Black Bean Soup

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.

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

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.

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

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

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

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.)

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

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

The Three Bite Rule - Black Bean Soup

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.

January 2023 Recap

I enjoy January for the freshness and re-set since I don’t get a post-holiday letdown I know others feel. Once the holidays pass I love to usher in the snowy decor and prep for our guy’s birthday!

This is the ultimate breakfast sandwich is on Texas toast with maple bacon aioli and gooey cheese.

Treats don’t have to end come January so we had some Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddies.

As the only mushroom-eater, I made these Forager Flatbreads as lunch.

The Three Bite Rule - Forager Flatbread

We had fun going to the pool and ice skating and we definitely are awaiting real snow. We are outside less and wishing for more daylight. I’m very over the colds we seem to pass along. I love the snacks of the superbowl ahead and maybe we’ll create some pink Valentine’s day dessert.

The Little Girl:
She’s still in her Elsa dress daily. She builds magnatiles and colors non-stop. We are very into the books that read-aloud themselves from the library. I’m so impressed with how well she can use scissors. She cannot wait for kindergarten and riding the bus.

The Big Guy:
His birthday was so fun. We had a family dinner party and he had some friends meet him at the trampoline park. I love seeing his friendships blossom. Of course we had pasta and caesar salad. He is very into How to Train your Dragon and transformers. He’s taking an Animals around the World class after school and he’ll play baseball in the spring. He’s interested in the football playoffs and superbowl.

Goals:
Year of workwear! I got a few shells for under blazers or cardigans
Salads or side-dishes: Hmm.
prep ahead bfasts or lunches for weekdays: this makes getting to the office so much easier. I made some chickpea/tomato/cucumber/feta bowls with hummus and pita.
Monthly dates: We didn’t make this happen, but will.
Declutter/cleaning: I passed along all the pjs that the big guy is always be too hot for!
Workouts as a routine: ehh. Too many days of colds meant this didn’t happen regularly.
What I’m reading: I read The Nineties which was interesting but felt like I’d already read it. Bookclub read The Ten Thousand Doors of January which wasn’t for me.

Forager Flatbread

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!

The Three Bite Rule - Forager Flatbread

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

The Three Bite Rule - Forager Flatbread

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.

The Three Bite Rule - Forager Flatbread

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

The Three Bite Rule - Forager Flatbread

Drizzle with honey and sprinkle on some oregano.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Forager Flatbread

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.

Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddy

This has one special ingredient that makes it so so special. Butter extract gives cookie vibes or you could skip it and just call this churro muddy buddies! These go nicely with some dessert wine, or an afternoon pick-me-up, as anytime treats.

The Three Bite Rule - Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddy

I didn’t do my greatest job mixing, so don’t be like me. The kids happily pick out the melted chocolate chunks so they’re OK with it, but I like it more even. Next time!

Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddy
Ingredients:

6 cups rice chex
12 oz bag white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon butter extract
2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

The Three Bite Rule - Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddy

Directions:
Melt the chocolate (microwaved at 20 second intervals and stirred, and returned to the micro, or, over a double boiler). Add in the butter extract and stir well.
Add the chex to a zip-top bag, pour the chocolate into it and shake/stir and quickly add in the sugars and cinnamon.

The Three Bite Rule - Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddy

Spread it out onto a tray to cool/dry.

The Three Bite Rule - Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddy

Enjoy!

I plan to use some butter extract for a coffee syrup. It is a warm flavor that feels like it could easily sub for vanilla in many dishes too.

Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich

Be fully awake before indulging in these breakfast sandwiches. They are flavor packed with a smoky bacon aioli, soft and garlicky Texas toast and some fresh arugula because, well, I can’t help myself. Arugula goes with everything for me.

Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich
Ingredients: (for 2 sandwiches)

1 slice of bacon, crumbled (or bits)
2 teaspoons mayo
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
4 slices of Texas Toast Garlic Bread
2 eggs
2 slices of cheese
1-2 cups baby arugula (or spinach, or sliced tomato)

The Three Bite Rule - Ultimate Bfast Sandwich

Directions:
Mix together the crumbled bacon, mayo, maple syrup, and liquid smoke.

The Three Bite Rule - Ultimate Bfast Sandwich

Toast the Texas toast- both sides are flavored with the butter & garlic so be sure to flip once.
Optional: chop the arugula/greens and dress it in oil/vinegar, if desired.
Pan fry the eggs and top with cheese to melt.
Assemble with the Texas toast, arugula, egg and cheese, and a spread of maple bacon aioli.

The Three Bite Rule - Ultimate Bfast Sandwich

Enjoy! I love the gooey cheese and the crunch from the greens. The Texas toast is greasy from the butter spread so I broke the yolks to keep it from being messier.

Breakfast sandwiches are my love language (just see here) and I made one on Texas toast circa 2016 but this one is majorly upgraded. It is so so good and easy enough to have the Texas toast on hand in the freezer and to mix the up aioli in advance if you wanted to! We had leftover slices with Pizza Beans another night.

Liquid smoke is also great in chili, pulled pork, bbq sauce, burgers, sloppy joes, and anything with a plant-based meat substitute. It lasts forever and you only use a little at a time. Or for this one a substitute of Worcestershire sauce would be good instead!