White Bean and Kale Stew

This is a DELICIOUS, quick, and very simple stew that I found on the whole living website and modified a bit to accommodate our preferences (and what I had in the fridge). You can basically add anything you want to it, you can make it more or less spicy as you desire (I spiced it up quite a bit because my husband and I both have head colds and I thought it'd be good for us), and every single ingredient is healthy and nutritious. It's a vegetarian dish that even my husband, the meat lover, ate 2 huge bowls of (after sweetly suggesting that one time, we try it with sausage :))!  Make extra for delectable leftovers!

White Bean and Kale Stew

serves 2-3

The night before:

Put about 1/2 lb white beans to soak in bowl with plenty of water.

To cook beans (an hour or so before making soup):

Pour pre-soaked beans in saucepan and cover with water. Boil/simmer until cooked/soft, about an hour. Drain and set aside.

To make soup:

knob of coconut oil (google says that's about a walnut size up to 2 tbsp)

2 medium onions (I used extra)

sea salt

chili flakes

5 bay leaves

1 tsp smoked paprika (DON'T leave this out! It's what makes this soup so amazing!)

1 tomato, chopped into large chunks

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (the original recipe didn't call for this, but I wanted extra spice)

6 cloves garlic, sliced (I used extra)

2 C vegetable broth

2 1/2 C cooked white beans

2 C packed shredded kale leaves

sea salt and black pepper to taste

olive oil for garnish

1. Heat coconut oil in large stockpot.

2. Slice onions and add to pot with a couple pinches of sea salt, a pinch of chili flakes, the bay leaves, and the smoked paprika. Stir and cook until onions have softened; a few minutes.

3. Add tomato, jalapeno, and garlic. Cook for an additional few minutes, until all vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally.

4. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil.

5. Add cooked beans and season to taste with a little more sea salt and black pepper.

6. Add kale leaves, stir in, and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes. For best results, do not add kale until you know you're ready to serve in 5-10 minutes.

7. Serve in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil on top (I forgot to add the olive oil and it still tasted great).

Next time, I hope to use homemade vegetable broth! Remember to save the stems, ends, scraps, etc. of all veggies in a ziploc bag in the freezer if you want to try making your own vegetable broth.

Serve with bread and butter. Enjoy!!!

Baked Tacos with Homemade Taco Seasoning

I got this recipe from the blog "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" and it was super quick and easy. It's really basic, the meat is flavored deliciously (I'll definitely be using it in other recipes as well), and you can be creative with the toppings :) AND this recipe includes a homemade taco seasoning too :)

Baked Tacos with Homemade Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

1 tbsp chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin (I used WAY less, like maybe about 1/4 tsp)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1. Mix all spices together. Store in airtight container.

Tacos

2 lbs ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 small can green chilies, diced (I used a fresh jalapeno)

1 can refried beans

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

1 recipe's-worth of taco seasoning (above)

2 C shredded cheese blend

18-20 hard taco shells

(shredded lettuce, diced tomato, salsa, sliced avocado, guacamole, sour cream, plain yogurt, lemon or lime wedges, sliced black olives, or any other desired toppings)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In large skillet, brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat. Drain off excess liquid.

3. Return to pan, add chilies, beans, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes if mixture seems runny.

4. Spoon meat mixture into taco shells and place into a 9x13 baking dish, standing up.

5. Sprinkle cheese on top of taco meat and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese has melted and tacos are heated through.

I served these with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, plain yogurt, sliced black olives, and lemon wedges (other ideas: salsa, sliced avocado, guacamole, sour cream... the list goes on!). Enjoy!!!

Baked Chicken Fajitas

These fajitas are so delicious and HEALTHY!!! The worst part about them is the tortillas, and if you use wheat (which we didn't), you're good to go.  Also, there's a recipe for homemade tortillas I'm going to try very soon, so I'll let you know how that goes :) Anyway, I got this recipe from Six Sisters' blog, and it was one of the quickest and easiest dinners I've made; the prep took about 15 minutes and it baked in about 25!

Baked Chicken Fajitas

Serves 4-6

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (about 2 breasts)

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (I just chopped up 3 or 4 fresh tomatoes)

1 4-oz can diced green chilies (I chopped up 1 or 2 jalapenos that I had frozen from the farmer's market)

1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin (I used about 1/2 tsp and it was still too much for my taste, so I'd cut back)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp salt

12 flour tortillas, warmed to serve

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

2. Mix together chicken, tomatoes, chilies, peppers, and onions in the dish.

3. In a small bowl, combine the oil and spices. Drizzle mixture over chicken and toss well to coat.

4. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.

Serve with warm tortillas, lemon wedges, plain yogurt, avocado slices, and a shaker of salt!!! (And if you're Roya, a HUGE Patron margarita!) Enjoy!!!