Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili and a Book Review #SundayFunday

This delicious, colorful, vegetarian chili is so hearty that your carnivores won't even realize that it doesn't contain any meat.

It's National Sweet Potato Awareness Month.......

F is for Farro

This colorful, nutritious, and tasty bowl is a perfect Lenten meal.  It is meatless yet hearty and filling with fiber from the Farro, protein from the beans, and vitamins and antioxidants from the vegetables.

F is for Farro........

Southwest Chicken Foil Packs #SundayFunday

This delicious dinner is cooked in a foil packet on the grill for a complete, no-fuss meal that can cook while you lounge in the pool.

Brown Rice and Quinoa mixed with peppers, black beans, and corn, topped with a chicken breast smothered in salsa with a touch of cheese sprinkled on top.

Black Bean and Zucchini Enchilada Casserole #FoodieExtravaganza

This is a fabulous casserole when having a Meatless Mexican Monday or a Fiesta where you wish to offer a Vegetarian side dish.

We are having a Zucchini Extravaganza today......

Corn and Black Bean Salad #ImprovCookingChallenge

This delicious Summer Salad can be made with Fresh Corn when in season or with frozen or canned corn if you don't have fresh available.  It is perfect for your Summer Poolside Potlucks.

The Improve Cooking Challenge this month is Summer Salads.....

Enchanted BBQ Venison Casserole and a Book Review #LitHappens

A warm and comforting casserole with southwestern flavors and a corn bread topping.  This recipe was inspired by the fun, magical novel Keeper of Enchanted Rooms, our Lit Happens selection for November.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Quesadillas #SundayFunday

Pumpkin, Black Beans and Cheese flavored with Taco Seasoning and served up in crisped flour tortillas make for a perfect Meatless Meal.

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are serving up Pumpkin this week.......

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole #BakingBloggers

Black beans and roasted butternut squash combined with other fresh vegetables and layered between corn tortillas topped with sour cream and enchilada sauce.  This is a wonderful addition to your Mexican Monday or Taco Tuesday rotation.

The Baking Bloggers are celebrating Pumpin or Butternut Squash today.......

Turkey Nachos with Cranberry Salsa #CranberryWeek #FoodieExtravaganza

Want a great way to enjoy those leftovers on Black Friday?  Make up a batch of these Turkey Nachos with Cranberry Salsa.  You're Welcome.

This is my second contribution to the celebration of Cranberry Week........

More Cayman Brac Memories and a Taco Salad

Good Monday Morning.  I got all my laundry caught up and my groceries bought yesterday after my week long vacation while Frank mowed down the jungle that was our yard before the rains come back today.

We did find time to relax in the evening and celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a Taco Salad and Margaritas for dinner.

All your favorite taco flavors combined into a Salad.  Seasoned ground beef, romaine lettuce, black beans, tomatoes, avocados, and cheese all topped with a sour cream dressing.  Delicious!

This salad is easy to make and is perfect for a main course meal or you can double the recipe and bring it along to your summer pot lucks to feed a crowd.

Veggie Enchiladas #EattheWorld

Flour tortillas filled with delicious vegetables, rolled and smothered in cheese.  The perfect way to enjoy a Meatless Mexican Monday or for the final Friday's of Lent.

Stop in and learn why I'm feeling confident enough to share this not very authentic enchilada recipe as we visit Mexico in our Eat the World group.....

Black Bean and Ham Bone Soup #NationalSoupSwapDay

Happy National Soup Swap Day.  You have come to the right place if you are looking for a piping hot bowl of soup to chase those winter chills away.

Do you still have a hambone in your freezer from the holidays?  Well, today is the day to pull it out because do I have a great soup for you!

Adapted from a recipe published in the Washington Post in 2011, this black bean soup makes a perfect lunch or light dinner.  I served it as the first course of a dinner party I held where one of my guests was gluten intolerant.  Then we enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the following day.

I made this on the stove top but it would be easily adaptable to a crockpot or Instant Pot application.

Don't forget to stop by and see all the wonderful soups being swapped today.  There are soups to keep your family warm and toasty for the rest of this frigid winter we have been enduring.

Black Bean and Ham Bone Soup

adapted from The Washington Post

2 c. dried blacked beans, picked over

1 meaty ham bone

2 (32 oz) boxes chicken broth or 8 c. homemade broth

1 bay leaf

1 T. olive oil

1/2 lg. Vidalia onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 t. paprika

pinch dried oregano

1/2 cup tomato salsa (my recipe here )

1/4 c. dried sherry

Sour cream and chopped parsley or cilantro, if desired

Place the beans in a bowl and cover generously with water.  Let soak overnight.  Drain and place into a large pot with the ham bone.  Add the chicken broth and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 2-3 hrs., until beans are tender.  Remove ham bone and bay leaf. Remove meat from bone and chop into bite size pieces, discarding any gristle, bone and the bay leaf.

Using an immersion blender, puree about half of the soup.  Alternately, remove half of the soup to a blender or food processor to puree and then return to the pot.  Add the meat to the soup.

Heat the oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Cook the onions and garlic until fragrant and tender, about 10 minutes.  Season with the paprika and add to the soup along with the salsa and sherry.  Cook over low heat for another 10 minutes or until ready to serve.

Garnish with sour cream and parsley or cilantro if desired.  Print Recipe

More Soups to Swap

• Basil Turkey Soup by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Black Bean and Ham Bone Soup by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Easy Cream of Broccoli Soup by Simple and Savory.com
• Middle Eastern Meatball Soup with Vegetables by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Port Wine Cream of Mushroom Soup by The Redhead Baker
• Rich and Easy Clam Chowder by Books n’ Cooks

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Enchiladas #FoodBloggers4FL

While we were in the middle of sending out an SOS for our Texan neighbors suffering the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, that witch Irma started beating up on our friends in Florida and the Caribbean!!

So we immediately knew that we also wanted to send out our support to them as well.  We decided to blog a recipe inspired by those areas impacted, Florida, Southeast United States and the Caribbean.

We again are providing you, our readers, with the names and websites of reputable charities to which you can donate if you are in a position to help.

• Volunteer Florida
• Miami Diaper Bank
• Harry Chapin Food Bank
• South Florida Wildlife Center
• Catholic Charities USA
• Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management
• The SOS Foundation

As many of you know, my husband and I are scuba divers.  We spend nearly every vacation in the Keys or on Caribbean Islands.  We love the people that we have met and spent time with over the years and our hearts bleed for them.  

I am holding them all in my thoughts and prayers and I hope that this small effort by our group results in some relief for them.

Our friend, Kate of Kate's Recipe Box, provided us with some websites for recipes, including the Florida Department of Agriculture, from which I adapted this recipe.

These enchiladas are chock full of sweet corn, bell peppers and black beans.  Flavored with onions, garlic and cumin they are savory and delicious.  The addition of my homemade salsa added a little bit of kick.

The recipe called for this to make 10 enchiladas but I had enough filling to make 15 of them.  I made a large casserole full for dinner one night and lunch the following day and a smaller casserole to put in the freezer for another time.

Place the some filling and cheese into each of the tortillas and roll them up so that the seam side is on the bottom.  Pour over some enchilada sauce (you will need extra sauce for the second pan) and sprinkle with additional cheese.

Place them in a preheated oven for about half an hour, until it is hot, bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.  These made a perfect Meatless Monday meal.  While I put these together, Frank made up some of his Fantastic Margaritas.  We said an extra blessing upon all of those affected by these horrible storms along with grace and then toasted to their health and quick recovery.

The whole idea behind this event is to give as much exposure as possible to this cause so please stop by and take a look at what the others have cooked up.  Sharing on any social media platforms using the #FoodBloggers4FL label would be very much appreciated.  Thanks.

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Enchiladas

adapted from Florida Dept of Agriculture

1 T. olive oil, infused with garlic

1 small onion, diced

Kernels from 1 ear of sweet corn

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 t. cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup salsa of choice

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

corn tortillas

2-3 c. Colby Jack cheese, shredded

1 (14 oz) can red enchilada sauce

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over med high heat.  Add the onions, corn, bell pepper and black beans.  Cook and stir for a few minutes.  Add salsa and season with cumin, salt and pepper.  Cook for a minute or two more.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Divide the filling between 10-15 tortillas and sprinkle filling with 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Roll the tortillas around the filling and place, seam side down, in a baking pan that has been treated with cooking spray.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.  Bake in a preheated 350* oven for half an hour, until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted.  Serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.  Print Recipe

More Florida Inspired Recipes

An InLinkz Link-up

Black Bean Soup in an Instant (pot) #SoupSaturdaySwappers

Today's Soup Saturday Swappers is being hosted by my friend, Amy, of Amy's Cooking Adventures.  Amy asked us to share Quick Weeknight Soup recipes.  Soups that would make a perfect meal for a family, like hers, that come September head back to school and work.  Amy is starting a new position this year, in the school where she works, as the librarian.  Congratulations Amy!!

Now you can see why she needs something that is quick, delicious and nutritious to feed her boys when they all get home after a long day.  The gang over at Soup Saturday Swappers was thrilled to help her out.  You will find all of our great recipes linked up at the bottom of this post.

Soup Saturday Swappers is a great group of foodies that gather on the 3rd Saturday of each month and share recipes based on a theme chosen by one of our members.  We love welcoming new people and if you want to join in the fun please leave a message in the comment section of this post.

I celebrated my birthday last month and got an Instant Pot that I had been asking for from my husband and sous chef, Frank.  This soup was the first thing that I made in my new pot.  I have never cooked in a pressure cooker before so I wasn't sure that bean soup in 7 minutes was really going to work.

Since it was the first foray into the realm of Instant Pot Cooking, I used a recipe from the cookbook included with the pot and followed it exactly.

While this soup cooks in 7 minutes you must still allow 10-15 minutes for the pot to heat to cooking temperature and then 15-20 minutes after the cooking for the pressure to dissipate. That being said you still have a delicious, hearty and healthy soup for your family in less than an hour, start to finish. That is pretty outstanding.

This soup was a little looser than I like my bean soup to be but the flavor was amazing.  I think I will reduce the amount of vegetable broth by 1/2 a cup each time until the soup is the consistency I prefer.

The seasoning was perfect.  I used chili powder instead of chipotle powder(using 1/2 t. instead of a 1/4 t.)  and fresh oregano.  A little salt before serving and it was perfect.

I added cheese to Frank's bowl and would have added a dollop of sour cream had I had any in the house.  Keep in mind, however, that this renders it no longer vegan nor FMD friendly.

I had mine sans cheese as I was still on the Fast Metabolism eating plan when I made this.  It was a perfect meal to work into the plan. I only needed to include a fruit serving for a perfect lunch or dinner on Phase 3.

Black Bean Soup in an Instant Pot

very slightly adapted from Instant Pot (Jill Nussinow)

1 1/2 cups dry black beans (soaked overnight)

1 T. olive oil

1 onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. cumin

1/2 t. chili powder

6 c. vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

2 T. fresh oregano (or 2 t. dried)

salt to taste

Drain the soaking liquid from the beans.  Set aside.  Set the Instant Pot to Sauté setting and add the oil to heat.  Add the onion and garlic. Cook and stir until onions are translucent and the mixture is fragrant. Stir in the cumin and chili powder.

Add the beans, broth, bay leaf and oregano.  Seal the pot and switch to soup setting for 7 minutes. When cooking time is done, allow the pressure to come down without using the release valve. This takes 15-20 minutes.

When pressure is dissipated, carefully remove the lid, facing away from you.  Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to your desired consistency.  Taste and season with salt as needed.  Print Recipe

More Quick Weeknight Soups

An InLinkz Link-up

Southwestern Chicken Barley Soup for #CrazyIngredientChallenge

Today, for Crazy Ingredient Challenge we were assigned to make a new and original recipe using Barley and Salsa.  I was happy when the ingredients were chosen, knowing that I would be able to make a wonderful dish using these ingredients.

I still had some jars of salsa that I had canned in my cupboard so I pulled that out to use in this dish. Since January is National Soup Month, I decided to stay with that theme and make a Southwestern Chicken Barley Soup.  This was a very easy dish since I used the slow cooker to do all the work for me.

It turned out amazing.  The soup was hearty and filling.  I paired it with Cheese Quesadillas on a take of a Southwest soup and sandwich theme.  The salsa seasoned the soup perfectly and only required a small amount of chili powder.  Of course, Frank is spice sensitive so I go easy on the heat.  Feel free to add the amount that will give you your desired amount of heat.

Southwestern Chicken Barley Soup

a Day in the Life original

1 lg or 2 small, boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

1/2 c. pearl barley

1/4 c. diced onion

1 1/4 c. salsa

1 (15 oz) can corn, drained

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (32 oz.) box chicken stock

1 1/2 t. chili powder, or more to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Place the chicken, barley, onion, salsa, corn, black beans, chicken stock and chili powder in the crock of a slow cooker.  Stir to combine and cook on high for 4-6 hrs.  Stir, taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Print Recipe

Let's see what the others made with Barley and Salsa

An InLinkz Link-up

Black Bean Salsa for #CrazyIngredientChallenge

Time for Crazy Ingredient Challenge, the fun little cooking challenge that happens on the 20th of each month.  At the end of the month prior we all vote on ingredients and the top vote from each list wins.  This month, the ingredients we got to work with were black beans and mayonnaise.

I tossed around a lot of ideas:  soup, quesadillas, salad, enchiladas but it came down to a matter of timing.  I got busy with packing, closing on houses, celebrating our grand-daughter's birthday, going out of town, etc. and lost track of time.  The next thing I knew it was September 19th and I needed to make a dish fast.  I decided on a black bean salsa that we could snack on before dinner.

Just because this recipe is fast and easy doesn't mean it is not good.  In fact, it just jumped into the perfect recipe category...easy, peasy and delicious.  It is even more perfect because you can make it with whatever ingredients you have on hand.  I added some tomatoes, onions and jalapenos. This recipe is perfect for the Fast Metabolism Diet during Phase 3.  Of course, I am on Phase 1 right now but I made an exception for this yummy salsa. I served it up with brown rice crackers.  It's a keeper.

Black Bean Salsa

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 T. diced onions

1 tomato, seeded and diced

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1/4 c. mayonnaise ( I used safflower mayo for FMD)

Juice from 1/2 a lime

dash of cayenne pepper

salt to taste

1/4 t. cumin

Place beans, onion, tomato  and jalapeno in a bowl.  Whisk together the mayo, lime juice, cayenne, salt and cumin.  Pour over the bean mixture and toss to coat.  Print Recipe

An InLinkz Link-up