Ravioli with tangy butter

I am the queen of bad bloggers right now for many reasons but we have had a few meals that were delicious lately and I really wanted to post them.  This ranks right up there for super simple, and Sooo yummy.  I don't know if the kids loved it as much as I did, but I thought it was absolutely wonderful.  All 4 boys ate all of it, so I guess it wasn't too bad, and Duncan even had the 2 left over raviolis (yes only 2 - and DH was out of town) for breakfast the next morning. 
I had worried with the name tangy in the title and with 2 Tablespoons of vinegar that it would be a bit too tangy for the kids - especially when I added the vinegar and it boiled and smelled strong.  However, it was definitely NOT too vinegary.
Sadly, there is no picture of this one.  With my lack of blogging has come a lack of picture taking.  :(


Ingredients

• 18-20 ounces ravioli (I used closer to 21 oz of cheese ravioli - tortellini would also work fine.)
• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (more or less - I used less because only 2 people wanted walnuts)
• Parmesan cheese, grated for topping

Directions

1. Cook ravioli according to package directions
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat stirring occasionally until it begins to turn golden brown (about 3 minutes.)  Turn off the heat.  Let cool for about a minute.  Stir in balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.  Stir in raviolis (or pour over raviolis.)  Stir to combine.  
3. Serve and top each serving with walnuts and Parmesan cheese.  

Mexican pizzas

Here was another idea from the Cheap. Fast. Good cookbook.  I mixed their idea with the taco pizza that I like to make and kind of made taco pizza with a tortilla shell.  They did have a couple of new ideas for toppings in the book.  I combined their ideas with ours and this is what we ended up with.  I loved that they were quick and easy.  One son didn't want to toast his in the oven, so he just used the beans as burrito topping which is also perfectly acceptable and makes this meal quite adaptable.  I love that even though it was beans, my 3 year old bean hater ate it and asked for more because the beans were "squished."  3/4 boys loved this and had seconds.  Even had to make another can of bean topping.
Warning, now gushing about my favorite tortillas.  I LOVE these tortillas.  If I can ever figure out how to make some like this I would be sooo excited.  They are corn tortillas with all the flavor of corn, but in the ingredients there is some vital wheat gluten which makes them pliable like a regular tortilla.  They also come in a taco size - not the tiny regular corn tortilla size.  However, they are like $3 for a package of only 6.  I splurge for them occasionally because they are so tasty.  They are made by La Tortilla factory and called hand made style Corn Tortillas.  I have to buy them at Randalls.  It is the only place I know that carries them.  Try them if you love corn tortillas.    OK, done gushing.  Back to the recipe.
 We did these really low key.  I let the kids pick a type of tortilla, I put the bean base on it, then cheese, and they picked at least 2 of the 4 veggie toppings available.

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can black beans (pinto would also work fine)
• 1 cup salsa (today I used our favorite costco salsa Jack's.  Love it's hint of lime)
• tortillas -used desired type.  I used flour and corn
• shredded cheese - I used sharp cheddar, but Monterrey Jack, or Mexican blend, or Colby jack would all be good.
• toppings - I used corn, canned chopped green chiles, chopped sweet peppers (red and yellow), and olives today.  You could also include onions, jalapenos, tomato, avocado, and even meat if desired.  
• Salsa or sour cream for serving (optional if desired -one son added sour cream -no one added salsa today.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Mash black beans with a potato masher or fork.  Mix with salsa.
3. Place as many tortillas as will fit on a large baking sheet.  Top with bean mixture, cheese and whatever toppings you desire.
4. Bake for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and beans are heated. (Honestly we didn't time them at all.  I just went about making a second batch asking the next group what they wanted on them and checked periodically to see if the first batch was done.)

  Like I mentioned, I did end up opening a second can of beans and making a second batch of beans.  Another option is to just use refried beans if you want to be quicker, but I prefer making my own bean spread because it is super easy, and tasty.

Pasta with bread crumbs

Yes, this sounds simple and plain, but really I liked it.  I may have over crisped my bread crumbs a bit.  I didn't mind, (they definitely weren't burned) but 2/4 boys said they were either too crispy/tasted burnt.  Benjamin LOVED this.  He was so excited to have had 2 dinners this week that he really liked.  Even had seconds.  It truly is super simple.  I think if I had not toasted the bread crumbs as long I would have had 4/4 liking this dish.
Other tips for next time - don't add the olive oil to the butter - just add it all to the pasta, and unless using the good Parmesan, I think I could probably have doubled the amount of Parmesan.  (at least 1 1/2 times.)
I doubled this from the original - feel free to cut in 1/2.  I did have a decent amount of left overs, but DH did not eat dinner with us and I didn't know that when preparing.
As is, serves 12 as a side dish, 8 as a main

Ingredients

• 1 16 oz. package short pasta (I used ditalini just because it was the only thing I had a complete package of other than spaghetti - time to go shopping.)
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups coarse soft bread crumbs (4 slices of bread for me - I just tore them up and pulsed them in the food processor until crumbly.)
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2/3 cup (I'd use at least 1 cup next time, maybe 1 1/3) grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  
2. While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet.  Add 2 teaspoons of oil (may omit this next time) and the garlic.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.  Add the bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, and salt and stir to coat the crumbs with the butter.  
3. Cook and stir until crumbs are browned and crisp (6-10 minutes.)  Remove from heat and set aside.
4.  When the pasta is done, drain, return to the pot and toss with 2 teaspoons of olive oil (I'd use a bit more next time.) and the Parmesan cheese.  Stir to mix.  Just before serving, stir in the breadcrumbs.  

More notes --

I actually really worried that the crumbs wouldn't be crisp enough - part of the getting them too crispy problem.  I also added them right before I planned to serve this only to have a child knock a glass butter dish on the floor and I had to stop and clean the mess.  Luckily the pasta wasn't any worse for the wear.  The crumbs held their crispiness.  As left overs, the breadcrumbs are no longer crisp, but are not mushy either.  Totally still edible, and seem to have an even more intense buttery garlic flavor.  

light cheese tortellini with broccoli

This was a super simple recipe from a book I got at Christmas called The Six O'Clock Scramble by Aviva Goldfarb.  I should remember to make tortellini more often.  I buy the tri-colored cheese ones at Costco and not only are they a super simple meal, but everyone loves them.  I made this using all things I had on hand.  LOVE that.  I  got 2 heads of broccoli from bountiful baskets this week and thought this was a great way to use them.  I didn't have any onion and had to use dehydrated.  I'd definitely use a regular onion next time to add a bit more flavor, but this was still good. I like that everyone ate well - even the little ones because they love tortellini.

Ingredients

• 1 large package tortellini (mine was a 7 serving size)
• 1/2 Tablespoon butter
• 1/4-1/2 cup diced onion -I used dehydrated and therefore used a bit less.  I did rehydrate them so I could saute them.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 heads broccoli, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups broth (I used chicken because it is what I had on hand use vegetable to make this vegetarian)
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Shredded Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in butter until fragrant.  Add broccoli, broth, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes (or until the pasta is done and rinsed.)
3. Drain pasta and add to the pan.  Stir to combine and serve.  Top with Parmesan cheese.  

peanut butter fudge

Unlike the other peanut butter fudge on this blog, this was not a chocolate fudge with peanut butter.  It was an all peanut butter fudge.  It also came from the little booklet in my food network magazine.  My only beef with this recipe was that the peanuts didn't stick really well to the top of the fudge.  Kind of made it messy.    I think I'd just leave them off next time. (Or stir them in if I really want the crunch.)  The fudge itself was also a tad bit crumbly.  Yummy, but crumbly.  Made it hard to cut into pretty pieces - maybe too much powdered sugar?  My scales may or may not have been broken at the time. - I could have looked up a cup equivalent to the pound of sugar.
The verdict - If feeling like peanut butter fudge, I'd definitely try this again.  It was simple and quick.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts.

Directions

1. Line an 8 inch square pan with foil.  
2. Melt the butter and peanut butter in a saucepan.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and powdered sugar.  
3. Spread into the pan.  Press peanuts into the top of the fudge if desired.  Chill until firm.

Ham and pea pasta

I found this recipe over on deals to meals.  I actually don't think I changed the ingredients any.  Directions some, but that is it.  I really liked it.  It came together super quick and I was in need of a quick meal the evening that we had this.  As I'm typing this, I'm thinking I probably could have also tossed in some pureed cauliflower and not compromised anything.  An idea for next time.

Ingredients

• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese (I used the light)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cups milk
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese  (I've had some delicious Parmigiano Regianno the past week or 2 It has made some tasty recipes.  YUM!)
• 1 teaspoon garlic (I used jarred)
• 1 teaspoon basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb fettuccini noodles
• 1 cup (or so) cubed ham (I just used 1 package of how ever much I had frozen)
• 8 oz. frozen peas (or so - I just added a good amount.  :)

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package direcions.  
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, butter, seasonings and milk.  Stir until all ingredients are melted and well combined.  
3. While that is warming, saute ham and frozen peas in a large saute pan until warmed through.  Add pasta and cream sauce to the saute pan and stir until combined.  Serve.  

Tortellini with crisped bacon and peas

This meal was super simple.  I mean SUPER simple.  And the surprising thing - all the kids seemed to like it (or at least they ate it without complaint.)  I was sure it couldn't be very tasty since it was soooo simple, but alas it was.  Loved the crisp bacon.  It totally made the dish.
I also found this at the 6 o'clock scramble.  She suggests serving this with roasted brussel sprouts - I didn't even attempt this.  We served this on a night when we had a wrestling match meaning we were super busy.  I loved the simplicity and didn't feel like complicating my life with a side dish.  :)
Here is how I made it

Ingredients

• 6-8 slices pre-cooked bacon (can use regular, I'm just lazy.)
• 24 oz package cheese tortellini
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Add peas during last minute of cooking time
2. Meanwhile, chop bacon into pieces (I just take all 6 slices and chop them with my kitchen scissors.)  Toss in a pan and cook to crisp it up. -or you can fry up some bacon and crumble it.)
3. When pasta is done, drain, and toss with olive oil, bacon, and Parmesan cheese.

Mexican pizza with quesadilla crust

This is a recipe that I found on salad in a jar.  It appealed to me because it looked quick and easy.  I also loved the fact that she used feta and made them look so sophisticated yet so simple.  

Unfortunately at my house when I made these it was a crazy day and I was out of feta. I would love to try them again with feta.  I also certainly didn't use all of the ingredients that she did.  I did however make some of them with shrimp for our shrimp lovers.  The rest of us ate them with chicken.  They were well liked.  Definitely check out the link above because #1 her pictures look way better than mine - she must either have a camera that has a flash - or finish making dinner before it gets dark.  (like I said it was a crazy day.)  She also has a great list of ingredients and tips - like using the costco uncooked tortilla shells.  I had others that needed to be used, so that is what we used.  Here is how we made them - quick and easy.  Honestly you could use any toppings to suit your fancy.  We did keep with the Mexican theme though.  

See, I'm telling you -sad photos when it is dark outside by the time
dinner is ready.  Boo.

Ingredients

• Tortillas (I made some with flour, and some with corn)
• cheese - I used cheddar and monterey jack
• corn (I used canned for ease)
• green chilies 
• black beans
• diced tomatoes (I used canned here too)
• salsa
• shrimp
• chicken
• sliced red, orange and yellow peppers (I used the mini ones)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Place 3 tortillas on a large baking sheet.  Sprinkle with your choice of cheese (I used mostly cheddar for the center of the quesadilla part.)  Top with another tortilla.  Spread a thin layer of salsa on the top of that tortilla.  Add remaining toppings in order/amounts desired.  I always ended with a little more cheese on top.  
2. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until desired doneness.  

Cowboy Spaghetti

Whew, what an undertaking.  I sat down to try and catch up on a few recipes last night and saw how grossly behind I was in actually adding pictures.  2 months.  August 28 contained my last picture.  Needless to say I spent the evening posting pictures.  Now to try and catch up on the posting of recipes for the week.

And again, could I get any more side tracked?  Now I just posted a bunch of failed recipes -  I figure I better know not to try those again.  :)  So I'm finally up to a picture of a meal that I made that wasn't a fail, and that I still have the recipe to so I can post it.  Yea!  It's only taken me what?  18 hours?

This is just a variation on spaghetti.  Most variations on spaghetti seem to go over well at my house.  I guess because they look like something familiar that they like.  My picture doesn't even look half as good as the one over on Taste and tell - certainly you should go look at it if trying to decide to make this recipe. She did not mix the sauce with the noodles, and her presentation is just pretty.   But then again, she does a professional blog and mine is a hobby to help myself organize.  :)
Somehow I didn't have any bacon to go on top.  I buy a huge costco sized bag but I have 4 boys and 1 husband all of whom LOVE bacon and someone used it up and didn't let me know I needed more.  I'm sure that would have made this.  Here is how I made it - using pre-cooked beef to make it even quicker.  I can't remember exactly how much everyone liked this dish, but I'm sure it was pretty well received.  I did wish I would have kept the other teaspoon of hot sauce, but I'm afraid it would have been a bit spicy for some of my anti-spicy kiddos.)

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 1 pound lean ground beef or ground sirloin (I used pre-cooked)
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped (I may have used garlic minces)
• pepper
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (Original called for 2 and I would have liked 2, but I'm not sure my littlest would have.)
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce
• 3 slices bacon, chopped (I didn't use this, but would definitely consider it next time.)
• cheddar cheese
• chopped green onions

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, defrost pre-cooked beef (or cook ground beef)  Add to a large skillet along with onions and garlic (salt and pepper if your using not cooked ground beef - my pre-cooked has it.)  Saute until onions begin to soften.   Add hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock and heat through.  Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Let simmer while noodles finish cooking.
3. Serve over noodles or add them to the sauce and mix to combine.  Top with grated cheddar cheese, sliced green onions, and crisp, crumbled bacon.  (I'd probably make this by taking pre-cooked, chopping it, and tossing it in the microwave for a few seconds to get it to crisp back up.)

Korean glass noodles

Yeah, finally a new recipe that wasn't gross (had a couple of those last week.  One the big boys just refused to eat.)  This one everyone ate.  I even got Mr. Picky 3 year old to eat 5 bites that contained flecks of green (wouldn't eat a carrot though, but I have to at least admit that carrot was the one baby food he didn't like, and eating the spinach pieces made me happy.)  Mr. 5 year old ate all of his and asked if he could take any left overs to school in his lunch the next day.  That is saying something.  He's not a left overs dude.
The other bonus - other than chopping the carrots, (and onions, but mine were already chopped in the fridge) the meal was pretty simple to prepare.  Gotta love quick, easy, and liked by everyone.  The original recipe came from Family Feasts for $75 a week.  This is my adaptation of the recipe.

Ingredients

• 8 oz. vermicelli or cellophane noodles
• 12-16 oz. lean ground beef (I used a container of pre-cooked)
• 1/2 -1 teaspoon garlic minces (I didn't measure, just sprinkled some on.)
• 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 1/4 -1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 4-5 mushrooms, sliced (I used a small handful of dehydrated which I crumbled in my hand to equate chopped)
• 1 packed cup coarsely chopped fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.  Drain, then rinse under cold running water.  
2. Meanwhile add beef and garlic to a large skillet (cook beef if raw, or just heat up if previously frozen pre-cooked beef.)  I added a bit of water at this point  to help rehydrate the garlic minces.  Add carrot and green onions, cook 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times.  Add mushrooms and spinach.  Cook 2-3 minutes until spinach starts to wilt.  (again adding a bit of water if it looks too dry.)
3. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and sesame seeds.  Add to skillet and toss.  (I needed lots more water here so I added about 1/4-1/3 cup to the bowl I had stirred the sesame mix in to rinse it out and tossed it in the pan.  Really helped give the meal enough liquid to not be dry.)  Add noodles and stir until well coated.  

Butter lime chicken with brown rice pilaf

I saw this recipe on Deals to meals.  It looked like a great recipe for a super busy day because it could come together very quickly using pre-cooked chicken.  It did come together quite quickly, and it was tasty.  I'm not sure what kind of tasty judge I am this week though because I have been congested and therefore not able to smell or taste as well as normal.  However, I think I could taste this one.  The kids didn't complain about it either, and I actually got my pickiest to eat a good deal of it.  He ate his first serving of chicken with no prompting and I got him to eat more chicken and even the rice by bribing him with jellybeans.  (horrible mom, I know, but what are you going to do.  He got 1 jellybean for each bite of rice.  Even got in some veggies with the rice.  I'll take it for the 7 jelly beans he ate.)
Also on a side note to self -- I made my pre-cooked chicken in the smoker this time.  While it is super tasty, I'm not sure I want to do that again.  (or at least I guess I'd better use less wood chips.)  The chicken had a powerful hickory flavor.  Again, not bad, just strong.  Not sure it will go with all recipes.
Finally, I made this with a super simple rice pilaf.  My goal was -something that my 14 year old (not good in the kitchen or following directions) could start while I was gone so that the boys could eat between activities.  So, I tossed a bunch of dehydrated veggies in with the rice and left it in the rice cooker.  (he just had to add broth - sadly he didn't add enough and the 12 year old wanting to attend his church activity left to it hungry but what can I say.  I tried hard - didn't help that there was a wreck on the way home from the cross country meet, but that is another blog right??  Suffice it to say, this was a super simple meal that came together quickly.  I was so impressed with how well the pilaf went with the chicken that I'm including the recipe.

Chicken
Ingredients

• 1 package pre-cooked chicken (12-16 oz) -or saute some chicken in a pan before starting
• 2 limes, juices
• 1 stick butter (could probably reduce by 1/2 - there was a LOT of sauce and we didn't use it all.)
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
• 1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions

1. In a frying pan, cook juices of limes over low heat until it begins to bubble  Add butter, stirring until butter becomes opaque and forms a thickened sauce.  Stir in chicken broth, chives, and dill. Add chicken and heat through.  Serve over rice.

Simple rice pilaf (in a rice cooker)

Ingredients

• 2 cups brown rice
• varied dried veggies -I just tossed in maybe 1/4 cup of each - more or less I mixed it in with the rice and went by how it looked.  I used
• a veggie flavor mix which included onion, garlic, red and green peppers and celery (I see that is not posted here.  I may have to give it a post.  It was handy and added a lot to the flavor.)
• peas
• carrots
• 1 32 oz container of chicken stock

Directions

1. Combine ingredients in rice cooker and push button - can't get easier than that.

Beefy Tex-Mex (taco salad)

For a super busy Sunday (and fast Sunday at that) we sure managed to do more than our share of cooking yesterday.  3.5 desserts a meal and a fruit salad (the .5 dessert.)  Tavio did make the cookies for the court of honor.  Brandon made the 2 desserts - one for us, one for someone who helped him out with his brakes on Saturday.  I made the meal and fruit salad.  So at least it wasn't one person in the kitchen all day - definitely still too hot for that unfortunately.  Everything turned out pretty well.  I'm starting with dinner because I actually made some changes there.  (Plus of course I actually made it.)  Everyone really liked it -whose to say if it is because they had been fasting all day and were hungry, or if it was super good.  I guess I'd have to go by the fact that the 5 year old ate it with no complaints.  (Of course the 2 year old just dipped some chips in sour cream and left the rest on the plate - didn't even eat his cheese.  The boy kills me.  He wouldn't even try the grapes or the sauce on the grapes...  But that is another story.)
This recipe is originally from Rachael Ray, but I found it on dealstomeals.com.  Here is my adaptation to make it speedier and less spicy.

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 cans mild diced green chilies
• 1 onion diced (I used about 1/2 but I had a very large onion - probably 1.25 cups)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder (this was perfectly mild for kids.  If you like spice, you can double this.)
• 1-1.5 lbs lean ground beef (I used pre-cooked, DH had packaged this batch and filled them a bit fuller than I do - hence the 1-1.5 lbs.  We probably had about 1.25 lbs.)
• 1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• chopped lettuce (I just grabbed a jar from the fridge)
• tortilla chips, slightly crushed
• shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• any other optional toppings like cilantro, salsa, olives, avocado or guacamole, I even put some red and yellow pepper on the left overs at lunch today.

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet.  Add onions and saute until fragrant.  Add green chilies and chili powder and cook and stir until well combined and heated.  Add defrosted meat, beans, and tomato sauce and cook until heated through.  (If not using pre-cooked beef, add it first and cook it until done, then add the beans and tomato sauce.)  I then let this simmer while I got the rest of the meal together (finished dicing tomatoes, set the table, and made a grape salad.)  I just kept an eye on it and turned it to very low when I got worried it might get dry.
2. To serve, place tortillas on a plate, top with meat/bean mixture followed by cheese lettuce tomatoes and any other optional toppings.

bbq chicken tortilla pizzas

Here was another totally easy, super quick idea that I loved from my Rachael Ray magazine.  To be honest, she did make hers more high class by using gouda and red onions.  I used either monterey jack or cheddar and sweet onions because that is what I usually have around my house.   I also loved that these used corn tortillas.  I love corn tortillas.  YUM!  These would make a great quick lunch, but we had them one day for dinner.  I'm not listing quantities because it isn't like I measured anything. Rachael Ray had it for 4 corn tortillas.  I think I made 16 or so for dinner.  However many it took to use up my 12-16 oz. package of pre-cooked chicken.  I also didn't add the onions to all of them.  Probably about 1/2 for my kiddos who don't like onions.  They were still tasty.

Ingredients

• corn tortillas
• cream cheese
• pre-cooked chicken
• Barbecue sauce
• shredded cheese (we used Monterey Jack, cheddar or a combination of both)
• diced onion

Directions

1. Toss chicken with Barbecue sauce.  Preheat oven to 375.  
2. To make each tortilla, Spread with a thin layer of cream cheese, add some of the bbq chicken, sprinkle with cheese and onions if desired. 
3. Bake for 15 minutes. 

Sweet bean burritos

I found this burrito recipe in my Saving dinner book.  I think half of the time I try something because it sounds different and I can't decide if it will taste good.  Then I'm apprehensive to actually taste what I've made.  This would be one of those meals.  Sweet potato with black bean?  I would have never thought to stick those two together.
Unfortunately for me, I can't remember how much we liked them, or exactly how much spices I added.  I do remember that they were better than I expected.  The sweet potato did make them sweet, but it was still good.  Went well with the cumin.

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed (I may have just used garlic powder - I can't remember)
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed (I made these in the microwave to make them quick and easy - had them cooking while sauteeing my onions)
• 1 teaspoon cumin (I may have added more)
• cheddar cheese
• tortillas

Directions

1. In a skillet, saute onions in butter until soft and fragrant.  Add garlic and saute an additional minute.  
2. Add the beans, mashed sweet potatoes and cumin and mix well.
3. Heat tortillas.  Put bean mixture and cheese in each burrito and roll up.

Green Bean Spaghetti Carbonara

This was a super simple, tasty meal.  I loved it.  Loved even more that DH cooked it last night.  :)  This is definitely a keeper for a quick and easy meal.  I also happen to think this would be great (actually better) with asparagus.
Oh, the recipe is from Everyday by Rachael Ray.  Don't know why I've never tried that magazine before, but I like it.  Looking forward to trying more recipes from it.
Also, be on the lookout for a back to school giveaway on Monday.

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 1 lb green beans
• 1/2 lb bacon, chopped (I used pre-cooked and chopped it with scissors)
• 1 Tablespoon butter (if using precooked bacon)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions adding beans halfway through cooking time.  Drain reserving 1/4 cup cooking water.
2. While pasta is cooking, saute the onions in butter until fragrant.  Add the bacon and crisp up. (if not using pre-cooked bacon, cook the bacon first then saute onions with the bacon. -So that is how I would do it.  DH said he did onions and bacon at the same time.)  Deglaze the pan with the reserved pasta water.
3. Whisk eggs with cheese.  Off heat, add pasta, beans, eggs and cheese to skillet and toss.  Season with salt and pepper.

Southwest chicken pasta salad

Here's another recipe whose inspriation came from the $5 dinner mom's cookbook, but I totally changed it up.  It really is only the same as the original in that it has black beans, noodles and chicken.  It turned out really well.  You can eat it cold or hot, but I liked it a lot better hot.  Heated up it reminded me of an enchilada casserole or something.  I also loved that it was super easy.  It did make a ton though.  I could probably freeze half of it, or leave out 1/2 of the noodles next time.

Ingredients

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can corn, rinsed and drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained (15 oz)
• 1 can dice green chilies (4 oz)
• 2 cups cooked chicken
• 1/2 container of taco sauce
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 16 oz. package noodles (I used bowtie, but you could use any)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• cheddar jack cheese -to taste

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.  Rinse and drain.  
2. In a large bowl, combine taco sauce, cumin, garlic, tomatoes, black beans and corn.  Stir until well blended.  Add chicken and noodles.  Stir to combine.  (After this I refrigerated mine because we went to the pool and I kind of planned on eating this cold - you can choose to do that to let flavors blend if desired, or not.)
3. Stir in 1/2-1 cup of cheese.  If heating, you can combine everything in the noodle bowl and stir until cheese melts.  I just topped each individual serving with additional cheese and heated it for 30 seconds to 1 minutes in the microwave depending on serving size for those who wanted to eat it warm.  

Chicken mole

This is another recipe from Family feasts for $75 a week. I was totally afraid to use as much chili powder as this called for (3 Tablespoons)  I only used 1/2 Tablespoon.  I would put more next time.  I also found it a bit silly that the recipe called for stewed tomatoes which she said she then purees.  I just used crushed.  I also started with pre-cooked chicken - and not quite as much as called for.  The result was a super quick meal.  I liked it, just wished I would have put more chili powder, and in fact when I ate it for left overs I added some chili powder.    One thing I like about this book is that the recipes make a lot of food.  We always have left overs.  That is nice because I haven't had to think about lunch for a couple of weeks, and have even had a left over day for dinner, and frozen some of the left overs for another meal later.  Can't beat that!  I acutally served this over white rice because I didn't want to wait for brown to cook.  The white cooked in the same amount of time it took to prepare the meal.  

Ingredients

• 1 container pre-cooked chicken (2-3 cups chopped cooked - or use raw and chop and cook at the beginning)
• 1-2 Tablespoons oil (I use a healthy blend)
• 1/2 Tablespoon chili powder (use more next time)
• 1/2 Tablespoon paprika (I would omit this next time if using more chili powder)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• 3 15 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 green peppers, seeded and chopped (I was lazy and used 1/2 cup dehydrated red and green)
• white or brown rice 

Directions

1. (cook rice in a rice cooker.  Cook chicken and set aside if not using pre-cooked - or thaw and set aside)
2. Place chili powder, cumin and cinnamon in a large pot (4 quart)  Add enough oil to get the spice mix wet with oil.  Heat spices until they're blackened and smoking, 4-6 minutes (I can't say that I did this - mine weren't black just toasted, and they weren't smoking, but they did steam a bit.)
3. Reduce heat to low and add chocolate (I chopped it into smaller pieces)  Stir until chocolate is melted and combined.  
4. Add tomatoes and garlic.  Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.  (This bubbled very large bubbles that splashed all over the kitchen so I covered it with a splatter guard - be warned and cover it before it splashes your cookbook.  :)
5. Stir in chicken and green peppers.  Simmer 5 more minutes.  Serve over rice.

West African Peanut Chicken

This recipe is from another book I have checked out of the library called family feasts for $75 a week.  I saw it recommended on Amazon.com when looking to buy $5 dinner mom's book.  It has been OK so far.  I think I prefer $5 dinner mom just because for the most part it is a bit healthier.  However, some of the recipes in family feasts have been interesting.  That author has adopted kids from other countries, so she has tried to make dishes from those countries - hence the West African food.  All I had to do was tell my oldest (black) child it was African and he decided he loved it - even though at first glance it was like - ewww what is this???So that was good.  I did like this recipe.  It seemed like it should have been served over rice or noodles, but it did have enough substance to stand alone.  I would just probably put it over something if making it again.  I enjoyed the unique flavors, and I think (problem with  not blogging right away -we ate this 1 week ago)  most of the kids ate it OK.  (other than the 2 yr. old who wouldn't even tough the chicken I picked out of the dish for him.)

I made a couple of changes - used less oil, a bit less onion, and omitted the cayenne pepper.  I think I probably also reduced the salt, but I can't remember.  This is how I made it - using pre-cooked, chopped chicken for speed, as well as dehydrated, red and green peppers.  Made this meal a snap to put together.

So, it is quick, unique, and has a good deal of veggies - good meal if you ask me.

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tablespoons oil
• 2-3 cups pre-cooked, chopped chicken
• 1 -1.5 large onions, pureed in food processor
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I tossed them in the food processor with the onion)
• 3 cups pureed tomatoes -I used canned pureed tomatoes, and they were quite thick.  I had to add water.  Next time I will just use crushed tomatoes.  1 large can (can't remember the size but not the 15 oz.)
• 1 cup water (I used more like I said - if using crushed tomatoes you may be able to omit this??)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons salt (original is 1 Tablespoon but I can't think that I put that much in.)
• 1 green pepper seeded and diced - I used 1/2 cup dehydrated - rehydrated with 1/2 cup water
• 2 tomatoes, diced

Directions

1. Heat oil over high heat.  (cook chicken if not using pre-cooked - remove and set aside.)  Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are soft and begin to brown.  Add pureed tomatoes and 1 cup water.  Reduce heat, bring to a simmer and simmer for a few minutes.  (This is when I chopped my tomatoes)
2. Add chicken to the pot, stir in peanut butter until it is well incorporated.  Add pepper and salt.  Simmer over low heat 10-15 minutes.  (Here I cleaned up and set the table.)
3. Stir in bell pepper and tomatoes, simmer 3-4 more minutes.  

Japanese noodle dinner

6-I made this for dinner a couple of nights ago.  It comes from saving dinner basics which I checked out of the library recently.  I did make some changes which really means I should have typed this up when I made it, but I think we went to the Y and I didn't have time.  I left out 2 Tablespoons of oil in the sauce, and added a bit more noodles, which made it a tiny bit dry (the sauce) I think I'd add a bit of water or something to the sauce next time just to add some more moisture, but other than that it was great.  My other changes were just changes in veggies to have a few more.
This was a super quick meal.  The noodles cooked super quick.  The only thing that took any time was cutting up the veggies, but then it was only a bell pepper and some green onions.  The whole meal was made in under 30 minutes using pre-cooked chicken.
Here is how I made it.

Ingredients

• 6-8 oz. angel hair pasta (I used 8 for my family, if making for less than 6 people, I'd use only 6)
• 2 Tablespoons vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons peanut butter
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon ginger/garlic  (from a jar by the chopped, jarred garlic - its minced ginger and garlic)
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 sweet pepper (red, yellow or orange) chopped in strips
• 6 green onions Slices
• 2 cups broccoli florets (I just used frozen for speed)
• 1 package pre-cooked chicken (or 1 - 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into stir fry strips)
• 1/4 cup cashews

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.
2. In a small bowl combine vinegar, peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger/garlic, (and possibly 1-2 Tablespoons of water if using 8 oz. of noodles)
3. In a large skillet or wok, heat vegetable and sesame oil over medium high heat.  Add veggies - cook and stir until crisp tender.  Add pre-cooked chicken and cook for a minute or 2 to heat through(If using regular, take out the veggies and cook the chicken, then add the veggies back in and warm them back up.)  
4. Add the noodles and sauce.  Heat through.  Serve on individual plates.  Sprinkle with cashews.

toasted nutella and raspberry sandwich

So, I saw this posted on two peas and their pod just yesterday.  I thought it looked delicious and planned to put it on my want to try it menu.  Then I stopped by the Walmart Neighborhood market to pick up buns yesterday because it just wasn't working to make them with all my in and out dropping kids one place or another between tutoring, basketball and wrestling last night.  Anyway, Walmart happened to have Nutella sitting there in the middle of the bread display.  I knew I had picked up raspberry jam for tonight's recipe (sadly I'm out of home made at the moment) so I grabbed the nutella and buns and whipped these up for breakfast.  It even helped me use up the loaf of bread that had been out of the freezer for 2 days and not touched.
  I had every intention of making them like French toast to put my own spin on it, and I may try that another day, but today after my morning run, (during which the temp dropped 20 degrees - crazy!!)   I didn't have time to make the batter and cook them up.  It was easier just to grill it up.  I figured I'd make it as french toast for everyone else later, but DH wanted to eat his in the car and thought it sounded less messy grilled and the younger 2 ended up eating in the car as well because I let them sleep until the last minute before leaving for preschool.  One day I do want to try them as french toast, but they were delicious as grilled sandwiches as well - even though I burned the second set trying to get laundry done while cooking.  Multitasking ruins more of my meals....
So, check out two peas and their pod's site.  Super cute pictures - she cut hers in a heart shape, and certainly used more nutella than I did.  I just spread a thin layer, and used wheat bread.  Still tasty, and easy as well.  Definitely a keeper.

Ingredients

• Bread
• Nutella
• Raspberry Jam
• butter, or butter spread, or butter spray (for grilling)

Directions

1. Spread Nutella and Jam on the bread to make a sandwich.  Butter (or spray ...) outsides of Sandwich and grill over medium heat until nicely toasted.