Easy Green Bean Almondine

Palmful of slivered almonds

1-2 Tablespoons butter

1 can green beans, drained

In a small skillet, toast almonds over medium heat until fragrant.  Add butter.  When butter has melted, add drained beans, salt and pepper to taste, stir.  Cover until warmed through--just a few minutes.

Pork Loin Roast

Pork Tenderloin (whole in the bag, mine is 2.89 lbs, two pieces)

Bacon Grease (or fat of your choice)

Salt and Pepper

2 cups chicken stock

Unsweetened Applesauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season all sides of tenderloin with salt and pepper. In a large cast iron skillet, heat bacon grease over medium high heat. Sear tenderloins on all sides. Pour chicken stock in skillet. Roast* in oven for 40-50 minutes. Remove from pan to a cutting board. Tent with tin foil and rest for 10-15 minutes. Slice and serve with applesauce. Mmmmmmmmmm. :)

*If you don't have a cast iron skillet or other oven-proof skillet, remove tenderloin from pan and place in roasting pan before adding the chicken stock.

Kristen's College Spicy Bean Soup

1 Tablespoon fat (bacon grease, olive oil, butter, coconut oil)

1/2 onion, small dice

1 carrot, large dice (optional--c'mon Kristen, you eat pickles now--try a carrot!)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can vegetable or chicken broth (or stock or two cups water and two cubes chicken bouillon)

1 can tomato sauce

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce*

1 teaspoon parsley

1/2 cup frozen corn

Heat fat in a medium sauce pan over low heat, add the onion and cook five minutes.  Add carrot, cook two more minutes.  Add garlic, cook one more minute.  Add next five ingredients, raise heat until soup comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 30 minutes (you probably want to remove the pepper after 10 though!), stirring occasionally.  Remove pepper and add corn.  Stir and let corn warm through.  Enjoy!

If you are going to double this soup, add variety by making the second can of beans something different like kidney or white beans.

*This will result in a very spicy soup.  For a milder flavor, only keep the pepper in for 10 minutes of cooking time.  Also, you'll have a bunch of peppers leftover.  Freeze them individually (spread out on a plate), then place in a freezer bag to use later.