Refried Beans a.k.a. Smashed Pintos

This is more a method than a recipe.  You can easily adjust the seasonings to your own liking.  I make refried beans, which by the way aren't really fried at all, to reduce the cost of canned beans.  In the store, you can find a can of refried beans for about $1.  Sometimes you can get them on sale for $.50 a can.  I find making them at home is cheaper and better for you.  These are vegetarian and I don't add any extra oil or fat.  A 2 lb bag of pintos cost about $2.00.  I can easily get 6-8 meals out of a 2 lb bag of dried beans.  

Refried Beans a.k.a. Smashed Pintos
2 lb bag pinto beans
water
salt
pepper
chili powder
ground cumin
garlic powder
onion powder
dried cilantro
drop or two of hot sauce (like Texas Pete or Louisiana Hot)
juice of half a lemon or lime

1.  Rinse, drain and sort through a bag of pinto beans.  Sometimes you'll find rocks and other debris which needs to be removed so you don't break your teeth.  Soak them overnight in a large bowl.
2.  Drain the water from the overnight soaking.  Add the pinto beans to a large slow cooker.  Pour in enough water to cover the beans with about 2" of water over the top of the beans.  Cook on low 6-8 hours or overnight.

3.  Turn off the slow cooker.  The water will look dirty and the beans should be mushy.  Pour off the water and return beans back to the slow cooker crock. 

 

Add your seasonings.  I find adding about 1 teaspoon salt and chili powder and then 1/2 teaspoon of the other spices is pretty flavorful.

4.  Mash the beans using a potato masher.  You can choose to mash them to smithereens or you can leave some beans whole.  It's whatever you like.

5.  Squeeze the juice of the lemon or lime.  (I prefer lime, but only had lemons in the fridge.)  Stir well.

6.  Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and ladle up the beans into freezer storage baggies.  Label and freeze.

When you're ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight or nuke in the microwave for a minute or so until soft enough to use.

Yum!

Crock Pot Beef Roast

I like to have supper waiting us when I can.  So I use a crock pot or slow cooker.  This is super yummy and really easy:

Crock Pot Beef Roast
Beef Roast
1/2 onion finely chopped or 2 Tbsp dried minced onions
4 cups water (start with 2 cups, then add water until it comes up half way on roast)
2-3 Tbsp A1 sauce
2-3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp steak seasoning

Place the roast into the crock pot.  Add the remaining ingredients. 

Cook on low 6-8 hours, high 3-4 hours.

I store the leftover meat in the leftover liquid in the fridge.  It's so tasty!

Yum!

Citrus Cumin Pork Roast (Slow Cooker)

This is a unique spin on a classic pork roast.  Our regular Pork Roast is made in the crock pot too and I add beef broth and some Montreal Steak Seasoning.  It's really yummy.  But this is even better!

Citrus Cumin Pork Roast (Slow Cooker)
1 large Pork Roast (Boston Butt preferably)
6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled
zest from 2 oranges
juice from 2 oranges
zest from 1 lime
juice from 1 lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Place the pork roast in a slow cooker.  Cut slits in the top and push the garlic cloves into the slits.  Place zest and juices over the roast.  Sprinkle cumin and oregano over the roast.  Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours.

Yum!

Crock Pot Lasagna

Wow! Is this the easiest thing ever?!  Having the ground meat already cooked and in the freezer saves time when assembling this meal.  I start this about 4 hours before dinner and cook it on high.  Then I turn it off to cool slightly before serving so the layers stay together.  It's so good!

Crock Pot Lasagna
1-1/2 cup ground meat, pre-cooked (anything you like)
1 jar spaghetti or pasta sauce
6 lasagna sheets, uncooked
1 cup cottage cheese (I use lowfat, just because)
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (I keep this in the freezer too)
2 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese
dried or fresh parsley, chopped

Mix together the meat and sauce in a bowl; set aside.  Break the lasagna sheets in half; set aside.

Pour about 1/2 cup meat sauce in the bottom of the crock pot.

Layer this way:

• arrange 4 lasagna sheets over sauce,
• spoon about 1 Tablespoon of cottage cheese over each halved lasagna sheet,
• pour about 1/2-3/4 cup meat sauce over the cottage cheese layer,
• repeat 2 more times,
• then top with mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Turn Crock Pot on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

Enjoy!

Makes 6 servings:  364.3 calories (calculated based on ground turkey); 10.8 grams fat; 39.7 grams carb; 10 grams sugar; 25.9 gram protein 

Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken with Baked Potatoes

This is an easy and delicious way to prepare a whole chicken.  The classic way to make this meal is to roll tin foil into balls and perch your chicken on the balls to keep the chicken out of the juices so it doesn't boil.  I decided it would be more efficient to kill two birds with one stone and wrap baking potatoes in tin foil and include them in the night's meal.  Any leftovers can be made into twice baked potatoes or potato salad.


Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken with Baked Potatoes
3 or 4 large potatoes
vegetable oil
salt
whole chicken
seasoning

Clean and dry the potatoes.  Rub them with oil and salt.  Wrap them in tin foil and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub with your favorite seasoning (I used lemon pepper on this one).  Rub the seasoning all over the chicken.  Place breast side down on the potatoes.  Cover with the lid and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8.

You know your chicken is done when the the juices run clear in the wing and thigh area.  Or in this case, you can just look at the poor wings and see that they are falling off the bone!

Remove carefully, because it will fall apart (as mine did), to a bowl.

Remove the potatoes and drain of liquid.  Peel tin foil off to reveal delicious potatoes.

Yummy!

White Bean Chili or White Lightning Chili

This is an easy meal in the crock pot or slow cooker.  Some people call this White Lightning Chili or Chicken Chili or White Bean Chili.  Whatever you call it, it's really good!  Bake up some cornbread and dinner is served!

White Bean Chili

1 lb dried Great Northern Beans, rinsed and sorted (not soaked)

4 cups chicken stock

4 cups water

1 chicken breast cooked and cubed

1 Tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 large onion, quartered

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1-4oz can roasted green chilies

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 Tablespoon dried cilantro

sour cream (optional)

Place all the ingredients (except the sour cream) into a slow cooker and set on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  Check the softness of the beans after 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low.  My slow cooker is brand new and cooks REALLY fast on either setting so I have to check it often to avoid ending up with mushy beans.  

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of fresh or dried cilantro and a slice of cornbread!

Yummy!

Sticky Chinese Chicken

Who doesn't love sticky chicken wings?!?  Good thing with this recipe is you can put everything in a slow-cooker and the meal is ready when you get home from your busy day!

Sticky Chinese Chicken
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 garlic clove minced
8-10 Chicken Drumsticks or 3 lbs Chicken Wings, tips removed

Mix up the marinade, pour over the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.  Pour everything into a slow-cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

This is another good "dump" recipe.  Pour everything into a freezer storage bag and freeze.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and pour everything into the slow-cooker.

Using 3 chicken breasts with skin removed = 6 servings 217 calories, 1.5 gr fat, 27.1 gr carb, 29.3 gr protein.


Serve with brown rice (1/2 cup = 100 calories) and steamed broccoli (1 cup = 30 calories).

YUM!

Meatballs

This meatball recipe is good for spaghetti dinners and soups requiring meatballs.  Use leftovers for Meatball Sub Sandwiches.

For the meatball subs:  split the bread and toast it then add the meatballs, sauce and cheese.  Broil in the oven until melted and bubbly.  (I heated the meatballs in the slow cooker with some spaghetti sauce for a few hours)

You might be able to use it for cocktail meatballs too.  (Chili Sauce & Grape Jelly in the crock pot.)  But I haven't tried that yet.

Meatballs

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 lbs ground meat
1/4 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (optional)

Lightly mix the bread crumbs, onion powder, milk, egg, parsley, salt, pepper & Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl.  Then crumble in the ground meat.  Lightly mix and form meatballs.  Makes about 20 meatballs.

Freeze them uncooked on baking sheet.  Once they are completely frozen, put them in a gallon freezer food storage bag and store in the freezer.

To serve:  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.