Kale, White Beans and Bacon

1  bunch mixed kale
1/3#  bacon - sliced or chopped
2 big  cloves of Elephant Garlic - or
10-12 cloves of regular garlic
1 can  Cannellini beans (white Italian kidney beans)
Angel hair or spaghetti, cooked, drained and rinsed
2t powdered chicken bullion
Fresh ground pepper

Fry the bacon until crispy, then drain on paper towels.  Chop, wash and cook the kale 15-20 minutes, in a little water in a covered pan.  Meanwhile, saute' the garlic until barely browning in about 1T each: bacon drippings and butter.  Ad the rinse, drained beans and several handfuls of cooked pasta.  Stir and saute' this 5 minutes or so.  Add bullion if needed, fresh ground pepper and the drained, cooked kale.  Toss and serve with shaved Parmesan cheese. . .Lin

Chicken Florentine Soup

4oz    leftover chicken breast meat

3 cl.   garlic

1 med  onion

2 lg    stalks celery + tops

1-2T  extra virgin olive oil

3/4c   seasoned couscous, rice, barley or quinoa

8oz    fresh spinach

1 can well rinsed & drained black beans

Cut chicken in small pieces and combine with sliced-chopped vegetables and olive oil.  Saute' 5 minutes then add couscous and 3 cups of water or chicken stock.  Simmer another 5 minutes.  (Rice or quinoa will take longer.)  Chop and wash the spinach in a salad spinner.  Add spinach and VERY well rinsed and drained black beans.  If they're not rinsed enough, you'll have some really odd colored purple soup.  Stir, heat a few more minutes - check and correct seasonings if necessary.  Serves 2-4. . .Lin

"Chorizo" Potatoes and Black Beans

This ended up way different than the original ingredients would indicate.  The Barbecue sauce and red beans were not used.  Just after this photo was taken I got a call from someone who was going to make me some authentic Mexican Chorizo, saying it was ready to pick up.  Ohhh, I was excited!

Well, apparently there's a bit of a language gap between us.  What I thought I was buying was spicy sausage, what I got is more like a spicy red meat sauce!  Ahhh, but one thing that never changes in life is - change.  So here's the new, changed recipe.

1-1/2# baby potatoes - scrubbed and cut into chunks

2  stalks of celery

1  lg yellow onion

1/3 lg green pepper

1  can black beans - drained and rinsed

1 c chorizo mystery sauce or other spicy red, meat sauce

Sauté the potatoes, celery, about 1/4 of the onion and green pepper in 1T butter.  Cook and stir 5-10 minutes.  Chop and add the rest of the onion, black beans and spicy meat sauce.  Cover and simmer on very low until potatoes are the way you like them. . .Lin

A Break - For Lunch On The Grill

I was so hungry a while ago and since I hadn't eaten yet, decided to make this breakfast-lunch-and-dinner in 1 — for 1 hungry girl. . .I found lamb at the grocery store yesterday - so it seemed logical to take a mid-day break and cook one of the chops on my new grill.  A little barbecue sauce on the rinsed, drained kidney beans and onions, butter on the carrots and pepper over all.  I coated the lamb chop with some of my Rosemary Seasoning, left it stand for 5 minutes or so and it was good to go.

 

All the accompaniments were cooked-reheated in a foil bowl while the lamb did its thing.  Lamb, leftover carrots, beans and onions.  I've never made lamb chops before, so grilling them was an adventure and it all turned out great.  .  .I'm loving' this grilling thing! . .Lin

Buffalo Hot Dogs, Potatoes and Black Beans

1#   Buffalo 'Wieners' - cut in chunks

1 lg onion -  rough chopped (1/4 finely chopped)

1/2  green pepper - quartered and sliced thin

4     sm-med Yukon Gold potatoes - scrub and cut in 1/8's

1 14.5oz can Fire Roasted diced tomatoes
1 15oz    can black beans - rinsed and drained


The garbanzos and barbecue sauce weren't needed.

Put hot dogs and finely chopped onion in a heavy pot with 1T butter.  Saute' 5 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients except the beans.  Simmer, covered 15 minutes until the potatoes are almost done.


Add beans and heat another 5 minutes. . .Lin