Easy Peasy Grits 'n' Beans 'n' Stuff

This is one of my absolute favorite things to make when I am cooking for one. Before I met my boyfriend I was probably making some variation of it 3 or 4 times a week!

I am a huge fan of vegetarian food and rarely make meaty dishes when I am fending for myself. I love beans - any kind of beans - and the combination of the black beans and avocado deliver enough protein to fill me up, and the cheese in the grits makes this meal immensely satisfying while keeping it very healthy.

I don't have an exact recipe for this as it is very versatile and changes slightly every time, but here is what I used today for my lunch.

First I made a wee salsa by finely chopping one jalapeno pepper, two Roma tomatoes, some red onion (I like a lot of red onion but you can use as much or as little as you want) and some finely chopped fresh cilantro. Mix in the juice of half a lime and season with salt. Alternatively you can use your favorite store bought pico de gallo or salsa.

Open a can of beans and pour all contents in to a skillet or frying pan and heat through.

Prepare your grits. For readers back home, grits are similar to polenta. I'm a bit of a cheat here and I use instant grits, but the whole point of this dish was to make it quick and easy for nights when I really couldn't face cooking so I don't feel too guilty! I simply microwave one packet of instant grits with half a cup of milk for a minute or so and hey presto! Stir in some shredded cheese - I usually use around a quarter cup. Season, taste, and add more cheese if necessary.

Today I served the grits topped with some beans, salsa and half a chopped avocado. Oh, and a good dollop of my favorite smoky tomato hot sauce! 

The possible variations for this dish are only limited by your imagination and your pantry. I usually use black beans but pinto also work well. My cheese of choice today was a mix of Colby and Monterey Jack but plain Monterey Jack or cheddar are also great, and I think mozzarella might be fun too. 

Not a fan of beans? Did your avocado turn black while you weren't looking? Not to worry, there are plenty of other protein options that work well. I have served it with a poached egg before and that was deeeeeeelicious! Some chopped bacon or pancetta, or maybe some chorizo would be a good meaty addition that still keeps things simple. I think I'm going to try it with some shrimp tomorrow - I'll let you know how that goes.

The other wonderful thing about this dish is that it can be as healthy or decadent as you want. I like my grits made with milk but you could substitute water to save a few calories. If calories aren't your concern you could stir in a knob of butter for a nice rich taste. You can also add as much or as little cheese as you want. 

The salsa and the beans will keep well for a few days in the fridge which makes this a perfect dish to make 2 or 3 days in a row, and it works equally well as a breakfast, lunch or dinner. Seriously! What's not to love?!?!

How would you personalise this dish ....?

Lemon Chicken with Green Beans and Potatoes

Here's a wee chicken dinner that was perfect to throw together for a Monday night. Simple ingredients, minimal preparation, and on your table in around half an hour. What's not to love?!?!

I always have packs of chicken thighs in my freezer, though I sometimes lack the inspiration to make something interesting with them. My default is my chicken with sherry and bacon which is utterly delicious but packed full of butter and bacon so not particularly healthy!!

The recipe serves 4 people, but I think that was a little off. I only had 3 chicken thighs but I left the quantities of the rest of the ingredients the same as you can never have too much sauce and veggies! I would definitely add a lot more green beans next time or maybe a second vegetable to balance the dish out. 

Anyhoo, here's what I used ...

• 12 oz baby red potatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 bone in, skin on chicken thighs
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 5 tsp all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
• 8 thin slices of lemon
• 8 oz trimmed green beans
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Boil potatoes in a medium pot of salted water until tender, around 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat a large oven proof skillet over a medium high heat and add 1 tsp of olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper then add to the pan, skin side down, along with the thyme sprigs. Cook until skin in brown, around 5 minutes, then turn the chicken over. 
4. Move pan to the oven and bake until chicken is cooked through, around 10 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
5. Return skillet to medium high heat and add remaining 2 tsp of olive oil. Add the potatoes, cut sides down, along with the chopped thyme and cook for 3 minutes, stirring once.
6. Whisk together the milk and flour in a small bowl. Add to the pan along with the stock, lemon slices and green beans then season. Simmer for 1 minute until sauce starts to thicken, then add the chicken, cover and simmer for another 3 minutes, or until the beans are cooked to your liking.
7. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve!

I love the clean taste of lemon to accompany chicken and this milky sauce had a lovely delicate flavor. I might consider upping the lemon quantity next time, and my testers last night both agreed that some capers would add an interesting layer to the sauce. 

The only other thing I would change is to either smash the potatoes up a bit or serve with some crusty bread to soak up more of the yummy sauce.

I hope you enjoy!