October Kettle Corn!!!

I don't know about you but I am a HUGE fan of Kettle corn. I love the sweet salty taste and the smell when you go to a fair and they make it fresh for you. Here in Las Vegas they just opened up a popcorn shop and it made me think of all the varieties of popcorn I love. (Warren brought some white cheddar home the other day and it was awesome)

They sell a pretty good kettle corn at Fresh and Easy and I've tried one brand from Smiths but I always eat it in like a day or two and now I have to buy more. So I thought, Why can't I make it? Does it require some special huge copper kettle pot? I didn't think so, therefore I did the best thing.....Google it. And Ta Da!! How to make your own kettle corn.

It pulled it up on About.com with some pictures and step by step instructions. So, I wasn't feeling that great today and we stayed home from church so I figured it was the perfect time to try it out.

It came out amazing! Just as good as the stuff you get at a fair and better than the stuff you buy in the store. This is now my new favorite snack and I think I will make it as a little gift to give people for christmas because it was sooooo easy and it came out super good. I can see adding cinnamon to it or using brown sugar or maybe a little chili pepper so it is like sweet spicy popcorn. So cool.

Here is the basic recipe so you can try it out.

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large kettle over medium heat.

2. Then, toss in three kernels, and place the lid on the kettle.

3. Wait for the kernels to pop.

4. Once popped, quickly stir in the sugar, and add the remaining kernels.

5. Replace the lid, and listen for the kernels to start popping.

6. Then, remove the kettle from the stove, and shake to keep the kernels from burning.

7. Return the kettle to the stove for a few seconds; then, lift and shake again.

8. Repeat until all kernels have popped.

9. Then, salt to taste, and enjoy!

I got these salt and pepper grinders from costco that use whole sea salt so I put that on its finest setting and as soon as the popcorn was all popped I sprinkled that on and stirred it all up then added some more. You have to wait a few minutes for the popcorn to cool down because the sugar is liquid and has to cool. Someone mentioned that you can use powdered sugar so I'll have to try that next time.

 Hope you are having a wonderful fall season and a Happy Halloween!

SummER Yumminess part 2

The same evening that I made the fig dish I also made this dish.

Spinach and Feta Pasta

In my bountiful basket I received a container of mushrooms, a large bunch of spinach, and 5 tomatoes on the vine. I knew I wanted to use all of these ingredients together because they complement each other so well so I found this recipe and tried it out. It was superb. A nice one pan dish that cooks up fast and gives you a healthy meal. So lets get on with the ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package of pasta, I used rotini or you could do penne

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 C chopped onion (about 1/2 an onion)

3 C chopped tomatoes (make sure they are good and ripe)

3 cloves garlic minced(use your masher, Soooo much easier)

1 C sliced fresh mushrooms

2-3 C spinach leaves, packed(they cook down so if you have extra, throw it in)

Salt and pepper

1 pinch of red pepper flakes

8 ounces feta cheese crumbled

optional: italian seasoning(one that has a little bit of everything, I like Emeril's italian seasoning)

Instructions:

1. Get all your ingredients ready. Squeeze out your tomatoes because you don't want seeds in your meal. I minced my garlic and that is such a pain, just use a garlic masher. Make sure you rinse off your mushrooms and your spinach unless you buy that prepackaged spinach, which is a great time saver. The spinach really cooks down so you can add extra.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain.

3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic and cook until golden brown (yum smells so good. ) Mix in tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach. Season with salt pepper and red pepper flakes. (you really need the red pepper flakes they add just the right amount of heat). I also added in a couple shakes of italian seasoning because it smelled like it needed some more seasoning. Cook 2 minutes until tomatoes are heated through and spinach is wilted.

4. Reduce heat to medium, stir in pasta and feta cheese, cook until heated through and then serve.

I made this with a caesar salad and the fig dish and it was an exceptional meal, if you want it to be a little more hearty you could add some grilled chicken to it.

Prep time: 25 min    Cook time: 15 min   Ready in: 40 min  Servings: 4-6 people

I wanted a beautiful picture of it all plated but we were hungry so we just got down to eating it. :)

SUMMER Yumminess

 Feels like it has taken me a month to really get into summer. I love summer because of all the wonderful produce that is available which really inspires my cooking. This past week I bought a bountiful basket and part of my basket were a container of figs. Now, I've never eaten figs before so I did a search on allrecipes.com to check out some fun reviewed recipes. Figs are a savory fruit that are mildly sweet so they are better if you can caramelize them in some way. So I decided on a recipe of

Figs and Toasted Almonds Brie

I love to pair cheese and fruit together so I thought this would be wonderful. So here are your ingredients.

Ingredients:

1/3 C Brown sugar

3 Tbs. water

6-7 fresh figs, stemmed and sliced into eighths

1/2 C toasted almonds chopped

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 (14 ounce) round 4 1/4-inch diameter round Brie Cheese

1/2 tsp chili powder, or 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

1. Pre heat oven to 325 degrees F (165 C) If you have raw almonds, place them on a cookie sheet inside the oven. Check them in about 10 minutes, they should have dark spots and a couple might be splitting a little and you can usually smell them.

2. Slice the tops off your figs, rinse them in water and then slice into eighths.

3. Heat brown sugar and water in a small pan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add your sliced figs and cook for about 10 minutes until softened.

Optional ingredient: After making this dish I thought it needed a little something. I thought a little spice would be wonderful in it so you could add a dash of chili powder or a little red pepper. I think it would add a great depth of flavor to the dish.

4. Add the chopped almonds and vanilla.(you'll notice I used whole almonds for mine, it would be much better if they were chopped a little) Place the Brie wheel in a baking dish. (I cut off the outside crust  on my brie. I was also in a rush to find some Brie that wasn't super expensive so I bought a Brie log from trader joes and sliced off the outside crust. It needed more brie so next time I will buy an actual round.) Pour the fig mixture on top of the cheese and place in the oven.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened but not melted. Serve with crackers. (I used ritz crackers)

This was absolutely delicious, it got rave reviews. I had some left over for the next night so I just microwaved it. It would be enough for 8-12 people or if you brought it for a party it would be perfect.

Peach crumble, Ooooo the goodness.

I have peaches that I canned last summer that have a delicious flavor so I decided to make a peach crumble. I used little ramekins so we could have individual dishes and they looked gorgeous in their own containers. :)

Here is for 2 servings

Filling:
2 large peaches pitted and cut unto chunks( I eyeballed it since mine were sliced and canned)
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs flour
3 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 Tsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
little less than a 1/4 cup of gold raisins

Topping:
1/3 Cup flour
1/4 c rolled oats
3 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs white sugar
1/4 stick cold unsalted butter cut into pea size pieces
pinch of salt
1 Tbs cold water
Ramekin
Food Processor

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F

Toss the peaches in a large bowl with filling ingredients and stir to combine. Divide between two ramekins.

Topping:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor except for water. Pulse until combined, about 30 seconds. Stir in the water, you want it kind of clumpy.

Top each ramekin with the topping. Sprinkle it and don't pack it down.

Place ramekins on a sheet tray and bake for 20-25 minutes or until filling is hot and bubbly.

Mmmm Lima bean and ham soup.

Isn't it funny how your tastes change over the years? Every year my mom would make lima bean and ham soup around christmas time and I hated it. Slowly as I got older I grew to like it and then last year after I made my first ham at home I made my own soup and Holy Cow it was amazing!
Now you may say, why do you think it was amazing. It just was. :) That and my Dad never really likes this soup but I invited them over and he ate two servings of it because he liked it so much. So here is how I make it.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. dry lima beans
1/2 onion chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
1 ham bone
extra ham chopped up (about 2 cups, I like alot of ham)
1 Tbs. butter
Spices:(very important) garlic powder, parsley, basil, sage, and marjoram. (I use all dried in a bottle spices)

1. You can soak your beans overnight or you can do the quick gook method which is usually listed on the package of your beans. Rinse the beans and check them then put in a large pot with about 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and boil for about 5 minutes. Cover, turn off and let sit for an hour.
2. Drain your beans and add back in 4 cups of water. Add your ham bone and cover but leave it open a crack to let the steam escape, simmer for about 3 hours.
3. In a separate pan add butter to melt then add chopped onion and celery. Stir until onion is translucent.
4. Remove ham bone and add ham from bone and extra ham. Add cooked onion and celery.
5. Cook for about 10 minutes then season. I don't do regular measurements of my seasoning I just have this sixth sense to it sooooo. I did a layer of garlic powder that lightly covered the entire surface of the soup, same with parsley and basil. Then I did about half the pot with sage and marjoram. Stir it and taste it then add what you think needs more. Usually it is parsley or garlic.
6. Let it cook for about another 10 minutes then serve.

*note: You could make this in your crockpot by soaking the beans overnight then draining them in the morning, add the water and the ham, let it cook all day on low and do the final steps about an hour before you serve it.

Peach cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese frosting

So tasty!!

Yep, so for Thanksgiving I was in charge of a dessert and corn. :) Pretty nice huh? So I have these peaches that I canned this year that are amazing and I though Mmmm peach cupcakes. So I found a recipe on another blog, Smitten Kitchen which is a really great blog so you should check it out. Her photos are pretty awesome too.  The cupcakes came out delicious, very moist, and a nice change from the usual cupcake.

Peach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese frosting

Makes 24 to 28 cupcakes

3 cups cake flour(bought mine at local grocery store and yes it does make a difference)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of nutmeg
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks or 6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark or light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) buttermilk, sour cream or full-fat yogurt
3 large peaches, peeled, cored, and chopped smallish or about 2 1/2 C peaches

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 28 muffin cups with paper liners. Pull out 3 cubes of butter and 2 packages of cream cheese to come to room temperature.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg and set aside. Cream the butter and sugars together, beating until fluffy (if your butter isn't room temperature I like to unwrap mine and put it by the oven to warm up or put it in the microwave on defrost for 2 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition, and then the vanilla. Gently mix in the buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt (I used the buttermilk, I think Vanilla yogurt would be amazing). Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the peach chunks.

Divide the batter evenly (added extra to a couple and they came out squishy) among the prepared cupcake liners. I use a 1/4 measuring cup and that works out prefect. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes for five minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. After they cool a bit I like to cover them with a dishcloth so they don't dry out while I am making my frosting.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

The cornstarch acts as a thickener for the frosting. Powdered sugar already has some cornstarch in it but since we are using brown sugar you have to add extra. When the frosting is really cold it will be very thick and hard to squeeze out so you might need to let it sit out for a couple minutes.

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (4 ounces or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch and powdered sugar. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the sugar-cornstarch mixture and vanilla, beat until frosting is smooth and light. Chill the bowl in the refrigerator until it thickens back up a bit, about 30 minutes, then spread or dollop on cooled cupcakes.

Frosting Tip* 

To get those hershey kiss looking frosting you use a round wilton # 10 tip. I don't have a big pastry bag so I snip the end off a gallon ziploc bag and stick my tip in so it pokes out through that hole. Then I put a little tape on it to hold it in place. Now I load up my bag with frosting and I'm ready to go. The great thing is that if I don't use up the frosting I can just store it in the fridge for a bit because it is already in a ziploc bag.

Shepherds pie!

Mmmm, had a craving for shepherds  pie the other day so here we go!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 bag frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 chopped onion

7 potatoes

1/2 C sour cream

garlic powder

worchestershire sauce

1/2 cup beef stock or couple teaspoons beef bouillon and water.

1/2 cup ketchup

Shredded cheese, I like a cheddar and monterey mix.

Steps:

Peel and dice your potatoes. I use a pressure cooker but you can just put it in a pot of water, bring it to a boil, turn it down a little and simmer for 20 minutes. Cook you ground beef then add the chopped onion, I didn't have any fresh onion so I used some dried onion from my food storage. Drain the meat if you have too much fat. Add the vegetables and stir letting those cook for about 8 minutes. I had some cherry tomatoes that needed to be used up so I sliced those in half and added them with the vegetables.  Add a couple sprinkles of garlic powder. Add the beef stock, W sauce, and ketchup, stir this around. Turn on your oven to 350. Potatoes should be done so you can drain them, add the sour cream and a handful of shredded cheese and mash up. I like to add a little garlic powder, onion powder, and some parsley to my potatoes. I used a deep casserole dish. Fill with your meat mixture and then spoon your mashed potatoes on top. Sprinkle with some cheese and pop in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes. Pull it out when your meat mixture is bubbling along the edges. 

So delicious and it makes excellent leftovers.

Easy chicken pot pie

Hoo Yah Baby!! Doesn't that look good?

Alright so I have been making an effort to cook stuff that I can eat a couple nights in a row just kind of remade so it isn't really leftovers. So Monday I made potato soup, pretty easy if you haven't done it before. Quick steps:
1. peel and chop potatoes put in large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
2. Chop one onion and some celery, put in saute pan with a little butter and saute until celery is soft.
3. drain potatoes, reserve water in a bowl and add celery and onion to potatoes.
4. Make a rue which is melting 2-3 tablespoons of butter then whisking in equal amount of flour then gradually adding milk while whisking, let it thicken and add more milk. Continue this until you get a good amount to go with your potatoes.
5. Add rue to potatoes, stir it in let that cook, if you need more liquid I add the water from the potatoes. Then I season with garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper.


So we had potato soup on Monday night with some mixed vegetables. Tuesday I picked up a rotisserie chicken and chopped up the breast meat, put it in a bowl with my left over mixed vegetables, some potato soup and a can of cream of chicken soup. Stirred this all together and put it into 3 individual serving dishes. I bought frozen puff pastry from trader joes a long time ago so I pulled that out of the freezer, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes then used a pizza cutter to cut out circles that were a little bigger than my ramekin. The one in front I just placed the dough on top, the one in back I pushed it down, so don't push it down otherwise it comes out kind of flat. So we ate those for dinner and they were amazing! Tasted just like marie callender's pot pies. I had leftover dough so I brushed the top with an egg wash and put a table spoon of jam inside. we ate those before I could take a picture of them because they were so tasty.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ahh Sweet potatoes. They conjure up images of casseroles dishes brimming with marshmallows, syrup, and chunks of orange. I was never a fan. I tried them a couple times and each time I vowed to never do it again. Then I had Eleanor and fed plain smashed ones to her and she loved them. I tried them and they were pretty yummy. So now she won't eat the mashed ones but they are a powerhouse vitamin packed spud so I tried making sweet potato fries and boy they are so good that Warren and I eat some too. 

They are super easy and you can get them year round so they have become a great side dish in my house that also reheat well.

First, get a 2-3 medium size sweet potatoes( we'll refer to them as SW so I don't have to keep typing them) Make sure they don't have any bruises, mold, or are beat up because if part of the SW is bad the whole thing will be bitter.

Turn your oven on to 375. Use a regular peeler to peel your SW and then chop off the ends.

Cut the SW into large chunky fry size. Warren thought I cut up a bunch of carrots. Try to keep them an even size because if you have a bunch of sizes they won't cook evenly.

 Place your SW into a ziploc bag and add about 1/4 C oil, I like to use olive oil. Mix that around inside and then sprinkle in some sugar and cinnamon. You really only need like an 1/8 C because the SW are already sweet this just adds a little more flavor.

 Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with some cooking spray then spread your SW inside. Try to even it out so there isn't just a mound of fries in the middle. 

Check them at 40 minutes. I pulled these out a little soon, they taste better when the tips are a little brown, it gives it a little carmelizing affect. And there you go. Serve them fast because they cool off pretty quick, but you can just pop them in the microwave for 20 seconds and they are great.

*Note: These are not like potato fries. They are still very soft so don't expect that crispy potato fry, but they are delicious and nutritious. So Try it out!

Delicious Whole Wheat Crackers!!!

Eleanor loves to eat animal crackers and she finished up our box from costco and I thought to myself, I bet I could make something even better! So I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and I really love that site, so I tried it out this morning and they came out so incredibly delicious, I had to restrain myself from eating them before Ella even got to try them. It took about an hour to make and I did it while she was taking her nap. So if you like graham crackers or animal crackers you have to try making these because they are very easy and made from whole wheat so they are better for you.

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
•  

Directions

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Combine the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Cover and chill dough until firm.

*Note* In place of 1 cup of wheat flour you can use 1/2 cup ground flax seed which is super good for you and 1/2 cup wheat germ. Also I chilled my dough in the freezer wrapped in plastic wrap while I got all my baking pans out, greased them, and my cookie cutters. It doesn't need to be really cold.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

Grease cookie sheets. Pull your dough from the freezer and cut off about 1/3. Wrap the rest back up and put back into freezer.

 On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness (you want them really thin so they come out crispy). I then sprinkled a little cinnamon and sugar on and rolled it into the dough. Cut into rectangles.Or use cookie cutters for fun shapes. 

Place 1/2 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Put that set in the oven then pull out the dough from the fridge, cut off another third and repeat the steps above. If you try to roll out the whole thing it will be too much and they won't come out thin enough.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp. Edges will be golden brown. Remove from baking sheet to cool on wire racks. My pans never cook everything evenly but my browner ones still tasted delicious.

Mmmm Home made corn tortilla chips.

I got to take home a 100 pack of corn tortillas from girls camp last week and I thought, what am I going to do with all these tortillas? We got together on Sunday for a birthday party and the food was mexican themed so I fried up a bunch of tortillas and they were delicious! If you haven't tried them, they are super easy and way better than store bought chips.

First, chop up your tortillas into triangles, you can do a good stack of them each time.

Get your oil super hot, I like to use the term, burn your face off hot. I just used vegetable oil and I used my wok.

Toss your tortillas in. If the oil is hot enough you will have lots of bubbles and action going on, if it isn't hot enough then pull them out and wait otherwise you will have greasy chips.
I waited till they were golden then I pulled them out, you can use a metal slotted spoon or a small metal strainer, you need something that has holes for the oil to drip out and it needs to be metal so it doesn't melt.

I place them on some paper towel, sprinkle with salt, you could even add some seasoning to them like a lemon salt or some chili powder. Then I put them into a paper bag.
Delicious!!

Cooking Friday!!

Alright it is Tortillas and Burrito Time!!!


I know you all are so excited. On wednesday I taught this class with the help of my bud Krystal and all the ladies really enjoyed these recipes so I thought I'd share them with the World!
It will also make you feel really awesome making your own whole wheat burritos.
Sooooooo Lets get on with it!!!

Whole Wheat Tortillas!

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups whole wheat bread flour

1/2 cup shortening

2 tsp baking powder

                2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups boiling water

all-purpose flour for rolling

Directions

1.In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, and salt. Rub in the shortening by hand until the mixture is the texture of oatmeal. Make a well in the center, and pour in the boiling water. Mix with a fork until all of the water is evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with a bit of additional flour, and knead until the dough does not stick to your fingers. The dough should be smooth.

2.Make balls the size of golf balls, about 2 ounces each. Place them on a tray, and cover with a damp cloth. Let stand for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.

3.Heat a griddle or large frying pan over high heat. On a lightly floured surface,gently press on the ball of dough to make it into a circle then roll out a tortilla to your preferred thinness. 

Cook one at a time. Place on the griddle for 10 seconds, as soon as you see a bubble on the top, flip the tortilla over.

 Let it cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Roll out the next tortilla while you wait for that one to cook. Repeat until all of the balls have been cooked. Tortillas can be refrigerated or frozen. 

Place directly into a plastic bag to keep tortillas soft. Can be reheated on a griddle or in the microwave.

Makes about 18 tortillas.

Tips and Tricks

I used wheat flour that I ground myself in my cuisinart coffee grinder, I think it comes out a little thicker than regular wheat flour so my tortillas come out thicker, more like a tostada, but still very tasty.

I use my hands to mix up my ingredients, except when you add the boiling water!!! Use two forks to mix in the water.

While I am mixing the water with the dough I heat up a little more water because it tends to need like 1/2 C more water than the recipe calls for.

You can add more white flour instead of wheat flour and they will come out softer.

If you want to make a big batch of tortillas make two regular size batches, the big batch is a pain to work with. 

Find the original recipe here http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mexican-Whole-Wheat-Flour-Tortillas/Detail.aspx along with a bunch of great reviews and tips.

Alright, now that you have your awesome Tortillas! You need an equally awesome mix to go in the tortillas, Hence my........

Totally Awesome Bean and Chicken Burrito Mix!!! a little long I know, you can just call it Burrito mix if you want.

2 cups black beans 

Place the beans in your crock pot and cover with water plus an additional 2 inches, let them soak over night. Or there is the quick cook method, place beans in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, cover, remove from heat and let sit for one hour.

As soon as you get up the next day.

Drain beans

Add 1 tbs. dried onions

and cover again with water along with an extra 2 inches of water. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Beans should be bite-tender. Drain almost all of the water, leave about a cup. Turn your slow cooker to high. Add 1/2 cup barbecue sauce.

 You need to add a little lemon juice, about 2 Tbs. or if you don't have any lemon juice, or if it isn't "Food storage material" sprinkle in a 1/2 tsp of lemonade or limeade powder.

Add 1 Tbs. of dried cilantro or 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro.

Stir this together in crockpot and cook for no more than 1 hour. It is ok for this to just simmer together for a bit, taste it and see if you need to add more barbecue sauce or a little garlic powder or anything. 

About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat you make the rice. I do 1 cup rice brown it in the pan with a little butter, add 2 cups chicken broth, a sprinkle of dried onions, and a couple Tbs. of chopped tomato (can be from a can, could even be some ketchup) Bring to a boil. Cover and turn down to low to simmer for 20 minutes.

Open a can of chicken and drain. Add to beans and stir to break up the chunks. Add a little seasoning to your beans. I like to sprinkle in some cumin, garlic powder, paprika,  and chili powder.

When the rice is finished cooking you just stir it into your beans and Voila! You have an awesome burrito mix. Serve it with some sour cream, cheese, guacamole, etc...

Sidenote: I concocted this recipe for my food storage class. So you use dried beans and canned chicken. I have two other recipes that are similar to this but one is with canned beans still in the slow cooker, the other is with canned beans but you just cook everything in a saute pan and it takes about 20 minutes. 

Alternative Burrito Mix:

Place two chicken breasts in slowcooker along with drained 1 can black beans and 1 can kidney beans, add 1/2 cup salsa, 1/3 c barbecue sauce, and a couple tablespoons of lemon juice. Cook 6-8 hours on low. When done just stir to break up the chicken, add spanish rice from previous recipe. Finished!

Alternative Burrito mix that takes 20 minutes:

Place 1 can drained black beans and 1 can drained kidney beans in large saute pan, add 1/2 C salsa, 1/3 C barbecue sauce, and a couple tablespoons of lemon juice. Cook for 5-10 minutes on medium heat until thickened. Drain 1 can chicken breast and add to mix, stir and cook another 5 minutes. Taste. I like to sprinkle in some cumin, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder but that is optional. You can make the spanish rice at the same time and add it in at the end or you can just heat up one of those Uncle Ben's Spanish rice packets and add that in. And Finished!

I've served these recipes to tons of people and everybody raves about them, they are super easy and healthy and cheap. So instead of paying 6 bucks a person for a burrito at a restaurant just make your own and it heats up great for lunches the next day.

Aw heck, have to add one last recipe because it is so amazingly easy and tasty.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Drain a can of black beans, dump in small pot along with 1/3 C barbecue sauce and 2 Tbs lemon or lime juice. Cook for 10 minutes.

Turn off and let it cool a little.

Drain one can corn, place in cereal size bowl. 

Chop half a red onion, add to corn

Add 1/3 C salsa

Add about 3/4 of the beans, or you can add them all its up to you.

Add a little more lemon or lime juice

Add some chopped cilantro and

Bam!! You have awesome Salsa