Cottage Pie

6 potatoes peeled and cut
2 TBSP butter
1 C. milk/cream
2 C. pepper jack cheese
1 tsp salt

2 lbs ground beef
1 onion diced
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cans black beans
1 can corn
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can green chilies
1 C. pepper jack cheese/cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350. Spray baking dish with oil.

Boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain and mash until smooth. Add butter and milk until desired consistency. Stir in cheese and salt.

In a skillet over medium heat add onion, beef and salt until slightly cooked. Add garlic, cumin, paprika and cinnamon. Complete cooking until browned. Add beans, corn, green chilies and tomatoes.  Mix well.

Transfer mixture to baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 the pepper jack/cheddar cheese. Top with mashed potatoes. Cover with remaining 1/2 of cheese.

Bake 30 min until golden on top.

Ham and Beans

Ham/Ham bone (boiled and fat removed, keep juice)
10 cups of soaked and cooked beans (fresh pinto is best)
6 garlic cloves minced
1 small can salsa
1 large can diced tomatoes (or dice up 8 fresh)
6 celery stocks chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
1 red onion chopped
1 large can Hominy
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp. Oregano
Salt if needed

In a large tall pot, boil ham bone with water almost covering bone. About 3 hours.  Remove all meat and take out large fat pieces.  Keep the juice. Add pre-cooked beans.  (OR pre-soaked beans un-cooked and cook longer) Add remaining ingredients and cook medium low additional 2 hours or until beans/celery cooked fully. 

White Chili

Cook:
2 lb ground turkey/chicken diced
2 yellow onions
5 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt

Add:
6 cans of white beans (2 great northern, 2 white kidney, 2 navy)
2 cups chicken broth
3 small cans green chilies
3 tsp cumin and oregano
1 tsp pepper.

Heat everything through.

Add:
2 cups heavy cream 
2 cups sour cream

Mix it all up and serve. 

Can be cooked in crock pot on low.  Add cooked turkey and everything but the cream and sour cream. Add that when ready to serve.

Tamale Pie

  

Serves 12+

Filling:
2 onions
4 garlic cloves
3 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 tsp Cumin
2 cans black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
(or 4 cups worth of any beans you like)
4+ TBSP tomato paste
2 cans olives cut in half
1 green pepper
5 celery stocks
1 pkg mushrooms
1 lge zucchini
1 bag baby spinach
1-2 lbs ground beef
1 can corn (optional, I do not)

Saute onion and garlic 5 min.  Add cumin.  Mash beans and add to onion and garlic.  Add tomato paste and rest of veggies and beef.

Corn Meal: (this is optional if you are on a low carb diet, I make half with half w/out)
6 cups boiling water
3 cups corn meal
1 tsp salt

Boil water and SLOWLY add cornmeal and salt stirring constantly until thick.   Grease 2 lge deep dishes and spread cornmeal on bottom.  Pour bean mixture over top.  Bake 350.  30 min.  Cover top with cheese (optional).  Bake additional 10 min. 

PINTO!

Sort, rinse and soak desired amount of pinto beans in a very large pot covered with water 4-5" above beans overnight. 

When you are ready to cook (plan on about 3 hours) Drain water and refill with fresh water 2" above beans.  Cover and bring to boil.  Lover heat to LOW and cook covered 3 hours or until beans are tender.

Add 1 large can green chilies.  (or fresh chilies cut with seeds removed)

Add 1 lb COOKED ground beef seasoned with:
1 tsp garlic salt (3 cloves minced)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper 
1 tsp parsley

Serve with cubed cheddar cheese on top (optional), tortillas or rolls.

Latin Chicken - crock pot

Ingredients

3 pound(s) bone-in skin on chicken thighs
2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon(s) smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground allspice
1 cup(s) chicken broth
1/2 cup(s) salsa
3 clove(s) (large) garlic, crushed with press
2 can(s) (15 to 19 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 pound(s) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks (yams are good too, or mix them up)
1 jarred roasted red pepper, cut into strips (1 cup)
1/3 cup(s) loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Lime wedges

Directions
1. Sprinkle chicken thighs with 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot; add chicken thighs and cook until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate. Remove skillet from heat.
2. In same skillet, combine smoked paprika, allspice, chicken broth, salsa, garlic, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin.
3. In 6-quart crock pot, combine beans and sweet potatoes. Place chicken on top of potato mixture in slow cooker; pour broth mixture over chicken. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours. Check it periodically as sometimes it finishes a bit quicker.
4. With tongs or slotted spoon, remove chicken pieces to large platter. Gently stir roasted red pepper strips into potato mixture. Spoon mixture over chicken. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Wow! The flavor all those spices give to this dish! I used boneless/skinless thighs and added more red bell peppers. 

Sausage and Brown Rice

This was SO mouth-watering, amazingly wonderful!
This recipe also FEEDS A LOT OF PEOPLE I'd say a good 6-8 adults!

1 bag Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley (2 cups brown rice)
1 package Costo Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach sausage
3 cans organic red kidney beans
2 tsp butter
3 TBSP chicken/beef bouillon

In a large pot add rice, 5 cups water, sausage cut in in chunks and beans (juice and all), butter and bouillon.  Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer until rice is done.  Approx 45 min.

DONE!

Oven Fried Catfish with Southwestern Relish

Coating:
1/2 c. Corn Meal
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or 2 cloves)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup milk

Add all dry ingredients in a flat dish (big enough to dip your catfish fillets in)
Put milk in a bowl.  Dip catfish in milk.  Flip in mixture to coat. Place coated fillets on a GREASED cookie sheet.  Coat the top of the fish with olive oil.

Bake 425 for 15-20 min. 


Relish:
1 can black beans
2 avocados diced
2 tomatoes
2 TBSP sliced scallions
2 tsp lime peel
4 TBSP lime juice
2 TBSP fresh cilantro chopped
2 TBSP fresh oregano chopped (1 tsp dry)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
2 TBSP olive oil

In 1 bowl add lime peel, juice, cilantro, oregano, scallions, olive oil, salt and pepper. 

In another bowl add avocado, tomato and beans.  Stir.  Add to other mixture, cover and refrigerate. 
I placed my fish on top of a bed of baby spinach and covered with relish. 

Bean soup!

In a big pot COOK 1 pound ground beef, adding seasoning as you wish (onions, salt, pepper, fresh basil and Parsley, fresh garlic)

ADD: (I use organic) JUICE AND ALL
1 can White Beans
1 can Black Beans
1 can Pinto Beans
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Sweet Corn
1 can diced tomatoes/6+ fresh tomatoes diced

While you are heating that up, dice some CHEDDAR CHEESE to put on the top. Optional.

FROM SCRATCH:

Soak over night 1 cup of each bean rinse and drain then add water to cover the beans about 2" above them and cook till tender. Add the rest of the ingredients. You may need to add more water as the beans cook but when they are done you will want some water left in, just enough to cover the top of the beans for the soup part.  So you may need to take some water out after cooking them, then add your other ingredients.

Fresh Salsa

2 cucumbers diced

4-5 tomato

1 red bell pepper diced

1 orange bell pepper diced

1 yellow bell pepper diced

1 green bell pepper diced

1 small onion diced VERY SMALL

4 cloves of garlic minced/chopped up good

2-3 small limes juiced

1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped

3/4 tsp. dry dill

3/4 tsp. salt

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed

1 can corn drained (or I used 2 cups of my cannery corn soaked and drained YUM!)

Cook 1lb Ground Beef and drain.  Cool and add to salsa.

avocado (on the side because they turn brown)