Short-cut Vegetarian Black Beans & Rice

So I've given up meat...

I'm now about 2 1/2 month into my vegetarian experience and just might never go back. Truth is, I don't miss meat and I like the challenge of having to come up with diverse, healthy meals sans meat...

Here it goes:

1 Can of Vegetarian Black Beans

Chopped Red & Green Bell Pepper

Chopped Onion

1 tbs Olive Oil

1 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Chili powder

I Cube of vegetable bouillon

Water

Pepper (to taste)


Saute peppers and onions in the olive oil until soft and the onions are slightly caramelized. Add the seasonings and cook for an additional minute. Add 1 c. of water and the bouillon cube and bring to a boil while the cube dissolves. Add the canned beans and cook for an addition 15 minutes, or until enough liquid is evaporated.

Serve over rice.

So simple, but really quite tasty.

Shrimp & Grits (Pescatarian Style)

Yesterday I was tasked with creating some bomb-ass shrimp and grits without the help of pork. I was cooking for a friend that does seafood, but no other meat. So, I tried and I succeed! Bomb-ass indeed.

Grits:

3 cups of water

2 cups of heavy cream

1 cup of grits

3 tablespoons of butter

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup of parmesan cheese (grated, shredded...whatever)

1 cup of chedder cheese (or something similar)

Boil the water and cream and then slowly add the grits...while stirring constantly until they are all in (otherwise you'll get lumps).

Add salt and pepper, reduce heat to low and cook for another 20 minutes or so.

Add butter and cheeses and then keep on warm.

Shrimp:

Peeled, de-veined shrimp

Olive oil

Butter

Minced garlic

Minced onion

Lemon juice

Chicken stock

White wine

Bay leaves

Parsley

Green Onions

Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in the butter and olive oil until carmelized. Add wine, lemon juice, stock and bay leaves and simmer until reduced (about 15 mins). Add in shrimp and green onions and cook until shrimp are pink...not too long. Toss in a little parsely and make sure it is seasoned just right.

Place the shrimp and ladle a little sauce over a bed of grits.

Bam!

The Best Ever Turkey Chili

Chili was one of the first things I learned how to make as a child and has always been a staple. In fact, I developed a pretty stellar recipe.

I lb ground turkey
1 large onion, diced
1 large bell pepper, diced (green, red, yellow...you can always mix and match)
2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large can diced tomatoes in juice
3 regular cans of beans (red or white kidney, black, chili, pinto, etc...again, mix and match)
palmful of chili power (a few good tablespoons)
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Salt & Pepper


Saute onions and peppers in about a tablespoon of olive oil until the onions are caramelized and translucent. Add garlic and ground turkey and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add salt and pepper, and seasonings and cook over medium heat for another 3 minutes or so. Add canned tomatoes and beans (with all the liquid. Mix well and let simmer for at least 20 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

Serve with corn bread, chips or whatever. Enjoy! And, like most home cooking - this chili is always better the next day.

Monday Night Chocolate Cake

Craving Chocolate cake today...after my Ben's Chili Cheese Fries craving was satisfied.

Here's what I did...it was yummy as hell.

1 1/2 sticks butter

1/2 c. white sugar

1 c. brown sugar

Splash of vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Dash of salt

1/2 c. or so of strong, hot brewed coffee

two heaping tbls. Sour Cream


First:

Cream the butter and sugars together until light a fluffy with a mixer This will take a few minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs nearish the end and beat for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Mix the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder together and add to the whipped butter/sugar/egg mixture. Continue beating with the mixer until well combined and then add the sour cream and then the hot coffee.

Pour into prepared pans (whatever kind you want). Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or so.


Frosting?

I have that too.

Cocoa Powder, Powdered Sugar, Vanilla, Butter, and a splash of milk whipped up good in the mixer.

Foiled Fajita Chicken

Here's a cool recipe that I invented when trying to find easy food to cook and take to work with me.

Here's what you'll need:

Chicken Breast
Bell Peppers (Trader Joe's frozen assortment is great for this)
Sliced Onion
Approx. 1 tbls of Sour Cream
Fajita Seasoning (salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, oregano)
Maybe a little lime juice


Wrap all of the ingredients together in a foil packet. Bake for about 45mins.

That's kinda it.

Eat with Tortillas...of course.

Ridiculously Simple Fresh Tomato Pasta

What you need:

Spaghetti/Linguini/Etc... (and long, thin pasta)

Diced Onion

Minced Garlic

Chopped, partially seeded fresh Tomato (the riper, the better)

Dash of Red Pepper flakes

Dash of Italian Seasoning 

Fresh chopped Basil (optional)

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Salt

Cook the pasta according to the directions with a good amount of salt for seasoning and some olive oil. 

While the pasta cooks, saute the minced onion and red pepper flakes in EVOO until translucent and caramelized. Add the chopped tomato and garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Italian seasoning and a dash of salt, to taste. 

Drain the pasta and add it, while still hot, to the tomato mixture. Toss well - adding more EVOO if necessary and serve. 

So easy!!!

Yummy Wheat Bread

Yummy!

2 cups of Whole Milk

3 tbls of Butter

3/4 cup of Light Brown Sugar

2 tsp sea salt (taste your dough for more or less)

3 tbls of vegetable oil

2 packets of yeast

1/2 cup of Potato Starch (or, you can do one medium peeled, mashed potato)

1/2 cup of White Flour

Enough Whole Wheat Flour to make a stiff, but elastic dough (3-4 cups?)

Heat the milk until it is just warm enough to melt the butter. Add milk and butter to a mixture of brown sugar, white flour, salt, yeast and mix briefly. Let is sit until foamy, about five minutes. Add your vegetable oil and potato starch and begin to mix in your wheat flour until you have a stiff dough. Your dough should pull away from the sides of your bowl and form a ball, but it shouldn't be to incredibly stiff - you will end up with a tough, over-dense loaf. Knead your dough about 5-7 minutes and let rise until doubled (45 mins to 1 hour). Punch down dough and let it rest for another 5 minutes. Form your loaves and let rise again until doubled (30 mins to an hour). Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes. 

Enjoy!