Roasted Bell Pepper Salad

Green bell peppers were on sale so I used red and green. If red bell peppers aren't too expensive, you can use two red bell peppers.
You will need
2 Bell Peppers
Onion
Red wine vinegar
Oil
Avocado
Salt and pepper
Place washed bell peppers on the burners of a gas stove and blacken. Keep turning them until they are black. Rinse and peel off the blackened portion. Cut into slices. Slice Onion and avocado. Mix Oil and vinegar. Toss together and add salt and pepper to taste.

Boliche Mechado

Boliche Mechado is a Cuban Pot Roast with Spanish Chorizo. I had it the other night when we went to a really yummy Cuban restaurant the other night in Downey and had this dish. It was so good and I thought, I need to figure out how to make it. So, today I tried it and it was really yummy. It wasn't the same, but, it was good none the less... and my husband liked it. That is the real test.
I used a cut that was labeled Pot Roast. What kind of cut exactly, I'm not sure.
You will need:
Pot Roast
Crushed Garlic
Lime juice
tomato sauce
beef broth
cumin
oregano
bay leaves
red wine
salt
onion
Potato
bell pepper (1 red, 1 green)
Smear crushed garlic on the beef and pour a little lime juice (both sides)
Let it marinate for about 30 minutes. Generously cover with cumin.
Puree the bell peppers and onions in a food processor to make sofrito
Cut beef into strips and add salt.
Heat oil in the bottom of the pot and brown the beef (be careful not to let the garlic burn). Cut the chorizo into slices (on an angle) and saute in the pan. Add beef broth, tomato sauce, red wine, and the sofrito cover the meat completely. Add oregano and bay leaves. Cover and simmer for about two hours. Cut potatoes into bite size pieces and add to the pot. Add more beef broth if needed to make sure the potatoes are completely covered in liquid. Raise the temperature and bring to a boil. Reduce the temperature and continue to cook until the potatoes are fully cooked.
Serve over rice.

Navy Bean Soup

Navy Bean Soup

1 lb navy beans

7 cups chicken broth

8 ounces tomato sauce

2 ham hocks

1 cup ham, chunks

1 onion, diced

1 -2 carrot, diced

1 -2 stalk celery, diced

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

8 -12 peppercorns, in a teaball stainer

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 23 mins

Rinse and sort out navy beans.

In a crock pot cover beans with 4 cups of chicken broth and soak overnight.

Next day: Do not drain off broth.

Add 2 more cups of chicken broth.

Add remaining ingredients .

Cook on high 3 to 4 hours until ham hocks become tender.

Remove meat from hocks and cut into small pieces, return to mixture.

Continue cooking on low for another 6 to 8 hours.

You may have to add additional chicken broth if soup too thick. If too thin add instant potatoes.

Copy Cat Potato Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

8 cups peeled and cubed potatoes


2 cups peeled and chopped onions


4 cups chopped celery


2 teaspoons salt


4 cups half and half


6 tablespoons butter or margarine


1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese


4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; optional garnish

Directions:

Place potatoes, onions, celery and salt in water to cover in a large pot. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Put in blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade and puree until chunky. Return to soup pot; add half-and-half, butter and cheese. Stirring, simmer until piping hot. (Do not boil.)

God is Good!

My new goal during this time of unemployment is to create meals for $10 or less. On occasion, I might set a budget of $15 (especially on Friday nights). So I will think about what I can make that my husband will like, that we haven't had, and/or that will be cheap. Every time I think about a dish to make, I get to the grocery store and the meat needed for the dish is on sale! Gotta love it. I made tacos the other night. Well for me, it was a taco salad, but surprisingly my husband liked the tacos.

When I make the ground beef for the taco meat I add tomato sauce (just a small 8 oz can), water and sometimes the frozen potatoes diced into small pieces (obrien hash browns). I let it reduce with the seasonings and it really makes it tasty! Adding a little chorizo makes it yummy too!

I don't usually buy the taco shells that are pre-made but the other day they were on sale and it was $1.25 at Vons for 12 and the corn tortillas (which are hard to find in a package less than 3 dozen) were more expensive. Hmm. they weren't bad either.

You may be asking what does this post have to do with God being good? Well, I think He gives me the ideas for the food to make and prompts me on which local market to shop at. But that's just my thinking...

What, No Rice? Potatoes Instead?

Americans reach for the potatoes when they imagine the perfect side dish; Italians reach for the pasta, and Cubans reach for the white rice. My husband as I have mentioned before is Cuban. So sometimes when I cook something that he ate in Cuba, he will expect that I serve it with rice. Like last night. I was just going to fry some eggs for him but I was going to serve them with a potato dish instead of rice. A country style potato with sauteed onions and green peppers and seasoned with cumin, garlic powder, and salt.

He tasted it, and loved it.

I sauteed the vegies first and then I added the potatoes (the frozen cubed o'brian potatoes) and pan fried them for a few minutes. I wanted the potatoes to get a little crispy so I put the mixture in the oven to finish by roasting them. I put the eggs on the top and he loved it!! Score 2 for potatoes...

Cheesy Potatoes

Potatoes (white or red, not russet)

Cream Cheese

Butter

Garlic

Onion Powder

Parsley Flakes

Paprika

Milk

Worcestershire sauce

Sharp Cheddar Cheese (grated)

Cut potatoes in slices and boil in salt water

Don't let them cook too much because you don't want them to turn into mashed potatoes. Drain the potatoes and put them back in the pot.

Melt the cream cheese and butter in sauce pan with garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Take off the heat and add seasonings. Add the cheese, stir until it all melts and pour over the potatoes. . Put the mixture in a baking dish and add additional cheese sprinkled over the top, and parmesan cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.