Black Bean Tacos

Black Bean Tacos

Source: Love and Lemons: https://www.loveandlemons.com/black-bean-tacos/


Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
½ medium white onion, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1½ tablespoons Taco Seasoning
Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
3 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed, reserve ½ cup bean liquid
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
6 to 8 tortillas, warmed

For toppingPickled Cabbage

Cilantro Lime Crema
Cotija cheese
Sliced jalapeño peppers
Fresh cilantro
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Instructions
Heat the avocado oil in a medium pot or large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeño, garlic, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until softened.
Stir in the taco seasoning and cayenne, if using, and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and ¼ cup of the reserved bean liquid and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are totally soft and the mixture is thick. If the pan becomes dry, add the remaining ¼ cup bean liquid.
Mash some of the beans with the back of a wooden spoon to make the mixture lightly creamy. Stir in the lime juice and season to taste.

Assemble tacos in the tortillas with the beans, pickled cabbage, crema, Cotija cheese, jalapeños, and cilantro.

Beefy Mexican Rice Soup

Beefy Mexican Rice Soup
Source: Tastes of Lizzy

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 quarts beef stock
2 cups frozen corn
15.5 ounces black beans (rinsed and drained) 1 can
14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes (drained) 1 can
1 cup tomato puree
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 cup whole grain rice (I buy a precooked microwave pack of whole grain rice).

Directions:
In a large saucepan brown the ground beef, onion, and minced garlic. Drain.
Add in the taco seasoning and mix together.
Add the beef stock, corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, tomato puree, lime juice, salt, cilantro, and rice.
Bring this to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes until the rice is done.
Serve with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro if desired.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili

Trying some new recipes out, and this one was a winner. It's a good combination of flavors that we like with some new flavors added in.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili

Source: Adapted from Real Food Whole Life

Ingredients:
4 cups 1-inch chopped sweet potato (from about 3 medium peeled sweet potatoes)
2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-oz) jar salsa

1 (15-oz) can Chili

1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup vegetable stock
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
Optional toppings: fresh lime juice (recommended), avocado, guacamole, sour cream, chopped green onion, cilantro, or chopped jalapeño.

Slow Cooker Instructions
1. Place all the ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to combine. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours, or until the potatoes are cooked through.
2. Add fresh lime juice (if using), and additional toppings, if desired.

Instant Pot Instructions
1. Place all the ingredients in a 6-quart pressure cooker, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release the pressure.
2. Add fresh lime juice (if using), and additional toppings, if desired.

Mexican Rice

A delicious side dish, but bulky enough for a meatless lunch or dinner. Yum! 

Mexican Rice
Source: The Peaden Life

Ingredients:
1/2 Onion, diced
3 cups Rice, cooked
1 can Diced tomatoes, drained
1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Corn, drained
1/2 cup salsa (to taste, more can be added for desired consistancy)
Salt & Pepper
Cumin
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Salt
Paprika
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a large frypan, saute onion in a small bit of oil. Add rice, tomatoes, black beans, and corn and stir together. Add salsa. Season with about 1/2 tsp each of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion salt, and paprika.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Top with cheese and serve.

Chicken & Zucchini (tex-mex)

I'm always looking for good zucchini recipes for our summer zucchini harvest (or in cases like this year, my parents zucchini harvest that they have been so generous to share with us). I like this one because most of my zucchini dishes are pasta-based, but this is a delicious & fresh use for that yummy zucchini.

Tex-Mex Chicken & Zucchini
Source: Adapted from iFoodReal

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb boneless & skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1 tbsp cumin, divided
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup corn, frozen or fresh
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp chili powder
1 large zucchini, diced
1 cup Tex Mex or cheddar cheese

optional, top with:

1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped

(The original recipe also calls for: 2 medium bell peppers, chopped and 14 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed. I didn't have these on hand when I made the dish, and it was still super yummy. But next time I think I'd definitely make sure to add in the black beans.) 

Directions:
Add olive oil to large skillet and heat to medium. Add onion and garlic, then saute until translucent. Add bell pepper and saute for a few more minutes. Move mixture to a side of the skillet and add chicken. Sprinkle with 1 tsp cumin, salt and black pepper. Saute until golden brown, about 5 -7 minutes.

Add corn, beans, tomatoes, chili powder and remaining cumin. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add zucchini and stir. Sprinkle with cheese, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Top with green onions and cilantro. Serve hot.

Chicken Taco Soup

Chicken Taco Soup
Source: Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 can black beans
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can green chilies, undrained
2 Tbs taco seasoning (Use Bill Echols Taco Seasoning, recipe below)
1 chicken breasts
shredded Cheddar cheese(optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips(optional)

Bill Echols Taco Seasoning. It really makes this recipe. 1 tablespoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Place the onion, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
Remove chicken breasts from the soup and shred. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 1 hour. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Southwest Salad with Cilantro Dressing

I love Costa Vida's Sweet Pork Salads, but I'll be honest and say that my favorite part of the salad is the dressing. When I came across the idea to use the cilantro dressing on top of a regular chopped salad - I knew that I needed to try it. This recipe is so much easier to prepare than the sweet pork salad, and it was a nice refreshing meal. I think adding some grilled chicken would be yummy if you wanted to add a little meat to the dish.

Southwest Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can sweet corn OR 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 roma tomatoe, diced
1 green onion, chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 head lettuce, chopped (Romaine is better, all we had was iceburg at the time)

Directions:
Finely chop lettuce, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions. Dice avocado. Drain and rinse corn and black beans. Place lettuce on a plate, add toppings, cover with creamy cilantro-lime dressing. (I just used leftover dressing, but the recipe is below.)

**When I made this, I was about 9 weeks pregnant and chicken seemed like the yuckiest food on the face of the planet. However, now that I'm 15 weeks and like meat again I think that some grilled chicken would be great on this. I also think that crunching up some tortilla chips would be a yummy addition. Also, David doesn't really like the cilantro dressing - so I got some cubed ham and turkey for his salad and topped everything with ranch dressing.  It's pretty flexible. 

Tomatillo/Cilantro Ranch Dressing
Source: Adapted from A Mommy's Life with a Touch of Yellow

Ingredients:
1 packet of buttermilk ranch dressing
1 Cup mayo/Miracle Whip
1 Cup buttermilk (the smallest carton is perfect)
1 bunch of cilantro (after you wash, make sure you pat dry)
2 tomatillos husked
1 jalapeno (take the rib and seeds out)
Garlic powder (just a few shakes)
juice from 1 lime

Directions:
Put the mayo, dressing mix, buttermilk, and garlic in a blender and mix until blended all together. Squeeze lime juice directly into the blender. Cut up tomatillos, jalapeno, cilantro and pat dry. Add to the blender and blend until everything is mixed together and creamy. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This can be stored in the fridge for several months - so don't throw your leftovers away. If it starts to separate - just shake it all back together.

Sweet Pork Salads {Costa Vida Copycat with Dr. Pepper}

When I was in college at Utah State, I had a roommate that worked at Costa Vida. She would bring home extra rice and chips and even more importantly she had a 40% discount (or something) that we used on a fairly regular basis. We loved it. To this day, thinking about digging in to a nice big Sweet Pork Salad from Costa Vida makes my mouth water! Unfortunately, our budget doesn't allow for frequent Costa Vida runs. However, for practically the same price as ONE salad - you can make your own Copycat Costa Vida meal for the whole family.

I absolutely love this meal and love that I can make it at home in my crock pot. To make our dollars stretch I try to do the following things: 

1- Buy the pork roast on sale. You can get a nice 2-3 lb roast for just a couple of bucks if you time it right. Wait for a $1.48 - $1.60/lb sale and then stock up. Pork roasts freeze well and you can use them for many things. Don't pay $3/lb. 

2-After the pork roast is cooked and shredded, but before you add all of your ingredients, pull out a tupperware-full of pork to use for BBQ Pork Sandwiches. (If you have a big family, you should only do this if you buy a big roast - but I still recommend it. It's a great way to get several meals out of one roast.)

3-Have the sweet pork on salads the first night and then use the leftover sweet pork in burritos a couple of nights later. Just add in the rice/beans and maybe a can of diced tomatoes if you need to stretch it. Wrap them up in tortillas and top with half a can of red enchilada sauce and some cheese. So yummy! 

Sweet Pork

Source: Adapted from New Day, New Dish

Ingredients:
2-3 lb. pork roast
1 (12 oz.) cans Dr. Pepper
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 jalapeno - seeded and chopped
2 carrots - shredded or finely chopped
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

1/2 c. salsa
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. brown sugar

Directions:
Slightly thaw pork roast in microwave. Remove from packaging, rinse under running water, pat dry. Place roast in crock pot with 1/2 cup Dr. Pepper. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. Remove roast from crock pot and place in kitchen aid with paddle attachment. Run kitchen aid on medium speed to shred pork. (You may want to remove the large pieces, dump the small pieces back into the crock pot, and then continue to shred the large pieces to prevent the smaller pieces from becoming too tiny.) 

Place shredded pork back into crock pot and add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook 2-3 additional hours. 

Spray a frying pan with cooking spray and heat to medium heat. Place tortilla in pan and brown both sides. This only take 15-30 seconds, but it adds so much to your salad! Place rice, beans, meat and lettuce on top of tortilla and top with yummy cilantro ranch dressing. (Recipes below.)

I've tried many sweet pork recipes (you can find them all over the internet) - but this one is my favorite by far! However, I know that sometimes so many ingredients, and all of the chopping/prep work isn't really in the cards. So, this is my other favorite recipe which is much easier: 

Easy Sweet Pork 

Source: Six Sisters Stuff

3 lb. pork roast
16 oz. chunky salsa
1 can Dr. Pepper
2 c. brown sugar

Put pork in slow cooker and fill halfway with water. Cook 4 hours on high. Drain water, cut pork in thirds, mix together sauce and pour on top. Cook 4 more hours on low. Drain liquid and shred pork. Save a little liquid and mix it in with the pork so it is really moist.



Tomatillo/Cilantro Ranch Dressing
Source: Adapted from A Mommy's Life with a Touch of Yellow

Ingredients:
1 packet of buttermilk ranch dressing
1 Cup mayo/Miracle Whip
1 Cup buttermilk (the smallest carton is perfect)
1 bunch of cilantro (after you wash, make sure you pat dry)
2 tomatillos husked
1 jalapeno (take the rib and seeds out)
Garlic powder (just a few shakes)
juice from 1 lime

Directions:
Put the mayo, dressing mix, buttermilk, and garlic in a blender and mix until blended all together. Squeeze lime juice directly into the blender. Cut up tomatillos, jalapeno, cilantro and pat dry. Add to the blender and blend until everything is mixed together and creamy. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This can be stored in the fridge for several months - so don't throw your leftovers away. If it starts to separate - just shake it all back together.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Source: Favorite Family Recipes

(We don't always make this. Most of the time I just use regular white rice - but if I'm feeling fancy or want to go all out, I put this together and feel great about how easy it is. Also, as a side note- I never so anything special to my beans. I just open a can of black beans and a can of pinto beans and heat them up.) 

Ingredients
1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Directions.
In a rice cooker combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Cook until rice is tender. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BBQ Salad

This recipe comes straight from the ladies at Howe to Cook. They are quite the amazing culinary geniuses.  In fact - I love them. Mostly because I think they are funny - and they are key players in making sure that David gets fed.

BBQ Chicken Salad
Source: Howe to Cook

 Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1/2 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beens, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Directions:

*Marinate chicken in barbecue sauce, then grill or bake or at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (marinating is preferred, but not necessary). Chop into bite size pieces and set aside.

*Combine chicken and salad ingredients. Serve with Ranch Dressing, additional BBQ sauce and tortilla chips.

Chicken Nachos

I found this yummy recipe from one of my most favorite real-life family food sites, Howe to Cook. It originally is meant to be put on rice or in a tortilla but we love to eat it on chips as a dinner version of nachos. Pop it in the crock pot in the morning or afternoon and then dinner comes together in minutes.  

  

Chicken Nachos

Source: Adapted from Howe to Cook. 

Ingredients:

2 cans corn, drained

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can diced green chilis

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1/2 jar salsa (1-2 cups)

{Tortilla Chips}

Directions:

Layer it in the order of the ingredients. Cook on low 3-7 hours (the greatest thing about this meal is that you can put it in three hours before dinner or in the morning before you leave. It won't hurt it to sit in the crock pot all day - it just makes the chicken even more tender.  Stir everything together, shred chicken using a fork, and serve on top of tortilla chips. 

We halved the recipe (just used one can of corn and beans) and added about 1/3 can of diced green chilis and it was perfect for the two of us. Yum!