Use it/Lose it Day One

Okay folks. Here we go. The "Use it or Lose it" personal challenge has begun. Here are the results from day one...

Breakfast: Greek yogurt with granola and bananas

Lunch: pita bread toasted in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, sliced cucumbers and bell peppers, with Greek yogurt-onion dip (recipe coming soon).

Dinner: Spanish Black Beans and Rice (recipe follows) with sour cream and cheddar cheese; steamed broccoli

Snack: apple wedges with natural peanut butter

Spanish Black Beans and Rice - 8 Points Plus value (does not include sour cream or cheese)
Serves 6

What You Need:

• 1 cup dried black beans (sorted and rinsed and soaked overnight)
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 large bell pepper (I chose red), diced
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp salt
• fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 cup chopped tomato

How it's Done:

1. Cook the beans until almost tender. Puree half of them and return to pot.
2. Meanwhile, saute the onion and pepper in olive oil until tender (about five minutes). Add the garlic and cook and stir another minute or so.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
4. Stir in the tomato, beans, and rice. Tranfer the mixture to a 2 quart baking dish and put it in the oven. Pour water over the mixture until it's completely covered with water.
5. Bake, uncovered, for an hour to an hour and a half, until rice is cooked through. Add more water as needed.
6. Let cool a few minutes before sprinkling with cilantro or chives or parsley, slicing into squares, and serving.

Thanksgiving -- Another Great Recipe for You

I won't be able to post a completed picture of this dish until Thanksgiving, because it's one of the few dishes I insist on making the day of the dinner. However, it's so good that I want to get this recipe into your hands in time for your big day. I'll update the recipe with completed photos once I prepare it. Of course, I could always just make one just for the blog, and another for my family's celebration. However, that's not economical for my wallet or my waistline. I can't resist this dish, so twice a year is all it gets. :)

There are so many versions of corn pudding available to try. Some use saltine crackers. Some use bread crumbs. Some use bell pepper. Some use bacon. Some include green beans. Mine is a result of my family loving corn but not being satisfied with the recipes out there. It takes a while to bake, so be patient. It's well worth the wait.

Buttery Corn Pudding

What You Need:

• 2 cans of corn, drained
• 2 cans of creamed corn
• 1/2 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 a large onion, minced
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups of Ritz-type cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• ground black pepper to taste

How it's Done:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (or, leave it at your turkey roasting temperature). Spray a 9x11" casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray or coat with butter. Set it aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine all four cans of corn, 3/4 of the shredded cheese, the onion, the eggs, 1 cup of the cracker crumbs, and pepper if desired. Pour this mixture into your baking dish.
3. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of your corn mixture.
4. Combine the other cup of crumbs with the melted butter, and sprinkle the crumbs over the top of your casserole.
5. Bake, uncovered, for an hour at 350 degrees, or 90 minutes to 2 hours if you're baking it alongside your turkey.
6. Let the dish stand for ten minutes before serving.

Confetti Spaghetti

Day 14.

We didn't get home from a meeting until after 8:00 this evening. Dinner had to be quick.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb thin spaghetti noodles, cooked 5 minutes



• 2 cups cooked diced chicken



• 1 stalk celery, diced



• 3 green onions, sliced into 1/4" rounds



• 1/4 of a large onion, diced



• 1/2 a green bell pepper, diced



• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies



• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (I make my own, a recipe I'll share another day)



• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese



• 2 Tbsp butter



• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs



• salt and pepper

How it's Done:

1. In a large, microwaveable bowl, combine chicken, pepper, onions, soup, tomatoes with green chilies, and celery. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.



2. Combine with drained spaghetti noodles.



3. Pour this mixture into a greased 9x11" baking pan. Sprinkle cheese over top.



4. Melt butter. Combine with bread crumbs. Spread evenly over casserole. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.



5. Bake for 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Cut into squares and serve.