Mole Rice & Black Beans

Story time!  Did I just hear you groan?!  Can I please tell you about my husband’s annoying hatred for mushrooms?  Therefore making it impossible to put them in anything I make?

I once made a lasagna.  We’re not going to go into great details, but this certain lasagna caused a massive WWIII blowout in our home.  Reasons you may be asking yourself?

Loaded Sweet Potato Fries

This is real life.  Happening.

This is the product of a dinner minus a certain sometimes and somewhat surly man.  I can eat like a vegetarian and love every second of it.  I can shovel all the sweet potato, corn, squash, and other beta carotene loaded veggies into my gullet.  We’re talking endless possibilities here.

 

Shrimp & Chicken Sausage Red Rice

I guess this could be considered a cop-out.  I’ve posted this recipe wh-hay back, and after going through some of my older posts, I become totally mortified.  The pictures were so terrible!  This was before I invested in a good camera.  I know I’m no pro, but it needed updating.

I thought I needed to shred a little light upon this delicious dish.  It has kind of become one of my signature dishes.  I know, I’m kind of the real deal.  I have people making requests on what they want me to cook.  Whenever we have family coming, they always demand I make this.  Notice; demand, like they have a Bo staff on hand and are going to whip me out if I  don’t do as directed.

 

Kale Pesto Veggie Rice With Shrimp

GO BIG GREEN.  That was the simple cheer for my high school mascot; the mighty GERKA.

A Gerka to those of you unacquainted (and sorely missing out) in laymen’s terms: is a waving field of alfalfa hay.  He is a big green alfalfa wave with white boxing gloves.  Hold onto your hats folks because in lil’ old rural Nevada he was not a character to mess with.

Bulgar Summer Salad

Have you noticed that these grain salads are like a cult following?  People are rah-aving about them!  May I pretty please be the leader to this chivy of peeps all coming out of the wood work, abuzz and gabbing about grain salads?  I think this creed should have a signature regalia.  Something that will distinguish our band of followers.

The KKK sport white sheets, lucky.  The Black Panthers get to wear berets, even more fun.  But, I think our signature uniform piece needs to step up the game and show the world we are serious about this love and devotion. Propeller hats, it just  has to be done.  Canary yellow propeller hats to be exact.  This way, the whole congregation is loud and proud about our faithful follwing to the summer grain salad.  Plus, no one will want to mess with us when they see a legion of people, all donning propeller hats.

Black Bean, Spinach, & Red Pepper Quesadillas with Spicy Shrimp Skewers

I was walking into Trader Joe’s the other day and spotted a gold  Cadillac with a bumber sticker that said, “I own this glorious car thanks to glorious womanhood”.  It had a custom decal on the driver’s side door; a silhouette of a woman hands upraised in a shower of shooting stars.  It was empowering.  Plain and simple.  I thought, this lady has a sass all her own.  Any woman bold enough to roar around town like that has to be majestic.  I must meet this wonderful creature and shake her hand.

Well, I never encountered her, even though I perused through the isles somewhat stalker-esq.  My head swiveling around every which way, I knew the second I caught a glimpse of this dying breed that I would know it was her.  Sadly, my day ended in defeat.  But that brought on a totally new idea for me.  

Whiskey Beans

There are a few things that come to mind whenever I think of a big pot of baked beans.

1. Switchblade Sam-that bum from Dennis the Menace.

2. “Baked Bean Teeth”

The two really go hand in hand.  Switchblade Sam-the dirty derelict drifter from Dennis the Menace (Christopher Llyod) was one of my worst nightmares.  Ole Switchblade had dirty fingernails, tattered slovenly clothes, stringy long hair, and he even had baked bean teeth.   All of these things contributing to his lurid appearance.  I used to fear he would steal me from my bed in the middle of the night, peep into my windows when I was home alone, and spear an apple right out of my hand with his grimy shiv.  I eventually outgrew this immense fear of the hobo, thank God.  That was about my junior year of college when I finally put my big girl pants on.

Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

Talk about a real hinnie kicker.  This burg really was the bees knees.  What does that saying even mean anyway?  Last time I checked bees don’t have knees.  Or dooo they?

Now, I do not think I could ever go totally vegetarian, but I must say I really LOVED this burgie.  I wanted to roll into the black bean quinoa mixture and smother my face in it.  I couldn’t stop eating it.  That’s what these crazy burgos will do to you.  Give them the old freshmen try, they will not disappoint you!

Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos

Now listen here folks.  I know some peeps many take offense to a sweet potato snugglin’ up in a bean blankie.   But this girl is surely not one of em’.  I think that these black bean sweet potato tac tacs really get the job done.  We are talking stomach massaging ever loving yum.

This year for Cinco De Mayo we did it a little different in this home.  Sure, I might not have made my traditionalists proud. But hey it can be great to step outside that box every now and again.   I’m not saying we have to go willy nilly and make every taco a vegan friendly, burn our bras, stop shaving our legs, lets dance naki under the stars taco.  Let’s be honest, I’m not about to go Vegan, but it is refreshing to enjoy a meatless day every now and again.  Am I right?  Huh?  Some people need a little convincing with this one, but that’s a different story that I don’t have time or energy to get into right now.