Black Bean Casserole

I really wish this dish looked prettier than it does. It's really delicious, basically healthy, vegetarian, and quite filling. The original recipe was from a 1999 Cooking Light issue. I'd say it is pretty light if you use half the cheese that I use and fat-free sour cream. I love cheese and I don't worry much about how much fat is in our food, so I use a nice amount of cheese.

I vary this dish a little depending on what I have available. The corn tortillas that I like best come in packages of 8, so I usually just throw 4 extra tortillas in. Last night when I made this, I didn't have enough cilantro and forgot to buy a jalapeno, so I used what cilantro I had and didn't worry about the jalapeno. It was still good because there are so many flavors. I vary the salsa also. I usually use a 24 ounce jar of Tostitos mild salsa, but last night I used the leftover roasted verde salsa that I made the night before.

Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded colby jack cheese

1 cup light sour cream

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts, sliced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

3 cups (24 ounces) salsa

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350. Cook the brown rice in 1 1/4 cups water for about 40-45 minutes, until soft and water is fully absorbed. Combine the rice, 1 cup of the cheese, and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Spread a couple spoonfuls of salsa on the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking dish. Dip 6 tortillas in the salsa to coat them and arrange them on the bottom of the baking dish. Spread about half the black bean mixture over the tortillas. Dip the remaining 6 tortillas in the salsa and arrange them over the black bean mixture. Spread a few spoonfuls of salsa over the tortillas. Spread the remaining black bean mixture over the tortillas. Pour and spread the remaining salsa over the black bean mixture. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until bubbly. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Grilled Mojo Chicken and Barbecue Black Beans with Rum

Tonight's dinner took forever to get made because the kids just weren't cooperating. I started preparing dinner at 4:30 and at 6:15 I had put no more than 20 minutes into it because Adeline wanted to be glued to my breast and Camille wanted to test me on everything. But we finally ate and it was well worth the wait. Plus, we'll have leftovers tomorrow, so I can sit back and relax (yeah right..) tomorrow night.

So, dinner tonight was grilled mojo chicken, barbecue black beans with rum, and brown rice. The mojo chicken recipe is from Food Made Fast: Weeknight (Williams-Sonoma), which is one of my best used cookbooks. The recipe is also available on the Williams-Sonoma website. The barbecue black beans with rum is my vegetarian version of a recipe from Cooking Light in 2000. I've been making these beans for

years and they are so delicious.

I'll start with the chicken:

Grilled Mojo Chicken

zest and juice from 2 oranges

zest and juice from 4 limes

1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, minced

2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

8 garlic cloves, minced

4 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

8 (about 3 pounds) skinless, boneless chicken thighs

salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the orange and lime zest, orange and lime juice, parsley, oregano, thyme, garlic, and cumin in a bowl large enough to fit the chicken. Whisk in the olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the marinade and stir to coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

About 20 minutes before cooking the chicken, take it out of the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Heat a gas grill to medium heat and oil the grill rack. Place chicken on the grill brushing marinade over the top side of the chicken. Cook, turning once until opaque throughout, about 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings

The original recipe specified grilling on high heat for less time. I prefer to cook chicken at a lower temperature for longer so it doesn't get so charred on the outside while cooking on the inside. I also recently discovered that grilling with the grill open makes meat take longer to cook, but it's less likely to overcook or burn. Yeah, I'm 35, have been cooking for years, and just figured that one out. I probably had the grill closed for a total of 4 minutes while cooking this chicken.

Barbecue Black Beans with Rum

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 vidalia onion, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup rum

1/4 cup dijon mustard

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional)

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3 cans black beans (2 - 15-ounce cans and 1 - 26.5-ounce can)

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion and jalapeno for about 5 minutes until onion is softened. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add next 8 ingredients (ketchup through ground ginger). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the black beans. Simmer over low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

I like to serve these beans over brown rice as a side dish.