Black Bean and Chorizo Soup with Rice

This is a recipe I found on Pinterest and slightly altered. I made this once before and really enjoyed it, so I decided to was time to share it with you.

2 cans of seasoned black beans (drained, not rinsed)
32 oz chicken broth (one carton)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1 lb chorizo
white rice cooked according to package directions
fresh cilantro

The first thing I did was remove the chorizo from it's skin. Then I chopped it up in a pan while browning it. 

 
While the sausage is browning, put some olive oil in a large pot and add the onions, garlic, chili powder and cumin. Cook until the onion and garlc begin to soften and release their juices.

 Add the chicken broth and the black beans. Let everything simmer for about a half hour on low heat. 

While the soup is simmering, cook the rice according to package directions. Using an emersion blender, blend up some of the soup mixture to get a creamy consistency.  If you don't have one, you could move some of the soup to a regular blender or a food processor. I probably was a little over zealous, but it was still wonderful.

Once it's nice and creamy, add the sausage to the soup.

For serving, put a little rice in a bowl...

Top the rice with a large ladle of the soup...

Garnish the soup with some fresh cilantro, and enjoy!

*I made this over a month ago, but just finally got around to adding the photos and posting it. Now I wish I had made this soup today so that I could eat some right now.


 

Kale Sauteed with Bacon

Kale is delicious. Bacon is delicious. Together, they are magic!

2 bunches of kale (This stuff really cooks down and we love it!)
4-6 pieces of bacon, cut into small pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Start by removing the kale leaves from their stems. I just  tear it right off the stems.

Next I put it in a colander for a good rinse.

Put the bacon in a large pan and bring the heat to about medium, maybe a little lower.

Once the bacon is about halfway cooked start adding the kale.

Every few minutes you should move the kale around in the pan with some tongs, flipping it over and mixing it up with the bacon.

Continue adding the kale as it wilts down, until it is all in the pan. 

Cook to desired texture. I like to be sure that it is all wilted and some of it is starting to get a little crispy. Add salt and pepper to taste. I don't add any salt because there is enough in the bacon, but I do add freshly cracked pepper.

Slow Cooked Pork Chops with Sauerkraut

I'm kind of in love with my Crock Pot right now. Today is the third time I've used it this week. My dinner plans had to change up a bit at the last minute when I discovered that my butternut squash was rotting on the shelf. I had to think fast and come up with a new plan, so I started looking around the fridge and pantry, and this is what I've come up with...

4 boneless pork chops (You can use bone-in, but this is what I had in the freezer.)
1 2lb bag of sauerkraut
2 large apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium yellow onion, halved, peeled and sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of apple cider or juice

I was going to do this in two slow cooker liners because my husband hates sauerkraut, but after I prepped it all, I discovered that one of the bags was leaking. I started by putting the frozen pork chops in the bag, 3 in one bag, and 1 in another. The bag with three chops got the whole bag of kraut.

I added some sliced onion to each bag.

Then I added the apples.

Next I put in some garlic.

Then I added 1 cup of apple cider to the large bag, and a half cup to the small bag. When I went to put the large bag in the crock I noticed the leak, so I dumped the whole mess into the crock, then put the small bag in on one side, with the whole top of the bag sticking out of the top.

Add salt and pepper to taste, then cook it on low for about 8 hours. I served this with sauteed kale with bacon and mashed potatoes.

 And Hubby's without the kraut...

Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops and Pears

I'm trying something a little different with pork chops tonight and hoping it's yummy...

4 boneless pork chops

olive oil

2 ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and cut into eighths

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp crushed rosemary

1/2 tsp hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)

Salt and pepper

In a large, non-stick skillet, heat some oil over medium heat, then place pork chops into pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper on chops and turn to do the other side. Brown both sides, but don't cook them all the way. Transfer them to a plate. 

Add more oil to the pan if you need a little more. Add the pears and toss them frequently until they start to get browned and crispy. Add vinegar, brown sugar, rosemary and hot sauce and bring to a boil. The sauce will get a bit syrupy.

Return the chops to the pan and cook until cooked throughout. 

I served this with honey glazed carrots and steamed baby Yukon potatoes with parsley. Also, I only put three chops back into the pan because my dad hates vinegar. His pork chop was a bit plain, but he still really likes it. My hubby was a bit concerned because the vinegar had such a strong smell, but he really liked the flavor, so I will make these again. I hope you enjoy!

Crock Pot Ribs

Here's another one that I'm making up as I go...

1/2 a large yellow onion, diced
2-3 racks of pork spare ribs, cut into individual sections (I only have one rack. I didn't really know how much was there because it was given to me, already wrapped and frozen. This will make a nice Superbowl snack,)
Salt and pepper
1 lemon, cut into 8 sections
Apple juice
BBQ sauce

Place diced onion in the bottom of the ceramic insert. Place individual ribs on top of the diced onion. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Add lemon wedges. Cover everything with apple juice and set the cooker on low. Cook on low for eight hours.

 When eight hours have past, using a slotted spoon, remove ribs from cooker. Dump liquid, lemons and onions out of the pot. Put the ribs back in the bottom of the pot. Pour on your favorite bbq sauce with about 1/2-1 cup of water. Put back in cooker for about an hour.

 And the finished product...

Not even close to staying on the bones.


*Extra tip:
I only used about half the bottle of apple juice, and since I know I won't use the rest before it goes bad, I poured the remaining juice into ice cube trays and froze it for future use. I do this with all kinds of liquids. Wine, stocks and broths, juices. Anything that you know won't get used, but you don't want to waste.