Meal Plan for the Week

I'm a little behind on posting this, I realize. Better late than never, right?

• Sunday: Leftovers and grazing (like crackers and cheese and whatnot
• Monday: Mustard-Tarragon Roasted Chicken breasts and Balsamic-glazed Brussells Sprouts with Red Onion
• Tuesday: Bunless Burgers (made with very local and very non-factory-farmed beef), topped with cheese, avocado, tomato; Artichokes a la Citymama; and Platano chips for hubby
• Wednesday: Black Beans (with quinoa for hubby)
• Thursday: Mushroom, Kale, and Canellini Hash-ish (with quinoa for hubby
• Friday: Takeout of some sort...probably Season to Taste

Oooh and also I'm totally going to make these Black Bean Brownies this week too. I know -- black beans? WTF, right? But I trust Heidi of 101 Cookbooks. If she says they're good, they're good. And what's really delicious about them is that I can eat them, even with my funny limited diet! Woohoo!

And that's what we got goin' on here folks. If anyone has any good non-carb, non-sugar recipes, PLEASE SEND THEM! denasrecipeexchange at gmail dot com. I'm all ears!

New Year's Beef Chili

I made this yesterday for our New Year's Day supper and it was DELICIOUS. In fact, I meant to take pictures, but was so excited to eat it that I forgot. Hubby loved it -- and he does not normally fall head over heels for chili. Especially if it containts pinto beans.

I got the recipe from this month's issue of Everyday Food, which is their "light" issue. So this beef chili is a lighter version of the standard. But I tell you: it does not taste light. It tastes hearty and wonderful. I added a couple of small twists to the recipe which don't add calories, but do add to the flavor.

And it was also surprisingly easy to make!

Dena's New Year's Beef Chili

1 tbsp vegetable oil (like safflower or sunflower)
1 or 2 organic medium onions, chopped (depending on how much onion you like)
4 or more organic garlic cloves, chopped (again, depending on how much garlic you like; I used 6)
1 medium organic red bell pepper (or green, if you prefer), chopped into small bits
2 tbsp organic tomato paste
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp fair trade unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pound grass-fed ground sirloin or chuck
1 28 oz can organic diced tomatoes and their juice (or 2 14.5 oz cans if that's what ya got)
1 14.5 oz can organic pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 25 oz can organic black beans, rinsed and drained (or 2 14.5 oz cans...)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Tabasco sauce to taste
Salt & pepper to taste

Optional toppings: sliced scallions, light sour cream, light shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and/or avocado

In a large pot or dutch oven (my beloved Le Creuset dutch oven came through for me yet again), heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the garlic and onion. After about a minute, add the bell pepper. Add salt and pepper and let it all cook through and get yummy. Once the onion is translucent and it smells really delicious, add the tomato paste, chili powder, and cocoa powder and stir well so it all combines for about 2-3 minutes and gets really fragrant.

Add the ground beef and break it up with the back of your spoon into small pieces, stir, and let it brown. When there is no more pink, add the beans and tomatoes and their juice and stir.

Let it simmer on low heat, covered, for about 10-15 minutes so the flavors can meld. When you're about 3 minutes from turning off the heat, add the vinegar and as much Tabasco as you like/can stand. Taste it and add any salt and pepper if needed.

Keep in mind: the longer it sits and/or simmers, the more the flavors will develop. I let mine simmer for about 15 minutes and then let it sit with the flame off for about 20 more.

Serve and top with your garnish of choice and enjoy!

Makes GREAT leftovers. I can't wait to eat my lunch today.

Dena's Black Beans & Rice

I gotta admit, I make a mean black beans and rice. I do. It's a recipe I've developed slowly but surely over the years, and my husband adores it.

We had it for dinner last night and it was de-lish as usual. It's a great cool weather recipe and it is SO EASY to make! Easy clean-up too, which is nice.

We eat brown rice whenever a recipe calls for rice, but feel free to use white rice if you prefer.

Dena's Black Beans & Rice

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, diced or chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced or chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced or chopped
3 14.5 oz cans organic black beans (I sometimes use 2 25 oz cans instead)
2 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
Tabasco to taste
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
5 cups cooked brown rice
Jack, provolone, or mild cheddar cheese to top
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat til it shimmers in a large pot or dutch oven. Add garlic and onion til the garlic is almost toasty and the onion is translucent, then add bell peppers and let it all cook together til the peppers are softened, about 2-3 minutes, depending on your stove.

Add 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp oregano, paprika, and Italian seasoning and let the spices bloom, about 1-2 minutes. Add black beans and bay leaf and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to let it simmer and add remaining cumin, oregano, and Tabasco.

At this point, it's done, so you can serve it whenever you like, but make sure to add vinegar and salt and pepper about 1 minute before you take it off the heat.

I mix the rice into the pot, but you can also serve it over rice instead, making sure to top with cheese. And I always add extra Tabasco to mine, cuz that's just the kind of girl I am. Yum...enjoy!