If you're looking for a quick and simple, but fantastic bean recipe, you have found it.  It is incredibly easy to put together and with the help of the pressure cooker, you will have fantastic flavorful beans, in no time at all.




1 pound of pinto beans
1 small onion, finely diced
6 slices of bacon, diced
Crushed garlic, about a tablespoon
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheiro Verde 
Olive oil
Bay leaf
Water


Wash your beans well, then soak in water overnight.  Throw out any bad beans, little stones, or any beans that float to the top.

Before cooking the beans the next day, give them a good wash until the water runs clear.

Add a little drizzle of olive oil to the pressure cooker, and set to Saute.  Stir in the garlic, salt and pepper and bacon and cook until crispy.  Click the cancel on the pressure cooker.

Next goes in the beans and the water.  You need to add water to at least 2 finger widths above the beans.  Some people add 3 cups of water for ever cup of beans, but I usually just do as I said above. 

Set the pressure cooker to Manual High and cook for 35 minutes.  When the time is up, do a quick release and check the beans.  If they are not yet cooked, add more water and return to the pressure for another 10 or so minutes.

I don't usually have a problem with the beans not cooking, especially the pinto beans.  You will notice at this point that the beans may seem kind of runny, at this point I turn the pressure cooker back to the Saute function, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a little bit of water, and add that back into the beans, stir and let it cook until thickened.

You can recheck the seasoning at this point, add more salt if needed.

Crunchy, golden brown, delicious Okra.

There really is much you can say about this yummy side dish, or appetizer, whatever you wish.

Again, I had no clue what Okra was until I moved to the States, it's not a vegetable that is available in South Africa or Portugal, but boy is it one of my favorite things ever.

Okra is a pretty sticky vegetable to work with which actually makes it quite easy to coat.  You will find a lot of variations and recipes for making the fried okra.  Family recipes, favorite recipes all using either flour, or breadcrumbs or panko crumbs, some using just cornmeal, but I like to use a mixture of both flour and cornmeal.



2 lbs Okra, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Buttermilk
Garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
Vegetable oil to fry

Drizzle some buttermilk over the okra, just enough to coat it well. Sprinkle on the flour and mix well to ensure that it's all coated. Sprinkle on the cornmeal and once again give it a good stir until all the okra is coated and doesn't stick together.

Fry until golden brown, remove onto paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve.

I am a huge fan of Zucchini and any kind of Squash, and  if I can pair those up with some cheesy goodness, then I'm one happy girl.

This is such a quick and easy casserole to throw together, makes a perfect side dish when you're looking for something quick.

I use Zucchini and whatever Squash I can find at the store, this time it was yellow squash.  I don't have a set amount of either to use, it just depends on what I am in the mood for.  If you prefer Zucchini certainly add more of that in, or if you prefer the yellow squash then add more of that one.




4 zucchini, washed and sliced
2 yellow squash, washed and sliced
Fresh basil, chopped
Green onions, sliced
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Flakes
Oregano
Shredded cheese
Olive Oil

In a big bowl, combine all the ingredients, pour into a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until zucchini and squash are tender and cheese is melted.

Ok this just came out of nowhere.  Well, not exactly nowhere, somewhere in my mind, and all because I wanted some sort of potato bake, to go with the ribs on the grill last night.

Not having any cream on hand and wanting some sort of creamy gravy to bake them in, I decided to use what I had on hand and so this dish was born.

My husband and kids raved about it, my husband, for once, paid more attention to the side dish than the meat itself.  That is something you don't often see.

Anyway, here is how I made it.  Please keep in mind that I eyeball when I cook, very rarely do I use measurements, unless I'm following a specific recipe.


Potatoes (washed, peel left on, thinly sliced)
Onion slices
Green pepper sliced thinly
Salt and Pepper
Garlic powder
Sausage Gravy (I used about a cup and a half as I was making a small casserole)
Parmesan Cheese

Spray a casserole dish with non stick spray.  Cover the bottom of the dish with a layer of potatoes, followed by some onions, green pepper, salt and pepper and garlic powder to taste.  Repeat layers until you have as much as you want.

Pour the sausage gravy over the potatoes, cover with foil and bake in a 375 degrees oven until potatoes are fork tender. 

When done, remove foil, sprinkle with some Parmesan Cheese and pop back in the oven for about 5 minutes.  Serve!!

A fun twist on simple fried potatoes.  You know I get tired of the same old side dishes and for some reason I just never think to try new things out.  Something I definitely have to change.

To go with my chicken tonight I didn't want to make mashed potatoes or rice and I didn't feel like any kind of pasta, so I gave my cookbooks a quick look through and found these, from Taste of Home, of course :)


3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup butter

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first five ingredients. Add 1/2 cup potatoes at a time; shake to coat.


In two large skillets, melt butter. Add potatoes; cook and stir over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Yield: 6 servings.

This is a really good way of using up leftover rice, which seems to be quite a usual occurrence in my household.

I either make this oven rice as a side dish for another meal, or I make rice pudding.  One thing is for sure, rice never goes to waste in this house :)


4 cups of cooked rice
4 slices of bacon, diced
parsley
3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar or any other cheese you have on hand
salt and pepper
2 eggs
1 cup of milk


In a bowl, mix the rice, bacon and parsley.  Transfer to a baking dish greased with butter.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, cheeses and salt and pepper.  Pour over the rice.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.