Published by mel on October 6, 2009 in breakfast, entree, recipe and sides & bites.
On the rare occasion that I go out for brunch or breakfast, it’s not the French Toast or Pancakes that grab my attention, It’s the salty, starchy stuff. The eggs and omelets, the hash browns and tater tots, the hot sauce. If I see a “skillet” type thing on the menu, I’m probably ordering it. There’s nothing more satisfying than browned and crisp potatoes, smoky bacon and some eggs.
So, when I found myself wondering what to make with the random ingredients leftover from the week – poblano peppers, a potato, some eggs and not much else – breakfast-style stuffed peppers came to mind. No matter that it was 3pm on a Sunday afternoon, I love breakfast any time of day. I sauteed some peppered bacon until crisp, then cooked onions and potatoes in the bacon drippings. Toss everything together with some black beans, stuff into peppers, top with grated Cotija cheese and bake.
The peppers roast in the oven while the potatoes, bacon and cheese brown perfectly into a salty, crisp crust. Top with a poached egg (not pictured), and you’ve got the breakfast (or dinner) of champions.
Continue reading ‘Bacon, Potato & Black Bean Stuffed Poblano Peppers’
Published by mel on August 26, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
What happens when you take everything that’s fresh and colorful about summer and stuff it in a tomato? This amazingly light and flavorful dish – baked tomatoes stuffed with fresh corn, black beans, zucchini and cilantro. I also added a little coriander and cumin for flavor and some lemon juice to brighten it all up. Finally, no baked dish is complete without breadcrumbs and a dusting of cheese, Cotija cheese in this case.
They’re as comforting as a casserole, but still fresh and healthy. They’re also really pretty, all red and green and yellow with a crusty top.
Continue reading ‘Summery Baked Tomatoes’
Published by mel on May 1, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Tuna Melts are some of the best comfort food around. They’re warm, toasty and covered in melted cheese. I think melted cheese is the pinnacle of all things comfort food. Mac & Cheese, pizza, baked pasta, lasagna, etc, etc. And yummy, mayo-y, cheesy tuna melts.
Instead of going the traditional route, I made these Southwestern by mixing the tuna with roasted poblano mayonnaise, black beans and pickled jalapenos. Smother in shredded Jack and Cheddar cheese and you’ve got a big ole’ Southwestern Tuna Melt that’s creamy, spicy and absolutely delicious. Tom went absolutely crazy for it and I’m sure my sister-in-law will be making it as soon as she sees it. She’s obsessed with all things tuna and southwestern.
If I could choose one thing to eat every day, it might be this sandwich. It would probably be pizza, but it just might be this sandwich. It’s that tasty. Wish I had one right now!
Continue reading ‘Southwestern Tuna Melt’
Published by mel on April 9, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I was poking around my computer and found a forgotten recipe. I’m not sure why, but I never got around to posting this Bacon, Black Bean and Poblano Pepper Chowder. It would have been a shame to never post this, so here it is.
This soup was smoky, a little spicy and very flavorful. Top it off with some sliced avocado, radishes and cilantro and you’ve got yourself a meal. I’d also serve some nice, hot tortilla chips alongside for a little bit of crunch.
Continue reading ‘Bacon, Black Bean & Poblano Pepper Chowder’
Published by mel on October 22, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I appear to be on a soup kick recently. This may be due to the fact that I haven’t really been grocery shopping in two weeks and I’ve been having to dig deeply into the pantry. So deep, in fact, that the pantry is actually starting to look a little bare. It hasn’t been this bare since the week we moved in. But, I’m not knocking pantry meals. They’re usually quick, inexpensive and surprisingly delicious.
This morning I found myself in need of lunch. I take lunch pretty seriously, and have some requirements for my mid-day meal. It needs to be filling, nutritious, easy to eat at a desk (or meeting, or standing) and must be tasty. So I grabbed a couple cans of black beans, a huge jar of roasted red peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes and bulgur. Into the pot for 30 minutes with some garlic and spices and out came a surprisingly delicious soup. I actually wanted to eat some for breakfast, but held out.
Black beans and roasted red peppers compliment each other perfectly. A little cumin, cayenne, sweet paprika and sherry vinegar make this soup a little spicy, a little tangy, a little earthy. It just goes to show that you’ll always have a great tasting and healthy meal on hand if your pantry is well stocked.
On a side note, I promise this will be the last bean/soup recipe for a little while. I’ll post a fun one on Friday so stay tuned!
Other pantry meals:
Quinoa & Red Lentils
Sausage Bean & Barley Soup
Three Bean Vegetarian Chili
Green Rice & Beans
Sausage & Red Lentil Soup
Tomato Almond Soup
Double Curry Lentils
Continue reading ‘Black Bean & Roasted Red Pepper Soup’
Published by mel on February 4, 2008 in entree and recipe.
Superbowl Sunday means nachos. At least it does to my husband. He also thinks anything is better with chorizo on it, and I tend to agree. In the interest of my health, I wanted to make a healthier version of nachos. No fried chips, no full-fat cheese, no greasy ground beef. Instead, I used these amazing Three Grain Tortillas chips I found at The Fresh Market that are made with corn, cracked wheat and brown rice. These chips were really unique and tasty and I want to go back and get some more (like, tonight). Some chopped chorizo, green onions, spicy black bean dip, light jalepeno cheddar and a bunch of chives finish them off. These took me about 15 minutes to make and they were totally awesome.
Unfortunately, the Pats were a bit less awesome.
Continue reading ‘Healthier Chorizo Nachos’
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