Salsa Rice and Red Beans

Another Vegan score for dinner tonight!! This was very tasty, and bonus - Jeff really liked it! Of course, he did add some Frank's Red Hot sauce to it, but he adds that to everything. I no longer take any offense. :-) Seriously, though, this was super easy to make. You won't be disappointed. The original recipe said it yields 4 servings, but I think it yields closer to 6.

Salsa Rice and Red Beans

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 T Olive oil
• 1 med yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 cups water
• Salt, to taste
• 2 (15.5-oz) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (4-oz) can diced green chiles, drained
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup Cheezee Sauce, optional (recipe coming soon)
• 1 large ripe tomato, diced

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer. Stir in the rice and water. Add salt to taste, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, 35 to 45 minutes.
2. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, chiles, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and pepper. Simmer to heat through and blend the flavors, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
3. Serve hot, topped with the diced tomato and drizzled with the cheezee sauce, if using.

Recipe Credit: Salsa Rice and Red Beans. Vegan on the Cheap. Robin Robertson. pg 132.

Super Easy Beans and Rice

This has quickly become one of the easiest stand-by dinners. It's quick and painless for those nights when I just do not feel like cooking or making dinner. Plus, it's beans and rice. It's got to be better for us than frozen pizza, right?

Serves 3

Ingredients:

• 1 can Bush's Grillin' Beans Black Bean Fiesta
• 1/2 c Rice - I've used both white and brown rice.



Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. Warm beans up in a saucepan.

3. Add cooked rice to beans and stir until well mixed.

Sometimes I might add a little salt, pepper, and/or a dash or two of tabasco, to liven it up a little more, but it's great all on its own, too.

This would probably be great served with a salad and/or tortillas to round out the meal a little more. We usually just have this and then something for dessert.

Cider-Glazed Chicken with Browned Butter-Pecan Rice

I was a little hesistant to try this recipe from MyRecipes because I thought it might be too sweet for Jeff. He doesn't usually like meats with any type of sweet glaze.

This tasted fantastic!

It definitely won his approval, and I definitely plan on making it again!

The glaze had a perfectly delectable taste, and the rice was magnificent. I don't think I'd ever had a flavored rice before, let alone one with toasted pecans in it! I loved the added crunch from the pecans. :-)

Serve with green beans for one delicious meal!

Total: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cutlet and about 1/2 cup rice)

Ingredients

• 1 (3.5-ounce) bag boil-in-bag brown rice (such as Uncle Ben's) I just used regular white rice - prepared in my rice cooker. Nothing fancy, like boil-in-a-bag. Just what I had on-hand at home.
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 pound chicken breast cutlets (about 4 cutlets)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup refrigerated apple cider
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley This is just a garnish, so I left it out.

Directions

Cook rice according to package directions in a small saucepan, omitting salt and fat; drain.

While rice cooks, melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done.

Remove from pan.

Add cider and mustard to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until syrupy.

Add chicken to pan, turning to coat. Remove from heat; set aside.

Melt remaining 5 teaspoons butter in saucepan over medium-high heat; cook for 2 minutes or until browned and fragrant. Lower heat to medium; add pecans, and cook for 1 minute or until toasted, stirring frequently.

Add rice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well to coat.

Serve rice with chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

The ghost sister returns with a new recipe!!!

Yes, ghost sister has returned and with her a new recipe! I was at a loss for supper last night. I had a pair of very tasty looking boneless pork chops just WAITING for me to make something splendid out of them. I peeked in my pantry, and voila my muse, my inspiration, peeked over a can of kidney beans. How could a girl resist that sweet golden goodness that is just MADE to be paired up with pork. It is like peanut butter to chocolate....cornbread to honey....orange yogurt to saltine crackers (this MAY or may not be to everyone's liking). Inspiration hit and I started to busily clang around pots and pans. I was feeling like my old self again, my "dinner block" had been tossed to the curb. I am BACK and raring to dust off my hot pads and don my apron again. This is what became of the beautiful pork chops and the lowly can of crushed pineapple. My son really liked the rice especially.

One Skillet Jamaican Baked Pork Chops with Sticky Pineapple Rice

Click here for Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 Lean Boneless Pork Chops marinated in Lawrys Jamaican Jerk Marinade Sauce
• 1 cup white rice
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup chicken broth or water
• 1 small can crushed pineapple
• 1/4 cup brown sugar + 2 tbsp
• 1 tbsp Jamaican Jerk seasoning (I used Spice Islands brand)
• 1 tsp salt
• pepper to your tastes

Directions:

Heat olive oil in oven proof skillet. Sear Pork Chops on both sides for a minute or so. Remove pork chops and set aside. To skillet add onion, rice and garlic. Stir frequently until rice is toasted. Add broth or water, crushed pineapple, brown sugar, Jamaican seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil. Place pork chops on top of rice mixture and cover tightly. Place in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar over the skillet. Serve with your choice of vegetable but broccoli is AWESOME! You can easily add 2 more pork chops to this and not alter anything else!

Hope that you enjoy this like my family did!!!

Jennifer The OTHER sister :)

Onion Rice

ONIONS ONIONS ONIONS!!!!!!!!

I have a love affair with onions. They are in almost everything I cook. Who can resist the smell of sauteing onions???? When I made a new recipe which I called Jamaican jerk pork roast in the crock pot, I needed something to serve it over because of its yummy juices and pineapple. I was SO bored of just plain old rice. Seriously tired of it. So I jazzed it up a bit with the help of a beautiful yummy onion. Family loves this side and it is so incredibly easy! You don't even feel like you have done ANYTHING! P.S. I have a crummy microwave so I make the rice on the stove top. Feel free to make it in the microwave!

Click here for Printable Recipe

Super Easy Onion Rice
Serves 2 (and one little Saul)

• 1 cup Brown Minute Rice
• 1 cup Water
• 1/4 tsp or so of onion salt (you can add more later if needed)
• 1 medium Onion coarsely chopped
• Cooking spray
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring water and onion salt to a boil. Add the rice and cover for about 8 minutes (until the water is all absorbed). Meanwhile, Spray pan with cooking spray and saute onions until clear and translucent. When rice is ready toss onions with the rice and salt and pepper to taste.