lime – Page 4 – The Pajama Chef

SRC: Black Bean and Rice Soup

June 1, 2014August 28, 2014 Sarah

This month for the Secret Recipe Club I was given the wonderful Sarah’s blog, Things I Make (for Dinner). Note that the URL of her blog reads “oreos and cool whip.” How fun! Be sure to read her about page for an explanation of that! 🙂 Sarah’s blog is full of tasty recipes, which isn’t a surprise since she has such a great name! She lives in Ontario with her husband and loves challenging herself to try new recipes, especially from magazines. As always I found many many recipes to try, but had to choose one–this awesome Black Bean and Rice Soup! If I had had more time, I would have made this Strawberry Cream Cake Roll. If I had needed to make an appetizer, these Buffalo Chicken Wontons look incredible. And when peaches are in season, this Peach Cobbler will definitely be on my table! But back to this soup.

If you follow my blog, you’ll know that we often eat black beans and rice for dinner. It’s easy, fast, inexpensive, and we almost always have the ingredients on hand. Plus, if you add some salsa and taco seasoning, it’s basically Mexican food, right? And I love love LOVE Mexican. So naturally I had to make this soup, even though it’s been in the 80s here in Nashville. Naturally.

This soup is just as good as it sounds. I changed up Sarah’s recipe a little to exclude chicken [because I didn’t have any cooked] and to include some extra rice [wild and white]. All in all, this is a hearty, flavorful soup that gets better with each bowl you enjoy for leftovers. In her post about it, Sarah mentions that her husband wanted to put cheese on it but she thought it was flavorful enough without. For the record, I totally agree with you, Sarah! You definitely don’t need cheese with this soup. We enjoyed it with some english muffin bread and were more than satisfied. Thanks for the great recipe, Sarah!

one year ago: Blueberry Burg ers
two years ago: Parmesan Garlic Rolls
three years ago: Lemony Kale Pasta

Black Bean and Rice Soup [from Things I Make (for Dinner)]
click to print

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil [I used the Mediterranean Chili Pepper Oil from Star Fine Foods]
1 large onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
7 cups chicken broth
3 cups black beans, drained and rinsed [about 2 – 15 ounce cans]
2 cups salsa
2 1/2 cups cooked rice [I used 1 cup white rice + 1 1/2 cups wild rice]
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons lime juice
cilantro, for topping
green onions, for topping

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add onion and saute until soft. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Then add chicken broth, black beans, salsa, rice, cumin, and lime juice. Stir together, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and then simmer until heated through, at least 20 minutes or longer if possible. Serve with cilantro and green onions.

Time: 30 minutes.
Yield: 8-10 servings.

Check out other SRC recipes in group A by clicking below!

Appetizers, Recipes

Mystery Dish: Chili Lime Popcorn

April 29, 2014April 28, 2014 Sarah

I can’t believe it’s time for another Mystery Dish post! This month, Jen from Yummy Healthy Easy is our host, and she gave us the following ingredients to work with: garbanzo beans, eggs, flaxseed, cilantro, potatoes, bread, quinoa, lime, popcorn, dark chocolate, ground turkey, and asparagus. So many yummy things in that list! And healthy things. And easy ingredients. Hmmm, appropriate ingredients. 🙂

I had a really hard time deciding what to make, because I’m a huge fan of everything on this list. I seriously considered making brownies with garbanzo beans, kind of like a baked version of this cookie dough dip, but then I had to go with the classic cilantro lime combination. Instead of cilantro lime rice or quinoa, I wondered what those flavors would be like on popcorn. After this coconut curry popcorn, I’ve been daydreaming about other popcorn flavors. I may not need to daydream anymore… this Chili Lime Popcorn is superb!

I decided to flavor this popcorn with a chili lime butter to avoid the soggy popcorn you get when you flavor popcorn with any sort of liquid. I made the butter with a bit of garlic powder, chili powder, and onion powder, along with lime juice… and I could have just as easily eaten this butter on a baked potato or some hearty bread instead of popcorn. But when this slightly spicy, tangy butter is melted on crunchy popcorn it is awesome. Of course I had to add some cilantro to complete the flavor combo I was going for… and I also tossed in some lime zest for an extra zing. This fancy popcorn is addictive and wonderful, and totally worth the extra few minutes of work. I hope you give it a try… it is SO good.

Oh, I almost forgot! When I make popcorn, I use a Whirly Pop. It’s so cool. Usually, I pop my kernels with a bit of canola oil, but I recently read that using coconut oil is more movie theatre authentic so I gave it a shot. So, what’s the verdict? Well, it was definitely different. I’m not sure it was authentic. There was no chemical taste, which is good. 🙂 It’s yummy though! Btw… be sure to check out what else my Mystery Dish pals came up with for this month. All the recipes are bound to be excellent!

one year ago: Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
two years ago: Royal Berry Coffee Cake

Chili Lime Popcorn
click to print

Ingredients:

2/3 cup unpopped popcorn to make 4 quarts plain popcorn [pop in coconut oil if possible]
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
freshly ground black pepper
juice of half a lime
zest of one lime
1/2 cup minced cilantro, loosely packed
salt

Directions:

Pop popcorn according to preferred method, using coconut oil if possible. In a small bowl, stir together butter, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, and a little freshly ground black pepper. Add lime juice and stir as well as possible [not all liquid will be incorporated].

Melt butter in microwave and then pour over popped popcorn. Toss in lime zest and cilantro, and mix well. Add salt to taste. Enjoy immediately.

TIme: 10 minutes.
Yield: 4 quarts popcorn.

1. Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake by Culinary Couture
2. Pineapple Cashew Quinoa “Fried Rice” by Blahnik Baker
3. Chili Lime Popcorn by The Pajama Chef
4. Cilantro Lime Hummus by The Weary Chef
5. Gluten Free White Bean Brownies by Yummy Healthy Easy
6. Homemade Popcorn with Cilantro Lime Butter by The Well Floured Kitchen
7. Tex-Mex Chickpea Salad by Joyful Healthy Eats
8. Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Tomato by Chez Catey Lou
9. Key Lime Pie Popcorn by I Dig Pinterest
10. Turkey Sausage Breakfast Casserole by I Want Crazy
11. Frozen Pineapple Cilantro Mojito by Baking a Moment
12. Pretzel Caramel Crunch by The Dessert Chronicles

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

Mystery Dish: Tropical Kiwi Fruit Muffins

March 28, 2014March 27, 2014 Sarah

Happy Mystery Dish Friday! Today I have some AMAZING muffins to share with you. They are seriously some of the coolest muffins I have ever made [and from this muffin addicted girl, that’s saying a lot]. But how can you not agree?! They have KIWI on top. So fun, so tropical, so green. Spring, please come soon!

This month for Mystery Dish, Kat from I Want Crazy was in charge. When our original founder, Dani, who has since left blogging due to family, was trying to organize the group, I suggested she ask Kat to join. I knew Kat from church [we were still living in Indiana then] and she had recently started blogging. She joined and the rest is history… errr, the rest being that this month she chose our fun ingredients [including the aforementioned kiwi] to be: boxed cake mix, Peeps, oats, ginger, honey, wine, shallots, coconut, shrimp, cherry tomatoes, kiwi, dried fruit, and cinnamon. Some of those ingredients I looove [COCONUT] and others I hate [Peeps. With a passion.] so the choice was pretty simple.

I pinned these Tropical Kiwi Fruit Muffins months and months ago, and now I finally had an excuse to make them. They are a tropical delight! Basically, you make a soft coconut muffin and top it with a slice of kiwi fruit and a smattering of coconut flakes. The coconut on top gets all golden and toasty, though in an ideal world I’d like it to be toastier [but didn’t want to toughen up the muffins]. I added a touch of ginger to the muffin batter, both to satisfy Kat’s request for us to use three ingredients AND because I just thought it sounded wonderful. And they turned out wonderful, if I do say so myself. Lime, ginger, and coconut go so well together in these fun muffins, and the kiwi is the cherry on top. 🙂 A bit o’ color and flavor if you will. These muffins were perfect for a rainy/snowy week. Hope you enjoy, and that you check out some of the other recipes this month for Mystery Dish!

one year ago: Sweet & Sour Chicken
two years ago: Turkey, Spinach, & Kale Stuffed Shells
three years ago: Baked Potato Skins

Tropical Kiwi Fruit Muffins [slightly adapted from Clever Muffin]
click to print

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut
zest of one large lime
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
scant 1/2 cup coconut oil [90 grams]
1 cup buttermilk [quick shortcut=1 tablespoon vinegar + enough milk to make 1 cup; let sit for about 5 minutes to thicken]
1 egg
3 kiwi fruit, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons shredded coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare muffin tin with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, shredded coconut, lime zest, and ground ginger. Make a well in the center.

In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut oil, buttermilk, and egg. Pour into the well then stir until just combined.

Spoon into prepared muffin tin, then top with a slice of kiwi and some shredded coconut.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Eat or freeze within three days.

Time: 30 minutes.
Yield: 12-16 muffins.

1. Coconut Shrimp with Thai Chili Ginger Sauce by Joyful Healthy Eats
2. Sangria Poached Pears by Baking a Moment
3. Baked Mini Carrot Cake Donuts by Culinary Couture Blog
4. Funfetti Cookies with Peeps Marshmallow Frosting by I Dig Pinterest
5. Carrot Oatmeal Cookies by Yummy Healthy Easy
6. Gooey Oatmeal Cranberry Bars by I Want Crazy
7. Honey Lime Coconut Oatmeal Cookies by Blahnik Baker
8. Chocolate Almond Date Balls by The Well Floured Kitchen
9. Tropical Kiwi Fruit Muffins by The Pajama Chef
10. Nesting Peeps Cupcakes by The Dessert Chronicles
11. Carrot Cake Cookies by Chez CateyLou

Appetizers, Recipes

Broccoli Stuffed Loaded Potato Skins with Avocado Cream

January 13, 2014January 13, 2014 Sarah

It’s January! For many people, that means a [re]commitment to healthy eating. Sticking with a healthy diet can be hard. Since I am all for moderation of all things, instead of strict denial, I like to find healthier versions of my favorite treats. These potato skins are a prime example.

The regular version is loaded up with tons of cheese, sour cream, and bacon. This version, à la Ellie Krieger, features broccoli, Canadian bacon, avocado, and cheese. The perfect substitute! And perhaps, even better than the original?

While I love the usual loaded potato skins [and ate my fair share in college], this version with broccoli and avocado is just fabulous. They’re more filling and more of a meal-appetizer than an appetizer-appetizer. Make sense? I had forgotten just how good Canadian bacon was… salty and a little more gourmet than regular bacon. Gourmet may be a bit of an overstep, but I love its juicy, smoky sweetness. It pairs SO well with that avocado cream, which MIGHT be my new favorite thing! It’s like guac, but creamy and with just a hint of lime. The only change I might make to this dish would be to chop the broccoli up a little more after steaming it, but that’s just a minor thing.

This app is perfect for a football party, or just a casual night at home in your cozy slippers. 🙂 Enjoy!

two years ago: Perfect Black Beans
three years ago: Triple Chocolate Oat Cookies

Broccoli Stuffed Loaded Potato Skins with Avocado Cream [from Comfort Food Fix by Ellie Krieger]
click to print

Ingredients:

4 small russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper
2 cups chopped broccoli florets [4 ounces]
2 ounces Canadian bacon, diced
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

for avocado cream

1 avocado
2 scallions, chopped [green and white parts separated]
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pierce potatoes with a fork 8-10 times each, then wrap in paper towels and microwave until fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside until cool enough to handle, then cut in half lengthwise.

Scoop out all but an 1/8 inch of the potato flesh, reserving for another use. Brush the inside and outside of the potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place skin-side down on a baking sheet and cook until crispy and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, making the filling. Steam the broccoli until crisp-tender. Add the Canadian bacon to a skillet set over medium-high heat and saute until crisp, about 4 minutes. Divide the broccoli and cheese equally amongst the potatoes

Lower oven temperature to 400 degrees and return potatoes to oven, baking for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

To make the avocado cream, place all ingredients except green scallions in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, top potato skins with Canadian bacon, avocado cream, and green scallions.

Time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings.

Main Dishes, Recipes, Seafood and Fish

Mystery Dish: Baked Fish Tacos with Cranberry Salsa

December 30, 2013December 30, 2013 Sarah

Welcome to December Mystery Dish! Should be a good post for my last recipe of the year. I didn’t intend to take a two week break, but it’s been nice to unplug. 🙂 Sherri at The Well Floured Kitchen was this month’s host for Mystery Dish, and the ingredients she chose for us included: Dark Chocolate, Greek Yogurt, Berries, Coconut Oil, Walnuts, Fish, Baby Spinach, and Pecorino Romano Cheese. We had to use at least two, and I chose to use fish and berries… cranberries to be specific. I know cranberries aren’t always thought of as traditional ‘berries’ but they are in season and I love them so I wanted to use them! For more info on berries, check out Wikipedia. 🙂

Ben helped extensively with this recipe–he came up with the idea to make fish tacos, and I wanted to try my hand at a cranberry salsa. Fruit salsas are so complimentary to fish tacos, and this one, though a little more tart than most, was absolutely amazing. I used two types of fresh herbs [rosemary and parsley] and tangerine to flavor it up, then added a little sweetness and tartness with honey and red raspberry vinegar. My goal was to make the salsa be different from my usual cranberry relish [fresh cranberries, sugar, and an orange], and I think I succeeded!

While I was cranberry salsa-ing it up, Ben was busy preparing the fish tacos. He’s the fish taco expert in the family, and decided to season the tilapia with some olive oil and vinegar–but not just your average olive oil and vinegar. He used some special blood orange-infused olive oil and coconut-infused white balsamic vinegar from the Bumble Olive Oil Company in his hometown [Toledo, Ohio]. If you can get your hands on these infused oils, DO IT! So good. But if not, use extracts or juices to create the same effect. The result? A sweet, tender, flaky fish that pairs so well with some tart salsa and crunchy cabbage. I also whipped up some Mexican rice with dinner… aka my favorite side ever. Yum yum and yum! Hope you enjoy!

one year ago: White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies
two years ago: Classic Sugar Cookies
three years ago: Cranberry Scones

Baked Fish Tacos with Cranberry Salsa
click to print

Ingredients:

3-4 tilapia filets [frozen or fresh]
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil [mine was blood-orange infused]*
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar [mine was coconut infused]*
1/4 of a sweet yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tangerine, sliced and seeded [leave on peel]
1/2 cup parsley
4 sprigs rosemary
2 tablespoons red raspberry vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups fresh cranberries
freshly ground black pepper
salt
tortillas, for serving
chopped red cabbage, for serving
lime wedges, for serving
sour cream, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray, then place tilapia filets in baking dish. Combine olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl, then brush mixture over tilapia, turning to coat. Cook for 13-15 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. If you use fresh fish, the cook time will be reduced.

Meanwhile, combine onion, garlic, and tangerine in a food processor. Pulse until nearly smooth, then add parsley, rosemary, vinegar, honey, and cranberries. Pulse a few times to break up cranberries, then season with pepper and salt to taste.

Gently slice fish into strips, then serve in tortillas with cabbage and sour cream, squeezing lime wedges overtop before enjoying.

Time: 25 minutes.

Yield: 3-4 servings.

Note: I used infused evoo and balsamic vinegar. You can add a few drops of coconut or orange extract for a similar flavor profile, or a little orange juice or zest.

Please check out the rest of the Mystery Dish posts when you have a chance too. They all look SO delicious!