Bacon and Black Bean Soup

So in my effort to budget better and save more for the future I have been shopping all the deals as best I can. Last week, I found 2 pounds of dried black beans for $1.56.  This would make the equivalent of 6 cans of beans! So I bought the bag and decided to make some black bean soup.

I have never made black bean soup...but not to be deterred I found a recipe with bacon and cilantro and thought I'd give it a go. Beans are a cheap meat substitute and while higher in carbs they are fine to have provided you are burning the carbs off with physical activity.  I do want to emphasize that you soak the beans for 24 to 36 hours first.  Soaking helps get rid of the phytic acid in the beans and makes them easier for your body to digest. Phytic acid is what is in beans that make you have gas. By soaking them your body can benefit more from the heart healthy benefits of beans.

So last week, I soaked the beans and had them cook in my crockpot.  After they were fully cooked, I froze them in 2 cups portions. Today, I took those bags out and made my soup.  The recipe,is not paleo but it is healthy and easy to make for your family. Here's the recipe below.

4 cans (8 cups) of black beans

3/4 cup dried minced onion

6 TBSP dried cilantro

1 TBSP garlic powder

2 TBSP chili powder

1 TBSP cumin

1 tsp chipotle chili powder ( for a smoky flavor)

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

32 oz. chicken broth

10 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped finely

2 carrots chopped finely

1 celery chopped finely

2 cups frozen organic corn

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 TBSP of ketchup 

Dump all the ingredients into the pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer 20 minutes. Cool and serve with fresh avocado, scallions, and cheese if desired.

Coconut Milk Alfredo Sauce

So I have a new toy...a spiral veggie slicer.  With it, I've been making zucchini noodles.  However, there is only so much spaghetti a family can eat.  So I needed new sauces.  Enter my sister, she has lactose intolerance in her family as well and was missing alfredo sauce.  So she played with coconut milk and found a winner of a recipe.  You can find her blog at:  Justb-adoptionblog.blogspot.com.

My Sister's Alfredo Sauce

2 cans coconut milk

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 lbs. ground italian sausage

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

fresh ground pepper

1.  Fry up italian sausage and drain grease.

2.  Add 2 cans of coconut milk to sausage along with remaining ingredients.

3.  Allow to simmer on low 20 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent burning but to allow the flavors to meld.

4.  Enjoy on your favorite paleo or non-paleo noodle!

As a side note...my boys enjoyed the sauce but had snacked so much today they weren't too hungry. We paired it with some paleo breadsticks, raw veggies and my homemade veggie dip.  It was such a treat.  You could leave the parmesan out and it would still taste delicious.  I liked it better added to give it the extra tanginess of alfredo.  Either way...it's a great meal with a ton of heart healthy fat for the entire family.

I Feel Like Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tonight!

So...I didn't know what to make for dinner.  A common dilemmna.  However, I had a wide variety of foods in my fridge.  So I knew that I could come up with something.  We had chicken breasts in the freezer a large number of veggies in the garden and time to be had.  So I went bean, cucumber, herb, and tomato picking with my boys and here's what we came up with!

Cucumber Salad

2 cups cucumbers (cut into bite sized pieces)

4 TBSP dill dip (made with sour cream)  Here's a link...

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1.  Mix cucumbers, dip and salt.  Serve and enjoy!

Green Beans with Bacon and Green Onions

2 cups green beans (snapped to size)

4 strips of bacon fried and crumbled

1 green onion minced

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1. Saute green beans and onion in pan with a tiny bit of bacon grease.

2. When beans are tender add bacon.

3.  Serve and Enjoy!

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

8 strips of bacon

1/4 cup mild cheddar cheese (We use Tillamook)

3 Tbsp minced parsley

3 Tbsp minced baby spinach

2 tsp. minced garlic

2 small green onions (minced)

1 small baby red onion (minced)

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Line baking pan with foil. (We all hate the clean-up!)

3.  Lay out bacon strips in pairs on large pan.

4. Finely mince herbs and veggies.

5. Mix filling ingredients together (cheese, feta, parsley, spinach, garlic, and onions).

6.  Thaw and dry chicken.  Cut a 2-3 inch long slice one inch deep down the center.

7.  Stuff chicken breasts and wrap with bacon.

8.  Bake 40 minutes or until done.

So that was dinner!  Enjoy!  Let me know if you try any recipes and how you adapted them.