*Slow Cooker Beans & Rice

It is hot. H-O-T, hot. We're talking 100+ degrees outside, people. Welcome to summertime in Texas! As a native, I don't really mind it. Well, I don't love it, but I am used to it. Okay, okay, I'm as used to it as I can get. During the summer in Texas we sweat a lot, swim a lot, play in any kind of water a lot, own lots of shorts and flip flops and revive in the shade. This is the time of year when it's 95 in the shade and you cannot believe you hear yourself say, "Man, this feels nice!" When you've seen the outdoor thermometer read 104 several days in a row you quickly learn how to keep the inside as cool as possible. And since I like the inside of my house cold rather than cool, I've got a lot of tricks under my sleeve; keep the blinds closed, fans on high, lights off as much as possible, exhaust fan on when washing/drying clothes or showering and NOT TURNING THE OVEN ON! I don't know about yours, but my oven seems to heat my house in a heartbeat. It's probably because our kitchen opens into our living room, where we spend a lot of time. This time of year we eat lots of fruit, I make lots of sandwiches and salads - it's almost too hot to even care to eat! But I also lean on my crock pot quite a bit in the summertime when we need a hot meal. Mine doesn't give off much heat at all and not only do I not have to crank the oven, I don't have to slave over a hot stove either! So here's a yummy crock pot recipe:
3 c water
1 c dried red kidney beans
1 c chopped onion (I always cook with yellow)
1 c chopped green bell pepper
3/4 c chopped celery
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp ground red pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 (14 ounce) package turkey smoked sausage
1 bay leaf
5 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
3 c hot, cooked long-grain rice
1/4 c chopped green onions

Combine first 12 ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover with lid; cook on high 5 hours. Discard bay leaf; stir in salt. Serve over rice; sprinkle servings with green onions. Makes 4 servings (1 cup bean mixture, 3/4 cup rice and 1 tbsp green onions)

I think a little cheese sprinkled on top would be delicious, but I am an over cheeser and I refrained.

*From that favorite cookbook of mine: Cooking Light: Cook Smart Eat Well

Deep Dish Taco Pie

I don't know where this recipe originated, but my Mom made it a lot when I was little and it's requested a lot in my house these days. It's not an exact science, I change things up every time I make it, but this is how I made it tonight. BTW, this recipe makes two pies, but the leftovers are AWESOME! We'll eat on this for days and days and days...

Heat oven to 350, once heated pre-cook deep dish pie shells until lightly browned.

Make rice. (I used Knorr's Sides Mexican Rice. I prefer their Taco Rice version, but it's difficult for me to find)

Make 1 lb of taco meat, mix in 1 can refried beans. (I used the fat free variety) Heat through.

Layer into each pie shell (Use your judgment on amount):
Meat/bean mixture, handful of crumbled tortilla chips, rice, shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, meat/bean mixture, handful of crumbled tortilla chips.

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until crust is done. Sprinkle with cheese and stick back in oven for a couple more minutes to melt cheese.

Let stand several minutes before cutting.

Muy Bueno!

Taco Bean Soup

My family, both immediate and extended, loves taco soup. I may have put that recipe on here before, if not, I'm sure it will be added at some point. We eat it all the time. The soup I made tonight is actually a Weight Watchers recipe that I modified ever so slightly, but it tastes just like our family's taco soup - only healthier! So, it's a win-win situation! I'm posting the doubled version of the soup since I doubled the recipe to feed three adults plus a kid and wanted to have leftovers. Hana and I would go hungry at lunch time if it weren't for leftovers. =)

2 (15 oz) cans of turkey chili with beans ( I prefer Wolf Brand)
2 (14.5 oz) cans of no-salt-added diced tomatoes (I used the southwestern-flavored ones)
2 large, coarsely chopped zucchini or yellow squash (I used both)
2 cups water
1/2 cup shredded, reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese (I did not double the cheese)
1/4 cup sliced green onions (I also did not double the onions)
***Made with the ingredients listed above, this is only 3 WW points per 1-cup serving of soup, 2 tbsps cheese and 1 tbsp green onion. But I also added...
1 can Ranch-style beans with jalapenos
1 can hominy
1 avocado, diced
handful of chopped cilantro
reduced-fat sour cream
_____________________________________
In a large saucepan, combine first four ingredients plus Ranch-style beans, hominy and cilantro. Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and top evenly with cheese, onions, avocado and sour cream.

Red Beans & Rice Casserole

This recipe came out of a Mahatma rice package and calls for a package of their Red Beans & Rice, but I prefer Zatarains.

**********

1 package Red Beans & Rice mix (I used Zatarains)

1 tbsp chili powder

3 eggs, beaten (I used Egg Beaters)

1/3 cup milk

1 lb sausage, sliced (I used smoked turkey sausage)

1 medium diced green bell pepper

1 medium diced red bell pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 cup chopped green onions

**********

Prepare Red Beans & Rice according to package directions, adding chili powder. Set it aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350. Cook sausage and bell peppers in a skillet. Once rice has cooled to room temperature, combine with sausage and bell peppers. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and milk then add it to rice-sausage mixture. Pour into a greased casserole dish, top with cheese and bake for 20 minutes. Top with tomatoes and green onions.

Deep Dish Mexican Pie aka Taco Pie

A family favorite!
*****
This recipe makes two pies which usually means leftovers. I assure you that this pie is even better reheated than it is fresh!
*****
Deep dish pie crusts (2 come in a pack), thawed
1 lb hamburger meat'
taco seasoning (I'm partial to Taco Bell brand)
1 can refried beans (I use fat free)
Rice (I use Litpon Sides Taco Rice); buy two if you want to serve some on the side
tortilla chips (I'm partial to Tostitos Multigrain. If you haven't tried them, you're missing it!)
shredded colby-jack cheese (I use 2% milk)
I also use a handful of chopped cilantro
*****
Preheat oven to 350.
Cook the rice; set aside.
Cook the hamburger meat and season the meat per instructions on the taco seasoning packet.
Mix the refried beans and the chopped cilantro (if you're using it) into the taco meat.
*****
Layer in the pie crusts as follows:
meat/bean mixture
tiny bit of cheese
rice
tiny bit of cheese
tortilla chips (crumbled or whole will work)
meat/bean mixture
crumbled tortilla chips
*****
Bake in the oven approximately 30 minutes or until edges of crust are browned. Sprinkle cheese on top and put back in oven just a few minutes until cheese is melted.
*****
Remove from oven and let sit at least five minutes before slicing.

Mexican Bean Salad

1 can pinto beans, drained & washed

1 can dark red kidney beans, drained & washed

1 can corn, drained & washed

lots of diced red onion

lots of diced green onion

1 cup shredded Colby-jack cheese

lots of cilantro, chopped

1 medium tomato, diced

1 package dry ranch

*Next time I'll add fresh jalapeno!

Put it all in a bowl, mix well, cover and refrigerate until served. Great as a side dish or even as a dip. Fritos are a perfect match!

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad with Watermelon-mango Salad

More recipes from my new Cooking Light cookbook!

Watermelon-Mango Salad
2 cups cubed, seeded watermelon
1 cup sliced, peeled mango
1 1/2 tbsps lime juice
2 tsps honey
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh chopped mint

Mix lime juice, honey and salt with a whisk. Drizzle over fruit and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with mint, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.


Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad
DRESSING:
2/3 cup light sour cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 tsps lime juice
1 tbsp minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

SALAD:
4 cups shredded romaine
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup diced avocado
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small can corn, rinsed and drained

Combine salad ingredients, drizzle with dressing and serve immediately. I also served a side of cilantro-lime rice.

CILANTRO-LIME RICE:
Cook rice and add lime juice, fresh chopped cilantro and garlic salt to taste.


This meal was absolutely delicious! The fruit alone was out of this world. Next time I think I'll omit the lettuce from the taco salad and just serve it as a chipotle chicken salad with tortilla chips or even in a pita pocket. Yum!

Courtney's Taco Soup

1 lb hamburger meat
Taco Bell brand taco seasoning
1 packet dry ranch
1 can Ranch-Style Beans with jalapenos
1 can butter beans
1 small can white corn
1 can yellow hominy
handful of chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
shredded Colby-Jack cheese

In large soup pan, brown hamburger meat with onion & season with taco seasoning.
Add all beans and veggies, be sure to add their juices too!
Mix in half of the cilantro as well as the dry ranch and enough water to fill the pot close to the top and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Ladle it into bowls and sprinkle cheese and fresh cilantro on top. Goes great with tortilla chips, Frito's, cornbread and even white rice!

Black Bean Chicken Burritos with Cilantro-Lime Rice

I made these a couple nights ago for dinner and they were a hit. This is a new take on Mom's burritos, which are the best on the face of the earth! Just for something a little different and healthier, Joe and I came up with this:

1 lb diced chicken breast
taco seasoning (I prefer Taco Bell brand)
1 can refried black beans
handful of chopped cilantro
lime juice
rice
garlic salt
chopped tomato
chopped red onion
1 small can sliced black olives
cheese (once again, I use 2% milk cheese)
sour cream
shredded lettuce
salsa (I prefer El Fenix brand)
burrito-size tortillas

To make cilantro-lime rice:
Cook rice according to package, I prefer to use a rice cooker. Once rice is cooked, add lime juice, garlic salt and cilantro (save a pinch of cilantro for the meat and bean mixture). I can't really tell you how much to add because it should be per your taste. We like ours very flavorful so we probably add 2-3 tablespoons lime juice, 1-2 tablespoons garlic salt and 1/3 cup cilantro to 4 cups of (cooked) rice. We like to put it in our burritos as well have have some on the side. We're rice people! LOL

To make burritos:
Cook chicken and season it with taco seasoning just like you would hamburger meat, add black beans and a pinch of cilantro and stir. Heat tortillas. To each tortilla add meat/bean mixture, rice, and all other toppings to your satisfaction. If you are fortunate enough to have leftovers, go ahead and make the burritos up and store them in a Ziploc bag. You can put them in the fridge or freeze them. I learned this from Mom. They are EVEN BETTER heated up!

These burritos were a hit, but they're still not as good as Mom's. But even when I follow her recipe exactly, mine never turn out as good as hers (just like the sausage biscuits and gravy). Moms just have that special touch, I guess!

***FUNNY SIDE NOTE:
I actually tried to post this entry the other night after we had this for dinner. I typed it all up and hit "publish," only to find that I posted it on the wrong blog! LOL Out of frustration I just deleted it.