Black Bean Chili

Yaaa!  I took my own picture!


Super easy weekday meal.  I love meals that only require me dumping ingredients into a slow cooker!


Thank you Martha Stewart!  You can print the recipe off from her site.


The only changes I made were too the toppings...I added cilantro and cheddar with the sour cream and onions that the recipe recommends.  I wasn't sure if it's possible...but it is...I did add a little too much cilantro to mine (pictured above).  I'd probably cut it back a bit next time.

Chicken and Cheese Tostadas

Can you tell I love Mexican food?  I'm pretty sure I make something like this once a week.


This one is super easy and pretty quick too....and guess what...it's not from Tasty Kitchen.


I can thank Kraft Canada for this one.  I love the seasoned baked tortillas with the topping...it makes for the perfect crunch needed.


Here are the changes I made...

First...please stop wasting your money on buying the taco flavoring packs.  You probably have most of the ingredients in the cupboard...so make your own.  I used a taco seasoning recipe I posted awhile ago, but left out the flour this time.

You don't need to measure out how much to sprinkle on your tortillas..just lightly sprinkle some on.

I used 3 chicken breast halves and that made enough for 5 good size servings.

I only had 2 large tomatoes...which seemed to be enough.

Don't be a sucker and go buy the "kraft shredded cheese"  shred your own.  I had monterey jack, so that's what I used.

The chicken took longer than 5 minutes...but it still was a quick dinner.


If you have any questions...just ask!


I loved this one!!  Loved it!

Crab Macaroni and Cheese

photo from Tasty Kitchen

I have decided that until I can cook in daylight hours and not under the worst lighting ever, I'm just going to keep using the pictures from the websites I got the recipe from.  The pictures I have taken, make the food look horrible.  Is everyone okay with this new plan?

Anyways...I made this for dinner last night...DELICIOUS!  I have my favorite go to recipe...that I love...but thought I should maybe try something different.

Once again Tasty Kitchen comes through.  I love how their site is set up for browsing through recipes....I think that's why I go there so much.

I believe the Baked Crab Mac-n-Cheese was a feature recipe one day.  I served mine with a tossed salad and it was a perfect meal.

Here are the changes I made:

I don't have a scale in my kitchen so I just dumped about 3 or so cups of elbow macaroni in the pot.

Instead of using loaf bread, I just used bread crumbs, because I did have some on hand.  I didn't measure...I just sort of guessed the amount.

I used dry parsley and regular salt (not Kosher salt).

It doesn't say what kinda of milk to use...I just used skim.  For the cream, I used light half and half.

I didn't have old bay seasoning and didn't want to go buy it just for this, so I just googled recipes on line...lots to pick from.  I didn't even have all the ingredients of the old bay recipes, but it turned out fine.

I used old chedder and gruyere because that is what I had.

It was very easy! Let me know if you try it!

Coconut Hot Chocolate

photo from tasty kitchen

There are no words to describe how much I love coconut and chocolate together.  A couple of years ago I was in Blendz and they had it as their feature drink...coconut and milk chocolate mocha's....I was addicted.

When I go to any coffee places (other than Starbucks) I always ask if they have coconut flavouring...some look at me like I'm crazy and some get super excited because "omg...they love it too".

I was browsing around my favorite recipe place, Tasty Kitchen, and found Coconut Tres Leches Hot Cocoa...I knew I had to make it.

On the weekend we had one of those stormy dark nights (the power ended up going off 3 times and staying off until early in the morning) and I made some of this.  I'm glad I got it done before the power went out.

IT WAS SO GOOD!!!  I didn't sway from the recipe at all...I knew it would be heaven in my cup right from the start.  Since it was only me drinking it, I put the rest of it in a sealed jar in the fridge.  The next day I heated it up...still good.  Then the next day I just had it cold....even better!  

I will be making this over and over again.  Next time I might try mixing some coffee in there to give a more mocha type taste to it.

Let me know if you try it!!

Fast Chicken Quesadillas

Here is what you need...

I use the same cooked chicken and pico de gallo that I use when I make my burritos.



Put a good layer of cheese on your tortillas

Then add your chicken, corn and beans

Scoop some pico de gallo on 

Top with more cheese...and yes...I did end up adding cheddar (I ran out of Monterey Jack)

Put another tortilla on top

Grill or fry or bake and serve with sour cream

Delicious!

Sesame Chicken

I feel like such a fraud....another picture I did not take.  Here's the thing...When I'm making dinner, it's dark outside and we only have flourescent lighting in our kitchen...not good, right?  I think I need to build myself a light box or something.


Anyways...I made this for dinner last night.  I loved it! Of course, I love all things sesame...unless it's sesame pie...I don't like pie.  Is there such a thing as sesame pie?


Okay...that is not the point.  I found this recipe on good ol' Martha Stewarts page. You can go there to print it off.


The changes I made were pretty small.  I used white rice instead of brown, because that's what I had.  I also read in the comments to double the sauce, which I did and I'm glad I did...so good on the rice!  I also used toasted sesame seeds.


Some of the comments said it lacked flavour, but I didn't find that.  Maybe the ones who said that, didn't double the sauce...I don't know.


Anyways...super easy perfect weekday meal.