zucchini black bean rice skillet

Edit, modification:

 

- chop and sautee 1 onion, then add

- chopped garlic & 1 chopped zucchini, cook lightly

Drain 1 jar of black beans, add water to 1 cup liquid

- add to pan 1 can tomatoes & 1 small can chilies & can of beans, cook a bit, then add

- 1 cup liquid & 

- 1/2 c. rice

- 1/2 tsp oregano

Bring to boil, lower heat to simmer and cook about 15-20 minutes.

 

Check salt & pepper, serve with cheese

****

 

Always looking for more ways to eat beans and vegetables, I came upon this recipe, which I modified somewhat.  I don't know that I'd want to eat it every day, but it's a nice way to use things on hand.

Ingredients:
Rice (cook earlier; I used 1 cup brown rice dried in rice cooker and then used it all)
1 can/jar black beans (rinsed, drained)
1 can diced tomatoes (including fire roasted, with peppers, etc., with liquid)
1 small-ish zucchini
1/2 onion
1/2 pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 cup shredded cheese 

**
Heat oil.  Saute onion a few minutes, then add pepper and zucchini and cook until onions are translucent.

Add beans and tomatoes and oregano; head until boiling.  Add rice and stir to heat up.  Add cheese and eat. 

salmon potato hash

I'm trying to use up the food I already have, as I overspent my food budget this month.  (How?  I have no idea.  It's already generous. Oh right - I cooked for parties and guests.)

I have about 30 jars of canned salmon to use up, which is such amazing abundance and I feel so lucky.  And I had potatoes.  And a bag of little peppers.  So, I cooked up a big pan of salmon potato hash that will serve as leftovers for days to come.  Breakfast skillet with a duck egg?  Yes, please!  Ideas from here.

***
4-6 potatoes, in small cubes
1 T butter
2 T oil
1 onion, chopped
peppers (bell, sweet mini, etc.)
garlic powder
salt, pepper
1 jar of salmon (I pulled out skin and bones and fed to dog with the juice)


Heat oil in large cast iron pan over medium heat.  Add potatoes and let cook covered for about 10-15 minutes.

Add in onion and peppers and seasonings.  (I think some other herbs could be good, as well as vegetables.)  Cook about 15 minutes more, stirring occasionally.  Add in the jar of salmon and let it cook another 5 minutes or so. 

I ate it with some sour cream and hot sauce, of course.

Chicken Breast with Colorful Veggies in a Butter-White Wine ReductionSauce

Chicken Breast with Colorful Veggies in a Butter-White Wine Reduction Sauce
Originally uploaded by gummychild

I have no idea what to call this dish, hee hee...so the title just kind of names it. =)

I made chicken breasts again, similar to the paillard recipe from before, but modified it just a little. I'm not normally a fan of chicken breasts - I'm a dark meat girl - but I do have to admit that I can cook it so that it's moist and tasty. =)

The ingredients were completely eyeballed and thrown in together based on my own judgment, so...I'll do my best to give estimates, but honestly...most of the time, I just, as Toucan Sam says, "Follow my nose!". ^_^

Take one chicken breast and split it in half (or use two whole ones; up to how many you want to make), and season with salt and black pepper. In a cast iron skillet, heat up about a tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high. When it's hot, place your chicken on the skillet and let it cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side (*note: these were pretty thick).

Meanwhile, blanch one bunch of asparagus that you've trimmed and chopped into sections in boiling water. Drain, and set aside.

Slice one red bell pepper, dice a sprig of green onion, and chop up some white mushrooms.

When the chicken is seared well on both sides, and mostly cooked, add in about a tablespoon of unsalted butter, and let it melt in the skillet in the spaces where the chicken is not found. Also scrape off any chicken bits and let the butter mix with the juices and bits. Add in about 1/2 a cup of chicken broth (or mix chicken bouillon with water...depends on what you have) and all the veggies that were cut up, and mix the veggies and liquid well. Keep the chicken in the hot liquid on one side of the skillet as everything cooks. =)

TK and Bev left us a bottle of zinfandel...yay! That means Shelton and I can cook with some white wine, since we don't drink (plus, add in some wine to my diet and I'm sure Aiva will sleep for a little too long, hahahaha...!). How fun! So I added in some of the zinfandel, probably only about a tablespoon and some, and let the sauce reduce until about half, maximum.

Season with a pinch or two of kosher salt to your desire, stir well, and the dish is ready after all the veggies are cooked (which to me, means that it's still got some crunch, but definitely not raw!).

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of this dish plated with jasmine rice, the chicken on one side, and veggies on the other, with the sauce drizzled on the chicken (and some on the rice, because the sauce was really tasty!). However, you'll have to trust me that it was really colorful, and delicious for the eyes as well as the mouth. Bon appetit! =)