I have heard about the beans for years.  Yes, years!  And I can’t believe I had never tried them.  I first heard about them on the Sonlight forums, where they were made famous by Bethany of For the Love of Grub.

Bethany loves these beans and makes them often and tells the rest of us that we need to be making them.  Everyone who has tried them raves about them.

Do I take the hint and give them a try?  No, I wait 5 or 7 years before it finally hits me that I need to see what the fuss is about.  I mean, it’s just beans, right? They can’t be that much better than canned, right?

Call me a crazy bean lover!  These things are fabulous!

They aren’t spicy, and yet they’re flavorful.  They make a quick dinner, can be mashed or left whole and they’re great for stocking your freezer.

Bethany gives a lot of variations on her blog, but this is how I made them: 

Please ignore the slow cooker that needs to be scrubbed.  It’s okay, Mom.  I promise I scrubbed it and it’s clean now.

You can use these beans in tacos, enchiladas, burritos, etc.  Or eat them as a side dish.

A number of you have asked for a list of meatless meals to have during Lent.  This is a list of my favorite vegetarian or meatless meals. For some of the soups, you’ll need to substitute vegetable broth for the beef or chicken broth in order to make it vegetarian.  I’ve also included fish recipes in this list.

Bean Recipes  

• South of the Border Skillet
• Bean and Cheese Enchiladas
• Lentil Tacos

Soup Recipes

• All Veggie Vegetable Soup
• Cheese Soup
• Creamy Potato Soup
• Corn Chowder
• Shaker Village Tomato Soup – pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich
• Potato Soup – one of my go-to meals
• Pasta Soup
• Broccoli Soup
• Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Pasta Recipes

• Pasta Primavera
• Baked Pasta with Cauliflower and Cheese
• Mac & Cheddar with Broccoli
• Angel Hair with Red Onion and Black Olives
• Ravioli with Red Onion, White Wine and Asaigo
• Broccoli Tomato Tortellini Salad
• Ravioli with Tomato and Onion Sauce

Fish Recipes

• 10 Ways to Fix Fish – No Recipe Required
• Grilled Fish Sandwiches with Homemade Tartar Sauce
• Tropical Tilapia with Pineapple Salsa and Coconut Rice
• Summertime Tuna Tomato Salad
• Salmon Patties
• Garlic Lime Tilapia
• Lemon Pepper Tilapia with Veggies on the Grill
• Shrimp Tacos
• Fish Tacos
• Asian Salmon on the Grill
• Tony’s Tilapia
• Camarones Con Arroz (Shrimp with Rice)
• Tilapia in the Slow Cooker with Garlic Cheese Sauce

Other Good Stuff

• Loaded Baked Potatoes with Homemade Cheese Sauce (leave off the bacon to make them meatless)
• Veggie Pie
• Mexican Vegetables on Cornbread

This post is part of It’s a Blog Party Weekly Round Up.

Dinner doesn’t get simpler than this.

If you’re blessed with tomatoes growing in your backyard, you could start the water, pick a couple tomatoes and have the sauce finished by the time the ravioli is done.

I didn’t have fresh tomatoes for this, so I used canned.  The sweetness of the onions goes well with tomatoes.  Cheese ravioli is a perfect base for the sauce.

Here’s what you’ll need. 

No ingredient photo this time because I was cooking fast and forgot to take one.

This dish is full of flavor – garlic, red onion, black olives, basil, parsley and Parmesan all in white wine sauce.  It pairs up beautifully with grilled chicken, although the chicken didn’t make it into the photo.

Best of all, it is quick to fix.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Boneless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Angel Hair pasta, 1 lb.
• 4 Tbs. butter
• 8 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 ladles of cooking water from the pasta
• Parsley, 1 handful, chopped
• Basil, 1 handful, chopped
• Pitted ripe olives, whole – 6 oz can
• Parmesan, 1 cup shredded

Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients.  There’s really not much to this dish, but it looks long when the salt, pepper and cooking water are listed.

Season the chicken with Kosher salt and black pepper.  Grill outdoors until done.  Slice it thin to serve with the pasta.

While the chicken grills, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Melt the butter in a skillet.  Cook the onion and garlic for a few minutes.  Add the wine.  I freeze wine in zip top bags.  It thaws quickly on the counter.  Let the wine cook with the onions and garlic for a minute or two, then add 2 ladles of cooking water from the pasta.

Stir in the parsley and basil and season the sauce with Kosher salt and pepper.  Stir in the olives.  Drain the pasta and mix with the sauce.  Add the cheese to the pasta and stir to combine.

Serve with grilled chicken.  I also served this with warm bread and Seasoned Olive Oil for Dipping and a green salad.

These have been the handiest things to have stashed away in the freezer.  We’ve eaten them for a quick lunch or when someone needs to have dinner at an odd time.  The heat up in the microwave and taste great.

I read about the idea on the SC Johnson website in a post written by Sandy of The Reluctant Entertainer.  She shared her method for freezer burritos, but didn’t share a recipe.  I took her idea and decided to create a black bean and rice filling.  In just a little time I had 20 delicious burritos in the freezer.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 cups uncooked rice
• 3 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 packages taco seasoning
• 8 oz Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
• 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 20-25 burrito-sized tortillas (didn’t make it in the photo)

Cook the rice according to the package directions.

In a large bowl, stir the black beans and taco seasoning together.  Add the cooked rice and cheeses, stirring to combine.

Fill the tortillas with the rice and beans.  Wrap each burrito in plastic wrap and store in zip top freezer bags.  I had enough filling to fill a few more burritos, but ran out of tortillas.  I did put 20 burritos in the freezer.

To heat, microwave unwrapped on a plate.  For our microwave, 1 minute and 45 seconds is a good amount of time.  Serve with salsa if you like.

This post is being shown off at Tasty Tuesday, hosted by Beauty and Bedlam.

This is more of a method than a recipe.  We ate it for dinner, but if you like a big breakfast, this would be great in the morning.

I used red and yellow bell peppers, onions and Italian blend cheese.  It paired up perfectly with biscuits.

• onion, chopped
• red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers, chopped (I used 1/2 each yellow and red)
• butter for the skillet
• eggs, beaten with a fork (I used 8 or 9 for 5 people)
• salt and pepper to taste
• Italian blend cheese, shredded

Put the butter in a skillet and melt over medium heat.  A couple tablespoons should do it.  Add the onion and peppers and cook until tender.

Beat the eggs in a bowl and add in the salt and pepper.  Add to the skillet and scramble till done.  Remove from heat and sprinkle cheese in, stirring to melt.  Serve with biscuits, toast or muffins.  Add bacon, sausage or ham if you want to make your teenage boy or hungry husband happy.

I like my scrambled eggs cooked so they are still a bit wet and not too done.  I know some people prefer them cooked very well and dry.  How do you like yours?

This tasted like something from a good restaurant.  It can be made in the time it takes to boil water and cook the ravioli.

I found the Asiago cheese in the cheese case near the deli.  It was the same price as Parmesan, which can be substituted if you can’t find it.  The label states that Asiago has a “mild and nutty” flavor.

Oh, I’m detecting nuttiness.

Name that movie.

I’m pretty sure Remy and Gusteau would approve of this dish.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 bags frozen cheese ravioli
• 4 Tbs. butter
• 1/2 red onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups half and half, warmed
• 1 cup Asiago, shredded
• handful fresh basil, chopped
• black pepper, to taste

Bring water to a boil for the ravioli and cook it according to the package directions.

Melt butter in a skillet.  Cook the onion and garlic until softened.  Add the white wine to the skillet and cook for a minute.  Whisk in the half and half.  Stir in the cheese and let melt over medium-low heat.  Add the basil and pepper.

When the ravioli is cooked and drained, combine with the sauce and serve.

This would be excellent with Tomato and Artichoke Heart Salad.

If you don’t drink wine, you can freeze it for other recipes.  If you don’t have wine, you can just leave it out of the recipe.  It won’t be quite the same, but it will still be good.

I’m showing this off at The Green Backs Gal’s Meatless Monday link up.

I made these one day when I had a gaggle of giggling girls here for lunch.  There were a few boys present too.

Thankfully, these were a hit with all of them and they only took 5 minutes to fix.  I’m thinking these may come to the rescue one of those nights when we’re running out to a soccer game this fall.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• flour tortillas
• refried beans
• salsa, any kind or style
• shredded cheddar or jack cheese
• cooking spray

Spray the griddle or skillet with cooking spray.  Spread a tortilla with refried beans.  Slop on the salsa.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Top with another tortilla.

Fry on the griddle or skillet till browned, then flip and brown the other side.  Cut into triangles and serve with more salsa and maybe sour cream.  Munch tortilla chips and carrot sticks and call it lunch.  Or dinner.

Vary the ingredients for whatever you have in your pantry.  Dinner doesn’t have to be fancy.  Some nights you just need to get everyone fed.

I’m showing this off at The Greenbacks Gal Meatless Monday

It’s hot outside.  Super hot and humid.

If you’re looking for a cool dinner idea, this is your recipe.

I wish I could say that I had garden fresh tomatoes for this dish, but my plants have yet to decide to really produce tomatoes.  All I have are a few small green maters that taunt and torment me because they haven’t changed in size or color for weeks.

I’m a gardening failure.  But that’s a whole ‘nuther post.  For this dish I used a couple of store bought tomatoes and grape tomatoes (tragic because this is August) and 3 delicious cherry tomatoes from my garden.

Here’s what you’ll need for the salad:

• 2 bags frozen cheese tortellini
• large bunch fresh broccoli, cut into florets
• about 3 medium tomatoes or the equivalent in cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• handful of fresh basil, chopped

Boil a big pan of water.  Add the broccoli to the pot of boiling water.  A minute or two later add the tortellini.  The pasta only takes a couple of minutes to cook, so you can do the broccoli at the same time.  Once the tortellini is done, drain the water and rinse the pasta and broccoli in cold water to stop the cooking process.  Drain and place into a large bowl, along with the tomatoes.

To make the dressing, combine the rest of the ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid.  Shake it all up till it’s well combined.  Pour over the salad and toss to coat.

You can serve this right away or refrigerate it for several hours or even the next day.  I served this with grilled chicken, because my oldest son revolted at the idea of “no meat!”.  In quotes because those were his exact words and expression.  I don’t see him ever becoming a vegetarian.

What’s your favorite meal when it’s super hot outside?

Please forgive my photo.  I didn’t take the time to plate this before taking the pictures, so you get to see the serving dish and even the cheesy spatula.

I made these for a quick and easy weeknight dinner after scrounging my pantry and fridge for ingredients to pull together a meal.  We all really liked them.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbs. butter
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 packet of taco seasoning (1/4 cup)
• 10 oz can enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack and cheddar)
• 8 flour tortillas

Mash the beans in a bowl.  Melt the butter in a skillet.  Stir in the beans, half the can of tomato sauce and the taco seasoning.  Cook until hot and bubbly.

Mix the enchilada sauce with the remaining tomato sauce.  Pour a bit in the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan and spread it around.  This will help keep the enchiladas from sticking.

Spread some beans on a tortilla and top with shredded cheese.  Roll up and place in the pan.  Fill the rest of the tortillas.  Pour the sauce over the top and add more cheese to the top.   Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I liked that this is a meatless meal we all enjoyed.   How often do you eat meatless meals?