Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

E: Another great recipe if you are looking to take a break from all the meat in your life :)

Ingredients:
2 C. black beans, cooked
½ C. red onion, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
4-6 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
Pinch of salt and pepper
8 corn tortillas
Hot sauce, Salsa, Sour cream, etc to top

Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, add beans along with red onion, cilantro, and spices. Add a pinch of salt and lightly mash all of the ingredients together. Grate your cheese and have it ready as well.
2) In a large, non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet, add a few tablespoons of oil and heat over medium-high heat.
3) Add one corn tortilla at a time and let each get hot in the oil for a few seconds. Then add about 1?4 cup of the bean filling to one half of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese.
 4) Using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape.
 5) As the first tortilla cooks, move it to the side and do a second one. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to get 2 or 3 tacos at once. If you have a griddle you can do even more at once.
6) Cook each taco for about 3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned and crispy.
7) When flipping the taco to cook on the other side, use a spatula and flip the taco toward the fold so the filling doesn’t fall out.
 8) Serve tacos with toppings like hot sauce, salsa, avocados, and sour cream.

No-Grill Steak

E: Here is the no-grill steak recipe that we made while you were here visiting. I will NEVER make steak the same way again. Not only is it much easier than grilling, it actually tastes better. I loveeee making this recipe. It's based on making 2 filet mignons but you can pretty much apply it to any cut of steak you are making



Ingredients:
filet mignon - 2, 8 ounce filets
kosher salt - 4 teaspoons
freshly cracked pepper - 4 teaspoons
butter - 1 stick
olive oil - 1 tablespoon
garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
parsley - 1 tablespoon, chopped
thyme - 1 tablespoon, chopped
lemon zest - 1 teaspoon

Directions:

1. Take 1/2 stick of butter, softened, and mix well with the peeled, chopped garlic, the chopped herbs, and the lemon zest. Form into a log and refrigerate. (I usually mix all the ingredients together and then roll the log of butter in the mixture)
2. Generously season the filet's with salt and pepper, approximately 1 teaspoon of seasoning per side.
3. Heat the remainder of the butter (1/2 stick) and the olive oil in a cast iron skillet to a screaming hot temperature
4. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Sear the filets in a screaming hot pan for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until a nice brown crust has formed.
5. While the steak is searing, continue to spoon the residual butter in the pan on top of the meat while it's cooking.
6. Once both sides are seared, place in the center of the oven for about 6-8 minutes, depending upon how thick your steak is. In the last minute of cooking, take the log of compound butter and slice a nice thick piece to place on top.

Falafels

E: I found this recipe in my new Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I feel like Sam & I eat chicken all the time so it was nice to have something vegetarian for once. So if you are looking for something that is out of the ordinary, but still super yummy, this recipe is for you! This recipe is super quick to make and Sam's friend, Matt, is a huge falafel fan and this recipe received his stamp of approval!

 Ingredients:
1 15oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
 1/4 cup of coarsely shredded carrot ( I just put a carrot in the food processor and pulsed a few times)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pita bread
1 cup of spinach

Directions:
1. In a food processor, combine beans, carrot, flour, parsley, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 garlic cloves, coriander, salt, cumin, and black pepper. Cover and process until finely chopped and mixture holds together
2. Shape mixture into 4, 3 inch patties. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add patties. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until browned and heated through
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together mayo, 1 clove garlic minced, and cayenne pepper. Spread mixture over pita bread, top with spinach and patties

The Best Chocolate Cake

This cake is fantastic! I am not a huge fan of sweets or cake, but this is really delicious. I topped it off with chocolate buttercream frosting and it was excellent!

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (I didn't have any buttermilk so I combined one cup of milk with one tablespoon of lemon juice, let it sit for 10 minutes and viola! Instant buttermilk
1 cup strong black coffee
 ½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13×9×2-inch baking pan. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa(s), baking soda, baking powder. Mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined.
3. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about two minutes; the batter will be thin. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

 Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted!)
3 1/2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract
4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Instructions
1. Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Turn off the mixer. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.

Chick-fil-a Nuggets

\These nuggets are really good and really easy. They didn't taste exactly like Chick-fil-a, more like just regular nuggets but the sauce I made with the nuggets made all the difference!

Ingredients:
1 lg egg
1 cup milk
1 lb. skinless and boneless chicken breasts
1-1/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
canola oil for frying

Preparation:
1. In a large bowl whisk milk and egg together
2. Place chicken on counter and cut into cubed bite size pieces; 3. Put the chicken in the milk mixture and mix so that all is coated and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes
4. In another large bowl combine the dry ingredients listed above and stir
5. In cast iron pot or sauce pan pour in oil so that its at least an inch deep on med/high heat
6. Remove the chicken from refrigerator and place into the flour mixture and make sure all the chicken is coated with the flour and then place into the hot oil
7. Cook each side for at least 2-3 minutes or until golden brown

Chick-fil-a Sauce

 1. 1/2 cup mayo
2. 2 tbsp. mustard (regular prepared yellow mustard)
3. 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
 4. 1 tbsp. vinegar
5. 2 tbsp. honey Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl an viola!

Roasted Basil Butter Parmesan Shrimp

Best. Shrimp. Ever.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

E: Wow, sorry I haven't posted in forever. Get ready to be bombarded with recipes!

Ingredients:

1 C long-grain brown rice (I used Uncle Ben's Brown Rice, but any long-grain rice will work.)
4 large green bell peppers, bottom trimmed, cap end cut off and diced, and seeds removed
1 large onion, diced
2 tsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil
2 links (about 8 ounces) turkey Sweet Italian Sausage (or other sausage of your choice.
 1/2 tsp. ground fennel
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions

2. Preheat oven to 375.  Cut off a fairly generous amount of the stem end of peppers, then remove seeds. Place hollowed-out peppers in a baking dish that you've sprayed with non-stick spray or olive oil.

3. Remove stem part from the pepper caps and trim off any white membrane, then dice pepper caps and the onion into fairly small dice. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large skillet, then saute diced pepper and onion for 3-4 minutes, until they are starting to soften but aren't browned. Remove pepper-onion mixture to a bowl, add 1 tsp. more olive oil, then squeeze sausage out of the casing and cook until it's lightly browned, breaking apart with the back of the turner.

4. Put the onion-pepper mixture back into the pan with the sausage, add the dried spices, and saute 2-3 minutes to blend the flavors. Then add cooked rice and Parmesan cheese, season the mixture with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, and cook just long enough to warm, about 1-2 minutes.

5. Stuff the filling mixture into the hollowed-out peppers, using a spoon to press the mixture down so it's tightly packed into the pepper shell. Bake peppers for 30 minutes, then remove from oven and put a generous pinch of grated mozzarella on top of each pepper. Put peppers back into the oven and bake about 10-15 minutes more, until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Serve hot.