lose count, start with all new flour so the air pockets don't destroy the flour measurements).  Put remaining ingredients into a blender jar and push stir until well blended.  Pour over flour and stir with a wooden spoon (I use my Kitchen Aid) until flour is mixed in and the sides are cleaned.  Cover with a warm wet towel and let rise for 1 hour.  Shape into rolls and place on greased baking pans.  Let rise until double, about 20 to 30 minutes.  Cover with towel again.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until done.  Note: Dough will be sticky so use shortening on your hands to keep from sticking.

Chicken Fajita Mac and Cheese

Pic courtesy Annies Eats

I made this last week and it was delicious. And talk about an easy and kid-friendly weeknight meal! I actually think it would have been just as good, if not better without the chicken. I mean, who eats chicken mac and cheese anyway, right? Yum!

Chicken Fajita Mac and Cheese
adapted from Annie's Eats 

12 oz. pasta shapes, such as rotini
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced (optional)
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. paprika
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. butter
3 bell peppers (multiple colors), seeded and thinly sliced (I used one bell pepper b/c my husband is vegetable-averse and it was delicious)
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
½ cup sour cream
8-12 oz. monterey jack cheese or pepperjack if you like some spice

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Spray/butter a 2 quart baking dish.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Cook pasta according to the package directions just until al dente.  Drain well.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken, cumin, paprika, and cayenne to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is just cooked through and no longer pink.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove the chicken to a large bowl; set aside.
• In the same skillet, melt the butter.  Add the sliced peppers and onion to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.  Mix in the garlic and green chiles and sauté about 2 minutes more.  Remove from the heat and transfer the veggie mixture to the bowl with the chicken.  Add the sour cream and shredded cheeses to the bowl along with the pasta.  Mix everything together until well combined.  Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
• Bake for 15 minutes until slightly browned and bubbling.  Let cool briefly before serving.

Tuscan Chicken Stew

Pic courtesy South Your Mouth

I made this for dinner tonight. And you know if I'm posting it the same night I made it, it's good. I've posted a lot of soup recipes this winter, but this one has got to be the most unique. It's such a hearty meal. I loved it and so did Christian.

Tuscan Chicken Stew
adapted from South Your Mouth 

1 4-5 lb. chicken (I actually thought it could have used a little less chicken and I used a 4.5 lb-er)

2 cups water

4 cups chicken broth

2-3 teaspoons salt, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, divided

1 bay leaf

4 stalks celery, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 large onion, diced

6-7 medium red potatoes, sliced (I used golden potatoes)

1 15-oz. can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon dried thyme

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2-4 roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise and sliced

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, simmer chicken, water, chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and bay leaf, covered, over medium-low heat for one hour.  Remove chicken and set aside to cool.  Pour broth through strainer and add broth back to Dutch oven.

Bring broth to a boil and add celery, carrots, onions, potatoes, beans, thyme, garlic, paprika, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, tomatoes and remaining 1-2 teaspoons salt (this depends on how salty your prepared chicken broth is – salt to taste) and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered for 45 minutes (cooking this uncovered will help reduce it and enhance the flavor).

Meanwhile, remove skin and bones from chicken; shred or chop chicken, cover and set aside.  Once vegetables and broth have cooked for 45 minutes, add chicken and stir to combine.  Cover pot, remove from heat and let stew rest for 30 minutes.  Stir and serve with cornbread or crusty bread. 

Honey Mustard Chicken

To watch this Video-Recipe please click HERE!!

Hi everyone! Today's recipe is perfect for a Valentine's date! Super easy to make, full of flavor and  will for sure impress your date, and of course , it will also save you tons of money and time,! I hope you give it a try!

Ingredients:
Serves 2-3

• 1 package Chicken Drumsticks (6 to 8 pieces)
• ½ cup Honey
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon White wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions plus a little extra for garnish
• 2 large garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dry cilantro
• Black pepper and salt to taste

Rinse the chicken pieces under cold water. Dry them with paper towels. With a Knife or fork, poke the chicken pieces a few times each. (This will allow the marinade to fully impregnate the chicken meat instead of just hanging on the skin.)

In a large container combine the minced garlic, green onions, 1 tablespoon of dry cilantro,  and salt and black pepper to taste. Also add in 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, ½ cup of honey, and ¼ cup of Dijon mustard; mix everything together until all the ingredients are combined, taste the flavor and more salt and pepper if needed.  Reserve ¼ cup of this mixture to baste the chicken when cooking.

Rub whatever is left of the Honey-Mustard marinade all over the chicken pieces, give each piece a good massage with this mixture. And refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Overnight will be perfect!)

This chicken can be grilled or baked.
To grill it: grill it for about 20-30 minutes turning a few times in between. Baste the chicken with the leftover marinade (¼ cup of marinade we reserved earlier?)  every 6 minutes or so.

To bake it: Preheat the oven to 400ºF
Cooking time will be 30-35 minutes. Basting the chicken every 10 minutes.

Place the chicken on a baking sheet, cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes in the oven baste the chicken pieces with the leftover marinate. (¼ cup we reserved earlier)

Place the chicken pieces back in the oven and after 10 more minutes, baste the chicken pieces once again with the rest of the marinade.


Place back in the oven and continue to cook for 10-15 more minutes or until the chicken pieces are completely cooked!

Serve over mashed potatoes, garnish with chopped green onions!

 Enjoy!!

Chipotle Chicken and Corn Chowder

I made this last week and have been too busy to post it. You must make this before soup season comes to an end. It is delicious and so different from anything I've ever made. I loved the potato with the southwestern flavors. It really came together so well and made for delicious leftovers too!

Chipotle Chicken and Corn Chowder
adapted from Brown Eyed Baker 

Ingredients:

1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
2 cups chicken stock
6 small red potatoes, peeled and diced small
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 cups diced, cooked chicken
1 (30-ounce) can sweet corn, drained (I halved this and used frozen corn)
1 (15-ounce) can cream-style corn (I only put in about 3/4 of the can)
Juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Chopped cilantro, to garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove one chile from the can of chiles and mince it. Remove 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce and set it aside to be used later. You can save the remaining chiles and sauce for another use.
2. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add the poblano pepper, red bell pepper, the chile from the can, cumin, thyme and oregano, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the peppers become soft. Add the garlic, stir and cook for an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
3. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and cook for 1 minute, or until there is no longer any visible raw flour. Slowly stir in the milk and chicken broth, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir.
4. Add the potatoes, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a knife.
5. Add the shredded cheeses a handful at a time, stirring after each addition until the cheese is completely melted.
6. Finally, stir in the chicken, both cans of corn, lime juice and the reserved 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until the soup is completely heated through. Serve immediately.
Note: If you have leftovers that have been refrigerated and reheated, you may need to thin out the soup with some extra chicken stock, as it may thicken up in the refrigerator.

 

Easy Chocolate Mousse

To watch this Video-Recipe please click HERE!

Hi everyone! Today's recipe is a perfect dessert for Valentine's, it's super easy to make, delicious and very budget friendly, with this one, you will safe time and money without compromising the taste. I hope you give it a try!

Serves 2-4 (2 servings of 1 cup or 4 servings of ½ cup)
Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• ¼ cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• Fresh Raspberries to serve

In a sauce pan simmer ½ cup of the heavy cream, once it starts boiling add in the chocolate chips. Stir together. Turn off the heat. Stir again, cover with a lid, and set aside so the chocolate chips can continue to melt.


Once the chocolate chips are completely melted, transferred the chocolate to a larger bowl, cover again with a lid, and let it cool at room temperature.

In the meantime, in an electric mixer, add in the rest of the heavy cream, and also add in the powdered sugar the vanilla extract, and blend everything on high speed for about 3-5 minutes or until the cream becomes thick and fluffy, until you get the consistency of whipped cream.


With a spatula fold in a ⅓ of the whipped cream wit the melted chocolate, try not to over mix,  you just want to slowly blend the cream with the chocolate, once the whipped cream is incorporated with the melted chocolate, add another ⅓ whipped cream and continue fold the cream with the chocolate without over mixing. Repeat this step until all the cream is well incorporated with the Chocolate.

At this point the Chocolate Mousse is ready, you can either serve it right away, or place it in a plastic container or bag and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Garnish with fresh Raspberries and shaved chocolate.  Enjoy!