Mom's Baked Beans

I realize this isn't really Paleo, nor is it the healthiest recipe I've ever made. But if you start these the night before, put a little extra water in the crock pot, and cook on low overnight, you have baked beans for/with breakfast! And it's so much nicer than opening a can. And yes, this is my mom's recipe. Ingredients: 1 1lb bag dry navy beans 1 cup water 1 cup ketchup 2 tsp dry mustard 2 Tbsp dark molasses 1 medium onion, chopped 1 large slice of bacon or about 2 Tbsp sliced salt pork a dash of salt and pepper Pour the dry beans into a large pot, sifting with your fingers a bit to check for dead or black ones. Cover with twice as much water and bring to a boil, then simmer on stove top for 25-30 minutes.

Turn burner off and let sit for at least 1 1/2 hours. Drain beans and add to crock pot, along with all other ingredients (slicing the strip of bacon into little chunks), mix well.

Cook on low at least 6 hours, or as long as you want (if overnight, add a little extra water before you go to bed).

Black Bean Soup

It isn't easy doing the single-parent thing, even if it is only for a few months. I managed to keep the baby entertained via the flashing-light toy on the tray for her highchair. Thankfully, this recipe takes 30 minutes (at the most) to make.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 14.5 oz. cans black beans
1 regular-sized can of vegetable broth
salt & pepper
1 1/2 tsp dried or 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped), divided
6 oz. tub of light sour cream

Saute onion in olive oil in the bottom of your soup pot.

When onion is translucent, add the cumin. Cook 30 seconds, then add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add 1 can of beans, drained and rinsed, 1/2 tsp cilantro, and the can of vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

Once simmering, turn off heat and put into a blender (in small batches, transferring to a temporary bowl if need be) until all is blended. Return to the soup pot and add the second can of beans, straight from the can, along with a few shakes of salt and pepper and a little more of the cilantro. Heat on medium until just simmering.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a little cilantro as a garnish. Serves 4.

Easy No-Cook Faux Taco Salad

So, after about 4 hours of not napping and screaming whenever I put her down, the baby FINALLY took a nap on my lap while I sat on the couch reading a book. After this stressful day, I didn't want to cook anything fancy or spend very long making dinner, so I made the fastest thing I could just for myself. This recipe serves two, so I can have it again for lunch tomorrow, and give the baby whatever avocado is left over.

Ingredients:

1 can of black beans
1/2 jar (or 1 cup) mild salsa
1 bag of mixed salad greens, or the same amount of chopped dark leaf lettuce
1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 Tbsp chopped avocado
(I threw in half a chopped cucumber because it was sitting in my fridge and that tasted great with everything else as well)

Drain and rinse out the beans in a colander. Mix them in a small bowl with the salsa.

Fill a salad bowl with the greens (and cucumber if you want it), then top with the bean-salsa mixture. Sprinkle some cheese and avocado on top of that, and you're done. This tastes great, and is really cheap to make.