Tex Mex surprise

It has been awhile. I assure you, I've been cooking, even expanded to regular bread making. Cannot bring myself to buy store bread. I'm sure at some point, I will, hopefully just for a random event not permantely. It has brought me great comfort mentally as well as emotionally. This doesn't make sense, does it? Ha, didn't think it did as I look back at that sentence. How can bread bring one comfort?

The kneading brings some sort of meditation. I haven't meditated in years. Too much chatter to tone down long enough to allow some quiet. Even more funny to say this as a deaf person, well mostly anyways. Walking has helped reduce the chatter but something about kneading the dough just puts me in a slight trance. Think my arms will tell you differently. They think it is a torture session. Ha!

The other comfort it brings me is knowing that I am making my family as wholesome of a product as possible. Of course the wheat and other ingredients were not grown and processed by me, but I am very selective about the products I do buy. After doing extensive research, I've decided to purchase stone ground whole wheat flour. Found Bob's Red Mill to be the best choice aside from doing it by hand with a stone ground flour mill. I've looked around, they are very expensive, I think I will stick with buying the flour for now. Before making my own bread, I found Dave's Killer Bread to be a wonderful choice in bread for me and my family. Lower carbs and loaded with natural/organic ingredients and most of all, taste awesome! :)

Oh yeah, this is suppose to have a recipe in it! I got off track, I apologize. *wink*

Remember me talking about all the wonderful spices I bought from a local spice store, Summit Tea and Spice? No? I wrote about it in this post. Chugach Chili Blend is my new favorite spice. I use it in chili, taco seasoning and other random dishes that needs a kick ass spicy taste. I also used it in this dish...

Tex Mex Surprise

1 chicken breast diced
1 large onion sliced
garlic sliced (adjust amount to your preference, I used 1/2 a head)
1 bunch kale sliced
1/2 head cabbage sliced
2 large tomatoes diced
3 cups black beans cooked (or 2 cans)
2 tablespoons Chugach Chili Blend (or other spicy seasonings of your choice)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup pepper jack cheese shredded or diced

Cook diced chicken with a little olive oil on medium/medium high heat, when almost done, add chili seasonings. Stir for a couple of minutes, add onions and garlic. After 10 minutes, add kale and cabbage. Continue to stir frequently for approx. 10 mins. Add tomatoes and black beans. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Serve topped with pepper jack cheese.

May add rice or as pictured, served with a side of wild rice.

If you want to try out dried beans, it is super easy and very tasty! Just toss some dried beans in water in the morning before you take of for work. I never measure, just throw a bunch of beans (approx. 1-1.5 cups for this recipe) and cover. About a half an hour before you are going to cook, drain beans, add to a pot, cover well with water (about 3 inches above beans) and cook on medium high (after bring to a boil) for approx. 30 minutes. Drain and set aside until ready to add to main dish.