black bean & cheddar soup

so i bought this bag of dried black beans the other day hoping to kick start some healthier eating. i was trying to figure out what to do with them and decided to try making a soup. i've never used dried beans before, so a few things were new to me. first of all, you have to rinse them and take out any deformed or messed up beans. then, you have to spend at least 2 hours getting them to a somewhat mushy consistency. so this soup is best in a slow cooker or at least when the beans are prepared earlier in the day.

around lunchtime, i added 1.5 cup of dried black beans to a pot, and added hot (not cold) water to cover them about 2 inches above. bring the water to boiling on the stove, and let boil for 5 minutes. then remove from heat and cover with lid until 1 hour before i was ready to eat dinner. keep the water in the pot. then i added the rest:

black bean & cheddar soup
1.5 cups dried black beans, cooked as per above
1/2 cup cream of celery condensed soup
1/3 cup salsa (i used salsa verde)
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
bag cheddar cheese, grated
a few green onions, chopped into small pieces

heat a burner to medium-high on the stove, and return the beans to the heat in the pot they are already in. add the rest of the ingredients except the cheese and green onions. bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 45 minutes. top with a generous heap of cheddar cheese and a few pieces of green onion. you can also use sour cream. makes about 8 servings.

chicken & bell pepper tostadas

sour cream sauce:
1 cup sour cream

1.5 tbsp onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped

juice of 1/2 of a lime 

1 garlic clove, minced

combine ingredients at least an hour ahead of time and refrigerate, covered. 

guacamole:
2 avocados
1/8 cup tomato, diced
1 tbsp sour cream
juice of 1/2 of a lime
garlic salt
pepper

mash avocado in a medium bowl. mix in the rest of ingredients. make right before cooking tostadas.

chicken tostadas:
6 yellow corn tortillas
3 chicken breasts, shredded
1 red bell pepper, seeded, cored, and flattened
1 yellow or green bell pepper, seeded, cored, and flattened
1 poblano pepper, seeded, cored and flattened
1/4 cup onion, diced
bag shredded cheddar cheese

2 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
juice of 1/2 of a lime
dash salt
1/4 tsp pepper

line a baking sheet with foil and toast the tortillas in the oven until crispy. (about 10 minutes at 350 degrees).

on the same baking sheet, lay the peppers, outside skin side up, on top. broil for a few minutes until blackened. then cover in a bowl with saran wrap for a few minutes. this will make the outer skin easier to peel off.

while the peppers cook, mix the sauce: olive oil, garlic, lime, salt and pepper. add shredded chicken and onions and toss to coat well. once the peppers are done, dice them and add to the mix.

heat oven to 400 degrees. now, lay the tortillas on a baking sheet and top each with some of the chicken mixture. layer on some of the sour cream mixture. then top with as much cheese as desired. toast in the oven for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and tortillas are toasted.

taken from this fantastic website, except my recipe for guacamole! serve on the side with chips.

greek style kabobs

we were looking for a quick meal for a hot summer day, and decided to put together some basic greek ingredients together for an easy marinade. 

greek style chicken kabobs

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1.5 inch pieces

1 cup olive oil (depending on preference- put in enough to cover the chicken) 

juice of one lemon

1 tbsp oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tbsp pepper

1 tsp salt

vegetables to grill- i used 1 onion and 1 green bell pepper, cut into cubes

skewers

mix the olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings in a medium bowl. add chicken cubes and let marinate. (we put this together quickly and 10 minutes was great- though an hour will add more flavor). cut the veggies while the chicken marinates. 

heat the grill and brush with a little bit of oil to prevent sticking. alternate threading the veggies and chicken on the skewers. cook about 7 minutes on each side, until cooked through. you can also broil these, a few minutes on each side! enjoy!!

chicken rolls

these little babies include shredded chicken, matchstick carrots, celery, bell peppers, and soy sauce - seasoned with ginger and garlic. heat some vegetable oil in a pan and deep fry. after drying off on paper towels, serve them on a bed of rice with peanut or soy dipping sauce!

lime paprika chicken kabobs

lime paprika chicken kabobs

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1.5 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 
  
• 4-5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 white onion, cut into squares
• 1 green pepper, cut into squares

skewers

mix marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl. add chicken, cover, and let marinate in the fridge for an hour. when ready to cook, heat the grill and brush with oil to prevent sticking. 

thread the chicken and veggies on the skewers, alternating. cook for about 7 minutes on each side, until cooked through. these can also be broiled for a few minutes on each side if you don't have a grill! 

goes great with corn and coleslaw for a grill out! serves 4. 

inspired by allrecipes. 

fruit & curry chicken salad

chicken salad is one of my favorite sandwich types...it's easy to make, you can mix it up, and you can make it the night before. this chicken salad is great on croissants or with pita bread. 


fruit & curry chicken salad

• large can of chicken, shredded (about 1.5 cups worth)
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 tbsp white onion, chopped
• 1/2 small apple - peeled, cored and chopped
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons seedless grapes, halved
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (more if too dry) 

combine ingredients and refrigerate at least an hour before serving. serves 4-5. 

*adapted from allrecipes.com

meal planning

i know, i know...long time no cook.

actually, i've been cooking. but, it's been pretty boring, as i'm getting ready to move and have basically been trying to use up everything.

in the meantime, i've been working on a little something called meal planning. not only is deciding what meals to make for the coming week efficient and money-saving: it's also a fun challenge! i've been printing out recipes and grouping them together based on common ingredients. i can't wait to start (really) cooking again and see how this all turns out.



here's an example. jeff challenged me to see who could have a less expensive week of meals: his usual ramen/chef boyardee/taco bell "college student fare" vs a meal plan. here's what i have so far!!

for starters, basic spaghetti noodles can be repurposed with basic tomato sauce; with olive oil; as noodles for stir fry, lo mein or pad thai; and in chicken noodle soup.

and all of those other ingredients? they can be reused too:
tomato sauce in homemade pizza; stir fry veggies on the pizza or in the soup; and olive oil is great on just about anything!

simple italian salad dressing can of course be used in a salad-- but it can also be used as a marinade for chicken!

those veggies from the stir fry? bell peppers and onions are fantastic for fajitas or quesadillas. and BOTH call for tortillas and cheese.

check it out. these meals are healthy, AND give you a great variety. but know what's even better? all of these ingredients are incredibly cheap! and when you buy them all at once at the grocery, you'll be saving money when you add up all of the college student meals. don't believe me? wait for the results of our exciting competition!!