Rice and Black Beans

A classic pairing or rice and black beans that's tasty, healthy and economical. Serve it as a casserole on it's own or alongside fish or chicken.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced bell pepper

2 tsps minced garlic

3/4 cup canned black beans (more if not having with a meat protein)

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 dashes Tabasco sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth (vegetable broth if you're keeping vegetarian)

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsps oregano

salt and pepper to taste

2 1/2 cups cooked white rice (or brown if you want healthier)

fresh parsley

Sauté onion and bell peppers in hot oil for 2 minutes then add the garlic for 1 minute. Add the black beans, apple cider vinegar, Tabasco and broth and bring to a boil. Then simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and cooked rice and heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings and Tabasco to your taste.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Serves 4-6 

We had it with our Island Chicken Legs, recipe link here:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2022/11/island-chicken-legs.html

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Island Chicken Legs

Subtly spiced chicken legs with hints of pineapple. 

Ingredients:

3 chicken legs

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp chicken bouillon powder

2 tsps minced ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dry thyme

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 tbsps vegetable oil

1 cup diced onion

1 tsp dry thyme

1 tbsp sweet chili sauce

1 1/2 tsps smoked paprika

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

2 tbsps ketchup

1 cup sliced bell pepper

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp minced garlic

1 1/3 cups chicken broth

Pat the chicken legs dry with a paper towel. Combine the salt, pepper, chicken bouillon powder, 2 tsps minced ginger, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp dry thyme, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1/4 tsp turmeric and rub on the chicken. Coat as best you can then refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

To cook, remove the remaining rub pieces from the chicken and reserve for later. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken, then remove to a plate. Add the onion, thyme, sweet chili sauce, paprika, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, bell pepper, pineapple, salt and pepper and cook 2 minutes to soften the onion. Add the garlic, reserved rub and broth. Bring to a boil and return the chicken legs to the pan. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F. 

Goes well with rice and black beans!

Adapted from: africanbites.com

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Slow Cooker Pork and Apples

Easy slow cooker tender, barbecue pork with sweet, saucy apples is a fall dinner hit! 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced

1 cup of your favourite barbecue sauce

2 apples, unpeeled and quartered

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dry thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

First, brown the pork in hot oil on all sides in a skillet. Then, sit it on a layer of sliced onions in your crock pot. Mix the BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar together and coat the pork with the sauce. Sprinkle it with thyme and pepper and add the apple quarters all around.

Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 6-7 hours. If you want to speed things up, cook on high for about 4 1/2 hours.

Remove to a platter and rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 4

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Onion Soup Pork Chops and Potatoes

Savory fork-tender pork chops, golden onions and a generous amount of rustic potatoes. You might even have leftover potatoes... maybe.

Ingredients:

3 or 4 pork chops, 3/4" thick

2 medium onions, sliced

3 medium potatoes, sliced

olive oil

2 tsps minced garlic

2-3 tbsps dry onion soup mix

rosemary and thyme

salt and pepper

2/3 cup beef broth

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Heat 1-2 tbsps olive oil in a large skillet. Sprinkle the onion soup mix on the pork chops then brown both sides in medium hot oil. Remove to a plate. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan along with the onions and cook to golden, then add the garlic for 1 minute and remove to a plate. Once again add 1-2 tbsps olive oil to the pan and return the pork chops covering them with the onions and garlic.

Top everything with sliced potatoes and give it all a good seasoning with rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Add a couple of fresh rosemary sprigs if you have them.

Mix the broth and balsamic together and pour into the bottom of the skillet. Cover and cook on medium low for 45-60 minutes, spooning juices over the potatoes a couple of times while cooking.

Once the potatoes are tender you'll know that dinner is ready!

Serve the pork chops topped with golden brown onions and a spoonful of seasoned potatoes.

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Pesto Sole

Nothing fancy, just a simple weeknight fish dinner. 

Ingredients:

sole filets

pesto (store bought basil pesto or my Parsley Walnut Pesto, see recipe link at end of this post)

onion slices

some fresh parsley sprigs

parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Oil a baking dish that is large enough to accommodate your fish then layer some onion slices and parsley sprigs.

Simply spread between 1 tsp - 1 tbsp pesto (depending on size of filets) on each piece of fish and lay on top of the onion slices and parsley. Sprinkle with parmesan, salt and pepper.

Bake at 400°F for about 10 minutes relative to the thickness of your filets, but they'll be cooked when they flake easily with a fork. Serve the fish with the sliced onions.

Link to the Parsley and Walnut Pesto recipe:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2022/10/parsley-and-walnut-pesto.html

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Apple Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Do you still have a bag of apples left in the fridge from apple picking? Why not give these a try...

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée

1/2 cup applesauce

3 cups flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsps baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1 1/2 cups diced and peeled apple

In a large mixer bowl cream the eggs, oil, sugar, pumpkin purée and applesauce together. In another bowl mix the flours, baking soda, salt and spices together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet just until combined then fold in the diced apple.

Pour into paper lined cupcake tins and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Makes 30 medium sized muffins.

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Baked Spaghetti Casserole

The perfect easy prep make ahead meal! Spaghetti noodles soaking up the flavour of the meat sauce and gooey melted cheese on top. Drooling! 

Ingredients:

5-6 cups meat sauce 

16 oz spaghetti

2 cups shredded mozzarella

some parmesan to top and serve

2 tbsps fresh chopped Italian parsley

Spray oil

Cook spaghetti and drain. Then toss with your sauce. I used my Pork Bolognese here. Find the recipe link at the end of this post if you're interested. Or use jar meat sauce if you're pressed for time. Spray a 13 X 9" baking dish with oil and dump in the spaghetti. Spread it out evenly and gently pat down. Cover the top with mozzarella and some parmesan cheese to taste.

Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. 

Let stand 5-10 minutes before sprinkling fresh parsley on top and cutting into serving pieces.

Makes 8 perfect pasta squares.

You can freeze the whole casserole for a later date. Just make sure you use a freezer to oven safe dish and add an extra 30 minutes to the baking time. Or do what I did here. Simply refrigerate the baked spaghetti, then when chilled cut into squares and place in a ziplock baggie. Remove individual portions as needed and zap them in the microwave until hot!

Here's the link for the Pork Bolognese recipe:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2022/10/pork-bolognese.html

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