Spicy Black Bean Soup

You'll need to sit down for this.

I have two healthy soups for you.

Two.  Healthy.  Soups.

As in, not a lot of calories or fat and they contain ingredients that are good for you.


I'm ruining my reputation here.

But that's okay because these soups have flavor, ya'll.


And the good news is that healthy soup = cookies on Friday.  I'm looking out for you.

This soup is called Spicy Black Bean Soup for a good reason: it's spicy.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

I'm getting more clever every day with naming my recipes.

Okay, so start with a little bit of olive oil and saute TWO onions.  Seems like a lot, but the sweet onion balances the spicy peppers.

When that gets nice and soft, add the jalapenos and green chiles.

We'll add the rest of this stuff in a minute.

And if you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen.  (What is that from???)

Next is the garlic and bell pepper.  Chop it up.  And feel free to use your 1-year-old's sunglasses while you're at it.  Because she's probably wearing yours about now.

Add the red pepper to the soup and saute it for a few minutes.



Then drain and rinse two of the three cans of black beans.

Dump 'em in.






The third can gets the special treatment.

Drain off most of the juice.

Then stick a fork down in there and mash up those beans.  This gives the soup a thicker texture.  And if there's one thing I don't like, it's runny soup.

Okay, dump those into the soup too.  And add the seasonings and let it cook for a few minutes.  The heat really lets the spices develop.

Whatever that means.

Now add the two cans of tomatoes with all of their juice and the chicken stock.

Let it simmer for 30 minutes.  Turn off the heat and squeeze in the juice of two limes.  Stir it up.  Ladel it into bowls.

Top with a small scoop of sour cream (you need it to cool those hot jalapenos) and a little bit of shredded jack cheese.

This soup is killer.  And it just gets better with time - I've been eating it leftover all week and it's even better than the first day I made it.

Oh!  And it would be amazing spooned over cilantro-lime rice.


Spicy Black Bean Soup
1 T olive oil
2 sweet onions, chopped
4 oz. can chopped jalapenos
7 oz. can chopped green chiles
1 red bell pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can black beans, most of the liquid poured off and the beans mashed in the can with a fork
1 tsp salt
2 T cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp chili powder
15 oz. diced tomatoes
10 oz. can Rotel
2 cups chicken stock
Juice of 2 limes
Toppings: sour cream, grated Monterey Jack cheese and chopped cilantro

Saute the onions in the olive oil in a soup pot for about 8-10 minutes.  Add the jalapenos, green chiles, red bell pepper and garlic and saute for another 5 minutes, stirring often.

Pour in the two cans of rinsed black beans and the third can of mashed black beans and stir well.  Add the salt, cumin, coriander, chili powder and cook together for five minutes.

Pour in the tomatoes with their juice and the chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes.  Turn off the heat and add the lime juice.  Stir well and serve with a dollop of sour cream, cheese and a little cilantro sprinkled on top.  Or serve it over cilantro lime rice with the sour cream and cheese on top.

Sausage in Puff Pastry

This is like pigs in a blanket.  Except you don't have to be a kid to like it.  And you can have it for dinner.

Paula Deen calls it hogs in a sleeping bag.  Sort of gross and sort of funny.

This is a cinch.  And you're going to love it.

You'll need to thaw a box of frozen puff pastry sheets.  You'll need one sheet per pound of turkey kielbasa.




Cut the sheet into four squares.


And then cut the pound of kielbasa into four pieces.











Now wrap them up!

And put them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

And you can brush them with egg wash if you would like.  But the puff pastry browns quite nicely without it, so it's up to you.

Now bake them!

They're just delicious.  Serve 'em with some fruit and something green.

Your family will thank you.

Sausage in Puff Pastry

1 lb. turkey kielbasa, cut into four even pieces
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed (from a 17-oz. box), cut into four squares

Wrap the kielbasa in the puff pastry.  Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake at 400 for 18-22 minutes.

Layer Salad

This recipe is just like chocolate sheet cake.

Except for the fact that chocolate sheet cake is, well...dessert, and layer salad is, well...a salad.

Other than that, it's exactly the same.

Here's why it's the same: because everyone grew up eating it and each family's version is slightly different than the next.

Can I get a witness here?

On the subject of sheet cake, I'll have to share that one with you some day.  It's ridiculous.

But this is layer salad.

It has lettuce.  But not too much.  Because salad is so not about the lettuce.

Oh, and be warned: this makes a lot of salad.  Don't say I didn't warn you when you have to transfer it to a bigger bowl.

It has peas.  Which I love.

It has green onions.  So fresh.  They're under the peas.  At least I think they are.

It has turkey bacon.  A full pound.  Need I say more?

It has tomatoes.  So red.

It has eggs.  If you don't like eggs, you should seek counseling because that's simply not normal to not like eggs.

It has cheese.  Not quite a pound.  In this case, a full pound of cheese would've simply been too much.  Yes, even I think it's possible to have too much cheese.  Rarely, though.

And as for the dressing, I just can't do the straight-up mayonnaise thing.  Even though that's traditional in some parts.  Even though I do love me some mayo.

I like to cut it with a little sour cream, vinegar, and sugar.

Only in my world is it even possible to even "cut" mayonnaise with sugar.

My world is fun!  Come on in and join me.

The dressing ends up not exactly tasting sweet, just perfectly delicious.  And just a little sweet.

I like sweet, okay?  That's why I'm getting on the treadmill as soon as I post this recipe.  Because in my world, I have to run even after eating salad.

I made this in the morning and then just tossed it all together right before dinner.  It's even good left over the next day.

Lexington Layer Salad
Adapted from Pioneer Woman and my family's version of Layer Salad

1 head iceberg lettuce, sliced very thin
12 oz. bag frozen peas, defrosted and kept cold
2 bunches green onions, sliced thin
8 oz. container of grape tomatoes, cut in half
8 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and smashed with a fork
1 pound turkey bacon, cooked until crisp and drained on a paper towel, and crumbled
12 oz. cheddar cheese, grated

Dressing:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 T white vinegar

In a bowl, layer the lettuce, peas, green onions, tomatoes, eggs, turkey bacon and cheese.  Whisk the dressing ingredients together and spread it on top.

This keeps well in the refrigerator.  Can be made up to 12 hours ahead and then tossed together right before ready to serve.  Or you can toss and serve immediately.

Honey Nut Graham Snack Mix

I saw this recipe in Southern Living, and I just had to make it.

I made it for my kids, you see.

But I don't want them eating a bunch of sugar.

So I had to eat it.

As a mom, I'm forced to make difficult choices sometimes.





I had to make the recipe be what I wanted it to be, so this is my version of Southern Living's recipe.  For example, Southern Living only called for one cup of M&M's.  Skim-py.  So I just went and used the whole bag.

And then Southern Living's recipe only called for part of the can of honey-roasted peanuts.  And I was all, what am I going to do with the rest of the can?  So I just used the whole can.

I love you, Southern Living.  You make my life delicious.

You'll need this sugar cereal.

Growing up, with the exception of Kix, pretty much everything was considered "sugar cereal" at our house.  I kid you not.  We were always excited when summer rolled around because we got a treat - Frosted Mini Wheats!  

Can you imagine my excitement when I went to college and there was a whole wall of cereal???

Anyway, I have inflicted the same restrictions on my children and therefore, they think that Multi-Grain Cheerios are the best thing they've ever had.





And you'll need these things to make a syrupy-glaze mixture to pour over the cereal and nuts to make them into little clusters for our snack mix.

This is basically like making caramel corn.

Put the cereal, nuts and pretzels together in a bowl.

Boil the syrup ingredients together for two minutes and then pour it over the cereal and mix it together.

Spread it on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake it in the oven.

When it comes out, let it cool on wax paper.

Then toss it up with the M&M's.

And see how long this tub of snack mix lasts on your counter.

Honey Nut Graham Snack Mix
Inspired by Southern Living

12 oz. box Golden Grahams cereal
12 oz. can honey roasted peanuts
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 cups pretzels
12 oz. bag plain M&M's

Pour the cereal, peanuts and pretzels into a large bowl.

In a small saucepan on the stove, melt the butter and then stir in the brown sugar and corn syrup.  Bring to a boil and boil for exactly 2 minutes.

Pour it over the cereal mixture and toss it all together.  Spread it on a lightly greased 10x15 baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Spread the cereal mixture on a sheet of parchment paper (or wax paper) and let it cool - about 30 minutes.

Toss it together with the M&M's.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin

In my family, we have lots of traditions.  Some are good, some are odd, and most of them are fun.

One tradition is that we roast and eat beef tenderloin every year at the beach.  This falls into both the "good" and "fun" tradition categories.

And in our family, we have a few rules. 

One rule is that we eat meat.  And we love it.

Let me show you what I mean.

Well.  Hello there, cow.

Here is he is all wrapped up from the market.

And here is slathered with butter, salt and pepper.

Another family rule is that we eat butter.  Or did I even need to tell you that one?

Oh!  And here he is after he's roasted in a really hot oven.  He's resting before we cut him up and eat him.

You want this to be medium rare.  Anything further than that and you should've just bought hamburger meat. So you'll need to babysit it a little bit with a meat thermometer to make sure it does not go one degree over 130 before you take it out of the oven.  

And here he is again, actually being cut up.

This is definitely a special occasion dinner.  It really is wonderful.   The meat is so very tender and juicy on the inside and the outside is crusty and flavorful from the butter and seasoning and the high oven temperature.

Good thing we eat this on Christmas Eve, too, because vacation is a whole year away.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin

1 6-7 lb. beef tenderloin

1 stick butter, at room temperature

2 T kosher salt

1 T pepper

Place the beef on a large baking sheet.  Smear the butter all over it.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over.  

Roast at 500 degrees for 25 minutes.  After 25 minutes, start checking the beef's internal temperature with a meat thermometer.   Continue checking the beef's internal temperature every few minutes until the large end (tenderloin generally comes with a small end and a larger end; the small end will obviously cook faster) registers 125-130 degrees.  It will continue to cook once it is out of the oven (called carryover cooking) so removing it between 125-130 degrees allows it to come to the perfect 135 degree medium-rare temperature when it is done resting.

When you remove it from the oven, allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Slice into thick slices and serve.  The leftovers make awesome tenderloin sandwiches for lunch the next day.

Peach Pie

Oh, my.

Peach Pie.

We had this on vacation.  I can't remember what meal preceded it, but what does it matter?

Maybe it was the roasted beef tenderloin.  I'll show you that tomorrow.

I don't have many prep shots for this peach pie, because here's how easy this is: slice peaches.  Toss with sugar, flour and cinnamon.  Pour into a pie shell.  Place pie dough on top.  Crimp edges.  Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar so it looks like you bought it at a bakery.

Bake.

Eat.  Warm.  With.  Ice.  Cream.

Make this before the peaches are all gone and all the leaves fall off of the trees.  I know I said that yesterday.  I'm already mourning the end of summer.

Oh, and you should make this even if you're not on vaca.

Peach Pie


8-10 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced into 8-10 slices per peach
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
4 T butter, sliced into 8 pieces
1 box of Pillsbury pie dough (2 pie crusts), placed on the counter until room temperature (about 30 minutes)
Additional cinnamon and sugar for dusting on top

Place one pie crust in a deep-dish pie plate.  In a bowl, mix together the sliced peaches, sugar, flour and cinnamon.  Pour the peaches into the pie crust.  Place the butter on top of the peaches.  Cover with the other pie crust.  Crimp the crusts together to seal the edges.  Sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on top of the crust and cut 3-4 vents in the top to allow the steam to escape from the pie while baking.

Bake on 350 degrees for an hour until it bubbles through the vents and looks brown.


When it's done, let it cool for 1-2 hours before slicing and serving.  Best served warm with ice cream.

Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue sauce should be sweet and sticky and spicy and barbecue-y.

And so it is.

I grilled chicken and spooned this sauce over it at the end.

Simply fab.

I grilled tilapia and added some peach puree to this barbecue sauce before pouring the peach barbecue sauce over the grilled fish.

Awesome.

Make this before all the leaves fall off the trees and all traces of summer are completely gone from this year.

Barbecue Sauce
Inspired by The Neelys

2 1/4 cups ketchup
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup plus 2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
2 T worcesterstshire sauce
1/4 cup plus 2 T brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp black pepper
1 T onion powder
1 T garlic powder

Stir all ingredients together in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for an hour.  Serve at room temperature.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Souffle Mac 'n Cheese

In my world, there are two basic types of macaroni & cheese.  Three if you count the blue box.

In my world, the blue box doesn't count.

So you have the traditional mac 'n cheese that starts with a roux (butter and flour), thinned with milk to make it into a bechamel sauce, and finished with shredded cheese, which makes it a mornay sauce.  Did you know I was French?  Anyway, I'll show you my favorite mac 'n cheese with white sauce some time.

But today we're having souffle-style mac 'n cheese.  It has eggs, which is why I call it souffle-style.  It's a whole different animal.  It's wonderful in its own way.

We'll start by boiling water.  Add two heaping cups of elbow macaroni and a heaping tablespoon of kosher salt to the water.

It will need to cook for 12 minutes.  This is not the place for al dente pasta.  In my world, there is never an occasion for al dente pasta. 
While the pasta cooks, shred some cheese.  Since you have nothing else to do right now because your children are both napping at the same time for the first time in a long time, shred your own. 

Now let's make the mixture that will turn this mac 'n cheese into a souffle.

Crack three eggs into a bowl.  Add half cup of sour cream and a half teaspoon of salt.  Add 1 1/2 cups of milk.  Beat it all together with a whisk.

When the pasta is done, drain it in a colander.  Return it to the pot (off the heat) and stir in the cheese and butter.

When the cheese gets melty and stringy and combined with the pasta and the butter is melted, dump the pasta mixture into the egg/milk mixture.  Stir it well. 

Grease a casserole dish and pour it in.  Make sure your casserole dish is big enough.  An 11x7 or a 2.5 qt dish should work. 

This is what I should have used.

Instead, because I have issues, I used a smaller dish.

It was too small.

I used it anyway.

Then I had to place it on a baking sheet in my oven so I did not have to clean up mac 'n cheese from the bottom of my oven.

But you better believe I had the deepest dish of mac 'n cheese in the world.

It was divine. 

Make this soon.  It's really yummy.

Souffle Mac 'n Cheese
Inspired by Paula Deen

2 heaping cups of uncooked elbow macaroni
Kosher salt
1/2 stick butter (4 T)
3 cups shredded cheese
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream

Cook the macaroni in a pot of boiling water.  Salt the water liberally.  Cook pasta for 12 minutes.  Drain it and return it to the pot.  Add the butter and cheese and stir it well.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and sour cream.

When the cheese has melted with the pasta and butter, pour the pasta mixture into the egg/milk mixture.  Stir well. 

Pour into a greased casserole dish.  Bake on 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until the middle is no longer milky when you poke it with a knife.

Sweet 'n Salty Travel Snacks

There's something about being in the car for an extended perod that makes me think I need to snack.

Probably because I'm throwing snacks at my kids to entertain them.  Now isn't that a great lesson: when you're bored, you should eat.  Super.

So, when I was supposed to be doing laundry, folding beach towels, and locate my bathing suit to go to Charleston, I instead bought these things:

And made these things:

I mean, I couldn't leave on a trip without them!  That would just be wrong.

While you're supposed to be packing for yourself, your husband, and your toddlers to leave on your trip in a few hours, just line up the pretzels like little Communist soldiers:

Your children are wrecking your house about now.

But the important thing is that all the pretzels are lined up straight.

And now plunk a Hugs Hershey Kiss on each one

And stick them in the oven!

For two minutes.  When they come out, the chocolate will be soft but not melted, just right for you to gently place an M&M on top.

Just make sure the "M" on the M&M's is facing up.  This is crucial.

Just make sure you chill these little one-bite wonders before you pack them to go.  Or else you'll be sorry.

And now you can make yummy Sweet 'n Salty Travel Snacks instead of packing, too. 

Sweet 'n Salty Travel Snacks
Makes enough to get to Charleston, SC

1 package Snyder's Pretzel Flips (the little square ones)
2 packages Hershey's Hugs (white chocolate kisses), unwrapped
1 package plain M&M's

Line a 10x15 jellyroll pan with a single layer of pretzels.  Line a second jellyroll pan halfway with pretzels.  Place a Hug in the center of each pretzel.

Bake on 350 degrees for 2 minutes exactly.  Remove from the oven and press an M&M into the point of each Hug.  Let these cool completely - placing them in the refrigerator speeds up the process.