Black Bean Soup. Arriba!

Something about bean soup just makes sense.  It’s a comfort food for me.  After watching the horrible news unfold about the Tornados that hit Moore, Oklahoma, I knew I needed soup.

This soup is both easy to make and VERY tasty.  It’s great for a meat-free Monday menu but you can absolutely add some bacon for added kick.  I top mine with homemade Pico De Gallo, shredded cheddar, light sour cream, and toasted corn tortilla.  You can’t go wrong. 

Here is what you’ll need:

• 3 cans of creamed black beans (16 oz. each)
• 1 cup of fresh salsa (I use the store bought kind in the refrigerator)
• half  yellow onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 cups of water or chicken stock
• Toppings of your choice (tortilla chips, pico de gallo, shredded cheddar, sour cream, avocado)

To start, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Toss in onion and salsa, let simmer about three minutes.  

Add in all three cans of black beans and 1 cup of water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce head and let simmer for 10 minutes, pouring in the rest of the water gradually and stirring.  You can use more water for a thinner consistency or less water for a thicker soup.  It’s a matter of preference.  If you can not find creamed black beans, you can mash regular beans once heated to make the creamy soup.

That’s it!  Peace o’ cake.  Then just pour and top.  Enjoy!

I certainly enjoyed this soup today, as did Stuffed Husband.  However, our hearts are still heavy for those affected by Monday’s tornados. While we do not always understand why things happen, we can pray for those in their hour of need.  Our hearts are with you Oklahoma.

 

Peace, love, and praying for Oklahoma,

The Hungry Wife

 

 

Pacing with pals and roasted veggie penance.

Some days I have great ideas for a post, I gather and edit pictures, and then sit  at the computer with coffee and a purpose.  Two hours later I completed nothing…except for three games of Murder, She Wrote (yes, this actually exists).  God help me if it isn’t one of the most addicting games for the computer.  In any case, I am well intended but easily distracted thus I haven’t posted here in far too long.

Last month Stuffed Husband and I participated in the Crescent City Classic 10K for our first time ever!  This race is one of  the biggest races (possibly THE largest) in New Orleans.  This year was the 35th anniversary in fact.  We really enjoyed sharing this race with two of our favorite running buddies.

Scooter and JenJen

One of the most wonderful parts of racing is building a community of running pals.  Stuffed Husband and I are lucky enough to have friends like this.  Scooter and JenJen are two of our favorite friends to celebrate holidays and milestones with so it makes sense that we would enjoy racing and post-race celebrating with them.

Pacing buddies.

Often we splurge after races.  When I say splurge I’m not talking an extra serving of a light meal or just indulging in dessert.  Nope.  We go all the way.  I’m talking cheesy tater tots, fried catfish, beers, and MORE beers.

Matt double-fisting it!

Naturally, I have to work on balancing out my post-race gorge fests with lighter fair as the weekend goes on.  Next time you need to lighten things up to pay for your dietary sins, try tossing veggies in olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Pop them in the oven for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.  Divine, I tell you!  

Roasted Veggies

Roasted vegetables are great as a side, with whole wheat pasta, in a wrap, or on a salad.  So much flavor and SO little guilt.  Here’s how I topped off a salad with mine.

Salad with roasted veggies, Tempeh, and roasted tomato.

Do you have a quick recipe you use when you need to lighten up your next meal? I would love to hear about it!  Maybe you have a pacing buddy who you love to indulge with?  Tell me your favorite part of having a friend to put away miles with or why you prefer to run alone.

Peace, love, and pacing pals,

~The Hungry Wife

Fuel for the distance: Three Bean Chili

Lately I’ve been really enjoying my outdoor runs.  Some mornings it is still pretty chilly out around these parts.  In fact I’ve had to go as far as wearing a hat and gloves on the mornings we have had a “hard” freeze.  Whatever that means.  Luckily Stuffed Husband is quite the motivator and was willing to take the run with me.  He’s just selfless like that.  Well, selfless and competitive.

Saturday Speedwork

Anyway, I’ve found that refueling after these bitter cold runs can be tricky.  My body wants something hearty and warm.  Naturally, I turned to chili.  Interesting, I wanted chili when I was feeling chilly.  hah.  Oh no, I’m developing my father’s sense of humor…AKA cheesy. This three bean chili was ridiculous easy and made SO MUCH friggin’ chili that I had to freeze half of it.  I suggest halving the recipe if your family is small like ours.  The recipe can be found here.

3 bean chili

I forgot to take a picture of the chili after I added the corn.  In the future, I would probably leave the corn out anyway.  It seemed unnecessary given that I made cornbread to eat with it.  Too much corn is well…too much.  The recipe is easy as pie to follow.  Just buy a bunch of cans of stuff and a packet of chili mix.

Cans O’ Stuff

Chop up some onions and garlic.  Try not to cry uncontrollably.  I did.

chop chop chop

Dump it all in your slow cooker and set it on high for 3 hours, then go for a run.  The running part is an essential part of the recipe.  If you don’t run, you’ll just never get that homemade chili taste just right.  No really!  Would I ever lie to you?

Slow cookers are awesome.

Serve up a bowl after a nice long run.  Maybe top it with a little cheese and/or corn chips.  I served mine with cheese and a side of cornbread.  Definitely hit the spot!  Not only is this recipe crazy easy, but the health benefits are undeniable.  Plenty of protein and fiber from the beans and a serving of vegetables in the diced tomato, corn, onion, and garlic.  Good stuff!  Stuffed husband even used the chili later in the week to make tacos with!  Brain and brawn with that guy.

Stuffed Husband

Do you have a go-to recipe you rely on for recovery after a long hard work out?  I’d love to hear about it.  Share your recipe with me in the comment section below or post a link I can follow.

Peace, Love, and Foodie Fuel~

The Hungry Wife

Tasty Chickpea and Avocado Tacos

Almost 10 months ago I made the personal decision to stop eating meat.  Stuffed Husband was supportive of my decision, as he always is, but made the personal decision for himself to not give up meat  He has a thing for bacon…and ribs…and pulled pork…and flank stank.  I completely respect his decision to continue to eat meat as I still go weak in the knees at the smell of bacon.  For me, choosing not to eat meat had to do with my sensitivity to seeing animals mistreated and total shock when I learned about the types of hormones and genetic engineering used by major producers of meat in the United States.  But enough of that, I’ll get down from this soapbox now.

Chickpea and Avocado Tacos

Often I try new recipes in hopes of finding foods that can satisfy my flavorful cravings.  I stumbled across this recipe while reading Redbook magazine in my dentist’s waiting room.  I also stumbled upon a brilliant workout plan from Gwyneth Paltrow in that same catalogue.  Naturally I only retained the recipe.  For the full recipe, click here!

This recipe was ridiculously quick, easy, and pretty healthy to boot.  When I wasn’t looking, Stuffed Husband stole a bite and then gave himself away when he told me it was surprisingly tasty.  Now let me be clear, chickpeas will NEVER be flavorful in the way meat is.  Just isn’t going to happen.  However, these chickpeas do have delicious flavor and are full of fiber and protein, so that’s pretty exciting.  To take the yum factor to the next level I baked several corn tortillas in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1o minutes.  This way you avoid the fat gained when frying them AND you still get that satisfying crunch.

In my last post I offered a challenge to get active.  While I am addicted to running, I am also trying to integrate other activities to give my body a break from the wear and tear running can do to my body.  My goal is to fit in at least one or two body pump classes or a bootcamp or two.  I would love to get some inspiration from your active life.  Let me know how you are getting physical this week by commenting on this post.  

It looks like that guy I married could use a little motivation to move as well.  We’re all a work in progress.

Peace, love, and lazy sundays,

The Hungry Wife

Burning calories to consume them.

There are no secrets to weight loss.  Take in less, burn more, lose weight.  BOOM! Mind blow, I know.  Healthy living is easy to talk about, difficult to commit to all day every day.  So I keep a balance by being physically active so I can enjoy the sweet treats and cool beverages I so enjoy.

Heart Shaped Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies

In 2012 I started running.  And this was the first time I ran without being chased.  My whole life I wanted to be a runner.  In high school I desperately tried to keep up with classmates but asthma, self-consciousness, and a bouncy booty kept me from really embracing the sport.  Let me be clear, I am not a runner in the check-out-my-speed kind of sense.  I am a runner in that three to four days a week I hit the pavement for 3-5 miles at a roughly 10 min/mile pace.  More competitive runners might call me a jogger.  I would call them annoying.

In any case, with Stuffed Husband’s undying support and patience, I became a runner.  I ran three 5K races and a Turkey day 5 miler in 2012.  It’s safe to say I’m addicted.  I didn’t start off running 3 miles, in fact, I started off walking on a treadmill for 20 minutes at a time.  As I gradually felt more confident, I added five minutes here and there.  Before I knew it I was walking 60 minutes at a brisk pace without a problem at all.  This is when I knew my body was capable of more!  So start somewhere, start small, just START!

Tipitina’s 5K 2012

Now that I burn 300-600 calories on an average run, I can enjoy beer, gummy bears, and queso from time to time without having to move back into my stretchy jeans.  You know the kind.  They are the ones you wear when you’re “retaining water”.  Exactly.  

Scraping the bowl of queso.

It took a serious amount of reflection to realize that I needed to challenge myself to really see what I was capable of accomplishing.  Let me tell you, we are ALL capable of so much more than we realize!  So, to help aid in motivating others I’m proposing a challenge.  Challenge for February:  Do something physical, big or small, at least twice a week.  It can be roller-skating for 20 minutes, yoga in your living room, or going for a jog on that dusty old laundry rack, ahem, I mean treadmill.  I promise you won’t regret it!  Let me know what activity you’ll be challenging yourself with in the comment section!

Peace, love, and pushing boundaries-

~The Hungry Wife

Mardi Gras Gris Gris

Every year some 50 days before Easter Sunday the city of New Orleans parties so hard the whole place has to shut down for a few days.  When I say “shut down” I mean even banks, schools, and commercial institutions cease normal productivity to make way for the big P-rades!  I call parades, P-rades.  It just sounds cooler.  This year was no exception.  We partied, paraded, ate too much, caught beads, and even enjoyed a share of boiled crawfish.  Mardi Gras 2013 was a total success!

Mardi Gras 2013

Alas, Mardi Gras season came to an end and my waistline is quite relieved.  I’m sure you can relate.  It’s similar to the relief found when Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years holidays finally end.  With that I decided to grab a trashbag and clean the junk out of the fridge and pantry.  If I have it at home, I’m going to eat it.  It does not mean I can never have a treat.  There will be plenty enough chances/temptations encountered in the rest of life so I try to keep our home a safe healthy haven most of the time.

Mardi Gras Munchies and Libations

I’m happy when Mardi Gras season comes, I’m thrilled when it goes.  My goal is to eat clean all week, primarily non-processed foods.  Fruits and vegetables all the way.  Try this:  next time you fix a meal, think of making a rainbow.  Ideally, you want at least three colors on your plate.  For example, one of my favorite meals is a stuffed sweet potato (orange), roasted asparagus (green), and grapes for dessert (purple).  Additionally, stuffed sweet potatoes are easy and quick for the nights you get home late and stahvin’!  I “bake” mine by washing it, sticking it in a ziploc back with one inch unsealed, and then nuking it in the microwave for 5 minute increments until it’s nice and soft.  The bag locks the moisture in perfectly!  To stuff the potato try mixing two tablespoons of black beans, a tablespoon of light sour cream or plain greek yogurt, a tablespoon of salsa, a tablespoon of corn, and a tablespoon of avocado with your potato “guts” then stuff it back in the skin.  Top with cheese and broil until melted and bubbly in the toaster in oven. DEVOUR!

Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potato

The above picture is credited to FoodieBliss, a fellow female blogger whose recipes are simple to follow and totally tasty.  Click the link above and check her out.

So now that Lent season is in full effect, what are you sacrificing this year?  I chose to give up fried food which was fine in my mind until I realized that included french fries and kettle cooked chips.  I feel the cranky cravings kicking in any minute.  Poor Stuffed Husband.  Is it Easter yet?!

Peace, love, and Mardi Gras Detox,

The Hungry Wife

Spaghetti with meatballs

Sometimes Dinner in our house looks like this

Hot Cheese Steak Sandwich

Sometimes it looks like this.

Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Then there are days it looks a little more like this.  Mhmm, that’s right.

Molten Chocolate Chip with Whip

 

A few nights back I had a pound of ground beef in my fridge and a taste for Italian fare in my heart.  Here’s what dinner looked like on that particular night.

It'sa pasta with a' meatballah. (Read like Luigi)

 

Meatballs are a fun and easy way to make boring ground beef a little more exciting.  It also effectively covers all bases for the hubs: Meat=beef, carb=pasta, and veggie=tomatos in red sauce.  Ok, so I’m stretching it a little with the vegetable but hey, who’s going to stop me?!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 package angel hair pasta, cooked al dente
• 1 20 oz jar of your favorite red sauce
• 1/4 cup of red wine
• 1 small yellow or white onion
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• Shredded parmesan, mozzarella, or provolone to top.

Instructions:

1. Start by dicing up your onions into 1/4 inch pieces.  Next, finely dice the cloves of garlic. 
2. Place half the onions and half the garlic into a large mixing bowl.  Add the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, and seasoning.  Mix together using your hands.
3. Place a large skillet on the stove over low heat.  Add olive oil and remaining onions and garlic.  Cook for 3-5 minutes or until translucent.
4. While onions and garlic cook down, divide beef mixture into 6 equal pieces and roll into balls using both hands. 
5. Once onions and garlic have cooked down, add meatballs to the skillet and allow to brown for 3 minutes.  Turn meatballs over to allow for even browning.
6. Next, pour red sauce and red wine over meatballs in skillet and increase heat to medium high.  Once sauce begins to boil, lower to a simmer and cover with a lid.  Let cook covered for 20 minutes.
7. Serve meatballs and red sauce over warm pasta.  While still hot, top with cheese.
8. Enjoy!

Peace, love, and piping hot meatballs~

The Hungry Wife

 

Country Style Ribs

That guy I married really, really, really likes meat.  He likes it so much that he thinks he needs to eat it pretty much everyday.  Crazy kid.  Anyhow, I have made it a personal goal to learn new ways to cook up that ole animal carnage.

Walking through the store one day this past weekend, Stuffed Hubs and I came across something called Country Style ribs at the grocery store.  Now, I have heard of short ribs and plain old regular ribs but I ain’t never heard o’ no country-style ribs.  We bought them anyway.

After doing a little reading about common ways to prepare them, I decided to use what I had in the kitchen, throw it in the slow cooker, pray, and hope for the best.  It worked!  Here is what you will need to make these sweet carnivore treats.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs. of country-style ribs (i’m sure any rib cut would be fine)
• 1 cup of bottle barbecue sauce
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of honey
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar (packed)
• 2 tablespoons of worcestishire sauce
• 3 tablespoons of mild bottled hot sauce
• 5 cloves of garlic
• Seasoning salt
• Black pepper

Instructions:

1. Start by getting that guy you married to pull that heavy crock pot out of the cabinet and onto the counter where you can reach it.
2. Season the ribs on either side with a generous amount of seasoning salt and black pepper.
3. Coat the slow cooker with olive oil and drop in your ribs.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together all other ingredients.  Pour the mixture over the ribs carefully.  Be sure that all the ribs are coated.  You can use tongs to toss them around if necessary.
5. Set the slow cooker on low for 7.5 to 8 hours.
6. Serve em up with corn on the cob, sweet potatoes, or nothing at all.  They’re delicious all on their own!

I can see making this for friends or just for a Sunday lunch.  The fact that it’s put together in a crock put makes it a real breeze and clean up is so quick your husband won’t mind doing the dishes at all.  Right?

Peace, love, and ribs that will stick to your ribs~

The Hungry Wife

Playing hookie…sort of.

I have a midterm exam today.  Let me repeat, I have a midterm exam TODAY.  This is my way of convincing myself to stay focused and study, study, study.  But in the meantime, why not blog about my latest means of procrastination, reading food blogs?!  Also, did I tell you I am now a “Featured Foodie” on RecipeLion???  Check it out.  It’s like, totally awesome.

After my trip to the International Food Bloggers Conference this past August, I was approached by a fellow blogger about the possibility of publishing with RecipeLion.  100 emails and 5 brownies later, I’m a published wanna-be cook!  Miracles still happen!  Do me a favor???  Take a look at my page.  Tell me what you think. Bake me a brownie.  Ok, I’ll settle for your two cents on my page but if you have extra oreo that would be great too.  Yes, I have chocolate on my mind at 7:52 in the morning.  Lay off.

And just because I love you more than marshmallow puff in a jar at midnight, here’s a list of a few dishes that caught my eye this week.

1. chocolate chip toffee bars.  because as you know, chocolate is my weekness.

chocolate chip toffee bars

2. Cajun chicken pasta.  Noodles and spicy chicken. I mean, duh!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

 3. Slow cooker apple butter. An absolute must for fall.

Apple Butter

 4. Texas Chili.  A meal to warm your bones.  I love one pot meals!

texas-chili

5. Biscuits and Sausage Gravy.  A perfect morning demands sausage gravy.

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

And just because I am so willing to put off studying to spend time with you (aka procrastination)…here’s another picture of those rotten little pups I love to cuddle with.

Peace, Love, and Publishing like a big girl~

The Hungry Wife

Cupcake Cones fit for a Princess…or Prince

This past weekend a dear friend’s daughter turned THREE years old!  Princess Kae had a party fit for royalty.  I decided that this birthday party would be the perfect opportunity to try out a recipe idea I came across while browsing Pinterest last week.  These sweet treats are cupcakes baked into ice cream cones and topped off with frosting and sprinkles.  Let me just tell you now, EVERYONE loved them!!  Even the parents of other children at the party were thoroughly impressed.  I earned a pat on the back for this one.  The best part??  Little Miss Kae told me the cupcakes were her favorite.  My heart melted instantly.

This little website shows a basic tutorial for these treats.  As for ingredients for the cupcakes, you could certainly make a batter from scratch if you’re into that sort of thing.  If you are like me and really enjoy boxed cake mix, go for it!  I purchased funfetti cake mix for this batch because it’s fun for the kids and well, because I love funfetti too.  I even bought frosting from the store.  I added sprinkles and a few plastic blingy rings on top of the cones for the girls and dinosaurs for the boys.

Make these for your favorite kiddo, make these for yourself, make these for no reason at all!  They’re delicious and precious.

Peace, love, and princess party cupcake cones~

The Hungry Wife