Black Beans and Rice

So this is also an Ingrid Hoffmann recipe from the food network.  I found it last week for Molly when she was doing a Mexican fiesta party...  she says it was a hit!  So I figured that's enough of a response to add it here.  And it would go really well with the chicken enchilada recipe, also.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 cups long-grain white rice
• 4 (14-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles drained
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. Stir in the onions, peppers, garlic, bay leaves and cumin. Stir and cook for 8 minutes.

Stir in the rice, black beans, tomatoes, water, vinegar and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 40 minutes or until the rice is tender. Serve hot.

Four Cheese Baked Penne

  This is a great dish for winter time.  It's comfort food - warm and cozy!  And it's a good vegetarian dish- no meat.  It makes a lot, so you can always half it.  But it keeps great, too...

I've got to give credit where credit is due:  Food Network!  Three years ago, but I think if it sits in my recipe card box for that long, I start to feel ownership :)

Ingredients

• 1 pound whole-wheat penne
• 1 1/2 cups small-curd low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (3/4 ounces)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella and parsley in a bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate and set aside. Cook pasta until tender but still firm, a minute or 2 less than the package directs. Drain.

Heat the oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, rosemary, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Return pasta to pot with sauce and turn off heat. Add cottage cheese mixture.

Spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray then transfer pasta mixture to pan. Top with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and the parmesan. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 30 minutes.

Kippy's Shortbread

  A hallmate's grandmother makes delicious shortbread that I tried for the first time this weekend...

Kippy’s Shortbread

 

1 C. sugar

2 C. butter

1 C. cornstarch

2 C. flour

1 '/2 to 2 C. additional flour for kneading

 

In a large bowl cream sugar and butter. Gradually mix in cornstarch and flour. 

 

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead adding additional flour (1.5-2 cups) as necessary.

 

For Rectangular shortbread:

Use a 9x12 or 10x15 inch pan. Press the dough into pan. Mark into sections with a knife. Prick each section of dough with a fork.

 

For round or triangular shortbread:

Roll into a "log." Cut into 12 or 16 pieces, depending on size cookies desired. Roll each section into a ball. Place on a cookie sheet and press down with palm of your hand, so each circle is about 1/2 inch thick. With the edge of a knife indent each circle to make 4 to 6 sections in each, similar to a wheel. With a fork prick each of those sections. Crimp edges slightly with tines of a fork (for decoration only, not necessary). Sprinkle with granulated sugar.

 

FIRST:

Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

 

SECOND:

Reduce heat and bake at 200 for 1 hour.

 

Cut while warm.

 

Store in an air tight container. Improve with age. Shortbread freezes well.

 ** I put the shortbread in for this amount of time in the oven and it was not quite done.  I would either cook 10 minutes longer or 300 for more like 45 minutes...

YUM!

The Best Chili EVER.

    I made a big ole crockpot of this chili last night and it's gonna last us through the weekend.  It's easy and can simmer all day long.  Great with the broccoli cornbread:

2 lbs. ground beef or chuck

1 green bellpepper

1 medium onion

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 can (12 oz.) of tomato sauce

2 cans light red kidney beans

2 TBsp. chili powder

3 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Here's what ya do.  Brown the beef (mostly), drain excess fat.  Add in chopped onion and bellpepper.  Cook.  I then transfer to a crockpot.  Add in tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings.  Do NOT add in the beans until 15-20 minutes before you are ready to eat the chili, as they will get mushy if they sit all day.  Simmer on the LOWEST setting until you're ready to serve it up.  Great fall meal!!!

Peanut Butter Pie

   Ok, so it's not so good for the diet.  HOWEVER, it is such a popular dessert... a great dish to share.  I received this recipe from a girl in my Greek school class this summer.  It was so tasty I decided to post it:

Peanut Butter Cream Pie recipe:

Ingredients:
2 (15 oz.) pie crusts
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate
3 sticks margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
12 oz. cool whip
1 tablespoon corn syrup
2 tablespoons milk
(optional) 1/4 cup peanut butter chips for decoration

Pie Crusts:
*Make sure to put enough fork holes in crust so crust doesn't bubble
*Bake crust @450 for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown

Bottom Layer:
*Melt together: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2.5 tablespoons margarine, 2 tablespoons water, 1/2 cup powerdered sugar
*This makes enough for both crusts.  After crusts are cooled, spread chocolate on sides and on bottom of crusts.  Refrigerate until chocolate hardens.

Peanut Butter Layer:
*Melt together: 1 cup margarine and 1 cup brown sugar.  After mixture is melted together, stick in refrigerator for 10 minutes.  After mixture is cooled, add 1 cup peanut butter and mix well.  After mixed, add 12 oz. cool whip and mix well.  Spread the peanut butter mixture into the pie crusts and put in refrigerator.

Top Layer:
*Melt together: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2.5 tablespoons margarine, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon corn syrup.
*After everything is melted together, spread evenly on top of pies and either refrigerate or freeze.

(optional) decoration:
*Melt 1/4 cup peanut butter chips with approximately 1 tablespoon milk.  Once mixture is melted and smooth, decorate tops of pies to your liking!

**Hint for serving: Run knife under hot water for cutting**

Chicken Enchiladas!

This is actually a recipe I found two years ago on the Food Network site.  It is by Ingrid Hoffmann.  This is probably more of a weekend meal as it takes a little while to assemble and cook, but it makes YUMMY enchiladas that last a while.  And they continue to taste just as good once the flavors have marinated:

Salsa:

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with chiles, drained (Rotel)

2 scallions, light green and white parts only, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (BE SO CAREFUL CHOPPING THIS...wear gloves!)

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves

1 lime, juiced

pinch of salt

Enchiladas:

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded

2 cups grated cheddar cheese 

1 cup sour cream

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 (8inch) flour tortillas -- whatever size you want, it will just vary how many will fit into the 9X13 pyrex

Prepare the salsa first.  Combine Rotel, scallions, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice in mixing bowl.  Add a healthy pinch of salt and set aside (at room temp) until ready to cook enchiladas.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9X13 pyrex.  

Place the shredded chicken in a large bowl.  Add HALF the grated cheese, all of the sour cream and onion and season with salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Place the tortillas on your work surface.  Spoon chicken mixture across center of the tortillas (I pack em pretty full).  Roll them closed and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish.  Pour the salsa over the tortillas.  Cover with foil and bake until heated through.  About 40 minutes.

Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese.  Return to the oven until cheese is melted and edge of tortillas begin to get crisp.  5-8 minutes.

SO good served with black beans and rice.  These taste really fresh!  PLEASE be careful with the jalapeno.  The first time I made these, my hands burned for four hours after dealing with the jalapenos without gloves on.  If you don't have gloves, at least put a grocery bag over your hand while chopping and de seeding them...  otherwise, ENJOY!!!

Brown Rice

  So it sounds pretty unexciting.  HOWEVER, it's the perfect side for any kind of chicken or casserole.  It's a staple in the Buckley household:

one cup rice (uncooked!)

one can Beef Consumme soup

one can Beef Bouillon (or just a can's worth of water heated up with a beef bouillon cube dissolved in it.  I use the Beef Consumme can to measure, but DONT put it in the microwave)

one stick margarine or real butter

one med/large Vidalia onion diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  The recipe calls for a 9 X 13 pan, but I always use the small square Pyrex so the rice doesn't get dried out.  In a saute pan, melt the margarine/butter and cook the diced onion about five minutes.  Dump the onion in the Pyrex.  Add the Beef Consumme, Beef Bouillon, cup of rice.  Stir slightly.  Cook for about 45 minutes- an hour.  Make sure you open oven towards the end and stir it around so that the rice on top does not get too dry and crusty.  Voila!  Hope it tastes yummy.