Dad's Spicy Roasted Red Potatoes

This is another recipe courtesy of my Dad.  It's a great easy side dish that can replace mashed potatoes or fries.

Ingredients:

Red Potatoes - baby or regular

Olive Oil

McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning

Cook's Note:

Use your judgement on the amount of potatoes you think you'll need.  Usually 3-4 regular sized ones make enough for hubby and I for dinner.  They reheat well so if you make more, then you can snack on them later.  Baby reds work best, you can quarter them a little easier.  They are more expensive though, at least in my experience, so regular sized reds work just fine, they just take a little longer to cut to size.  I try to find the smallest ones I can. 

Preparation:

Dice up potatoes into 1 inch size pieces or so, maybe a little smaller.  Place in a casserole dish that will fit them all laying on the bottom.  Drizzle with olive oil, and toss until all of the potatoes are lightly coated.  Sprinkle with your desired amount of the steak seasoning.  If you don't like a whole lot of spice, only use a little bit. If you like a lot of spice, use a bit more.  If you REALLY like spice, get the "spicy" version of the steak seasoning.   However, you may not be able to feel your mouth for a bit as it burns from the spice, and I can personally attest to that!

Preheat oven to 350 or so.  Put the potatoes in for around half an hour, or until you see the white parts starting to look wilted, and a fork splits through them easily.  If you need them cooked a little more quickly, you can put the oven up to 360-375.  Let sit for a few minutes after cooking since the insides get really hot.

The Verdict:

I have loved these since the first time I had them.  I make them quite often since they are so easy.  You can always change it up and leave them plain, or try different spices.  I enjoy the bit of bite from the Montreal seasoning.  I eat mine with ketchup on them, but feel free to eat them as they are or put your own favorite toppings on them.  You can also modify this by using sweet potatoes.  I've never liked them, so I don't use them, but my family does and they say it's good!

Mango Quinoa Salad

I finally have a moment for a quick post.  I've been meaning to post this one for quite a while now.  This is the recipe I originally saw on The Biggest Loser, and just had to try it.  It's been a hit with just about everyone that's tried it, except, oddly enough, the husband.  He prefers another variation that I make that I'll be posting soon.  This quinoa salad makes a great summer snack or appetizer.  It's refreshing, and very healthy!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked red quinoa (at room temperature or cold)

1 diced mango

1 handful chopped cilantro

1 15-ounce can black beans

1 red bell pepper, chopped

6 green onions, thinly sliced

4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1-2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice 

Instructions:

Cook quinoa according to package directions.  1 cup of uncooked quinoa will make 2 cups cooked.  In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil and lime juice. Combine everything else in a big bowl. Drizzle liquid mixture over the salad, and toss until well combined. Chill for at least an hour.

The Verdict:

I love this as a snack.  It's tasty and filling.  I enjoy it on regular Triscuit crackers.  The salt in them is a nice complement to the salad.  The only thing I recommend is possibly adding a little more lime juice if you don't like a lot of vinegar.  I added more lime juice this time around and I actually liked it a little better!

Click here for the printable PDF page!

Black Bean Soup

One of my coworkers asked me if I could make a black bean soup.  I decided to give it a try since I'd never really had it before, let alone made it, but since I love black beans, why wouldn't I like black bean soup?  For some reason I thought Hubby didn't like it, but I was wrong.  He was so excited when I told him I was making my coworker's request!  I actually made this once a while back, and had meant to post it, then lost all my info!  I had pulled my ideas from a few recipes I found online.  I searched and found it all again and made the soup for this week, and I think it turned out even better this time.  So it all works out!  You can make this with any broth you like, so it can be vegetarian (possibly vegan) if you use veggie broth.  I don't know much about vegan cooking, but if it counts then, even better!  I think the only thing that's not vegan would be the cheese and sour cream toppings recommended at the end.

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium to large onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

(1) 32 oz carton of your broth of choice (veggie, chicken or beef will work, your preference)

(3) 29 oz cans of black beans (mostly drained, not rinsed, and divided)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder

1 teaspoon oregano
A handful of fresh finely chopped Cilantro
Ground Black Pepper to taste

Juice of 1 Lemon

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons water

Preparation and Cooking Method:

Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Sauté onions for 2-3 minutes until translucent.  Add bell pepper and garlic and sauté 1-2  minutes more.  Add broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 3-4 minutes.  Return heat to medium high.  Add half of the beans, salt, cumin, oregano, and cayenne powder and mix well.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat temporarily.  If you have a hand blender, puree the soup mixture right in the pot.  Otherwise you will have to use a blender, and probably do it in a couple separate rounds depending on how much soup you make.  After the mix is pureed, return soup to heat, and add the rest of the beans and cilantro.  Combine the cornstarch and water and mix well.  Add the lemon juice and the cornstarch mixture to the soup, stir, and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes or so.

The Verdict:

I think I changed a few things from the first time I cooked this, but it came out awesome this time!  I will be very happy eating this all week, and so will Hubby.  If you want a little more texture, keep some of the onions and peppers aside and add them after you puree.  I was going to do this, and even had some that I set aside, but not thinking, I threw them in the pot before I pureed everything.  If you want the soup to be thicker, add more beans before pureeing, and vice versa if you don't like it as thick.  Top the soup with some shredded monterey jack cheese, scallions and sour cream if you like as well.

Click here for the printable PDF recipe page!

Homemade Banana Ice Cream

Since I have been lacking in posts lately, I thought I would put this one up that has been sitting in my arsenal for a couple weeks.

This is a very simple recipe that was posted by a friend of mine on Facebook.  I decided to try it, and it is actually pretty tasty!

I'm not going to make an ingredient list, since the only and obvious ingredient is a few ripe bananas!

Peel the bananas.  Cut them into small pieces and freeze for a few hours on a plate. Put into food processor or blender and blend.  At first it will look crumbly.  Stop the blender when needed, and scrape them back down.  Keep blending, and the mixture will eventually turn creamy.  Scoop out and serve.

Recommendations:

No modifications, this one is pretty easy.  I have made it twice so far, and the bananas can definitely be frozen up to a few hours.  I only did it about two hours last time, and the mix was a teeny bit frothy, but still very tasty.  If you freeze the end result in an airtight container, it will get harder like regular ice cream.  Otherwise its more like a soft serve. You can also add things like a little bit of peanut butter or some honey as recommended on the original post after the mix turns creamy in the blender, and blend again to mix.  I added a little bit of honey and some cocoa powder.  Top with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

The Verdict:

We enjoy this recipe.  It's a great light and low cal dessert.  I'm going to try making a lot and freezing next time to see how the texture is.  Hopefully it will make a great summer treat, especially for the kids!