Black Bean and Corn Cakes

So my awesome cousin, Claire, hooked me up with a black bean burger recipe a few months back. I of course, have played around with the recipe and concocted my own creation. Last night was by far my favorite result so far! I recommend serving these cakes with some yellow rice and fresh tomatoes on top! 


Black Bean and Corn Cakes


1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ear of corn, corn cut off
1/2 bunch scallions
1 jalapeño diced
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 egg
salt/pepper to taste


In small skillet saute corn and jalapeño for a couple of minutes in some EVOO, just to heat through. In small bowl, mash black beans and add egg and bread crumbs. Slowly combine corn to bean mixture, you really have to temper the mixture since the corn is hot. Add scallions to mixture last. Ingredients should be rather thick. Try to divide mixture into 4, as you should be able to make 4 cakes out of this recipe. 
Heat small skillet to medium heat and add 2 tbs EVOO. Drop 1/4 mixture into skillet and slightly flatten it to look like a cake. Cook 3-4 min on one side and flip. If you want a little something on top, sprinkle with pepper jack cheese after removing from skillet. One cake, with rice is a serving. Delicious!!! 


Note: If you don't want big bean cakes, you can always make smaller patty size cakes and then you would have 2 small cakes per serving. Those of you with men if your life :), they might like 2 large cakes a serving. 
To reheat, you can heat in the microwave, but they taste better heated in a toaster oven. 

Em's Mexican Pizza

So when you are eating on a tight budget, you become quite creative with every ingredient you have on hand. I am big fan of Mexican flavors and one of my favorite restaurants, The Roosters Beak, has a Mexican pizza that they make with a tortilla. The possibilities of toppings is endless and you can really make it your own by what you choose to put on top. What is pretty awesome about this recipe is that you can individualize each pizza. How great for someone with a spouse? You can finally have something the way you want it and he can be happy too!! Woo hoo! The following recipe is my version, and I must say it is tasty! I made 2 pizzas, so I would have leftovers. 1 tortilla will serve 1 person. To reheat the next day, I recommend taking the time to reheat in an oven or toaster oven to keep the crispness of the tortilla. 


Notes/Tips:

• Both tortillas and cheese freeze very well and thaw out quickly. You can pull out as many tortillas as you need at the time the morning of and they are ready by dinner time. You can also pull out a bag of cheese and place it in the fridge the morning of and it too will be ready for you by dinner. 
• Other meat suggestions: ground beef, chorizo, or keep it vegetarian and just use beans.
• If you like tomatoes, they are a yum-o topping once the pizzas come out of the oven. 

Mexican pizza ingredients:


1 cup black beans
1 cup shredded chicken(rotisserie chicken is great for this)
scallions( they come in bunches at the grocery, I used half a bunch chopped)
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 pkg Old El Paso taco seasoning divided(1/2 for the chicken, 1/2 for the sour cream sauce)
1 cup of a variety of cheeses( I used pepper jack, sharp cheddar, mozzarella) note: this is 1 cup total
sour cream sauce(see recipe below)
2- 10 inch tortillas
1 cookie sheet
1 cooling rack


Sour cream sauce ingredients:


2 heaping spoonfuls of sour cream
cilantro(I use the cilantro in a tube from the produce section, not as potent as fresh)
1 jalapeño pepper
1/2 pkg taco seasoning


For the sour cream sauce: In a food processor combine all ingredients until jalapeño is completed chopped and blended.


Preheat oven to 400. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place cooling rack on top. Both tortillas should fit on top. In small saucepan heat chicken and season with 1/2 pkg of taco seasoning. (the other 1/2 is in the sour cream sauce). I also heat the corn with the chicken.  Place a spoonful of sour cream sauce on each tortilla. You can determine how saucy it is :) Evenly distribute beans, chicken, scallions, and corn on each tortilla. Sprinkle each pizza with your choice of cheeses. Don't over do it with the cheese on these, remember its a tortilla not pizza dough. (I know I know, shocking that I just said don't over do it with cheese!!!) Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and tortilla is browned. I cut mine into 4 pieces and like to dip it in sour cream and salsa. Enjoy! 

Asparagus and Prosciutto Pizza

This next recipe is an oldie but goodie in my cookbook. I discovered this recipe 5 or 6 years ago and it is delicious and a different way to use asparagus! The original recipe called for fancy cheeses that they average single teacher can't fit in the budget. So I tweaked it and incorporated some more affordable cheeses. Also if you don't care to buy a pack of prosciutto, consider going to the deli and having them slice it for you. Since it is supposed to be cut super tihn, you might save some money by buying it by the slice/pound!  It may sound strange at first, but trust me....once you make it you will be in love! 

Asparagus and Prosciutto Pizza

fresh pizza dough (Publix and Trader Joes carries it)
10-12 asparagus spears(buy them thin......not sure how well the thick ones would do)
3-4 slices prosciutto(cut into pieces)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 cups mozzerella cheese
salt/pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 375.
Sprinkle cookie sheet with flour or corn meal. Work out pizza dough to fill a cookie sheet.....a rectangle shape works best for this pizza bc of the asparagus. Spread ricotta cheese and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Lay asparagus across pizza leaving a little space between each spear. Sprinkle prosciutto over top. Cover with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Did you know??

that you can split a brownie mix in half! Once again I had a craving and a box of brownie mix sat in my cabinet. I decided to measure out the dry mix and see just how much was in a box. Come to find out it is 4 cups of dry brownie mix. So why not use half and make less brownies? Oh and why not splurge and top your brownies with a cream cheese frosting?! Yes please! This treat is perfect to make the same night or week you make my yummy risotto as I used mascarpone cheese in the frosting. Also I make them in a cupcake pan, so these would also be a nice treat to pack in a lunch during the work week!


Brownies for 1 (or 2!) This recipe makes 6 brownies.


1 box brownie mix
1 egg
1/4 cup water
2 Tbs oil
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips(optional)
1/2 chopping walnuts(optional)
cupcake pan
cupcake liners


Heat oven to 350. Trick: If you don't want your chips/nuts to sink in your brownies, toss them with some of the dry brownie mix in a separate bowl before adding them to the batter. 
In bowl mix half your brownie mix with egg, oil, and water. (you can save the rest of your dry mix in a ziploc bag or container for another time) Line cupcake pan with 6 liners and equally distribute your brownie batter. 
Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 
Let cool.


Frosting: 
2 oz cream cheese: softened
2 oz mascarpone cheese
1 cup powdered sugar


In bowl mix 3 ingredients. Frost cooled brownies, and feel free to sprinkle with a few extra chocolate chips! 


Serve with an ice cold glass of milk!

Black Eyed Pea Salad

Busy in the kitchen tonight! Trying to eat healthy can get boring at times. I was on a salad kick for a while, but am quite tired of chewing lettuce! As my dad would say, "too much work"! :) So I got to thinking of what I could make as an alternative to salad that would make a tasty lunch. For those of you that might take your lunch to work, this might be a great option! Black eyed peas are a great source of protein, and this recipe uses canned ones so you don't have to cook them. Woo hoo! 

Black Eyed Pea Salad:

1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 fresh cob of corn, corn cut off of cob

1 bell pepper, diced

1 jalepeno, seeded and diced(use a half it you don't want so much heat)

1/2 onion diced

1/2 cup Italian dressing

In small container mix all ingredients. Refrigerate! Make the night before, as it will get better after it sits for a while. Serve as a yummy side item or eat for lunch. Serves 4 sides or 2 decent sized lunches. 

Asparagus Risotto

It's been a few days since last post....I am slacking! The next recipe I will share is a new favorite and it is cooking on my stove as I type. I am a huge fan of rice and in the past few years have become a lover of risotto. For those of you that think it is complicated it isn't so don't be afraid! It is a great base for any meal and you can even make it a meal itself by adding a protein(scallops are great!) Once you get the hang of the concept, you can add whatever you like to the risotto. Peas, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, pepper, etc. Anyways, asparagus is in season and last week Rachael Ray made an asparagus risotto. I of course decided to make it and ended up tweaking it along the way. for you meat lovers out there, a piece of grilled chicken or some tilapia would be delicious served along side. 


Asparagus Risotto:


1 bunch of asparagus chopped into 1-2 inch pieces (anywhere from 5-10 spears)
1 cup arborio rice
3-4 cups chicken stock(1 box)
2 garlic cloves smashed and diced
1/2 onion diced or 1 shallot diced(shallots are as yummy but a little milder then an onion)
3-4 fresh thyme sprigs
2-3 Tbs mascarpone cheese(SO worth the investment)
2 Tbs butter
1/2 cup FRESH grated Parmesan cheese(again the fresh makes a world of difference)
salt/pepper to taste


Preheat a large skillet to medium heat and add 2 Tbs EVOO. Add onions, garlic and thyme and saute for a couple of minutes. Add rice and saute until rice appears translucent. To mixture add 1 cup chicken stock and reduce heat to low. Once liquid is absorbed, add another cup. Continue process until rice is al dente.(takes about 30 minutes total) Once rice is cooked, pull out thyme sprigs. Add asparagus and cook through about 2-3 minutes. Remove risotto from the heat and add butter, parm, and mascarpone and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 2 healthy portions as a meal or 4 sides. 

BBQ Chicken Pizza

The next recipe is one of my favorites and it is SO easy! I always plan ahead and have this the night after I have grilled chicken for dinner. Simply throw an extra chicken breast on the grill and you are one step ahead!


Ingredients:
fresh pizza dough(I know Publix and Trader Joes has it)
1-2 chicken breasts grilled.....depends on how much chicken you want
BBQ sauce(I use Sweet Baby Rays)
1 red onion sliced(not diced)
1 cup mozz cheese


Now the following recipe is to make for one. If you want to serve more then 1, use all of the pizza dough.
Preheat oven to 400.
Cut your pizza dough in half. Freeze the other half for a later time. Work your pizza dough to the desired size. I like thin crust so I really work it as thin as I can get it. Place on a cookie sheet sprinkled with a little flour or corn meal. Take chicken breast and shred. Mix with some bbq sauce, enough to coat. Cover pizza dough with bbq sauce. Again, put as much as you like. Next add mozz cheese, chicken, and onion. Bake at 400 for 15-20 or until cheese is melted. Serves 1! 


Note: If you don't have a grill, feel free to cook chicken in a skillet.