Spicy Black Beans with Short Ribs and Tomato Salad

Spicy Black Beans

2 lbs beef short ribs

1 lb dried black beans

1 large onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

2-3 tbsp ground chipotle chile pepper

2 tsp ground cumin

32 oz carton beef broth

Water

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 can stewed tomatoes

Put the first 7 ingredients in a crockpot. Add enough water to cover all ingredients by about 2 inches. Cover and cook on low all day (or until beans are done). Add salt and pepper to taste and the stewed tomatoes and continue to cook another hour. Serve over rice with the short ribs. (I added cumin and chipotle powder to the water I cook my rice in for this meal).

Tomato Salad

1/4 cup minced sweet onion (or red onion)

2 large, ripe tomatoes, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

Juice from 1/2 lime

2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp. minced jalapeno

Lettuce leaves, if desired

Combine the onion, tomatoes, salt, pepper, vinegar, oil, lime juice, sugar and jalapeno. Refrigerate for about a half hour. Serve on lettuce leaves (John's fav) OR spoon it over your beans and rice like I do and top it all with a dollop of sour cream! This is SO GOOD!!!

Steak and Bleu Cheese Salad with Honey-Caramelized Onions and Walnuts

Steak and Blue Cheese Salad with Honey-Caramelized Onions and Walnuts

Honey-Caramelized Onions:
1 large yellow onion
1 teaspoon EVOO
2 tablespoons honey
Pinch Salt, if desired

Croutons:
1 (6-8") Baguette
1 tablespoon EVOO
Salt and Pepper, if desired

Steak:
2 (3-4oz each) sirloin steaks, about 1 inch thick
2 teaspoons Lawry's Sweet Basil, Citrus and Garlic Rub
1 teaspoon EVOO

Salad:
3 heads Romaine, coarsely chopped
3 oz grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 ripe beefsteak tomato, diced
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
1 oz blue cheese

Salad Dressing:
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup EVOO
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Make the Honey-Caramelized Onions:  Peel and halve the onion.  Slice halves thinly.  Meanwhile, heat about 1 teaspoon EVOO in a medium sized non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add onions to hot pan and cook until light brown, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add honey and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep brown, 5 to 6 minutes.  Season with a pinch of salt if desired.

Toast the walnuts in another medium-sized nonstick skillet, dry, over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned and nutty smelling.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Make the Croutons: Add 1 tablespoon EVOO to the empty skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Cut the Baguette into 1-inch cubes and toss in the hot skillet.  Cook, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, 3-4 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.  Remove the croutons and let cool.  Wipe the skillet clean and reserve for steaks.

Cook the Steaks:  Rinse your steaks and pat dry.  Sprinkle each steak with 1/2 teaspoon Sweet Basil, Citrus and Garlic Rub on each side of the meat.  Heat the reserved pan over medium-high heat.  Add 1 teaspoon EVOO.  Add the steaks to the hot skillet and sear until steaks reach a temperature of 145^F (about 4-5 minutes per side).  Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Make the Dressing while the steaks cook.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well mixed.  Toss the romaine, tomatoes, walnuts and blue cheese with the dressing.  Season with Salt and Pepper if desired.

Place the salad on each plate and arrange the steak slices over the salad.  Garnish with the croutons and Caramelized Onions.

Serves 2, if one of them eats as much salad as John does!  This could easily served 3 people though.

Adapted from a Home Chef recipe.  The onions in this salad make it absolutely delicious!

Layered Salad

I don’t have a recipe for this.  I’ve been making it for years and just kind of throw it together.  And I don’t bother with putting it in a glass dish to show off the layers.  It tastes really good and serves 3 or 4 people.

2 heads Romaine, washed and chopped

1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and chopped

3 strips thick-sliced bacon, cooked until crisp and then diced

1 ripe Beefsteak tomato, diced

2 tablespoons minced Red Onion

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (+ some for top)

½ cup frozen green peas, thawed and drained

1 ½ cups mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

¾ teaspoon dried dill weed

In a bowl with a diameter of about 9-inches (and preferably with a lid) and at least 3 inches tall, layer the Romaine, the egg, bacon, tomato, onion, and Cheddar, ending with the peas.  Set aside.

Combine the remaining ingredients and whisk until combined.  Spoon over the salad and carefully spread over the top making sure the dressing touches the sides of the bowl all the way around. Sprinkle with a little extra cheese.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

I usually make this the morning I plan to serve it but it keeps really well, so could easily be made the night before without getting soggy.   Over the years I’ve added corn kernels, sliced cucumber, sliced zucchini or yellow squash, chopped broccoli and/or cauliflower and shredded red cabbage.  And we loved all of them!  

BLT Pasta Salad

BLT PASTA SALAD

Ingredients

• 12 ounce corkscrew shaped pasta
• 1/2 cup milk
• 12 ounces lean bacon
• 3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise  
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 4 tablespoons chopped chives
• 5 heads Bibb lettuce, quartered, or 5 cups chopped romaine hearts

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and toss with the milk in a large bowl; set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the tomatoes, thyme and garlic to the pan and toss until warmed through; season with salt and pepper.  Crumble the bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside 1/4 cup for garnish. Toss the remaining bacon and the tomato mixture with the pasta.

Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and 3 tablespoons chives with the pasta until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce; toss again to coat. Garnish with the reserved bacon and the remaining 1 tablespoon chives. Serve at room temperature.  

Cathy's Cole Slaw

1 pkg cole slaw (pre-shredded with purple and green cabbage and carrots)

Sugar

Mayonnaise

Ken’s Lite Sweet Vidalia Salad Dressing

Craisins

Put as much of the cole slaw mix into a large bowl as you will need. Add a tiny bit of sugar (not more than 1 teaspoon for the whole bag). Add the salad dressing to taste and enough mayonnaise to just coat the vegetables. Don’t use too much mayo! Mix in the craisins and chill until serving
time, but no longer than 1 hour.

Variations:

Use whatever salad dressing you like, or leave it out entirely.

Add a bit of celery seed or celery flakes

Add a chopped apple or two

Add a small can of drained, crushed pineapple

Add some grated onion and or celery

Add a bit of orange juice, apple juice or whatever fruit juice you have on hand

Add a spritz of lemon or lime juice (you may have to increase the sugar for this)

PISTACHIO PINEAPPLE SALAD

PISTACHIO PINEAPPLE SALAD

 

2 (3 oz.) pistachio pudding
2 (20 oz.) crushed pineapple
1/2 c. nuts
2 (9 oz.) Cool Whip

Mix pineapple and pudding together, then add Cool Whip. Blend with mixer. Stir in nuts.