Black Bean Taco Salad & Lime Vinaigrette

A new favorite from Cooking Light! We take out the chicken to make this a vegetarian dish. The black beans gives the salad a protein punch, yet with a spicy and tangy side, courtesy of the vinaigrette. 


By taking out the chicken, this becomes a very thrifty meal. Canned black beans are less than $2.00 and the fresh produce doesn't add up to much. If you have the spices for the vinaigrette, this is also one of the easiest meals to prepare. For leftovers, just be sure to store the bean mixtures separately if you would like to heat them up.


With these ingredients, this meal can last two people about 4 dinners.


Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes


Ingredients:

• Vinaigrette:
• 1/4 cup chopped seeded, ripe Roma tomatoes (about 4)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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• Salad:
• • You favorite salad greens (spinach works well, a nice spring mix, or even hearts of romaine) 
  • 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 cup finely diced onion
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 
  • (optional: tortilla strips salad toppers,  1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese )
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  • To make the vinaigrette, throw everything in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Store in a convenient bottle and chill for at least an hour before serving.
  • For the salad, saute the beans, onion and green pepper in a pan until the onions are slightly translucent. Cool and top with vinaigrette and cheese and tortilla strips if using. 
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What to do with bacon grease?

Aside from make amazing eggs and other breakfast foods in bacon grease, what else can we do? Right now we're trying to add it to some pasta, so stayed tuned!

Experiment: Homemade Vanilla Extract: week 2

Our experiment enters its second week. The soon-to-be vanilla extract changed color drastically. We gave it a good shake and put it back in the cupboard. We'll check on it next week and keep you updated!

White Chocolate and Almond Cookies

Sometimes the best recipes are right under your nose. A simple and delicious recipe for white chocolate chip cookies sits on the back of the Toll House package. We added some almonds for an extra bit of crunch.


Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes per cookie sheet


Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup white chocolate morsels
• 1 cup almond slivers

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat in the egg, then slowly add the flour mixture. Add in the chocolate morsels and almond slivers. Drop by rounded tablespoons on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes.

Experiment: Homemade Vanilla Extract

We came across some great vanilla beans and were at a loss at how to use them. Fortuitously, we ran out of vanilla extract at the same time! Making vanilla extract is apparently the simplest, yet flexible recipe. The alcohol base can change from vodka to rum, but we stuck with vodka.


The same rule for cooking wine, applies to this vodka. Only use vodka that you would actually consider drinking!


You'll need a jar with a tight fitting lid and a cool dark place to store it. Once finished this will last for at least a year.


We'll be documenting the process with weekly updates. Stay tuned!


Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 2 months


Ingredients:

• 3 vanilla beans
• 1 cup vodka  

Sterilize the jar by submerging it in boiling water for 10 minutes. Make sure the jar is cool when ready to place the beans in.
Slice the beans in half, making sure to leave 1 inch of the stem intact. 

Place the beans in the jar and pour the vodka over it. Close the jar and store it somewhere cool and dark. Shake the container well once a week. The extract will be ready in two months and you'll notice the mixture change color throughout the process.

Vanilla extract, day 1

Reheat, enjoy!

Some recipes fair better as leftovers than others. We wanted to gather up our favorites from this blog, as well as from around the web. Happy leftovers!

• Chicken Pot Pie, The Remix
• Crustless Broccoli and Cheese Quiche
• Stroganoff, The Remix
• Tofu Vegetable Hot Pot (Cooking Light)
• Quick Vegetarian Chili (Cooking Light)

Thai Vinaigrette

In a quest for healthy eating, we cracked open The Joy of Cooking to search for some homemade salad dressing recipes. We settled on the Thai vinaigrette because of its balance of spicy and tangy. We modified the original recipe a bit to add some sriracha and bottled, instead of fresh, lime juice. This is a dual purpose recipe, as it can also serve as a marinade for fish or chicken.


A note on the gadget we used. The combination mixer, pourer, and storer is from The Pampered Chef: Measure, Mix & Pour. The side of the bottle offers easy to follow dressing recipes. It was very handy, but a whisk and your favorite container would do just fine.


Prep time: Under 5 minutes (chill for at least an hour before using)

Ingredients: 

1. 1/2 cup of lime juice (fresh or bottled)
2. 1 tablespoon soy sauce 
3. 1.5 tablespoons sugar
4. 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
5. Salt to taste
6. 1/2 tablespoons sriracha
7. 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Whisk together the first 6 ingredients. In a slow and steady stream, add the vegetable oil. For best results, chill over night, and mix well before using. 

Refrigerator Walnut Cookies

Cookie recipes never cease to make me feel like queen of the kitchen. This is one of the rare recipes where the results are not a direct result of hours of preparation, and as a bonus, is a family favorite. Any type of nut would work with the recipe. These cookies can be prepared the night before, and actually taste better the day after.

Prep: 10 minutes (plus 30+ minutes for chilling)

Bake time: 10 to 13 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flou
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Cream together butter and brown sugar    
3. Add the egg and vanilla
4. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture (will be crumbly)
5. Add the walnuts
6. Chill the dough for 25 minutes. Once chilled form into log, about 10 inches long
7. Chill for an additional 30 minutes, or overnight, in wax paper
8. When ready to bake, cut into thin slices, no more than a quarter inch
9. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 10-13 minutes, or until slightly browned
10. Cool on wire rack

Chicken Pot Pie, The Remix

An old school recipe that is not for the faint-hearted or time crunched. Chicken pot pie, even with store bought pie crust, is an involved recipe. However, the payoff is immeasurable! Eating this pot pie right out of the oven makes all the chopping, waiting, and baking worth it. This recipe adds a bit of heat to the classic recipe, with touches of red pepper flakes and Sriracha.


One way to cut down on prep time is to buy a frozen vegetable mix. Be careful not to overdo it with too many vegetable varieties. This recipe's charm lies in its simplicity.


Quick note: if using frozen pie crust, don't forget to defrost it the night before. Also, don't worry if the crust breaks. Most store-bought crust can be put back together just by re-rolling the crust.


Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes


Ingredients:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk

2 unbaked pie crusts

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, and celery. 
3. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
4. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, red pepper. 
5. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk, creating a roux. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Set aside.
6. Line a nine-inch pie plate with one of the crusts. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid, onion mixture over. 
7. Cover with top crust, making sure you have a tight seal. Cut away excess dough. Make about four slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Broiled Tilapia with Parmesan

This recipe may be my new favorite fish recipe. Tilapia is a very light, white fish, that does not have a very strong taste. The Parmesan coating adds a nice crust, while the broiling method makes this recipe a good fit for a quick mid-week meal. I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com, but modified it to suit a spicier, less savory taste bud.

Be sure to adhere to the very short broiling time, because it is very easy to overcook the fish.

On a thrifty note,tilapia is one of the most inexpensive fish, especially if bought frozen. If using frozen fillets for this recipe, be sure to defrost them overnight.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 9 minutes

Ingredients: 

• • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated or ready made)
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2.5 tablespoons mayonnaise (regular, not light)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
  • 1/2 tablespoon sriracha
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 6 tilapia fillets

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler and take butter out of the fridge to bring to room temperature
2. Line broiler pan with aluminum foil
3. Mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, red pepper flakes, sriracha  and lemon juice.
4. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Place the pan on the top rack and broil for 3 minutes. 
5. Flip the fillets over and broil for 3 minutes. 
6. Remove the fillets from the oven. Cover the top and sides with the cheese mixture.
7. Broil for 3 more minutes or browned and the fillet flakes easily. Serve with vegetables and mashed potatoes.