Slow Cooker Refried Beans

I am always looking for ways to stretch my dollar.  Isn't everyone these days?  And seeing as how I'm married to a Committed Carnivore, and meat isn't exactly cheap, I'm always on the look out for alternative protein options to add to our meat entrees.  Either as a filler, or as an additional side dish.

I frequently turn to beans for help with this.  Beans are a wonderful source of protein AND are super cheap!!  Now normally on Taco Nights, I'll rinse off a can off black beans (always rinse first; have you seen that preservation sludge??) and add those to the pan of simmering taco meat.  It crosses my mind to pick up a can of refried beans but I always forget, PLUS they can be pretty fattening.

From now on though, refried beans will be a regular attendee for Taco Night, all thanks to this fantastically EASY recipe!!

Slow Cooker Refried Beans
Recipe slightly adapted from 100 Days of Real Food
Prep time: 5 minutes   Cook time: 8 hours

1 medium-ish onion, peeled and halved
2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
1 chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped (leave the seeds in if you like more heat)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Generous pinch of cumin
6 cups water

1.  Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.  Cook on LOW for 8 hours or overnight while you are sleeping.  Although if you can sleep through the perfume of these beans cooking then you have super human sleep strength and I'd like you to teach me your secret.

I think this bag was about a $1.50.  I used half for this recipe.

All that delicious flavor about to come together and work magic.

2.  Remove the bigger onion chunks; drain and reserve the excess liquid.  Mash remaining beans with a potato masher, adding as much of the reserved liquid as you like until you reach your desired consistency.

All cooked!

I left mine a little thicker, more like mashed potatoes.

Ok so about halfway through the cooking time, I pretty much decided that, if by some freakishly weird reason, this would not taste good I would still make it again just for the AMAZING AROMAS wafting from beneath the lid of my slow cooker.  Truly, this smells FABULOUS.  And the taste?  Wow.  You will not get this flavor from any can!!  These are creamy, a little smokey and just a hint of heat from the chipotle.  I'm pretty sure that my bean to meat ratio on Taco Night was about even. In fact, I have a little bit of beans left and I'm thinking a bean-cheddar quesadilla will make for a pretty darn tasty lunch on this snowy day!

Five Layer Mexican Dip

One of my favorite things in the Food Universe is to either develop or discover a recipe for something that is NOTORIOUSLY bad for you and make something good, without sacrificing flavor.

Actually, I prefer this version to it's more fattening, seven-layer counterpart.

5-Layer Mexican Dip
Recipe from Ellie Krieger
Prep time: 20 minutes   Cook time: 8 minutes

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo
4 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 ripe avocados
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno pepper
3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar

1.  Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.

One step for TWO layers!

2.  Put half of the onion mixture into a food processor with the black beans, chipotle pepper, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, cumin, water and salt. Puree until smooth. Set aside.

Prepare to be pulsed.

3.  Add the corn to the skillet with the remaining onion mixture and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro leaves.

I heart cilantro.

4.  In a small bowl mash the avocado with the remaining lime juice. In a medium bowl toss together the tomatoes, scallion and jalapeno, if using. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

It was REALLY HARD to keep from snacking.

5.  Spread the black bean dip into the bottom of an 8 by 8 glass baking or serving dish. Top with the corn mixture, spreading it out to form a single layer over the beans, repeat with the avocado, then the tomatoes. Top with cheese.

Now, is this version as easy as putting together a 7-Layer Dip?  No.  I'll admit it!  It's much easier to open up some cans and plastic containers and layer them all together for a fantastic party spread.  But if you'd like to feel a twinge less guilty eating a yummy Mexican dip, sometimes the tradeoff is doing just a little bit of work, like cooking up the bean and corn layers in this recipe.  I'll say though that these layers are WORTH the few extra minutes to put together!!  The beans are smokey and spicy from the chipotle pepper.  I love how the corn kernals burst in my mouth.  And the avocado and tomato layers are so cool and refreshing; and the cheese just brings it all together.

SUPER YUMMY!!!

p.s. At the party I went on Saturday, after two hours there was only about a cup of this left.  And I'm fairly certain that the rest was consumed not long after I took my boys home for bed. ;)

Honey Chipotle Chicken Meatballs

I really love how simple, common ingredients can be combined into a flavorful and exciting dish.  And bonus points when most of those ingredients are PANTRY staples!!

Honey Chipotle Chicken Meatballs [I know I promised turkey meatballs, but I had a coupon for ground chicken instead]
Recipe adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

1 lb ground chicken
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup honey
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeds removed* and finely chopped
1 tsp adobo sauce
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil


*If you like more heat, leave the seeds in on one or both of the chiles

1.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  Heat a large, oven proof skillet over medium-high heat.

Use up all your garlic on Greek Tacos? 1/8 tsp good garlic powder = 1 clove

2.  In a medium bowl, stir the onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper together then add the chicken to the bowl and use your hands to mix just until combined (do not overmix).  Using your hands, pat the chicken mixture into an even layer at the bottom of the bowl and score into four sections.  Roll three golf ball-sized meatballs from each section (total 12 meatballs).

These brown up quickly so don't walk away!

3.  In a small bowl, stir together the honey, chiles,sauce, and vinegar.

Sweet heat.

4.  Add the oil to the heating skillet. Once it is shimmering, add the meatballs. Cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Move the skillet to the oven and bake the meatballs for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and pour the sauce over the meatballs. Bake for another 5 minutes (turning the meatballs in the sauce at the halfway point), or until the sauce has reduced to glaze the meatballs and the meatballs are cooked through, but not OVER cooked.  Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Gavin thought the red dots were cranberries.

I will go ahead and say that if you don't like much heat, you might want to use only one chile.  Even with the seeds removed, the glaze still packed some good spice to it.  I loved how the sweet honey flavor gave way to the smokey warmth. of the chiles.

You could serve these with anything: rice, pasta, potatoes... They cooked up SO FAST that all I had time to do was throw some scrubbed potatoes in the microwave and steam some frozen veggies.  Dinner on the table in 20 minutes!!