Sunday dinner when you've had a one-day weekend

About those one-day weekends? There are 2 to 3 of them per month for me, in this new job situation. So, I find myself playing catch-up with household chores, and having less time to prepare healthy vegetables for salads and entrees.

Still, when the cooking is done, we start to eat, and the DH says: "This is good!" I mumble, "What is?" He replies: "ALL of it." That sure makes things right! Here is what we ate that inspired it:

Tasty Black Beans

• One small or 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1/2 can diced tomatoes with juices
• One tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Garlic salt to taste
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• One can black beans, drained

Saute the onion in olive or canola oil, until soft. Add the tomatoes, spices and garlic salt and stir until fragrant. Stir in beans and heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Pork Fajitas

• One pound lean pork
• One small or ½ large onion, sliced
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• One teaspoon oregano
• ½ to ¾ teaspoon cumin
• ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• Hot sauce or cayenne pepper

Slice pork into thin strips and marinate in the garlic, spices, salt, orange juice and hot sauce or cayenne for at least 15 minutes. Heat oil and sauté pork strips (but not marinade) until almost cooked. Add onions and cook until softened, then add marinade and heat through. If you have bell peppers, add them at this point and cook until soft.

Serve with flour tortillas and any or all of these: salsa, shredded cheese or sour cream.

Instead of bell peppers, I prepared beet tops by having the DH wash them well, cut the stems into one-inch pieces and the leaves into 2x4-inch pieces. I zapped the stems in the microwave, half-covered, for 3 minutes, stirring once, then I added the leaves for another minute. Poured off most of the water, splashed with a little extra virgin olive oil and some garlic salt.

I also served a prepared salsa mixed with half a chopped orange. And served it with long-grain white rice. And it was all yum!

There were enough leftovers for lunch for both of us the next day, and the remaining pork may become a soup with long squash in the next days. 

~Soos dreams of soup~