Easy Fiesta Beans

This is another easy recipe from Recipe that is a nice side with tacos, enchiladas, burritos, etc.

1 16-ounce can nonfat refried beans, preferably spicy

1 15-ounce can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed

1/2 cup prepared salsa

2/3 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

4 scallions, sliced

Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.

Combine refried beans, pinto beans, salsa and 1/3 cup cheese in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture is hot and the cheese is melted, 6 to 8 minutes. Spoon the bean mixture into a 2-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup cheese and scallions. Broil until the cheese is lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

Quinoa Bake

 I found this recipe on Pinterest. I made it for the first time in New Zealand and had a hard time finding canned chilies. So the one can that I could find were hot! So if you don't like spicy foods watch the chilies and chili powder.

1 cup quinoa, uncooked

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup onion, diced (about 1 medium)

1//2 green pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup zucchini, cubed (about 2 small)

1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 4 ounce can diced green chiles

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 lime, juiced

Salt

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse throughly with cool water for at least two minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring, for about one minute. The quinoa should begin to dry out and pop a bit. Add the chicken stock. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and zucchini and cook 3 more minutes.

 

Fluff the quinoa with a fork and place it in a large bowl. Add onion mixture, beans, green chiles, tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano, chili powder, lime juice, and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly and transfer to prepared baking dish. Bake 30 minutes, top with cheese, and bake 10 minutes more or until melted and just beginning to brown.

Crockpot Ham and Beans

We had leftover ham from Christmas and Steve asked for ham and beans so I went searching for an easy recipe.  Just so you know he loved it!

1 lb dried great northern beans (mixed if desired) or 1 lb other dried beans ( mixed if desired)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 large sweet onions, chopped coarsely
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 lb smoked ham or 1 lb ham hocks
6 cups water or 6 cups broth

Sort beans and place in a saucepan with 2-inches of water to cover.  Bring them to a boil, boil for 3 minutes, then cover and remove from heat.  Allow to sit for one hour after boiling (don't lift the lid).  Rinse and drain the beans before placing them in the crock pot.

Put the rinsed beans, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, parsley, cloves, ham (chopped into large chunks) or ham hocks into the crock pot along with 6 cups water or broth.  Cover crock, and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until beans are tender and creamy.  Skim any excess fat, if necessary, before serving.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

My Tortilla and Black Bean Pie isn't as pretty as Martha's but I am sure that it tasted just as good, my springform pan was larger then the tortillas I had in the house.  Basically this is a large bean and cheese burrito not rolled up.  

4 flour tortillas (10 inches)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups water
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (2 1/2 cups)

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add beans and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove side of pan; sprinkle pie with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges.

Southwest Egg Rolls

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles, drained

4 green onions, chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 package egg roll wrappers (about 24 total)

In a large bowl, combine everything but the egg roll wrappers. Mix well to blend. Lay an egg roll wrapper out on a work surface so that one of the corners is pointing toward you and place ¼ cup of the filling in the center. Fold the tip closest to you up over the filling, roll a bit, then take the points pointing outward and fold them in toward the center. Continue rolling into an egg roll shape until a small part of the remaining point is still free. Dip a finger in water or beaten egg and lightly brush on the edges of the free corner. Finish rolling and press to seal closed. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Lightly oil a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the sealed egg rolls on the baking sheet seam side down and spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly brown, turning halfway through baking. Serve warm with salsa.

Blackened Beans & Grits

Jacques from South Africa first introduced me to Grits and of course I would love them. I love cornbread so why not? I do add corn when I make them. When I saw this recipe on Cooking During Stolen Moments I thought it would be a simple side dish for dinner. I didn't have all of the ingredients that she used so this is my version.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
Paprika
Oregano
Cayenne pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Black pepper
Coarse salt

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook until tender. Stir in beans and tomatoes. Add seasoning to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer at least 15 minutes.

3 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cup corn meal
Corn - optional

Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Mix corn meal with remaining water in a small bowl. Add corn meal mixture slowly to boiling water, stirring constantly. Add corn now if desired. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until thickened.

Grandma Birrell's Chili

It's 3:30 in the afternoon and the sun is shining but with the windchill it is 22 degrees, BRRRRR!!!  This caused me to think that I needed a pot of chili and cornbread for dinner.  I remembered that I had Grandma Birrell's chili recipe.  The beans are never cooked with the chili and this is supposed to not cause as much...humph, how to I put this delicately, oh heck, GAS.

4 pounds ground beef - Chad don't have a cow, I didn't use this much

1 large onion

1 teaspoon salt - I omitted this

1 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons oregano

2 can tomatoes - My family doesn't like chunk tomatoes so I ran them through the blender first

2 cups water

1 can kidney beans

Brown ground beef, onion and salt.  Drain off grease then stir in remaining ingredients.  Simmer 1 hour.  Heat kidney beans in separate pan.  Serve separate so each person can mix to their own liking.

Grandma's Baked Beans

Another recipe from my friend, Jana Davis.

1 ½ pounds Ground Beef - drained
1 ½ pounds Bacon - do not drain
2 cups chopped Onions
1 cup Catsup
1 teaspoon Salt
1 ½ cup Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Mustard
1 tablespoon Vinegar
2 cans (large) Pork and Beans
2 cans Garbanzo Beans - drain one
2 cans Kidney Beans - drain one
2 cans Butter Beans - drain one

Brown ground beef and bacon and add onion. Add remaining ingredients and stir well, then add beans. Bake at 350 for two hours. Remove lid the second hour.

Crockpot option - Drain all but two cans of beans and cook on low all day long.