Cuban Black Beans and Rice

I made this side dish with a Cuban pork roast we had a few weeks ago.  It was delicious and pretty easy.  I even froze some of it and it reheated really well later.  

Note on the recipe:  I didn't use a dutch oven.  I just cooked it in a large covered skillet.  Be sure to adjust your liquid to the amount suggested with your particular rice.  If your rice calls for less liquid, it will cook up mushy.  

Cuban Black Beans and Rice - Click to link to recipe.

Mojo-Marinated Pork Roast

As promised from my last post, Pork Cubanos, here is the post for the pork roast that the recipe refers to.  It is actually on the same link as the prior post but further down on the page.

I am kind of weird.  I love fruit.  I love fruity desserts.  But I generally don't love fruit flavors with my meat.  But because I really wanted to try the authentic recipe used in the Chef movie to make my cubanos (see prior post), I gave this recipe a try.  Considering I don't normally like fruity meats, this recipe was really good.  I used two pork tenderloins that I got on sale.  We ate pork roast with some beans and rice the first night and made the sandwiches the second night with the leftovers.  But when you put this same roast on the sandwiches, it doesn't taste fruity at all.  Maybe the pickles and mustard perfectly complement the orange in the meat.

We liked the roast but next time, we will just go straight to the sandwiches and skip eating it any other way!  I did love the Cuban black beans and rice recipe I found.  I will post that one next!

Mojo-Marinated Pork Roast - Click to link to the recipe.

Pork Cubanos

I am obsessed with food trucks.  I find it fascinating that great food, and lots of it, can come out of such a small, mobile space.  Although, I would not want to work in one.  How could it not be steamy hot in there?!  Because of my obsession, I recently watched the movie Chef.  Have you seen it?  The movie is pretty good but I was most excited about the drool worthy Cubanos they show in the movie.  Los Angeles chef, Roy Choi, published the recipe used in the movie on people.com.  You can click to link to the recipe below.  I was determined to make these myself.  I made the pork roast with some black beans and rice the first night.  Then we made the sandwiches the second night with the leftover roast.  Best. Sandwich. Ever.  Delicious!  I will post the recipes and pictures for the pork roast and rice soon!

Mojo Pork Cubanos - Click to link to the recipe.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

You have to try these!  They are SO good!!  We had them a couple of weeks ago when we invited friends over for dinner.  I was looking for something easy for dessert that everyone would like.  I found these on Pinterest and they were a big hit!  The recipe I used was an adaptation from another site.  I will link to both below, as they are very similar.

Yummy!!

The recipe recommends lining the pan with foil.  

I was amazed at how easy it made them to lift out and cut.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Dream Bars - Click to link to recipe.  This is the recipe I followed and is an adaption of the recipe below.  This recipe calls for milk chocolate chips, but I only had semi-sweet chocolate chips.  So, I decided to use mini M&Ms like the recipe below.  If you do use M&Ms, mix them with the topping as suggested in the recipe below.  The M&Ms didn't melt enough to stick if just put them on top. 

Peanut Butter Dream Bars - Click here to link to original recipe.

Meal Replacement Smoothies

So, I got a NutriBullet this summer.  I am really not trying to promote any particular brand, as I know there are several completing ones on the market.  My aunt just recommended this particular one to me.  I LOVE it!!  

I have been playing around with various smoothie combinations.  I have been drinking them for breakfast, and sometimes even lunch.  I have been trying to pack them with protein to use for meal replacement.  It is allowing me to keep better tabs on my total caloric intake for the day, while staying full and I feel great!  Sometimes, I actually prefer a smoothie over some of my favorite breakfast or lunch meals.  

I also make some for the kids to have with their meals.  They are growing like weeds and can use all of the muscle building protein they can get.  I also put some leafy greens in their smoothies.  They drank them for several days before my oldest said, "Hey, are you putting salad in the smoothies?"  Haha!  

Here is a variation of my go to favorite right now.  I think this smoothie has about 320 calories, 7g of fat, 47g carbohydrates, 10 g fiber and 20 g protein (per my fitness pal ap).  It is also a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium.  I am not a nutritionist so don't hold me to those numbers.  ;)

Strawberry Banana Spinach Smoothie

1 c loosely packed fresh spinach

1/2 fresh banana (sliced)

4 medium strawberries (sliced)

1/3 c plain Greek yogurt

2/3 c skim milk (or milk of your choice)

6 raw almonds (unsalted)

1 T old fashioned oats*

1 T chia seeds

1 t honey

little bit of crushed ice

 Put all ingredients in the cup and blend!  Drink immediately.
*If you are on a gluten-free diet, be sure to use gluten-free oats or omit.

Notes:  Other variations I really liked: 

-Replace spinach with kale or a kale/spinach blend

-Replace the almonds with 4 pecan halves

-Replace skim milk with soy or almond milk

-Omit strawberries (don't always have some)
-Replace the strawberries with about 6 grapes
-Replace the strawberries with about 4 cubes of pineapple

-Replace fruit with half of a large sliced peach (remove pit and leave peel on)
-Replace fruit with cucumber and melon

-Sometimes I omit the oats, especially if I have been eat a lot of other carbs that day.

Cheesesteaks

Simple.  Quick.  Delicious.  You have to try these.  My husband loved them.  We have made this recipe a few times for a quick weekend meal during our busy summer months.

I found some frozen very thinly sliced sirloin at my local wholesale food store.  I actually made these with that meat from frozen.  It cooked up surprisingly quick to have been cooked from frozen.  I think I will start keeping that meat on hand for a quick dinner.

Cheesesteaks

1 lb steak, trimmed and thinly sliced

½ bell pepper sliced

½ onion sliced

1 T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 T Worcestershire sauce

4 slices Provolone cheese

Cook steak, until browned in a nonstick skillet.  Remove steak from skillet and drain on paper towels.  Sauté veggies in 1T of steak grease OR in 1T olive oil, until tender and onion starts to be translucent.  Then add garlic and sauté another minute.  Return the meat to the pan with the vegetables, add Worcestershire sauce and sauté until browned.  Separate meat mixture into four sections in the pan.  Top with cheese slices and keep pan on warm until cheese starts to melt.  Spoon onto warm hoagie rolls.

Makes 4 sandwiches

Allergen notes:  If making dairy-free, make sure your choice of bread is dairy-free and omit cheese or use a dairy-free alternative.  If making gluten-free, make sure your Worcestershire sauce and bread are gluten free.