Black Beans & Brown Rice

Black Beans & Brown Rice
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped yellow pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained
1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups hot cooked brown rice

In a large saucepan saute peppers and onions in oil until tender. stir in the beans tomatoes, vinegar, garlic salt, pepper, and cayenne. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 12-15 mints or until desired consistency. stirring occasional. Serve over rice.


Nutrition facts
3/4 cup bean mixture & 1/2 cup rice =
327 calories
7g fat (1g saturated fat)
0 mg cholesterol
614mg sodium
55g carbs
11 g fiber
12g protein

My Review -
I'm not a huge beans fan. Honestly, I only agreed to make this dish because my husband is a big fan of beans and peppers.

But it was really good. Honestly. I don't think i'll use 2 cans of beans next time, maybe 1 full can, but we will be really good.

Barley Beef Skillet

Barley Beef Skillet
1lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (14oz) beef broth
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 small carrots, chopped
1 small tomato, seeded & chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 cup medium pearl barley
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain. add the broth, tomato sauce and water. bring to boil. stir in remaining ingredients. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes or until barley is tender


Nutrition facts
1 1/2 cup =
400 calories
10g fat (4g saturated fat)
72 mg cholesterol
682 mg sodium
48g carbs
10 g fiber
30 g protein

My Review -
OH MY MOUTH ORGASM! Seriously. This was so so yummy. I'm probably going to make this at least every other week. I can not believe how much flavor is packed into each bowl.

You have to make this!!! I was a little skeptical at first (i'd never worked with barley), but i'm a barley believer now! DO IT

You won't regret it!

Chicken Enchiladas

I didn't take pictures while cooking last week, but i did to a lot of new recipes. So I thought i'd just post the recipes & my reviews.

Chicken Enchiladas = (1 = 336 cal/ 2 = 672)
1lb Boneless chicken breast - cut into thin strips
4 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp Olive oil
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp baking cocoa
1 cup fat-free milk
1 cup frozen corn (thawed)
4 green onions, chopped
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chillies (drained)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro, divided
6 whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese


(1) Sprinkle chicken with chili powder. in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. cook chicken in oil over medium heat until no longer pink. sprinkle with flour coriander and cocoa until blended

(2) gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the corn, onions, chillies and salt; cook and stir 2 minutes longer or until heated through. remove from the heat. stir in 1/4 cup cilantro.

(3) Spread 2/3 cup filling down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray

(4) in a small bowl, combine the salsa, tomato sauce and remaining cilantro (1/4 cp); pour over enchiladas. sprinkle with cheese. cover and bake at 375* for 25 minutes or until heated through.


Nutrition facts
1 enchilada =
336 calories
9g fat (2g saturated fat)
49 mg cholesterol
749 mg sodium
37 g carbs
4 g fiber
25g protein

MY REVIEW -

These were REALLY good. The only down side was the cilantro was really heavy on this. The sauce turned out really good. I will cut the cilantro in half at least next time.

Meal Planning

I like to plan my meals for 1 week. But with the holidays its been a little difficult. Hopefully I can really stick to it this week.

So this week goes

Wednesday 12/29 - Mexican Bowls
Thursday 12/30 - Beef & Noodle Casserole
Friday 12/31 - Out to Dinner - New Years Eve
Saturday 01/01 - Stuffed Peppers
Sunday 01/02- Sausage Stuffed Manicotti
Monday 01/03 - Inside-Out Spaghetti Pie (recipe re-do from a past disaster)
Tuesday- 01/04 - chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

Most of the recipes for this are from Better homes and gardens - Ultimate Casseroles magazine.

I'm so excited for this week. mmmmmmmmm

Tonight however, is potato chowder. I have left over potatoes from christmas. So all i needed was bacon bits, chives, and green onions.