"Oops" Dinner Ideas Needed

So I am thinking/assuming you are out of ideas, out of time and need dinner on the table with little fuss. All of these suggestions should fit the bill and you should be able to keep them on hand.

Ideas off the top of my head:

Frozen meatballs, add spaghetti sauce and bell peppers (you can freeze bell peppers) - turn into subs. Add a salad or veggie.

Rotisserie chicken - Double Cheese Chicken and Vegetables -
http://www.recipezaar.com/Double-Cheese-Chicken-and-Veget...

Poverty meal (it tastes better than the title) - http://www.recipezaar.com/Poverty-Meal-27520

Rotisserie chicken - BBQ Quesadillas - http://www.recipezaar.com/BBQ-Quesadillas-282791

BBQ pork pizza (could easily sub rotisserie chick) - http://www.recipezaar.com/BBQ-Pork-Pizza-172880

Pampered Chef Roasted Pepper Focaccia - http://www.recipezaar.com/Pered-Chef-Roasted-Pepper-Focac...

Here are a couple recipes I gathered for an online cookbook:
http://www.recipezaar.com/cookbook.php?bookid=224820

Slow cooker is my best friend :)
http://www.recipezaar.com/cookbook.php?bookid=157970

If you can afford Dream Dinners (dreamdinners.com) - there are locations in Miami, Pinecrest and Sunrise. I've used them once and it's really awesome, but pricey.

I actually forgot two things that weren't mentioned yet by other members:
Schwans. They are a little more pricier than if you bought it at Publix, but they deliver to your home. We buy every once in a while.

Also if you are big into organics... I am trying out this new website: http://www.offthevineproduce.com/organic.html
It look really nice. I priced out the medium box to $2.30/lb... which isn't bad for organic veggies/fruit. You can order weekly, biweekly, once a month, or just when ever. I would call before ordering (that's what i did to save on shipping costs).

Good Luck!

I totally know where you are coming from! Here are some ideas that I use regularly...

Anytime I make rice for a meal, I make leftovers...with the leftovers I make my own Asian cuisine. I saute up whatever vegetables I have in the fridge (carrots keep forever, chives, garlic)...if you don't have it though, move on without it or throw some canned or vegetables ones in. Add a little egg once the veggies are done and scramble it in, add the left over rice, some soy sauce and some of that Oye Vay Terriyaki sauce that's by the soy sauce at the supermarket. There you go with your own fried rice...Oh, for sauteeing I use canola oil and also if I have chicken I dice it up in there too (once I"ve sauteed it separately).

Chili-Super easy! Keep a can of red kidney beans, black beans, and diced tomatoes on hand..throw it in a pot with chili seasoning and you're done...add meat and/or corn if you have it.

Quesadillas-Tortillas and cheese, anything else is a bonus...onions, mushrooms, chicken, etc. Warm your pan to low-med, melt a little butter put the tortilla down spread the cheese out until it's melty and then add what you want...of course anything you add has to be sauteed separately...unless you're using raw tom

Salad/Couscous mix-My family loves this. Everyone has a big salad on their plate..I make couscous or orzo and sprinkle it on top and there you go.

Baked Ziti-Super easy

Mac and Cheese-Throw in some peas while it's boiling and it looks fancier already :)

Pasta salad-add whatever you have on hand

I remember that world. I made a conscious decision about 6 years ago to change that pattern. And now I coach other families do the same.
First thing is to make a menu of ALL the meals, including snacks, that you all eat. Then each week you sit down and plan your meals. I use an excel spread sheet. On it is Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. We fill it in as a family, we post it on the fridge then I go shopping. No more "last minute meals" in the week. No more hurried "defrost" - BTW - did you know that the microwave kills any nutrients left in food? And more importantly no more fast junk food. My families meals are the MOST improtant thing to me. I know the importance of food and good nutrition and I will never again "forget" to take care of my family. That is what I coach my families to do, put their family first. It is so easy once it it set up. If you would like, send me your email and I will send you the excel spreadsheet that I use. I will even leave my meals on it to show you what we eat.

If you would like more info on how to put your family first, I would love to chat. There is no charge to find out how I can help you. I am the team lead for a powerful group of women called Team Yummy Mommy. We are empowering each other to put ourselves and our families first. We focus on family health, wealth and time freedom. There is a lucrative residual income from the business side of it if you have ever wanted to own your own home based business.

B.
Family Coach

my kids love bean & cheese burritos- I stock up on organic refried beans and keep some tortillas frozen in the freezer & I almost always have some sort of cheese around...

I also always have frozen organic veggies in the freezer & organic canned veggies and if I'm out of fresh fruit, I have organic unsweetened apple sauce in the cuboard...

grilled cheese sandwiches

fish sticks from a 'safe' fish
http://www.checnet.org/healthehouse/education/quicklist-d...

Hi Tammi,

I can definately relate to the "oops" dinners. I often times also forget to pull anything from the freezer to thaw.

Here's a couple of things I like to whip up that are quick and easy to make:

The first, is a recipe my late husband and I concocted one day. Mix together in saucepan, a jar of alfredo sauce with a can (or two) of tuna, and a can of peas (or whatever other veggie your family likes) and heat. Serve over egg noodles or toasted bread. (I prefer it over the toast, as it's alot quicker to make.)

The second thing I like to throw together consists of Louis Rich Southwestern style chicken breast strips, and Birds Eye stir fry (I cant remember the exact name of it, right off the top of my head, but it has asparagus and pasta in it). Just stir fry the veggies and chicken together, and you've got a great meal!

Make individual pizza's by using english muffins as a crust, and topping with spaghetti sauce, cheese, and whatever other toppings you like, then heating in the oven till cheese is melted.

I get the bags of individually frozen chicken breasts, tenders, etc. and use those for the times I forget to pull something out ahead of time.

HTH

S.

Crock pot meals and soups could be your life-savers. Today's crock pot/slow cooker meals are things like chicken enchilades - it's not just the old standby of roast beef anymore. These are great meals that you could put on before the kids wake up or right after breakfast while they are watching tv. Then you don't have to think about it again until it's time to serve. This way they are getting a home cooked meal that's different each night but it's simple for you and something you can set and forget.

Have a breakfast for dinner day with scrambled eggs, toast (or pancakes, if you're feeling somewhat ambitious) Turkey or regular bacon and fruit for the side. Having your children plan meals with you may help, too

We try to stay away from prepared foods - Mostly anything in boxes, cans or frozen dinners. One exception is frozen fruits and vegetables as long as they're plain and not drowning in chemical sauces.

When I cook most dinners, I make extra and freeze it in single serving or family size portions. Meats like roast beef and chicken freeze well. If I have broth or gravy, I freeze it with the meat.

If I have lots of broth, I freeze it with cubed meat to make a quick soup - Just add carrots, onions, pasta and seasonings. This works well with rotisserie chicken. I take the meat off the bone for easy eating. While we eat, I simmer the bones, skin and broth. I strain the broth, then freeze it in quart containers with some cubed meat.

We love meatloaf. I buy a large package of lean ground beef, add my favorites - oatmeal soaked in tomato juice, onions, eggs, salt and pepper - and bake in single serving balls in a large, covered roasting pan. One is perfect for dinner for 2 and the rest get individually frozen. Thaw and heat in the oven, microwave or slow cooker.

We also eat a lot of salad - A LOT OF SALAD! We have a dinner salad 3-4 nights a week. Even when dinner isn't a salad, we have a small salad with our dinner to get our 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. I fondly call it kitchen sink salad. It usually starts with the basics - Lettuce, cucumber and tomato - But that's just the beginning. I posted my favorite add-ins here: http://healthtalktoday.blogspot.com/2008/07/whats-for-din...

And don't forget to take your vitamins!
www.HealthShak.net

~M.

Hey Tammi... I can relate!
My fav "oops dinner" is to make tacos. Or pizza. Find a simple taco seasoning recipe your family likes and make it in triplicate.. keep it in a ziploc baggie, ready to use. Keep a lb (or two depending on your family) of ground beef in the freezer, and a box of taco shells in the pantry. We always have black olives, salsa, shredded cheese and sour cream in the fridge.. so I just shred some lettuce and voila! The meat will brown from frozen in a jiffy.. by then the shells will be heated in the oven and you're ready for everyone to get into the assembly line.
You can put the taco meat on a bed of lettuce and make salads out of it too...
Same deal with pizza. Get a pre-made crust (come in packs of two depending on the brand)... they can be frozen. Keep a jar of pizza quick sauce in the pantry. Pepperoni and mozzarella cheese keep quite a while in the fridge unopened. You can add whatever your family likes (we can't eat pizza without black olives!)... ham, pineapple, bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms... whatever is on hand.
One last idea.. Keep a couple of boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer. Defrost in warm water while you get out the flour tortillas, shred some cheese, and chop onion/peppers.. Cook the chicken in a skillet, then dice.. Throw it all together for some chicken quesadillas, garnish with that salsa, sour cream and black olives I mentioned earlier...
My husband got sick of the quesadillas (I abused this one so badly) :)
Hope these help!

P.S. When I was a kid, my mom would make fried egg sandwiches! I STILL love them, but my hubby isn't crazy about them... bread (or toast) with mayo and a fried egg (or two)... have some strawberries or other fresh fruit on the side... If you want you can fry some bacon first and put that on there with a slice of cheese also.
My mom's other standby was tomato soup (Campbell's canned) and grilled cheese sandwiches. I still crave this when I need comfort food.

Could you share them with me when you get them? It seems as if we're the same person when it comes to dinner...
(Sorry I have no advice to offer you.)
J.
____@____.com

Hi Tammi,

I feel you, I do the same thing all the time, and have for years. I don't know where you shop, so I will tell you what I can. I buy the 10lb bag of chicken breasts at Cosco, they are already flat so they cook up quick from frozen. You can bake them with whatever seasoning you like, bake them plain and pour on some marinade or bbq sauce the last five minutes(from cold oven set at 400 to done in 30 min), or saute them on the stove top(med hi 15 min tops). Serve with a side (lipton sides are quick and easy, instant potatoes, rice takes 30 min) and a vegi. I do the same thing with the ham steaks from Cosco, from frozen to the pan to the table takes 20 min tops. I also keep frozen stir fry vegis on hand. The chicken is flat enough to leave out for 10 minutes then cut into strips or chunks for stir fry (or any other recipe you like)and the rice takes no more than 30 min no matter what kind you like. If you don't shop at cosco, you can try keeping frozen chicken tenders from somewhere else on hand for the same thing. If you need more ideas, send me an email :)

My mom used to make what she called "American Chop Suey". Take some of that frozen ground beef and cook it up, make some macaroni and put it all together in a big pot with some tomato sauce. Season however you like, serve with a salad. Doesn't take much time at all. You can brown the ground beef without microwaving it if you put it on medium heat in a pan with a lid and turn it over occasionally to scrape off the part that has cooked. My girls love this too!

Pizza is a given. Keep a few of those rolls of generic refridgerated pizza dough and crecent rolls as well. You don't even have to use sauce. I always keep about 4-5 ounces of cooked, chopped meat ( or beans) in a ziploc in the freezer. Last week, we pulled out a pizza dough, cooked it just until it started golden on my stonewear ( make sure you have a bar pan type) and then added ranch dressing as the sauce, a little cheese, I defrosted the left over barbeque chicken by placing the ziploc baggie in a bowl full of hot water while the dough baked. Added the chicken, a few bits of tomatoe ( salsa can work here too) and some onion. Chicken Ranch pizza. I also try to add lots of hidden diced veggies in this one like shredded carrot, diced leftover baby spinach (put it in the freezer before it rots to save for quick meals). You can roll out crescent rolls and bake them, cool it, take softened cream cheese and mix with garlic, onion or your favorite seasoning, add tiny bits of lunch meat, tomatoes, spinach, left over diced cold veggies, top with a little salt pepper, and parmesean cheese if you have and cut into square...cool veggie leftover pizza. The kids LOVE it. Tip: If you let them dice the veggies and spinach and let them sprinkle it and they will eat THEIR masterpiece. Another way is to buy 10 pounds of ground beef, spend a saturday morning cooking all of it. Store it in baggies and mix sloppy joe sauce. spread it on toast if you don't have rolls. Taco meat with cheese, veggies lettuce salsa or tomatoes with sour cream on top and chips or left over chip crumbs sprinkled on top for taco salad. Chili can substitute for the meat. The meat can be mixed with cream of mushroom soup and veggies placed on the bottom of ta bowl, top with mashed potatoes ( box kind works, but if you bake your potatoes in the microwave and chop them in big hunks before placing in your mixer with a whip blade, add butter and milk and viola, it makes it while you do something else. Add cheese to the top and either heat in a 350 oven until melted or the microwave...shepherd's pie. I also buy soup on sale, three of those tall cans at $1.25 each feeds five of us. Add crackers on the side or half a grilled cheese sandwhich. You can use the crumbled beef for a hamburger pizza, too. Use mayo mixed with ketchup for the sauce on the pizza dough after it's been cooked a little, top with cheddar cheese, cooked beef, tomatoes, onion. After it's out of the oven, top with bits of diced pickles and little dallops of mustard. You can also precook rice and store it in large ziploc bags. Remember when precooking to store all of your food in freezer bags FLAT. press it flat and not only will it take up less space, but will defrost in about 5 minutes in a sink full of hot water. Cook two chickens instead of one and after dinner, when it's cooled, pull it all off the bone, add bbq sauce and store flat in a bag. This can be used for bbq chicken sandwhiches or added to a salad or pizza.

I always keep a bag of the frozen precooked "fajita" chicken strips in the freezer. These are easy to fix (five minutes at the most) and can be added to the pasta and sauce, or top salads, or to make quesadillas, or tacos. It's always my go to for the nights when I FTLAO (my husbands code for, Forgot To Lay Anything Out!)

Hi Tammi,

My mom always had canned tuna and canned Salmon in the cupboards for Tuna Salad or Salmon Croquettes. You can also slice fresh chicken breast into fingers before you freeze them and then they would be small enough to grill for a quick supper...

God bless,

M.

Here are a few ideas I use for last-minute dinner nights:

Loaded baked potatoes & salad (you can even buy microwave baking potatoes in the produce section that are ready in about 6 minutes. Then make a toppings bar of butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon bits, brocolli, chives, etc)

Grilled cheese and soup (pick a heartier chunky variety of soup- they typically have more veggies and are more filling. Also, change up a traditional grilled cheese sandwich by using a variety of cheeses and breads- meunster, provalone, mozzarella, and cheddar all make great grilled cheese)

Pizza Bagels (my kids and husband all love these. I use large Publix bakery bagels in everything, onion, or plain then add sauce & cheese and let everyone choose their toppings from veggies to meats- even pineapple! tPreheat the oven to 350 while you assemble to bagels, then bake on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes)

Hope this helps!

I find myself running around at the last minute to whip up dinner also. One thing that works great for me is doing "breakfast" foods for dinner. I always have eggs in the fridge, and my 2 year old loves oatmeal and grits- both of which I always keep stocked in the pantry. You could also try quick freezer items... we like veggie burgers and veggie corn dogs. Another lifesaver are the ready made rotisserie chickens. Most grocery stores have these now. I'll cut up one of those and prepare whatever veggies I have handy. Or another one of our favorites is to make a chicken waldorf salad with torn rotisserie chicken, mayo, chopped apple and cashews. I bake sweet potatoes (you can do them in the microwave), then stuff them with the chicken salad and melt a little cheese on top. You can substitute for things your kids would like. They might prefer tuna salad in a regular baked potato. Hope this helps! =)

One thing I do when I have the time is put together 10 lasagnas all at once (we have a deep freeze) in aluminum pans and freeze them. Then whenever I have nights like that, all I have to do is put it in the oven for 1-1/2 hours.

I always keep a Bobolli pizza crust on hand with the necessary makings for a pizza, Its quick and easy and everybody loves it. Also, if you always have a jar of sauce and pasta, try this for a twist and add a little protein. Sautee onion and green pepper, add sauce and a can of chick peas. You can make it as loose (soup like) or dry (stew like) as you want. Serve it over a small pasta like elbows or shells with grated cheese. Also, I dont buy many prepared frozen foods. However, Sam's club sells a parmesan crusted Tilapia which is excellent. Cooks in 20 minutes. I keep a few bags of Uncle Ben's ready rice (90 secs in micro) or egg noodles on hand and then you just need a veggie. I always have baby carrots in the house for snacking. 10 minutes in the micro and you have a dinner.

I try to make Sunday my "stew day", my kids love beef stew, or a chicken soup or your family's favorite chili, so there are leftovers for a few days. I'm not crazy about them, but bagged salad is ready when you are, if purchased within a few days of eating. I don't use bottled dressing. The most delicious is olive oil and lemon juice with a dash of pepper and salt.
And then there's oatmeal or other "breakfast for dinner" items like scrambled eggs and toast. Hey, it's nutritious and easy to prepare and clean up.
Grapes, oranges, apples and strawberries are pretty good for a week in the fridge and easy to wash and cut up...
this should satisfy your range of ages.
I'm also an artist. Good luck with the PT job search

I always have a pillsbury pizza crust and a package of mozzerella cheese. Also a jar of pizza sauce. It takes 5 minutes to make. and 15 minutes in the oven and you can make your own pizza in 20 minutes.

We do pancakes. Sometimes pasta.
I usually keep burgers in the freezer. Contessa makes some frozen meals like chicken or shrimp stir fry that are pretty healthy. (yes, I read the labels) I cook up some rice and make a little fried rice to go with it.
I shop for ground meat at Sam's. It is cheaper most of the time. Most recipes call for you to brown the meat first. So when I get home from the store, instead of portioning and freezing immediately, I go ahead and brown it. Then portion and freeze. That saves about 20 minutes right there and for some reason, it takes less time to defrost as well. Just run some hot water over it for a few minutes and you're good to go for tacos, hamburger helper, pasta sauce, etc. I usually reserve some meat that isn't browned for meatloaf, but I go ahead and mix in the seasonings before freezing. You can pop that directly in the oven frozen.
Also, with the chicken tenders or breasts (big packs of fresh, not previously frozen), you can go ahead and season those up before you freeze them too. I can send you some of the recipes for how to season some of the chicken to freeze if you like.
It's hard to break out of a rut, but you can do it.

Wow you've gotten a lot of responses. Some things I do: Kiebalsa (?). It takes a couple of minutes to throw it in the skillet and it stays in the fridge, not the freezer so it's super easy. I buy instant rice and Green Giant frozen veggies that are steamers. They take 4 minutes to steam in the microwave. There you go - instant dinner in about 10-15 minutes. They days I'm really tired I just go to Publix and get a roasted chicken from the deli and steam the veggies above with it. Everyone likes it and Mommy gets to sit down faster. LOL

Does your family eat rice? If so, boil rice as normal and cook. Keep a can of corn beef handy and you can whip it up! First peel a couple of potatoes, fry pot. chunks or slices (like FF) into a small amount of oil, Hopefully the pot. will brown a little, add the corn beef and mix in well, add a can of tomato sauce & seasoning, let cook on med. for a bout 15-20 minutes. Poor over rice or on side. You'll have rice, meat & pot, all in 1 meal. My whole family loves this and it is great when I forget-which is often enough! Takles about 45 minutes all together!, The other quicky I use is tuna mixed in with mac & Cheese and a salad. Easy & super fast! I also make breakfast for dinner when I forget to take out a meat ect. Good luck and I hope this helps a little!
Kathy N.

We're vegetarians but you could find your own variations of these things.. Canned soups or chili are good emergency foods. We also keep veggieburgers on hand for when we feel lazy. We cook them in the toaster oven. Steaming vegetables doesn't take long as a side order to add to things.

Hi Tammi - been there done that! :-) I keep ground beef in the freezer (in 1 lb.-ish bags) - You can cook it even if it's frozen, just throw it in a pan (on medium/low heat) and keep scraping the cooked beefed off to get to the raw meat - when that's cooked, you can basically do anything w/it - you could make chili (especially when it's cold out) - just put in a can of tomato sauce, a can of petite diced tomatoes, a can of kidney beans, a cup (or so) of frozen corn (rinse it first to defrost it) or you could use a can of corn - then season w/a packet of chili seasoning or cumin/chili powder/onion powder - you could kick this up a notch by cooking onions and garlic w/the ground beef before you add the other ingredients. Then, just let it cook for 15 minutes or so to thicken up a bit - serve it with baked potatoes, over rice or w/noodles - I always sprinkle some shredded cheese over the top.
Also - you could go to FoodNetwork.com and have a look at Rachel Ray or Sandra Lee's recipes - they both do quick easy dinners! Good Luck! and Bon Appetit!

Hi Tammi,

I have these days aswell, the best thing I have figured out is I plan the weeks meals on Sunday before I go shopping. This way I pick up all the ingrediants at ounce. I then leave on the fridge each nights meals and while I am cooking dinner I set out the meat for the next day.

But I don't always get it right, so these are my "oops" meals. A big favorite (if I have remembered to set out chicken) of my family. I mix together salsa and italian dressing (2 parts salsa to 1 part dressing). Cover chicken with salsa mixture. Cover and bake till chicken is done. My family likes frozen corn and rice with this meal.
When my husband isn't home (he hates peas) I make tuna noodles and peas. Cook noodles and drain. In large bowl combine tuna, noodles, peas, mayonaise and some salt and pepper to taste. Your done!
Another thing you can do is make some dinners in advance like lasagna or pot pies, stick in freezer and cook on "oops" days. When you are running low, just make more.
Last but not least the smaller the meat the quicker it defrosts, so if you buy chicken tender strips you can seperate these and stick in cool water and they will defrost pretty fast. Also, smoked sausage defrosts really fast in cool water. Not very healthy, but if you are in a bind.
K.

If you family eats seafood, try the Voila frozen pasta entrees. There is one called Garlic Shrimp. I normally buy that and a box of the Contessa Shrimp Scampi. Mixed both of them into a frying [an (make sure you have the lid for it) I add some Garlic Powder adn Onion Powder for additional garlicy flavor but is not needed. There is no need for thawing and it only take 10 minutes to make. It has vegetables so it is a complete meal. Oh! you can make Garlic bread on the side for fillers.

Tyson has the presliced chicken on the lunch meat section. you can make chicken fajitas. Just make sure to keep the ingredients handy. (flour tortillas {the bigger the better}, Chopped onions, fajita seasoning, green/red peppers, chopped lettuce, shredded cheese {your choice I normally use the cheddar because is healthier}). Sautee all the ingredients on a frying pan, warm up the tortillas in the microwave and or oven and you are good to go. Optional ingredients include sour cream, guacamole (marie's is the best and is on the produce section @ Publix on a white and green labeled container).

I hope this helps!

One of my faithful last-minute dishes is a quiche. You can keep frozen pie shells on hand (the deep-dish kind is best) and I usually have eggs, milk, and cheese available. I use the basic recipe of 4 eggs, 2 cups milk (whisked together), 1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheese (in the thawed or partially baked pie shell) 15 min. at 425 then lower to 350 for 30 min. more. That's the basic part, now you can add pretty much anything else... crumbled bacon, chopped cooked ham or chicken, sauteed mushrooms, onion, any vegetable at all (I usually steam or saute them first.) Also, the cheese is usually swiss, but any shredded cheese will do. Put the added ingredients in the pie shell then add the cheese, then pour the egg/milk mixture over. A sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top is nice. Also, the milk can be whole milk, 2%, even light cream or skim depending on how healthy you want it (the "rich" taste will vary.) Seasonings such as salt, pepper, or herbs are to your taste. Lots of room to experiment! Quiche goes well with a salad.

I always keep frozen chicken breast tenders (the kind in the bag) and bisquick I can take the chicken straight from the bag and boil it with some chicken flavoring or broth when it's done I pull out the chicken and chop it up, place them back in the water and make dumplings from the bisqick mix (the recipe is on the box and super easy to make) when the dumplings are ready you just drop them by the spoonfull into the same water the chicken was in and let them cook till they are done (cut one in half to check for dough)

It's super easy and usually takes about 30 mins from frozen its a little longer but not by much. Be forwarned though.... when you start dropping dumplings your water swells by about double so you may want to have a bigger pot than you really need.

My last minute idea seems to happen once a week.... but my kids LOVE IT! We do breakfast for dinner... I scramble up some eggs and make bacon and toast, sometimes pancakes... I would also love to hear any other ideas!
A.

quesadillas with rice and black beans! First of all, get your rice going, it'll take about 25 mins. and by the time the rice is done, the beans and quesadillas should be done. You just need flour tortillas and cheddar cheese for the quesadillas, and you just spray a pan with cooking spray drop in a tortilla, top with sliced or grated cheese, put another tortilla on top, cook til light brown on bottom, flip over and cook til the other side is browned and cheese is melted. For the black beans you need 2 cans of black beans, 1 red onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, chili powder, juice of half a lime, salt and pepper, a bunch of cilantro, and salsa. Heat oil in a large fying pan. Saute the sliced onions over moderate heat for 5 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander and chili powder, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Pour in the liquid only from the 2 cans of black beans and simmer for about 10 mins. until liquid is reduced by half. Add beans and heat through. Stir in lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice and top with chopped cilantro. Yum!