Black Bean Soup

I'm so happy that I'm back to posting my daily cooking. I found this recipe from Minimalist Baker blog.  
I love the soup picture she took. I'm still learning how to take good food picture. It is not easy but I will try until I get it right. Anyways, I love this soup and of course, I made a lot of changes. I added carrot, used fresh corn, tomato and made my own sauce. I used instant pot for cooking. It is very easy to use. It is a magic pot. I love it! If anyone want to try original recipe the link is above.
We enjoyed the soup since little chilly weather today.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 white or yellow onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 red or orange pepper (diced)
1 carrot (diced) 
1 tomato 
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 red chile sauce ( I made from dried red pepper ) any chipotle salsa works.
4 cups chicken stock
2 15-ounce black beans (cooked in salt /slightly drained
3 fresh corn on the cob ( cooked and remove the cob)

FOR SERVING optional

Lime juice Fresh cilantro (chopped) Red onion (diced) Tortilla chips Ripe avocado (cubed) Hot sauce

Instructions

Turn the  instant pot saute setting. Once hot, add oil, garlic, onion, pepper, carrot an a pinch each salt and pepper and stir. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and the peppers have a bit of color. Add cumin and chili powder and stir to coat. Then add salsa, vegetable stock.. Stir to combine.

Cancel the saute setting and then press the manual button and chose 6 minutes. When the cooking cycle finish wait 5 minutes before opening the instant pot and make sure that turn the knob towards venting position.

Serve with any garnishes you like!

Chayote Black Bean Salad

 Finally, I''m back to blog my cooking again!!!!! I tried this Mexican Salad from Perfect Mexican cookbook in the past. I tried again and I used chayote instead of avocado. It gave crunchy texture. It is a light healthy salad. 

Ingredients
Serves 4-6
6 garlic gloves

1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
5 scallions , thinly sliced
1 head romaine lettuce
8 oz canned corn kernels, drained
17 oz canned red kidney beans, drained
2 chayote instead 2 avocado
2 ripe tomatoes
1 jalapeno pepper small chopped ( optional)
half cup fresh cilantro 
Handful of crisp tortilla chips.

Method
To make the dressing combine lime juice, and oil with the vinegar,chili powder, cumin, and paprika in a small bowl, then set aside.
Toss the scallions with the lettuce and arrange on a serving platter. Pour half of the dressing over the leaves, then arrange the corn,beans, avocado or chayote, and tomatoes  over the top.sprinkle with the jalapeno pepper and cilantro.
                                 

Spicy eggplant

I had a two poblano peppers and eggplant in the refrigerator. I decided to cook dish that with Mexican spices. I came up with this idea, spicy eggplant. It is a dish that for spicy food lovers. Here it is,

Ingredients:
2 fresh poblano peppers chopped with food processor (make sure small pieces not mix too much)
1 onion and 3 garlic cloves chopped with food processor   (make sure small pieces not mix too much)
2 big tomatoes chopped with food processor  (make sure small pieces not mix too much)
3 eggplant cut small pieces
1 potato cut small pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili pepper
1/2 tablespoon
1/2 tablespoon paprika
salt and pepper
cilantro
cooked egg (optional)
Preparation:
 Heat the oil in a large heavy frying pan that has a lid. Add the onion garlic and poblano peppers and saute , stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until translucent, then add the eggplant and potato.
Stir to coat the potato and eggplant then cover the pan and cook over 10 minutes  and then add tomatoes and  spices cook 20-25 minutes until cook thoroughly
Ad the cooked egg and chopped cilantro and serve.

Slow cooked Chili

This recipe is from website allrecipes. I added corn and red bell pepper. I made this dish for the potluck today. I will take it to work. It is very easy recipe.I like the taste. I hope everyone at work likes it.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef 2 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 2 medium onions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 can corn 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper Shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1.

In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add the next nine ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4 hours. Garnish individual servings with cheese if desired.

Pineapple & Mango Salsa

This recipe is from cookbook called Perfect Mexican. I never had pineapple and mango salsa. I love the taste.
Ingredients

1/2 ripe pineapple diced
1 ripe mango diced
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 tsp brown sugar
Juice if 1 lime
1-2 tsp tabasco sauce
1 large tomato seeded and diced
salt
Preparation Method
Add all the ingredients together and mix well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Stir again before serving.

Slow Cooker Mexican Style Meat

This recipe is from website Allrecipes. It sounded very spicy so I cut back the spices little bit.

Ingredients:

1 (4 pound) chuck roast 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped

1  diced green or red chili pepper 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 2 tbsp hot pepper sauce 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1.	Trim the roast of any excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place meat in hot skillet, and brown meat quickly on all sides.
2.	Transfer the roast to a slow cooker, and sprinkle onion over meat. Season with chile peppers, chili powder, cayenne pepper, hot pepper sauce, and garlic powder. Add enough water to cover 1/3 of the roast.
3.	Cover, and cook on High for 6 hours, checking to make sure there is always at least a small amount of liquid in the bottom. Reduce heat to Low, and continue cooking for 2 to 4 hours, or until meat is totally tender and falls apart.

Spicy chicken & vegetable hotpot

 This recipe is from cookbook called Perfect Mexican. The recipe used pork but I used chicken. Also, I didn't use chorizo sausage. I wasn't sure about using cinnamon stick but used it and loved the taste and smell.

ingredients

SERVES 4

plain flour, for coating
450 g/1 lb boneless chicken, cut into 2.5 cm/1 inch cubes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
225 g/8 oz chorizo sausage, outer casing removed,
cut into bite size chunks ( I didn't use it )
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cinnamon stick, broken
2 bay leaves
2 tsp allspice
2 carrots, sliced
2-3 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 litre/32 fl oz pork or vegetable stock
2 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
corn kernels, cut from 1 ear fresh sweetcorn
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
salt and pepper
fresh oregano, to garnish

Preparation method

Season the flour well with salt and pepper and toss the pork in it to coat. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or ovenproof casserole. Add the chorizo and lightly brown on all sides. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the pork, in batches, and cook until browned on all sides. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onion, garlic and celery to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened.

Add the cinnamon, bay leaves and allspice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the pork, carrots, chillies, tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour, or until the pork is tender.

Return the chorizo to the pan with the sweet potatoes, corn, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for a further 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Serve garnished with oregano.

Salsa cruda

This recipe is from cookbook called Perfect Mexican. I used for the fish burritos. I was very tired and hungry when I was taking the picture.  I should clean around the bowl. The taste was good.

Ingredients
6-8 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves chopped
3-7 fresh jalapeno seeded and finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3-4 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 lemon juice
salt




Preparation Method
To make a chunky -textured salsa cruda, stir all the ingredients in a non metallic bowl, adding salt to taste.
Cover and chill until required.
To make a smoother-textured salsa, process the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Cover chill until required.

Vegetable chili with chicken

I found this recipe from cookbook called What's cooking one pot. It was vegetable dish but I added chicken.
Everyone knows Jeremy is running so I try to make dishes that good for runners. He loved this recipe:) I made some changes when I prepare so I wrote down with my changes.

Ingredients

1 chicken  breast cut chunks

2 eggplants cut into thin slices
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
1 big tomatoes chopped 
1 can 12 oz tomato souce
1 tbsp mild chili
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregona
salt and pepper 
2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 
14 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
6 scallions, finely chopped
Preparation Method
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the chicken cook 5 minutes until water absorb and chicken little pink. 
Add the onion and garlic cook  for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is just beginning to color.
Add the chili powder, cumin and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
Add tomato sauce, tomatoes and tomato paste and bring the boil.
Add the zucchini,eggplant, kidney beans, red bell pepper. Stir in the chicken stock. Return toa boil, then cover the pan and continue simmering for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Ladle inti warm bowls and top with chopped scallions. 

 




 

Spicy rice

This dish is from cookbook called perfect Mexican. We love Mexican food so I decided to try this rice recipe. It is so delicious.
Ingredients 

3 tbsp olive oil
6 scallions, chopped 
1 celery stalk, finely chopped 
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped 
corn kernels, cut from 1 ear fresh corn 
2 fresh mild green chilies,
seeded and finely chopped 
1 1/4 cups long grain rice
2 tsp ground cumin
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
fresh cilantro springs to garnish
Preparation Method
Heat  the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the scallions, celery and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers, corn, and chillies and cook for 5 minutes.
Ad the rice and cumin and cook, stirring to coat the grains in the oil for 2 minutes. 
Stir in the stock and half the chopped cilantro and bring to a boil. reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is just tender.
Remove from the heat and fluff up with a fork. Stir in the remaining chopped cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.


 

Fish fillets with papaya sauce

I love ripe papaya. When I saw this fish recipe with papaya I thought it would be so delicious. Yes, I was right. We loved it and I will make it again and again.
 This recipe is from cookbook called perfect Mexican
Ingredients

4 white fish fillet ( I used tilapia )
olive oil, for drizzling
juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
lime wedges to garnish
for the papaya sauce
1 large ripe papaya
1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2tsp  Tabasco sauce


Preparation Method
Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the fish in a shallow ovenproof dish. Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze over the lime juice. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the fish and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and  bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, o until fish is just flaking.
Meanwhile, to make the sauce, halve the papaya and scoop out the seeds. Peel the halves and chop the flesh. Place the flesh in a food processor or blender and add the orange and lime juice, oil and tobasco to taste. Process until smooth.
Transfer the sauce to a pan and heat throughh gently for 3-4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the fish fillets, in their cooking juices, with the sauce spooned over, garnished with lime wedges.

Garbanzo Guacamole

I have funny story to tell about the recipe. My son and Esmeralda was drinking their wine I thought that I should make appetizer for them. I had an idea and I was going to make hummus but I saw another recipe  in the same page it says Garbanzo Guacamole. I changed my mind I started making the recipe. This book doesn't have pictures so I thought that it will be dip because all the other recipes was dip. I didn't have time to read the recipe and I assumed that I should mix all the ingredient. After I finished I realized that tomato and green onions chopped and put  top of the mixed ingredients. As soon as I serve with tortilla chips they loved it. They thought that it was great taste. I changed the recipe by mistake but I'm glad it came out good. I got this recipe website is,
http://www.food.com/recipe/garbanzo-guacamole-102121

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 2/3 cup drained canned garbanzo beans
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup cubed peeled avocados
• 1 tablespoon chopped green chilies
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup finely chopped seeded plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions

Directions

1. Drop garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced.
2. Add beans and lemon juice; process 20 seconds.
3. Add 1/3 cup onion, avocado, green chilies, salt and pepper; pulse 5 times or until mixture is chunky.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl.
5. Stir in tomato and green onions.
6. Chill for 30 minutes.
7. Serve with tortilla chips.

Corn and red bell pepper salsa

This recipe is from cookbook called Perfect Mexican. I added tomatoes in this recipe and instead of scallions I used red onion.

Ingredients
1 lb / 450g canned corn kernels
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 tomatoes diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1-2 fresh jalapeno chilies
1 small red onion
1 lime  juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation Method
Add all the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavor to develop before serving.

Ground turkey enchiladas

This recipe is from cookbook called Perfect Mexican. Recipe used beef but I used ground turkey and added green and red bell pepper and beans.

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
2 large onion chopped
1 red bell pepper diced
1 green bell pepper diced
1 lb can red beans
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
8 soft corn tortillas
1 can echiladas sauce
8 oz cheddar cheese grated

Preparation Method
Preheat oven to 350F. Oil a large baking dish.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes and then add ground turkey cook until browned. Add red and green peppers and beans. Add the spices and salt and pepper to taste and cook stirring constantly fro 5 minutes.
Warm tortilla in a nonstick skillet for  15 second on each side, then dip each, in turn , in the sauce. Top with a ground turkey mixture and cheese and roll up.
Place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish, top with  the remaining sauce and grated cheese, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Refried Beans

This recipe is from GOYA can pinto beans. It is very simple. I didn't use cheese. Even thought I love cheese but it is not good for my diet.

Ingredients

1 can (15.5 oz.) Goya Pinto Beans, undrained
1 tbsp. Goya Vegetable Oil 
1/4 small onion, diced (optional)
1 tsp. Goya Minced Garlic or 2 clove garlic, minced (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. crumbled fresh cheese or shredded Monterey jack cheese

Directions

1.	In a bowl, mash beans with fork or spoon.
2.	Heat oil in a skillet on medium. If using onion or garlic, add to skillet and cook until tender.
3.	Add beans, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until bean liquid starts to evaporate. Reduce heat and simmer until desired consistency, about 5 minutes. Serve as a side dish with cheese sprinkled on top or use as a filling.

Papaya,avocado & red bell pepper salad

This recipe is from cookbook called perfect Mexican. This salad is amazing flavors. I never made salad with papaya before. This is the first time I used papaya for salad and I love it.
Ingredients

7 oz/200g  servings Mixed Greens
2 -3 scallions
 4 tablespoons chopped Cilantro, Fresh
1 small  Fresh papaya
2 red  Bell Peppers
1 Fresh Avocado
2 tablespoons Lime Juice
2-3 tbsp pumpkin seeds, (optional)

Dressing
1 juice of lime
1 teaspoons Paprika
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
pinch of  White Sugar
1 Garlic Clove finel chopped
4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt
Preparation Method
1. Combine the salad leaves with the scallions and cilantro. Transfer to a serving dish.
2. Cut the papaya in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut into quarters, remove the peel and slice the flesh. Arrange on top of the salad leaves. Cut the bell peppers in half, remove the cores and seeds, then slice thinly. Add to the salad leaves.
3. Cut the avocado in half around the pit. Twist apart, then remove the pit with a knife. Carefully peel off the skin, dice the flesh and toss in lime juice to prevent discoloration. Add to the other salad ingredients.
4. To make the dressing, whisk together the lime juice(1 of the Tbsp), paprika, ground cumin, sugar, garlic, and olive oil. Add salt to taste.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss lightly, adding a dash of wine vinegar if a flavor with more 'bite' is preferred. Sprinkle with the toasted pumpkin seeds, if using.

Tomato Salsa

This recipe is from  cookbook called 1000 low fat.

Ingredients
6-8 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves coarsely chopped
3-4 fresh jalapeno finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
3-4 scallions finely chopped
1 lime
salt
Preparation Method
Stir all ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt to taste.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until required.

Pica de gallo salsa

This salsa recipe is from cook book called Perfect Mexican. It is very easy to make.
Please double the recipe If you want to make for large group of people. 

Ingredients

3 large,ripe tomatoes
1/2 red onion, finely  chopped
1 large fresh jalapeno pepper chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper

Preparation Method
Halve the tomatoes, scoop out and discard the seeds , and dice the flesh. Place the flesh in a large, nonmethalic bowl.
Add the onion, chili, chopped cilantro and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir gently to combine. 
Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 30  minutes to allow the flavors to develop before serving.

Ground Turkey Chili

This is Jeremy again.  Handan's going to blog later about some of the great stuff she made for our Super Bowl party, but in the meantime here's my Super Bowl Chili recipe. :)

Ingredients 
(this makes a ton of chili... like for a party.  cut the sizes in half (or more) for a reasonable size)

2-3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2.5 lbs lean ground turkey
2 heads garlic, chopped
4 yellow onions, roughly chopped
4 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz cans)
3 cups dried red kidney beans (soak 24 hours, then boil until tender)
1 cup ketchup
1 cup water
salt to season

Spices
2 or 3 chili peppers in adobe sauce (or less if you don't like spicy food)
3 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

Blend spices and set aside
In a large stock pot add the turkey and oil and cook until meat is browned.
Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions start to get soft
Add spice mix and stir to evenly distribute
Add remaining ingredients and mix.
Bring to a slow boil and then cook on low heat for several hours (4 or so is good, more is better)

Serve with shredded cheese (Mexican blend) and chips (optional).

Chili-Marinated Chicken

This recipe is from cookbook called Perfect Mexican. Recipe used shrimp but I used chicken. It worked very well.

Ingredients 
 2 pieces chicken breast
1/2 tsp ground cumin 
1/2 tsp mild chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper

Preparation Method

Combine the chicken with the cumin, chili powder, paprika, orange juice, lemon juice, and olive oil and cilantro. season to taste with salt and pepper. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
And than place the chicken over the hot coals of the grill and cook for a 5 minutes each side.
Serve with guacamole.