Black Bean and Ham Soup

I am not a soup lover. In fact I have several, um, "yucky" experiences with soups and therefore I tend to stay away from them. However, there are just some days that require a warm and cozy meal. Yesterday was such a day.

As I was making out my weekly menu and grocery list, the weather turned ugly. Dark clouds, howling wind and pelting rain against my window. I decided that it was a perfect night for soup. (Of course, in true Vermont fashion, by dinner time it was sunny and 40 degrees. I just can't win!)

Anyway, it turned out delicious. In case anyone is in need of something yummy to cook for dinner tonight, here is the recipe I used.

GATHER:
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion (or 2 small shallots), diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
2 cans black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes (or 3 fresh tomatoes, diced)
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 cup frozen corn
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup cubed ham
2 limes
1/4 cup cilantro (or half a bunch)
1 avocado, sliced (optional garnish)
sour cream (optional garnish)

COOK:

Heat olive oil in large pot (I used my slow cooker). Add in onion and garlic; sauté until onion is translucent. Add in beans, tomatoes and corn. Pour in chicken stock- just enough to cover ingredients. (I don't like extremely watery soups, so I added less than I originally planned. Probably only 3 cups.)

Season with chili powder and/or salt and pepper- to taste.

Let cook on high in crock pot, or med-high on stove, for 2 hours. Then add in diced ham and the juice from the 2 limes. Continue cooking 1 hour, or until the ham is warmed through.

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. (I found mine needed more chili powder, but I like things a bit spicy.)

SERVE:
Serve garnished with dollop of sour cream, sliced avocado and cilantro.

BBQ Meatloaf

I grew up eating meat loaf. It was one of my mom's 10 go-to recipes. In order to get my brothers and I to eat it she added a cup of salsa to the mix. Anything with salsa is yummy in my book. I had planned to cook mom's version several times, but my hubby's grimace every time I mentioned it kept me from trying. He was not a meatloaf fan, at all.

That is, until I came up with this little recipe. This meat loaf is now his favorite meal of all time. And best of all, it's super easy to make.

GATHER:
for the loaf...
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 grated cheese
salt/pepper, to taste

for glaze...
2 tbsp favorite BBQ sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 tbsp honey

COOK:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease baking dish.

In a medium sized bowl, combine ground beef, egg, bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of cheese. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Form beef into loaf and place in the baking dish.

Tip: Place two slices of bread on the bottom of your dish before adding the meatloaf and the bread will soak up all the extra grease.

In a separate bowl, mix together all ingredients for the sauce. Spread over the meat loaf, coating all sides. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

Bake for 30-45 minutes.

SERVE:
I usually serve this with a fresh, green salad and couscous.

Enjoy!

About Me

I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, niece, cousin, friend and dog owner.

I have lived in the south, on the west coast, and now up in the northeast. I consider myself a Texan at heart, but I love, LOVE the beach. And someday I promise you, I will leave this frozen tundra and live on the paradise that is The Beach (sans Leonardo DiCaprio).

I also love, LOVE vanilla bean ice cream and French fries (cue my husband rolling his eyes). I am addicted to Starbucks Black Iced Tea- tall, no sweetener, extra strong, please. Thanks much. Mmm, yum. Perfectly satisfying.

Oh, where was I?

I crave a really good book and I read really fast. I would list my faves here, but that would take forever. Maybe someday I'll post something all about the books I adore. But for now, we will move on to other things.

I love, LOVE music. It is a huge part of my life... and a huge part of how I met my soul mate.

Speaking of soul mates....
The hubs and I were married in June of 2004. He is my best friend. Truly, he is. He is also the love of my life. I love just about everything about him, except for maybe___ oh, also I don't care for___, and___ is really annoying; but mostly I just love him.

Oh, I should mention that I converted for him. Yep, that's right, I am now a Red Sox Fan. That's commitment, serious commitment, folks. But he is TOTALLY hot, so it's all good. ;)

Our son, Jaron, was born in May of '07, so he's new to all this craziness. But oh, how I love him! His smile melts my heart in 0.1 seconds. Seriously, I am head over heels people! (He too is a Red Sox fan. We start 'em early around here folks).

Oh, and the VERY most important part is this; I love the Lord Jesus Christ. I desire to serve Him in all I do. He is worthy of all the honor and glory I can give Him (and more than that, too)! I am human, I screw up, a lot. I am not perfect. But I strive to live a life that honors my Savior.