Black Bean Soup

You all know I am a huge lover of soup. There really is no designated "soup weather" for me, I can eat it and love it anytime of year. The other day I had a serious craving for black bean soup and since it was a "healthy" craving I decided to oblige.

I'm going to have a serious wake up call when I'm no longer pregnant and still have these "cravings."

Anyway, the husband is not the biggest fan of black beans. He usually prefers pinto beans if given the choice but because he's the best husband ever and knows not to argue with a pregnant lady by now, he happily ate this (and said he enjoyed it and would want it again!)

I served this over yellow rice (another craving) so it became a bit thick. You don't have to serve it this way if you want it "soupier." Hope you all enjoy it!


What you need

- 2 cans black beans, undrained
- 2 C chicken broth
- 1/2 green pepper, diced
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 T cornstarch
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- yellow rice (optional)







Directions

- In a large pot, heat 1 T oil (I used my trusty coconut oil) over medium heat

- Add the onion, pepper and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes

- While the vegetables are cooking, add one can of black beans and the chicken broth to a blender

- Puree for a few seconds. You don't want it completely smooth

- Add the pureed beans and the other can of beans to your vegetables

- Add in the spices and cornstarch and bring to a boil for 2 minutes

- Taste and add more seasoning if necessary. If you want it to be a bit spicy you can add some crushed red pepper flakes.

- Serve over yellow or white rice and top with sour cream. Yum!

This is a great and filling meatless meal and the leftovers are great too!

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

You may have seen a few pins floating around (if you're a Pinterest sort of person) about these oven baked fajitas. Well I when I was searching for new recipes and easy things I could make on my Freezer Cooking Day (I promise...that post IS coming soon) I decided to give this one a try.

The husband and I normally aren't very big fajita eaters. We prefer tacos or enchiladas but I wanted to try something different and I knew that the husband would like it as long as it was Mexican. This recipe turned out pretty well for my first crack at it! It was super quick and didn't require ANY cooking on my freezer day (score!) and when it came time to make them, everything was finished in 20 minutes. The seasoning wasn't spicy enough for the husband so I'll probably add some cayenne or red pepper flakes next time. Overall though, it was a greet weeknight meal and I will make it again!

What you need (adapted from Six Sister's Stuff)

- 2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 1 can Rotel
- 1 small onion, sliced
- Bell pepper, sliced (I used 1/2 red, 1/2 yellow)
- 2 T coconut oil, melted
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Corn tortillas
- Additional toppings on serving day




Directions

- In a small bowl, combine the oil and spices. Mix well and set aside

- In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, Rotel, onion and bell pepper

- Pour in the spice mixture and mix together well

- Place chicken mixture on a baking sheet or in a baking dish

- Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through

- Wrap in warm corn tortillas, add toppings and enjoy!

We had beans, lettuce, cheese, onions, salsa and sour cream as our toppings!

Freezer Cooking Directions

- Follow the steps until "place chicken mixture on a baking sheet." Instead, place chicken mixture in a gallon size freezer safe bag and store until ready to cook.

- When ready to bake, let the chicken thaw a bit before baking

- Follow same baking instructions. So easy!

Taco Soup

This is a husband favorite recipe. The first time I made it I followed a recipe and didn't think it was going to turn out well...but lo and behold, the husband raved about it...go figure. Then again one of his most requested meals is tacos...so I probably should've known that taco soup would be a hit with him. This time around I made a few adjustments to the original recipe and the husband's raving continued. It's an easy recipe that can be thrown in the crockpot and left alone for up to 10 hours. You could make it on the stovetop too if you don't like the whole crockpot thing. Also, it makes a TON of soup so you can cut the recipe in half if you want. Hope you enjoy it!

What you need

- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 packet GF taco seasoning
- 1 packet ranch dressing mix
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can Rotel
- 2 cans kidney beans
- 2 cans pinto beans
- 2 cans corn

Toppings:
- Shredded cheese
- Green onion
- Sour cream
- Corn chips



Directions
- Brown the ground beef and drain

- Throw the onions in the skillet and cook for a few minutes

- Add in the ground beef and the taco seasoning

- Add 3/4 C of water and stir to combine

- Add the ground beef to the crockpot

- Pour the ranch dressing mix on top of the meat

- Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the crockpot

- Add in the diced tomatoes, Rotel and corn

- Add 3 cups of water and stir

- Cook on low for 8-10 hours (the longer the better) or on high for 4-5 hours

- The soup is good on its own, but the toppings really add a lot of flavor

The husband always requests hot sauce with his bowl!

I like mine with lots of green onion, sour cream and cheese

Bean and Rice Enchiladas

I don't understand people who don't like Mexican food. Seriously? You don't like MEXICAN? If you are one of these people:
A. I think you are weird and out of your mind
B. Disregard this recipe

Now, for those of you who are as obsessed with Mexican food as I am read on. Enchiladas are one of those meals that pretty much everyone has made before. It's hard to mess them up, and even if something goes wrong you can usually rectify them by smothering them in sauce and cheese. They are usually made with flour tortillas and either red or white sauce. I love them. But since flour tortillas shall never again enter our household I switched to corn tortillas, thinking that there wouldn't be a big difference. I was wrong. My first attempt at these a few months ago didn't go very well. No amount of sauce or cheese could disguise the fact that my little enchiladas were dry and falling apart. Since then I get my enchiladas from Tijuana Flats.

But a couple nights ago I was feeling brave and wanted to try them again. This time I did my research and came up with a really great recipe that resulted in delicious and not even slightly dry enchiladas. This is based on 2 different recipes and some of my own experimentation. I hope you enjoy them!

What you need (makes 10 enchiladas)

For the sauce:
- 1 T canola oil
- 1 T tapioca flour
- 2 cans (10 oz each) enchilada sauce
- 1/2 C chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 T chopped cilantro
For the filling:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 1 C black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 C pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can Rotel
- 1 C cooked brown rice
- 1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese


Directions


- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

- In a medium saucepan, heat the canola oil and tapioca flour over medium heat. Whisk until it forms a paste, about 1 minute

- Add the canned enchilada sauce, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Reduce heat and simmer while you prepare the filling.

- In a large skillet or dutch oven heat a bit of olive or coconut oil over medium heat

- Add the onions and jalapenos and let cook 5-7 minutes

- Add the beans and Rotel

- Add the cooked rice and stir together well

- At this point, taste your filling and season with salt and pepper. I also used a bit of cumin and garlic powder.

- Remove filling from heat, cover and set aside

- Stir in the cilantro to your simmering enchilada sauce

- In a medium skillet, heat some canola oil over medium heat. You want about an inch of oil.

- Add the corn tortillas one at a time and cook for about 30 seconds on each side

- Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain

- Repeat with remaining tortillas

- Once your tortillas are finished it's time to fill 'em up!

- Dip each tortilla into the warm enchilada sauce

- Fill with about 1 1/2 T of the filling

- Add some cheddar cheese

- Roll and place in your baking dish, seam side down

- Repeat with remaining tortillas

- Top with more sauce

- And more cheese

- Bake for 20 minutes and serve

- The husband likes his enchiladas plain, but I added sour cream, green onion, and olives to mine

- The husband approves!

*NOTE: You could easily add ground beef or shredded chicken to these if you don't like the meatless option. I will say though, the husband didn't even notice that there wasn't meat in these until I pointed it out to him. He didn't miss it at all!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ok...so I've made this soup by The Pioneer Woman a few times. It was very good the first few times but I didn't think it was very spectacular. So the other night I had some chicken in the freezer, black beans, a can of Rotel, chicken stock, corn tortillas...and absolutely NO plan for dinner. So...I decided to make this soup again and try and add my own flair to it. It was definitely much more flavorful than the previous attempts and I certainly don't mind having a huge pot of it leftover! This soup also freezes really well...so serve half for dinner and freeze the rest. You'll be glad you have some extra!

What you need

- 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Dash of salt
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 C chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 C red bell pepper
- 1/4 C green bell pepper
- 1 can Rotel
- 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 32 oz chicken stock
- 2 C hot water
- Corn tortillas

Optional Toppings:

- Shredded cheese

- Red/Green onion

- Avocado

- Sour Cream

- Corn Chips

- Fresh Cilantro

Directions
- Heat your oven to 375

- Combine the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and cayenne in a small bowl

- Wash and dry your chicken breasts and place them on a baking sheet

- Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle on the spice mixture. Be generous with it!

- Cook the chicken at 375 for about 20 minutes

- Shred chicken with 2 forks and set aside

- In a large pot or dutch oven heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat

- Add the onions, garlic and peppers and cook for 2 minutes

- Add in the remaining spice mixture and the shredded chicken and stir to coat

- Add in one can of Rotel and stir

- Add the chicken stock, black beans and hot water

- Bring soup to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes

- Prepare your toppings and set aside

- When the soup is finished simmering, check the seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste

- Before serving the soup, cut a few corn tortillas into strips and add them to the soup

- Top with cheese, onions and whatever else you like. Don't scrimp on the toppings, they add so much flavor!

- Enjoy!

*NOTE: I've made this before without chicken too and it is delicious. Very filling and a good meatless option!