Black Bean Soup

Posted on February 1, 2023 by admin

This soup is so so easy and comes together quickly. It is a great weeknight dinner and a great one for anyone who may not love soup or want soup for dinner. I served with quesadilla dippers which meant everyone had a part to fill up on. We topped it with cheese, salsa verde, and sour cream.

Soup is annoying to photograph – trust me that the flavor is fantastic. It is dairy-free and easy to be vegan, if needed.

Easy Black Bean Soup
Ingredients: (for 4 servings)
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped or grated
1, 29oz can black beans
2 cups broth (chicken, beef, vegetable)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
toppings: shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, guacamole, tortilla chips

Directions:
In a large pot, cook the carrots and peppers in olive oil for about 7 minutes over medium heat until soft and mostly cooked through.

Add in the black beans, broth, garlic, and cumin. Stir well and cook for ~30 minutes over low heat.

Add half or 3/4 to a blender or food processor and carefully blend. Repeat in batches for the texture you prefer. (I blended almost all of it.)

Add more broth if desired. Serve with toppings as you like. Enjoy!

One kid ate mostly soup and no quesadilla and the other ate mostly quesadilla and only a few bites of soup. I blended it a lot but wonder if they would have been more into it with more recognizable beans since they really like them. Sour cream is a good way to mellow it out a bit.

Make it ahead of time, or make in smaller batches. It would be great alongside a taco feast and has chili-ish vibes with all the toppings.

Forager Flatbread

Posted on January 18, 2023 by admin

This many-cheese flatbread is quick to put together with lots of customization options. It is kind of a brown meal, but, it is so so good. There’s a butter + parmesan + garlic spread, mozzarella, ricotta, mushrooms and honey drizzle. The earthy mushrooms and honey are such a great combo. Mushrooms not your jam? Italian sausage and honey would be a great combo too for a sweet and savory mix!

Forager Flatbread
Ingredients: (for 2)
1 pint mushrooms
2 flatbreads (I used naan)
2 tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon parmesan
1 teaspoon cream or half & half
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
2 tablespoons ricotta
1/4 cup fresh mozzarella balls
1-2 teaspoons honey
pinch of oregano

Directions:
Pan fry the mushrooms in some butter and olive oil to get them a bit caramelized around the edges.
Preheat the oven to 400-degrees.
Mix together the butter, parmesan and minced garlic then stir in just a drizzle of cream, adding more if needed.
Assemble the flatbreads by spreading the butter/garlic sauce onto the naan and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Top with shredded mozzarella, dots of ricotta, some mozzarella balls, and mushrooms.

Cook for 5-10 minutes (10 will be crispy edges, 5 will be warm and soft).

Drizzle with honey and sprinkle on some oregano.
Enjoy!

I looooved this. It is quite a brown meal and I almost added arugula. The mix of cheeses and the mushrooms with sweet honey is delightful. I’m the only mushroom eater at home so these were lunch and I was very happy. It reheats fine (top with honey just before serving), but is definitely best fresh.

Spinach Strata

Posted on November 17, 2022 by admin

This spinach strata has a shortcut to pack a flavor punch – creamed spinach gives this so much a salty creaminess and keeps the ingredient list quite short. I made it as I would a bread pudding so while strata means layers, mine didn’t have to soak as long and came together so quickly.

It poofs up like a souffle and then settles a bit. It is less eggy than a lot of breakfasts which was nice for variety. I loved it reheated too. I intended it to be a ready-made, savory breakfast but I needed a handheld one for en route to the bus stop. This became lunch and I was not mad about it. I microwaved on low (try a defrost or reheat setting) and thank me later.

Spinach Strata
Ingredients: (for ~6 servings)
1 loaf bread (Italian or focaccia or sourdough)
1 package creamed spinach
3-4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
salt & pepper
1-2 cups fresh greens (I used baby arugula)
1/2-3/4 cup shredded cheese
3 tablespoons parmesan

Directions:
Slice and cube the bread – let it sit out for a few hours to get stale.
Warm the creamed spinach according to the package. Then stir and cool.

Mix up the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper – go gentle on the salt since the creamed spinach will likely provide enough salt.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and spray a 9×9 baking dish.
Gently mix together the bread cubes, creamed spinach, egg mixture, and fresh greens. Ensure it is all evenly coated.

Spoon half into the baking dish, add a sprinkle of each cheese, top with remaining bread mix and finish with the remaining cheeses.

Bake ~40 minutes.
Enjoy!

Let me declare my love for creamed spinach as an ingredient as we never eat it as a side- I love it mixed into pasta to be a sauce, or in a calzone for some cheesiness, or into the ricotta mixture for stuffed shells or lasagna. Also, since it lives in the freezer, that makes it very handy. The salt content is up there, but that is usually based on 2-3 servings and I often use it as ~6 servings.

Burger Beans

Posted on September 21, 2022 by admin

I love a regular burger – (don’t let these burger beans or my burger rice bowl fool you!) but this twist came from our beloved pizza beans on a quest for a quick dinner or lunch.

These bean-based bowls are super high in protein and cook so quickly. They reheat perfectly with the other toppings separate so make a bunch or reheat as eaters in your house are needing a meal.

Burger Beans
Ingredients: (serves ~2)
1 can white beans
3 tablespoons tomato puree or tomato sauce
1/4 cup broth
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke or Worcestershire sauce
2 burger patties (I used veggie burgers)
2-3 strips bacon (skip if going vegetarian)
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1-2 cups greens
3 pickle spears
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
ketchup & mustard

Directions:
Grill or pan fry the burgers.
Cook the bacon and drain. If desired, cook the onion until golden and caramelized.
Rinse beans and add to a pot with tomato and broth over medium heat. Add in the garlic powder and broth/Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes and add in the onions.

Chop the greens, bacon, pickles, and shred the cheese.
Spoon beans into 2 bowls and add in the bacon, cheese, and burgers.

Top with greens, pickles, and drizzles of ketchup and mustard.
Enjoy!

This was everything I wanted it to be. Warm beans & burger contrasting with crisp pickles & greens was perfect in every bite. The beans make it super filling so it is also a good time to make it vegetarian or to use a smaller portion if you have leftover ground meat or burgers.

Corn Quesadillas in Cilantro Butter

Posted on September 14, 2022 by admin

Let’s amp up the basic quesadilla, shall we? A quesadilla is such an ideal lunch or dinner when I need something quick with just a few ingredients but flavored butter on the outside it just magical. It is such a great trick on a grilled cheese too. Cilantro not your thing? Chipotle butter would be fun! Ranch butter sounds delicious with the corn too!

The Three Bite Rule - Corn Quesadilla with Cilantro Butter

No corn? Add in some beans! Maybe a few tomatoes? This is great to make a whole bunch and keep warm in the oven while they cook, or just make one. They reheat in the toaster oven, the oven, or in a skillet too.

Corn Quesadillas in Cilantro Butter
Ingredients:
1-2 ears of corn
3 tablespoons butter (softened)
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
2 tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup mozzarella (or pepper jack)

Directions:
Cook the corn then slice it off the cob.
Mix up the butter and cilantro with a sprinkle of salt.

The Three Bite Rule - Corn Quesadilla in Cilantro Butter

Preheat a large skillet to medium heat and assemble the quesadillas with corn and cheese in each.
Cook the quesadillas in a little bit of olive oil or with a generous spray of nonstick spray and flip once.
When lightly golden, spread on a little cilantro butter and cook for another minute on each side.

Let sit for 1-2 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!

The herby-butter with gooey cheese and the pop of corn for texture all together makes magic. This is super easy but seemingly special. If the cilantro butter cooks too long it gets a little too toasty so start the cook in olive oil or spray. This is great dipped in salsa for acidity.