Spicy vegetarian chili

This soup was made for my Soup & Sandwich Swap event, which you can read about HERE for more recipes and pictures.
Betsy’s spicy vegetarian chili

1 teaspoon olive oil2 medium onions, chopped1 medium green pepper, chopped1 medium red [...]

Tostaditas with Black Bean & Scallop Ceviche

Tostaditas with Black Bean & Scallop Ceviche(sadly, no picture available since we ate it all up!)
For the black bean spread:original Joelen recipe1 can black beans, rinsed & drained2 tablespoons finely minced cilantro3 tablespoons light sour creamsalt & pepper to taste
In a bowl, mash black beans to paste, leaving it slightly chunky for texture.Add remaining [...]

Black Bean Soup

The following recipe was shared at my Caribbean dinner event. You can read about it and get additional Caribbean recipes from the event HERE.
Black Bean Soupshared at the event by Tricia & Barneyrecipe HERE
10 slices bacon, finely chopped2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)6 garlic cloves, pressed1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth1 1/2 [...]

Cajun Caviar

The following recipe was prepared for my Chef Spotlight Dinner highlighting New Orleans chefs. You can read about it and get other recipes from the event HERE.
Cajun Caviarshared at the event by Ruthrecipe can be found here
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can black eyed peas, [...]

Just Grill It!

It’s a gorgeous Saturday here in Chicago and we’re taking advantage of our grill. For lunch, I made this Dijon Tarragon Grilled Chicken which used up some random ingredients I had on hand. I served this with a portabello mushroom & spinach pilaf too!Here’s the recipe for Dijon Tarragon Grilled Chicken:

1/3 cup chopped fresh (or [...]

Leftover Lasagna Fiesta!

Finally, the cooler weather has set in! I’ve dug up some leftovers from my freezer and found a chicken & black bean filling waiting to be used up. This filling was initially made for my previous Calzone/Ravioli party a few weeks ago. It includes shredded chicken, sliced bell peppers (green, red & yellow), onions, garlic, [...]

Tex mex chopped salad

Tex mex chopped salad w/spicy roasted chicken
& cilantro lime vinaigrette…
Spicy Roasted Chicken:cut up chicken piecesolive oilSeasonings: 1 teaspoon of eachsaltblack peppercuminchili powderonion powdergarlic powderpaprikasazon seasoning w/cilantro
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Combine all seasonings in a small bowl and mix.Season chicken pieces with seasoning mix liberally.Place seasoned chicken in dutch oven.Pour olive oil over chicken.Bake in [...]

Green Chile Pork Stew

My Green Chile Pork Stew
Here’s the recipe for my green chile pork stew:
2-3 pounds pork spare ribs, cut up1 large onion, diced3-4 cloves garlic, mincedextra virgin olive oil to coat bottom of pan1-2 large tomatoes, chopped2 small cans of diced green chiles2 cups chicken broth2 tablespoons cumin1 can black beans, rinsedJuice of 1 limegarnish – [...]

Enchiladas with Sweet Surprises

After having leftovers and boring hot dogs the past couple days, today I made dinner using a unique recipe shared by my friend Cara. She introduced me to the idea of using sweet potatoes and black beans as fillings for burritos. Well, I felt adventurous and made pork filled enchiladas using sweet potatoes and black [...]

Mojito Mama..

After a slight break in posts, (since I didn’t have anything blog worthy to add with previous meals), tonight I made dinner at home using a Trader Joe’s simmering sauce called “Cuban Mojito.” A Mojito is a traditional Cuban cocktail which became popular in the United States during the late 1980s, and has recently [...]