at home with ann

Continuing my recent obsession with cornbread, today we have tamale pie.  I've never made tamale pie before, but now that I have it's going into the regular rotation.  Similar in concept to shepherd's pie or leftover Thanksgiving pie, the protein, vegetables, spices and sauce make up the bottom layer with the carbs on top, and the whole thing gets baked together.  In this case, sort of a taco bottom with cornbread topping.  This recipe is merely a starting point, as with many things, you can customize it based on your tastes and whatever you have on hand.  Tamale Pie Serves 6-8 Ingredients: Olive or canola oil 1 package ground turkey (mine was 20 oz.) 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 3 chiplote peppers in adobo sauce, minced 1-2 teaspoons cumin 1-2 teaspoons chili powder kosher salt and ground black pepper 1 14 oz. can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes 1 recipe cornbread 1 jala...

Loosely based on Healthy Tipping Point's Santa Fe Casserole, this is a basic rice and bean based combination plus a whole bunch of vegetables, and a topping of melted cheese.  I think it would also freeze well, just double wrap in foil after cooked and then reheat in a 350 oven.  Southwest Casserole 1 cup brown rice, cooked according to package directions canola oil 1 onion, chopped 1 large bell pepper, chopped 1 jalapeno, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tomato, diced 2 ears corn, kernels removed 1 15 oz. can red beans, drained and rinsed 2 eggs, beaten 3/4 cup milk 3/4-1 cup cheddar, shredded While rice cooks, heat oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Saute onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno for a few minutes until soft.  Add in the garlic for the last minute. In a large bowl, combine the cooked vegetables, rice, tomato, corn, and beans. Pour the eggs and milk over the top. Spread in a casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle ...

Hello wonderful readers!  We had a fantastic time in Alaska last week, and if I ever finish sorting and editing the 200+ photos I took, I will share a little recap with you.  When we arrived home at noon on Saturday after traveling since 7AM Alaska time on Friday, I can assure you that I had no energy to cook or shop for food.  So, when I woke up inexplicably bright and early on Sunday, I hustled over to the market to restock our kitchen before the weekend masses descended on the store.  Aside from a few setbacks (forgetting my shopping list and a crazy delay at the deli), I escaped with food for a few days, and a great meal planned for dinner last night. As you know, we love cooking on the grill.  Charcoal grilling can be a lengthy process, so we reserve it for weekend evenings when we don't have anything else going on.  Lounging around on the porch waiting for the coals to heat often results in us eating dinner on the late side, but it's always worth th...

I am a huge proponent of leftovers for several reasons.  First, I hate wasting food.  Good food is expensive, so I don't like to throw it away.  Second, they're easy, and most people don't want to cook something elaborate for every meal. You might think because I have a cooking blog that I do, but I don't.  I time things so you don't have to see that I eat egg sandwiches all the time. These leftovers use the remnants from last weekend's chili recipe: extra black beans and diced red onion. Barbecue Black Bean Quesadilla You can put almost anything in a tortilla with a little cheese and call it a quesadilla. Ingredients: Whole wheat tortilla Barbecue sauce Black beans Red Onion, diced Shredded cheddar cheese Quantities will vary depending on the size of your tortilla.  Mine was about 8 inches, and I used about a T. of sauce, 3 T. of black beans, 1 T. of onions, and 3 T. of cheese. I folded the tortilla in half and popped it in the toaster oven ...

I love my crock pot.  It does all the things it claims to, and never fails in making a perfect dish.  From pulled pork or chicken, to beef stew, to mulled apple cider with rum.  It's all good.  This chili recipe takes about 15 minutes of prep time, and then you can ignore it for the rest of the day.  You can even do the prep the night before, put the whole thing in the fridge overnight, and cook it the next day.  As with many of my recipes, you can alter this any way you want by switching up the vegetables or beans to suit your tastes.  Crock Pot Vegetarian Chili 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 jalapeno, chopped 2 Tablespoons ground cumin 2 Tablespoons chili powder 1 Teaspoon oregano 1/2 Teaspoon salt A few grinds black pepper 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes 2 14 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed 1 14 oz. can small red beans, drained and rinsed 1-2 cups water Optional...

Despite what it may appear like on my blog so far, I do eat things other than comfort foods like nachos, pasta, and banana bread.  I do not, however, think anyone would be very interested to see pictures of a pita stuffed with hummus and spinach.  Today I am lightening things up a bit, though.   There was a can of salmon in the pantry and a batch of great northern beans in the fridge calling my name.  As a result, Salmon and White Bean Cakes came together. Salmon and White Bean Cakes 1 6oz. can salmon (I used boneless, skinless, wild Alaskan.  You use whatever you feel like, and, of course, fresh works too) 1 cup white beans (as I mentioned, I used great northern, but any white bean would work) 3 green onions, sliced, white and light green parts 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning 1 egg 1/2 cup bread crumbs, for coating In a large bowl, mash the beans with a fork.  You don't have to mash them all, just enoug...