JBug's Kitchen Antics

Split Pea Soup With Bacon and Ham

The holiday season, cool weather and warm memories are all the excuses I needed to make a big pot of my favorite Canadian style split yellow pea soup for dinner last night. We call it Habitant where I come from and while my Mom would whip up a batch every once in a while, most often it came out of a magic can like this one. 

photo from ByTheCase.Net

Habitant is a traditional French Canadian pea soup, the origins of which can be traced back over 400 years to French explorer Samuel de Champlain and the cargo he carried as he sailed the ocean blue in his search for "New France". Check out this recent article for more information. 

A fabulous use of the bone from a holiday ham, this verison of Habitant also includes bacon along with onions, carrots, celery and the very traditional yellow split peas instead of the green version. I dare not ever use the green because Big Guy has an aversion to it. Come to think of it, the only way I can get him to touch a spoon of this my very favorite soup to his lips is to call it "Split Bean" instead of pea, but whatever works, right? 

Anyway, this is a hearty bone huggin' pot of delicious comfort and I swear, it's darn near impossible to stop with just one bowl. Ask Big Guy if you doubt me. He's living proof. 

Habitant Pea Soup (from JBug's Kitchen Antics adapted from Cooking Light)

6 slices bacon, diced

2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped

3 carrots, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 cups yellow split peas

6 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (optional)

12 ounce smoked ham hock or leftover ham bone

¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 medium russet potato, peeled, cooked and well mashed

In a large Dutch oven over medium low heat, cook bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove bacon from pot and set aside. Add onions, carrots and celery to pot and cook until onion is soft. Add broth, water, split peas, bay leaves, dried thyme and ham hock. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer 1-1/2 hours or until peas are very tender, skimming surface as necessary.

Remove ham hock. Stir in parsley, chopped fresh thyme, salt, pepper and cooked mashed potato. Return cooked bacon to pot. Serve with extra black pepper.

 

Ham and Bean Soup

First off I must apologize for missing a post yesterday. That old man Murphy with his law and Father Time were having a field day plotting and scheming and the result was "one of those days". Thank you all for your patience.

When your day is filled with impossibilities, one of the best things you can do other than make dinner reservations is to put a pot of soup on the stove and just forget about it. I don't know about you, but I don't necessarily need to follow a recipe when I'm making a pot of soup although in this case because it made use of a package of assorted dried beans along with some barley (Trader Joe's of course), the beans needed a little special treatment before they hit the pot. Since I forgot to soak them overnight, I did the quick soak treatment instead by boiling the lot in a big pot of water for a full 2 minutes, then allowing them to sit for a couple of hours before completing the soup. 

After the beans were plumped up, I sauteed some onion and garlic in a big soup pot, then added a host of veggies like carrot, celery, green and red pepper as well as canned tomatoes and tomato paste along with veggie stock and the ham bone from Sunday's dinner. It all simmered, bubbled and gurgled on the stove for the balance of the afternoon until I hit the pot with a couple of handfuls of dried pasta to beef it up, so to speak.

Next time you're looking for a low maintenance kind of meal, think about putting a pot of soup on the stove ...or heaven forbid, in the slow cooker.  Who just said that? Musta' been that darned old Murphy. 

Ham and Bean Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen, inspired by Purity Cookbook)

1 package dried bean mix (I used Trader Joe’s 17 bean plus barley mix)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

1 -28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1 quart veggie or low sodium chicken stock

2 cups water or more as needed to fill pot

3 ounces tomato paste

1 large meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks

1 cup dried pasta (any large pasta will do)

Shredded cheese for garnish

Pre-soak beans according to package directions. Rinse and drain well. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot until shimmering. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions start to soften – about 4 or 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots, celery, red and green pepper and sauté for another 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning, oregano, pepper, salt, red pepper flakes and bay leaf. Add canned tomatoes and ham bone, and then add stock and water as needed to fill pot within 2 inches of top. Stir in tomato paste, bring pot to a boil, then lower heat, cover pot and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, until beans are soft. Fifteen minutes before serving, add dried pasta to the pot. Simmer until pasta is cooked and soup has thickened to desired consistency. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Remove bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and garnish with shredded cheese.  Makes 8 to 10 servings. (Freezes well)

A year ago - Dairy Free Rich Chocolate Mousse

Two year's ago - Potato Gratin 

Spicy Sausage and Lentil Soup

Monday's were soup days when I was growing up a b'zillion years ago and my Mom could make a mean pot of it even when the cupboard was darn near bare. I may have inherited her talent in that respect although personally I think it's just a great way to use up some of the odds and sods hiding in the refrigerator and/or pantry.

An off the cuff J'Bug original, this pot starts with a couple of ounces of pancetta, although you could use bacon if you wish. Once rendered of its fat, I add diced vegetables including onions, carrots, celery and fennel along with lots of garlic and some spicy hot Italian sausage (bulk without the casings). 

Sautéed until the veggies are soft and the sausage is all crumbled and no longer pink, I hit the pot with a bunch of spices along with tomato paste, diced canned tomatoes and lots of chicken stock. A cup and a half of lentils and some red wine vinegar round it all out and an hour later, a miraculous thing has occurred that looks and smells like dinner. 

About 10 minutes out hit the scene with some green like chopped fresh spinach and Italian parsley, and turn the heat off, cover the pot and let the greens steep a touch so they keep their color. Ladle into bowls, pass the grated cheese and bring out the crusty bread or crunchy crackers. Dinner's served! Simple right?

Spicy Lentil Soup with Sausage (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

3 to 4 ounces pancetta, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, finely chopped

1 cup chopped peeled carrots

3 stalks celery, diced

1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage

1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon oregano

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2 quarts chicken stock

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1-1/2 cups lentils, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 cups fresh spinach, chopped (or kale if you wish)

1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Grated parmesan cheese as garnish (I used Italian 4 cheese blend)

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat oil until shimmering. Add pancetta, reduce heat and cook until pancetta has released some of its fat – about 4 to 5 minutes. Add onions, carrots, celery, fennel, and garlic to the pot. Cook stirring for 1 minute, then add crumbled Italian sausage. Cook until vegetables are softened and sausage is no longer pink – about 10 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds, then add chicken stock, tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir well to combine. Add lentils and red wine vinegar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer, cover pot and cook for 1 hour. Ten minutes before serving, stir in spinach and parsley. Cover pot and remove from heat and let the pot sit as the residual heat cooks the spinach and parsley. Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated cheese. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Feel free to add more stock if you like a thinner soup. 

A year ago - Ideas for using leftover turkey

Two year's ago - Oatmeal Rasin Cookies

 

Lorraine's Baked Beans

When Lorraine had us over for dinner on the 4^th of July, her incredible menu included a fabulous pot of baked beans (actually she had 2 pots). Loaded with “secret ingredients”, it was the most addictively delicious explosion of flavors I’d had all summer …that is, until she had us over for curry the other night but that’s a whole other story.

Had I not been trying to be so polite, I’d have taken a shovel and finished the whole darn thing but those old lessons from Emily Post’s book of etiquette prevailed so I just had to make them at home so we could gorge ourselves on the sly. There was only one slight problem – I needed a bean pot because that’s how Lorraine cooked hers. Thankfully during a quick foraging trip to the Waldport second hand shop Big Guy spotted one and we were off to the races. Now, we’re the proud owners of an official made in the USA Hull bean pot that didn’t look like it had ever been used. It’s a beauty, isn’t it?

Anyway, to cut to the chase - here’s the link to Fig’s & Artichokes for Lorraine’s recipe…I don’t know about you, but I was kinda’ surprised at a few of the ingredients but there’s no surprises with the final outcome. They’re the best!

By the way, I cut the quantities in half so we wouldn’t be total gluttons, reduced the sugar slightly and added a can of drained black beans to the mix, just because I had them and I’m ornery.  I’m also impatient so the beans cooked for exactly 1 hour less than the recipe called for, which means they’re not quite as dark and rich in color as Lorraine’s were, but they’re still delicious.

We had ‘em along with some gi-normous foot long hot dogs Big Guy cooked on the grill outside …that’s his plate you’re looking at. Mine had more beans and less dawg. Just sayin’. 

 

Black Bean and Mango Salad

As you know, I'm all about trying new things and this salad definitely has some new and different flavor combinations, never mind that it is rather easy on the waistline. 

Loaded with cool and sweet mango chunks, black beans, chopped up mini bell peppers of assorted colors, one lonely jalapeno and some sweet onion, it has all the markings of a salsa disguising itself as a salad. If fresh mango's are hard to find, look for frozen chunks in your favorite supermarket. Trader Joe's has them in their freezer section and they certainly come in handy for salads, or in smoothie's too. 

They made whipping up this colorful side dish a piece of cake. Dressed with fresh lime juice and a mere tablespoon of olive oil, the flavors were a light and refreshing accompanyment to our grilled ribeye steak. Come to think of it, it would be perfectly at home on a plate with anything off the grill, like chicken, shrimp or even salmon, tuna or tilapia and I can't imagine how incredibly tasty a chicken burger would be topped with it or loaded into a fish taco. Yum!

I have a feeling once you give this black bean and mango special a try, you'll be putting it on a regular rotation. I know I will be. 

Black Bean and Mango Salad (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Bush’s Beans)

1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups mango, diced (I used frozen chunks)

5 mini bell peppers, finely diced

1 jalapeno, minced

1/4 cup minced sweet onion

1/4 chopped cilantro

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt to taste

Combine ingredients together and serve. 

 A year ago - Vanilla Sour Cream Ice Cream

Two year's ago - Deep Dish Curried Chicken Pie

A Special Evening

There's a definite upside to Big Guy's teaching at the University and that's the attachment we've made to some of his students. Not having children of our own, we've managed to adopt several over the years and we keep in touch with many of "our kids". One of a group of favorites that graduated 5 years ago came through town last night with her Dad on her drive from the OC (Orange County) all the way to her exciting new job in New York. 

Dinner had to be of the kind that would hold fairly well and/or be cooked quickly since we weren't sure of timing so Big Guy grilled up the steaks I alluded to the other day. We topped them with a compound butter including garlic and gorgonzola and you've got to admit they're pretty darn awesome hunks of beef.

On the side was a pot of Calico Beans adapted from an old favorite recipe from The Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks, Best of the Best. I nixed the green and lima beans called for in their version because you know who doesn't go for either, and substituted a can each of chili beans and great northern's. Flavored by some of our homemade bacon, spiced with garlic and dry mustard, sweetened with brown sugar and tarted up with vinegar, an hour in the oven's all you need for a pot of goods you'd be hard pressed not to call homemade.

We also had a new favorite Corn and Jalapeno Casserole that's a cross between cornbread and a cheesy, spicy corn souffle.

We can thank what I've renamed my kitchen bible, Idaho a la CArte, for its existence and includes canned creamed corn, cornmeal, buttermilk and eggs along with chopped onion for crunch and jalapenos for heat. Unsure about our guests' appreciation for spicy heat, I used only one jalapeno but next time I make this beauty I'll load it up with more along with some green chiles too.  It takes an hour in the oven to bake at the same temperature as the Calico Beans - coincidence isn't it...or just good planning.

We loved it - the texture's amazingly light, it holds well when timing is an issue and can even be prepared in advance and re-heated if you're so inclined. I daresay it'll give our favorite Pancetta Green Chile Cornbread a run for its money in this household.

So there ya go. I bet you're all wondering what we had for dessert but you'll have to wonder for another day or two because it is so differently delicious, it deserves a post all its own.  To give you a hint...think orange...think cream....think push-ups. Bet that's got you wondering!

Calico Beans (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks, The Best of the Best)

6 thick cut slices of bacon, diced

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 – 14 ounce can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 14 ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 14 ounce can chili beans with sauce

1 – 14 ounce can pork and beans

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a medium sized Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from pan. Return pan to heat and add chopped onion. Sauté onions until softened then add remaining ingredients, including bacon. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 oven for up to 1 hour. Check after 40 minutes and if beans are looking too dry, cover for remaining cooking time.  Serves 6 to 8.

Jalapeno Corn Casserole (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

1 – 14.5 ounce can cream style corn

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1&1/2 cups)

2 eggs beaten

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese or Mexican Blend

1 jalapeno minced (or more depending on tastes)

1 small can chopped green chiles (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 inch pan (square or round) with cooking spray and line bottom with parchment. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine creamed corn, cornmeal, baking soda, salt, melted butter, buttermilk, onion and eggs. Whisk until well mixed. Pour half the mixture into prepared pan. Top with half the grated cheese, sprinkle with minced jalapeno then add remaining cheese. Pour on the remaining batter and spread to even top. Bake for 1 hour or until set. Cool for 15 minutes then invert pan onto a platter. Cut into wedges or squares to serve. Makes 8 to 9 servings.    

A year ago - Meatloaf on the Barbecue 

Two year's ago - Asian Noodles and Glazed Steelhead

Red Beans and Rice

We had red beans and rice last night in honor of Mardi Gras and all the wonderful doin's going on in New Orleans at the moment. It's certainly a tasty and trouble free dinner because you just put it on the stove and forget about it.

Couldn't be a better solution let me tell ya' because at the moment I've got my nose buried in a book (The Help by Kathryn Stockett) and I'm having a really hard time putting it down to take care of mundane tasks like cleaning, ironing and cooking. That'll give you an idea about how good the book is when it has taken away my desire to cook. 

The glorious pot of soul food starts with sauteed onion, celery and garlic before the soaked red beans enter the picture and just gets better after that. Joined in the pot by meaty ham hocks and smoked Andouille sausage, it simmered darn near unattended for the better part of the afternoon. Served with a scoop of fluffy long grain rice, it's a warm comforting somewhat spicy bowl of Southern bliss, especially with a hunk of hot cornbread, crunchy on the outside and moist inside studded with flecks of jalapeno, corn and cheddar cheese. Ah yum!

Gotta run. I'm on the last 50 pages and if I want to get anything at all accomplished today, I'm going to have to finish that book. I wish there were another 400 pages in it though because quite frankly I'm just not ready for it to be over yet. 

I'm sending you directly to foodnetwork.com for this fabulous Emeril recipe because I'm just in too much of a hurry, plus the only thing I changed was to double the amount of Andouille in the recipe just because we love the darn stuff.  

A year ago - Broccoli Gratin    

Salmon with Bacon and Lentils

I find it very hard to resist a perfect sockeye salmon fillet so yesterday's purchase became last night's dinner. Simply cooked in the bacon leavings in a hot cast iron pan, and brushed with some Kicky Kumquat Marmalade before hitting the broiler the real story of the evening is the bed of lentils.

Simmered with onion, carrot and orange peel, they can be prepped in advance and finished just prior to plating which is what I did just to make life a little easier - plus I had no idea exactly how long the darn things would take to cook. Anyway, after they're cooked, the lentils are spiced up with lots of salt and pepper, chopped fresh parsley and chives along with dried tarragon, finished with a touch of cream and garnished with crispy bacon.

A word to the wise - watch your lentils to make sure you don't over or under cook them because undercooked they're like pellets and overcooked they're mush. Dah - now that's a profound statement isn't it?

If you're interested in the real source, check out the recipe on epicurious.com; however, I made some changes to suit our tastebuds. I'm not a fan of rubbery undercooked bacon, so I cooked it until crisp, crumbled it up and used it as a garnish rather than wrapping the salmon fillets with the rashers. Also, heeding the advice of some of the comments, I ramped up the flavor of the salmon by glazing it with our homemade habanero kumquat marmalade but you could achieve almost the same thing by mixing minced hot peppers into store bought orange marmalade. 

Give this one a try next time you've a yen for salmon. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Salmon with Bacon and Lentils (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from epicurious.com)

Lentils:

1 cup lentils

1 onion, minced

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

4 – 2 inch long orange peel strips (pith removed)

2-1/2 cups water

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

Salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

In a medium sized pot, combine lentils, onion, carrot, orange peel and water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until lentils are just cooked. Drain well reserving liquid. Remove and discard orange peel. (May be made to this point, covered and cooled). Just before serving reheat lentils over medium heat. Stir in whipping cream, parsley, chives, and tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add reserved liquid if lentils are dry.

Salmon:

3 slices bacon

1 – 12 ounce sockeye salmon fillet skin on

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

3 tablespoons Kicky Kumquat Marmalade or 1/2 habanero pepper minced and mixed into 3 tablespoons purchased orange marmalade

 

Cook bacon in a heavy skillet over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels, then cut into small pieces. Set aside. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat and return pan to heat and increase to medium high.

Preheat broiler. Cut salmon fillet into 2 serving pieces and season well with salt and pepper. Place into hot skillet, skin side down and cook for 2 minutes. Top salmon with marmalade and place under broiler for additional 2 to 3 minutes or until salmon is cooked. Serve on a bed of lentils garnished with bacon.

Two year's ago - Fried Eggplant with Sausage Ragu 

Shrimp, Andouille and White Bean Stew

Last night's shrimp and andouille filled stew has all the flavors of gumbo without the time and frettin' of making a roux. Loaded with the trinity including onion, celery and green pepper, the basics are gumbo's twin - fraternal of course because the addition of white beans takes it into a new realm entirely.

It's low on fuss, fairly moderate in calories and extremely filling which were all requirements after our busy Saturday. And there you have it! It's not very often that I'm at a loss for words at least not in the written form but today's one of those days, so I'll just head right to the recipe and leave you to enjoy your morning coffee.

Creole Flavored Shrimp and Sausage Stew (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Cooking Light)

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 ounces smoked Andouille sausage, sliced

1 green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

1 teaspoon oregano

1-1/2 cups ounce can low salt low fat chicken stock

1 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes, undrained

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1 15 ounce can great northern beans

8 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp

Parsley

Hot sauce

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add sliced Andouille sausage and cook until browned. Remove from pot and add bell pepper, onion and celery. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add garlic, Creole seasoning, cayenne and oregano and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove cover from pan, return Andouille to pot and simmer additional 10 minutes or until desired consistency. Just before serving add great northern beans and shrimp. Cook for 4 – 5 minutes until shrimp are just cooked. Garnish with parsley and pass the hot sauce. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Hoppin' John

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib Roast

For some reason we're programmed to make chili from fresh beef - ground, cubed or otherwise but there's a whole plethora of possibilities out there with leftover roast beef, brisket or pot roast. Beef aside, just think  what can be done with leftover turkey, chicken or pork roast too. 

Last night I rescued a pound's worth of cubed cut up Christmas prime rib from the freezer and morphed it into an absolutely fine and I do mean fine pot of red. It all started with 4 slices of smoky bacon, chunked up and cooked slowly so it released some fat (and flavor). Then I added a couple of huge yellow onions, all diced up along with a slew of minced garlic and let it saute until soft. Joined by a collection of spices followed by a can of lager beer, diced tomatoes, a touch of tomato paste, a cup of beef stock and the best kept secret which is a secret no more -  barbecue sauce. After the beef joined the party I let the pot simmer for 30 minutes before I added two cans of drained and rinsed pinto beans. Another 15 minutes of brewing time and a star was born!

It's addictive! The flavor is absolutely amazing - smoky bacon, tender beef, the sweet spicy taste of barbecue sauce and of course the bite of chile. It really is sublime.

Speaking of stars - the Big Guy was seeing 'em up close and personal last night. I'm not sure if the beans were doing a dance or whether he was climbing a mountain or some such thing in his sleep, but about the time the old REM's were at their peak darned if he didn't fall right outa' bed with a mighty crash. Of course after I made sure he was alright and he got himself re-situated and fell back to sleep the whole event tickled my funny bone big time and I just couldn't stop laughing.  Wonder what he's gonna' do after he has another bowl of chili.

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Fine Cooking

4 slices smoky bacon, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, diced

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons mild chili powder

1 tablespoon hot New Mexico chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 - 12 ounce can lager beer

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I used Kraft original)

1 cup beef stock or beef consomme'

1 or 2 pounds leftover prime rib roast, cut into half inch dice

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – cubed cheese, chopped sweet onion, pickled jalapeno

Lime wedges

Heat a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add olive oil and bacon, and cook stirring occasionally until bacon has released its fat and pieces are starting to crisp. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are very soft – about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chili powders, cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook stirring constantly for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, barbecue sauce and beef stock. Bring to a boil, and then add beef. Lower to simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pinto beans and cook additional 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve with garnishes and a squeeze of lime. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Ham and Cheese Quiche

Red Beans and Rice

I know I've been MIA the last couple of days as I've been under the weather, but for those of you that are under the blizzard and never ending cold kind of weather, have I got a great solution for you.

Red Beans and Rice is a common Monday meal in the south, although a different part of the south than we're currently living in and given the beautiful ham bone that came with all that gorgeous meat from Sunday night, I knew I had to do something special with it. Since the Big Guy's not into split pea soup, I figured I'd make something I knew he'd love and Monday night's dinner suited him to an absolute "T".

Loaded with tiny little red beans that soaked for 8 hours and then cooked for another 4 along with garlic, onion, celery and green pepper this perfect pot of low maintenance energy food is a great use not only of that meaty ham bone, but also of those fiber rich pellets of musical fruit. Spiced up with worcestershire sauce and creole seasoning along with a bay leaf and a touch more cayenne cause we love that extra spice, the finishing touch on this glorious pot of stick to your ribs grub is surely the Andouille sausage, fried up all crisp and lovely. 

It's absolutely the perfect way to use up that holiday ham bone and guaranteed to warm your family from sole to soul!

Red Beans and Rice (adapted from simplyrecipes.com)

1 pound small red beans, washed well and soaked overnight

1 large meaty ham bone

3 cups low sodium chicken stock

2 cups water

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 sticks celery, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Zatarains Creole seasoning

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 bay leaf

Fresh ground black pepper

Salt if required

1 – 12 ounce package Andouille sausage

White rice, cooked per package directions

Drain and rinse soaked red beans and place in a large Dutch oven. Add chicken stock, water, garlic and onion and ham bone. Bring pot to a boil then reduce heat to low simmer and cook for 2 hours or until beans are tender.  Remove bone from pot, cool until easy to handle, then pick meat away from the bones and return meat to pot. Discard bone. Add celery, green pepper, Worcestershire sauce, creole seasoning, cayenne pepper and bay leaf. Return pot to a boil, then cover and simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours until mixture is very thick and beans are extremely tender. Taste for seasoning and add black pepper and salt if required. Just before serving slice Andouille sausage and fry until brown on all sides. Serve beans garnished with Andouille and rice on top.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

 A year ago - White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Sweet Spicy Ribs and Beans

The fact that I'm in the habit of showing you all what we've had a year ago on the bottom of each day's post is as much a reminder for me as it may be news for you, and thanks be to both because last night's dinner was a long overdue repeat of a dish that's perfect for this time of year. Truth be known, it's perfect almost anytime.

Fabulously meaty country style pork ribs browned to a rich mahogany cooked on a bed of pinto beans, onions and green pepper bathed in a sweet and spicy sauce - why, it might sound like a dish that takes hours to prepare but believe me, in the wink of an eye it's in the oven making its presence known with an incredibly tantalizing aroma. By the way, it's just the thing to make for a crowd because it'll double or triple perfectly and you'll really want to add more beans to the mix because they're just so darn wonderful.

I know I won't get tired of eating it over the next couple of days because woe is me the Big Guy left at 4:30 this morning on his way to Fargo, North Dakota for 5 days on a business trip. Now just imagine the trouble I had yesterday packing for a guy with a wardrobe filled with summer weight suits made for our sunny normally warm Tucson climate. I mean our current lows are equivalent to their current highs and toe rubbers and parkas are so not required here. He's gonna' freeze his derriere .... can I say that on-line?

Sweet Spicy Ribs and Beans

4 pounds pork country style ribs, trimmed of fat

Salt, pepper & flour

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 – 16 ounce cans pinto beans, drained (can be increased to 4 cans without adjusting recipe)

1 large onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped (optional)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 10.5 ounce jar red jalapeno jelly

1 18 ounce bottle hickory flavored barbecue sauce (I used Kraft)

1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 300. In a small saucepan, heat together jalapeno jelly and barbecue sauce until jelly has dissolved.  Remove from heat, add garlic and hot sauce. Set aside.Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Dust ribs with salt, pepper & flour and in batches, brown well on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside. Continue browning meat in batches.  When meat is all browned, remove pot from heat. Add half of the chopped onion, and green pepper to the bottom of the pot. Cover vegetables with drained pinto beans, then spread one half of the jalapeno jelly/barbecue sauce mixture on top. Place browned ribs on top, add the rest of the chopped onion and green pepper. Top with the remainder of the jalapeno jelly/barbecue sauce mixture.  Cover pot and place in 300 oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

A year ago - Ina's Roasted Chicken on Croutons

Hungarian Hot Sausage and Lentil Soup

Dear Rachael:

Just a note to thank you for yet another wonderful meal. Your imagination is without boundaries and this particular soup or "stoup" as you call it may be your best one yet. Loaded with hot Italian sausage and veggies like onions, mushrooms, carrots and potato, the lentils are the perfect addition to this healthy bowl of bliss. Of course our new favorite, kale, added at the very end provides just the right amount of crunch and its bright green color and slightly bitter flavor really stand out. We loved the addition of smoked paprika too - in fact, we enjoyed the soup very much and know it's going to taste every bit as good, if not better, for lunch today.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - with your talent, warmth and charm you deserve every single bit of the success that's come your way.

I'm sending my readers directly to your web site for the recipe for your Hungarian Hot Sausage and Lentil Soup because, I changed nothing. It was perfect just as written. Also, I've got your "Big Orange Book" on my wish list, and if the Big Guy wants to add your newest "Book of 10" to the list, he's guaranteed to make a bunch of points. After all, it never hurts to accumulate points for the next time he screws up.

Best regards!

A year ago  -  Rockin' Moroccan Stew

Weinies and Bacon Maple Beans

With all the cookin' that goes on in JBug's Kitchen, there are times the Big Guy screams for something very ordinary which is rather hard on my ego. I mean there's not much one can do to jazz up a request for weinies and cheater beans except maybe to add a little maple syrup to the beans so that's what I did.

Thanks to some inspiration from Tasty Kitchen, I sauteed maple smoked bacon pieces until they were just starting to crisp up, then added a chopped onion, garlic, minced jalapeno, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup and a cup of tomato sauce to some canned baked as well as great northern beans. Topped off with a touch of water and given 1-1/2 hours in the oven, they looked and tasted almost like scratch beans.

Topped with a crispy grilled good quality wiener sausage and garnished with red onion and cheddar, it rather took care of you know who's craving for "simple" and satisfied my need to add a little somethin' somethin' to everything I do.

By the way, the beans would be a great thing to have going in the oven on the day you're putting up your Christmas decorations or hitting the ski slopes. Add a pound or two of good ole' Jimmy Deans maple cured sausage to the mix and some biscuits and you'll really satisfy the restless natives.

Bacon Maple Cheater Beans (inspired by Tasty Kitchen)

6 ounces bacon, chopped

1 large onion, diced (about 1-1/2 cups)

2 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno, minced

1 – 28 ounce can baked beans

1 – 14 ounce can great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup tomato sauce

Water as required

Minced red onion, jalapeno & grated cheddar for garnish

Preheat oven to 300. In a large Dutch oven cook bacon over medium low heat until fat is rendered and bacon starts to crisp. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno and cook until onion is softened, stirring often. Add baked beans, rinsed and drained great northern beans, salt, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup and tomato sauce. Add just enough water so beans are covered in liquid. Bring to a boil, and then place in oven, uncovered, for 1-1/2 hours. Garnish with onion, jalapeno and grated cheddar. Makes 4 - 6 servings. Download Bacon Maple Cheater Beans

A year ago - Pork Tenderloin with the BOMB Sauce

Old Settler Beans

When old man hunger comes knocking at your door you can tell him to take a hike if you've got a pot of beans like this in the oven.

Fashioned from an assortment of canned beans with a hint of added sweetness from sugar and a hefty hit of spice via barbecue sauce and Dijon it's the addition of bacon and hamburger that make it really sing. Great as a main course along with some corn bread or as a side dish with steak or ribs, it's the perfect dish for a potluck or just 2 very hungry people that don't mind leftovers - a lot of leftovers.

The Big Guy can vouch for the fact it makes a darn fine lunch, particularly along with those hot dogs he so loves.

Old Settler Beans (Adapted from Jackson Hole Cooks)

3/4 pound lean ground beef

6 slices bacon, finely chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 – 16 ounce can pork and beans

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can pinto (red) beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat and add chopped bacon. Cook until bacon is starting to crisp and has released some fat into the pot. Add ground beef and cook crumbling until no longer pink. Add onion and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until onion has softened. Add pork and beans, drained and rinsed kidney and pinto beans. Stir in sugars, barbecue sauce, ketchup, chili powder and Dijon. Cover pot and bake for 1 hour. Serves 4 as a main course or 8 as a side dish. Download Old Settler Beans

A year ago - Baked Fish with Onion and Bacon Crust

Coulda' Been Meatless Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

Last night's dinner could have been gluten free had I used corn tortillas instead of flour; it coulda' been meatless too had I left out the ground beef but for certain it couldn't have been any more delicious. I had every intention of making them in the manner in which Karina the Gluten Free Goddess intended, but I got the look when I divulged what was for dinner so I had to make a few modifications. That's OK because it wasn't a bad thing believe me, but please hit the link above to see Karina's official version.

Fashioned from cubes of cooked sweet potato, black beans, a mere 4 ounces of ground beef, a bunch of spices, and a lick of cheese, the truly wonderful thing about these autumny enchiladas is, excluding the tortillas, they're scratch made up to and including the sauce... and oh what a sauce it is!

I changed up Karina's recipe a tad and rather than making a chunky Salsa Verde, I dumped some of our home roasted Hatch chiles into a container, added stock, garlic, cumin and chili powder and whizzed it up with the immersion blender, then heated the gorgeous green liquid in the microwave before pouring it over the filled tortillas. The casserole hit the oven for 25 minutes and came out looking like this!

By the way, I made 5 enchiladas and kept the rest of the filling in a container for the Big Guy's lunch today. He'll be making soft tacos out of the same basic ingredients and enjoying every morsel I might add. Oh and one more thing - personally I think the enchiladas will be fabulous meatless as they were intended, but they'd also be a great way to use some leftover pork, chicken or turkey too, so feel free to substitute another meat for the beef.

Beef, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas (adapted from Karina’s Kitchen, Recipes from a Gluten free Goddess)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion finely chopped

4 ounces ground beef (or leftover pork, chicken or turkey)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder (I used spicy)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 cups cooked diced sweet potato

1/2 cup chopped green chiles

1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 -1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

8  6 inch flour tortillas  

Sauce:

1 cup roasted green chiles, skins and seeds removed (about 6 large)

1-1/4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot

Place ingredients into blender and blend until smooth, adding more stock if necessary to make a smooth sauce with a fairly thick consistency. Set aside.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350.

In a large sauté pan heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add ground beef and cook, crumbling with a fork until no longer pink. Add cumin, chili powder and cook for additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove beef/onion mixture to a bowl and add sweet potatoes, chiles, cilantro and black beans. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Lay tortillas flat on work surface and place approximately half a cup of filling along one edge. Top with some of the grated cheese. Roll tortilla into a cylinder and place seam side down into prepared casserole dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Casserole may be refrigerated at this point to be reheated later.

Heat sauce in microwave until bubbling. Pour over filled tortillas and top with remaining grated cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until enchiladas are hot and sauce is bubbling. Serve with sour cream and additional salsa if desired. – Serves 4 to 6. Download Beef, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

A year ago - Coq au Vin

Sausage and Pinto Bean Chili

Unless you've been living in la'la land you must know by now there's all kinds of ways to make chili. Once upon a time in my history it meant a packaged dry mix, a pound of ground beef, a can of tomatoes and one of beans. Today you might say I've finally been re-educated.

I've been known to make it green, white or red, with or without beans and with ground or chunked pork, chorizo, chicken, and even lamb but last night's version included spicy and sweet Italian sausage for a thoroughly different twist. Oh and we mustn't forget about the beans. Actually it's a little difficult to forget about them since they caused an incredible amount of thunder under the sheets last night, if you know what I mean.

In this instance I used dried pinto beans, rehydrated the quick method because I forgot to soak 'em overnight (large pot; beans; fill with water; bring to a boil; remove from heat; cover and sit for 1 hour), combined with lots of onions, molasses, maple syrup, and a touch of booze, the pot hit the oven at 250 for the better part of the afternoon.

A perfect laundry ironing day dinner, the sweet/hot/spicy flavor was a fabulous way to start off the week especially with a hunk of moist and delicious pancetta, green chili corn studded cheesy cornbread. 

Sausage and Pinto Bean Chili (adapted from High Plains, by Cinda Chavich)

2 cups dried pinto beans

1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage

1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage

2 cups chopped onions (about 2 medium)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon dry mustard

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 – 8 ounce can tomato sauce

1 cup tomato juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup bourbon or rum

1 cup water (or more as needed)

Pick over pinto beans for stones, and then wash well in a sieve under running water. Add to a large pot of water and soak overnight (or use the quick soak method). Drain and rinse.

Brown sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Add onions and cook until softened – about 10 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder and dry mustard. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add white wine and cook, stirring and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot until wine has almost completely reduced (about 5 minutes). Add molasses, maple syrup, tomato sauce, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, bourbon and 1 cup of water, along with drained and rinsed beans. Bring pot to a boil, cover and place in 250 oven for 3 hours. Check pot half way through cooking and add more water as needed if chili is too dry. Serves 6.   Download Sausage and Pinto Bean Chili

Cornbread with Pancetta and Green Chiles (adapted from Bon Appetit)

4 ounces pancetta, diced

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese (or cheddar)

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1 small can chopped green chilies

1 cup canned or frozen corn, defrosted

Preheat oven to 400. Brown pancetta in 8 inch cast iron pan. Add butter, and when butter has melted set aside and keep warm. Meanwhile whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Fold in grated cheese. In a smaller bowl beat egg and buttermilk together. Add green chilies and corn. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing with a fork only until just combined. Pour over hot pancetta and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Download Cornbread with Pancetta

A year ago - Braised Beef and Olives

Pork and Squash Pot Pie with White Cheddar Crust

As luck would have it, we're still enjoying the shredded pork from Saturday night. I'd popped some of it in the freezer to hold onto and jury rigged this recipe from High Plains to make use of it instead of the cooked turkey called for.

What can I say - the pork is the bomb and the cookbook is a real keeper. My wonderful sister Joy sent it to me for Christmas in 2001, just when my homesickness for the land of my birth was at its zenith. Quite honestly I had to put the book aside for a while because it just made me cry but enough of that already. After all I've been in the U.S. 11 years now so I should be over it by now, right?

This particular pot pie is about as different as you can get from the old standard, with cubes of buttternut squash, sliced onions and white beans along with the pork all served up in a rich creamy gravy. Just so you know, I adjusted the recipe to our tastes by adding a few more herbs, in no small part to make up for the fact that I used pork rather than roasted turkey. I dare say it would be fabulous with some of that leftover Thanksgiving bird and you could throw in stuffing and turkey gravy too just for good measure. It would be fabulous.

The true topper on the pie's got to be the white cheddar crust which is really a cross between a dumpling and a biscuit. The flavor of the cheddar really makes the pie, so don't leave it out, OK? The only negative about the whole thing is that I found the crust was quite "moist" and dumpling like where it touched the filling. The Big Guy liked it but I'm more fussy than he is (or is it anal and no comments on that one please). I think next time I'll bake the crust separately and pop it on top of the pie just before serving; however, you be the judge because it's all good. Darn good!

Pork and Squash Pot Pie with White Cheddar Crust (adapted from High Plains by Cinda Chavich)

2-1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups peeled, seeded butternut squash cut into half inch cubes

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, slivered

2-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon dried ground sage

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Salt as required

1 cup cooked white beans (rinse well if using canned)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

3 cups cooked cubed or shredded pork roast

Boil squash cubes in salted water until barely tender (7 to 8 minutes). Drain, reserving 1 cup of liquid and place cubes in bottom of casserole dish. In saucepan melt butter over medium heat and add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are softened and just starting to brown – about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir flour into onions and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved squash cooking liquid along with chicken stock. Bring to a boil, stir in seasonings and cook until thickened (about 10 minutes). Taste for seasoning and add salt as required. Cool slightly. Preheat oven to 400.  Arrange cooked roast pork over squash cubes in casserole dish. Add white beans and sprinkle with parsley. Pour prepared sauce over top and using a fork, mix together lightly.

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes

1-1/2 cups shredded white old Cheddar cheese

2/3 cup milk

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender cut in butter until crumbly. With a fork, stir in shredded cheddar. Add milk and stir lightly until a soft dough forms. Drop dough on top of casserole and make in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until top is golden and casserole bubbly. Serves 6

Hey people - Great minds think alike. Check out my friend Lea's site because she made Chicken Pot Pie last night. Yum!

 

Chili With An OK Twist

Don't drop from shock but I actually cooked dinner last night. Isn't that a kick? Trouble is it was more suitable to a cloudy misty beach day than the one we enjoyed which proves one should check the weather forecast before making up the week's menu.

Last night's bowl of comfort was inspired by a recipe from Taste of the Territory, a cookbook the Big Guy brought back for me from his Oklahoma trip.

Sauteed onion, garlic, red and green and jalapeno peppers are joined by ground beef and topped up with canned baked beans (I used Bush's Grillin' beans), Rotel tomatoes and minestrone soup. Garnished with a touch of barbecue sauce and the ever present hot sauce, it's a hearty meal that's easy on the budget and on a lazy cook.

OK Chili (adapted from Taste of the Territory)

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 large jalapeno, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound lean ground beef

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons chili powder

Coarse ground black pepper & salt to taste

1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies

2 -15 ounce cans ranch style beans (I used Bush’s Grillin’ Beans)

1 large can minestrone soup

Hot sauce and prepared barbecue sauce to taste

Heat large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add vegetable oil and heat until shimmering. Add onion, peppers and garlic and cook until vegetables are softened – about 10 minutes. Add ground beef, Italian seasoning, chili powder and sauté, stirring well to break up beef. When beef is no longer pink, cover pot and cook for additional 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans and minestrone soup. Simmer uncovered for additional 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Serve garnished with hot sauce and a drizzle of barbecue sauce. Makes 8 to 10 servings. Download OK Chili

 

 

Spicy Bean Snackin' Cake

Beans, beans, beans. You can boil em, bake em, fry em and re-fry em. They make a mean salad, casserole or burrito too but I bet you didn't know you could make a spice cake out of the oh so healthy musical little things, did ya?

The Big Guy and yours truly are hitting the road in a few days for a long drive to the Oregon Coast and we pack most of our meals along with us because it's impossible to stop at a restaurant when it is stinkin' hot and you've a dog in the car. We all know what 3 days worth of very little exercise and too much food can do to the "morning constitutional", so I thought some fiber might be a good thing to include in our diets.

The only thing is I need to be subtle about adding it, since a couple of years ago we brought along some big beautiful bran muffins and someone who shall remain nameless ate a few too many of the things and darn near put us in the ditch trying to find a rest stop. It was so traumatic it almost put him off fiber for life. Enter this snackin' cake.

Loaded with chopped apples, raisins, pecans, very little butter and moderate sugar, the pinto beans are mashed and hidden in the mix disguised with lots of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Topped with a fluffy cap of cream cheese frosting the cake is oh so moist, tender and perfect for taking on the road to enjoy with our morning coffee. It might smell like beans when it's in the oven, but certainly in no way, shape or form resembles the original thing except maybe for the color. Course if you want to change that, add a little cocoa and you've got the problem solved.

I only have one fear and it's a rather serious concern. Since we're gonna' be together in such close quarters, I'm hoping my plan doesn't backfire - if you get my drift.

Spicy Bean Snackin’ Cake (adapted from Idaho a la CArte)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

2 cups cooked pinto beans, mashed (2 cans rinsed and drained)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups chopped apples (peeled and cored)

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside. In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa if using, salt, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Whisk to lighten. Set aside. Using an electric mixer in a large bowl beat butter until light. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Beat in mashed beans. Add dry ingredients and blend well. Fold in apples, raisins, pecans and vanilla. Pour into cake pan (batter will be very stiff) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.  Top with cream cheese frosting. Makes 12 servings.

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup softened butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

Beat together cream cheese and softened butter until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Slowly add icing sugar, beating until mixture is light and creamy. Download Spicy Bean Snackin' Cake

A year ago - Roasted Corn Chowder

Hoppin' John (Black Eyed Peas with Smoked Sausage)

Don't ask me why it's called Hoppin' John and not Jumpin' Charlie but this is what we had for dinner last night. The big guy really wanted to try some black eyed PEAS, and you know how he feels about peas but they're really just another legume aka bean anyway, aren't they.

A Southern dish traditionally served to celebrate New Year's and bring good luck (so we're late for once in our Type A lives), it's really just another form of "rice and beans". We absolutely love the Cajun version so I have to admit to stealing a few of their flavors by using Smoked Andouille rather than the Kielbasa recommended in this recipe from Gourmet magazine. I also added extra onion, lots more garlic, jalapeno and even some diced red pepper along with red pepper flakes to up the spice quotient and better suit our tastes. Oh and gasp, I threw in a can of diced tomatoes too just because I wanted to. We went against tradition and had it without the rice because we wanted some bread with it instead.

My verdict - hearty, wholesome and just OK. Hey I'm from the North ...the far north - what can you expect? As for the big guy, he'll eat anything with enough hot sauce on it and kept saying he really liked it. 

You can rest assured we'll be staying off the beans for a while I'm thinking. We've had our share of gasious forming items lately so I think we'll save the cabbage rolls I'd planned for tonight for a couple of weeks down the road. It's been a little noisy around here the past couple of days! TMI!

Hoppin’ John (adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

1 cup dried black eyed peas

8 ounces smoked sausage (I used Andouille, but you could use Kielbasa)

1 large onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 celery ribs, diced

2 large jalapeno peppers, minced

1 red pepper, diced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Coarse ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1-1/2 cups chicken broth

1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper as required

Sort and rinse black eyed peas. Place in a large pot and cover with a minimum 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 90 minutes.

Heat oil in large Dutch oven until shimmering. Cut smoked sausage into half inch chunks and add to pot along with onion, garlic, celery, jalapeno, and red pepper. Cook until onion vegetables are soft. Season well with coarse ground black pepper, add pepper flakes and bay leaf. Add drained peas along with chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 40 minutes or until beans are tender. Remove cover when beans are almost done to reduce liquid. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper as required. Serve over cooked rice. Makes 4 servings. Download Hoppin' John

Tuscan White Bean Salad with Spinach

The heat is back on in Arizona these days. Expected high of 90 today and yesterday we were in the mid-80's. It just doesn't seem right somehow and I have to admit, it's a little hard to eat "comfort" food when comfortable means having the AC back on.

Last night's menu was more of a summer hot weather dish which doesn't quite suit what's happening in most of the rest of the country but tuck this one away for future reference because it deserves a spot on the menu. Actually it would be great beside some of the left over turkey bird we'll all be having in a few weeks.

This gorgeous salad includes navy beans (I used canned), and onion along with sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives and marinated mozzarella cheese balls. Garnished with fresh parsley and basil and mixed together with a sharp Italian vinaigrette, it goes together very quickly and looks phenomenal on the plate. Best at room temperature, I served it on a bed of spinach because I knew we'd have leftovers but you could certainly mix the spinach right into the salad too.

Served with some moist tender hamburger steaks and a lovely ripe sliced tomato on the side, it was summer personified on the second day of November. Go figure! Download Tuscan WHite Bean Salad with Spinach

Tuscan White Bean Salad with Spinach (adapted from The Foster’s Market Cookbook)

2 cans Navy beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes

8 ounces marinated mozzarella cheese balls

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

Salt & pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Italian dressing

2 cups fresh spinach, cleaned and roughly chopped

Combine ingredients beans, onion, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella and olives together in a medium sized bowl. Toss to combine. Add basil, parsley and dressing, tossing lightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or just slightly cool. Toss with spinach just before serving or alternatively serve on a bed of spinach.

Dressing:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 clove of garlic, minced

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Mix above ingredients together in a small jar and shake well to combine well.

BBQ Beans

In an effort to become more fiscally responsible, last night's dinner made good use of the rest of the oven braised pot roast from Monday night. Considering we never had much call for leftovers before because we always ate too much on the first go round, these days it's absolutely a reverse situation.  We've cut back on the quantities so much I have to use the old imagination to come up with unique and wonderful ways to use leftovers. What a conundrum. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining because our waistlines are shrinking too.

These barbecue beans are adapted from the Hungry Texan. If you're looking for some great Southwestern eats, then the Hungry Texan is the place to go ...I'm tellin' ya. What a fabulous blog! Oh and be sure to check out the original recipe because it makes use of that slow cooker contraption that I tend to avoid.

Back to the beans - when I say I adapted the recipe, I did just that. You see I forgot to soak the darn pintos overnight so I did the quick method yesterday morning by sorting, washing and boiling them for 2 minutes, then I let them sit for 3 hours and get plump before they hit the oven for another 6.

Full of all that's good including molasses, brown sugar, garlic, onions, tomatoes and best of all ...beer, I upped the spice quotient by adding some jalapenos and decreased the amount of sugar in the original recipe. I changed the cooking method too because it was a cooler day in the desert so the beans went into the oven and that way I got to smell them cooking all afternoon. That's my excuse even though you all know the real reason. I even dumped the rest of the chuck roast including all it's juices into the pot during the beans' last hour in the oven. 

Served with some corn muffins loaded with cubes of pepper jack cheese, it was a great way to eat leftovers, I'll tell ya. Now we just need to figure out how I'm gonna make use of all the leftover beans.

BBQ Beans (adapted from the Hungry Texan)

3 cups dry pinto beans, picked through and washed

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 Tablespoons honey

1 12 ounce bottle amber beer

3 tablespoons Worcestershire

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons hot sauce

2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup barbecue sauce (I used Hickory Smoked flavor)

Coarse ground black pepper

Low sodium Beef or chicken stock

2 jalapeno peppers, minced

1 pound leftover beef chuck roast or 10 slices bacon, chopped

Salt to taste

Cover beans with a minimum 3 inches of water in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Cover pot and let sit minimum 1 hour – longer if you can. Drain soaked beans and rinse.

Preheat oven to 275. Heat a large cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, brown sugar, molasses, honey, beer, worcestershire, tomatoes, paprika, red pepper flakes, garlic powder and barbecue sauce. Season with coarse ground black pepper. Add soaked beans, and top off pot with beef or chicken stock, so beans are just covered by liquid. Bring pot to a boil, then cover and place in oven. Cook for 6 hours, or until beans reach desired firmness. Check pot every 1-1/2 hours to make sure beans remain covered with liquid, and adding stock as necessary. During last hour of cooking add chopped jalapeno peppers and meat. Taste for seasoning and add salt as necessary. Do not add salt any earlier than this or the beans will remain tough and hard. Increase heat to 325 and cook uncovered until beans are of the desired consistency.   Download BBQ Beans

White Bean Soup with Ham

We needed something a lot healthier for dinner last night seeing as we gorged ourselves on highly non-dietetic cheesy rich gnocchi the night before. Woe is me, this being responsible is such a giant pain in the posterior. I'm only pulling your chain because the real reason for this soup is that I had a giant ham bone in the freezer that was taking up a lot of room. Yesterday was a much cooler day here too - we only topped up in the mid 80's so it's definitely soup weather.

 I did the old quick prep routine on the beans by boiling them for 5 minutes then covered the pot and let them sit for an hour or so. Meanwhile I sauteed a little bacon just because anything with bacon in it has got to be better, then added some chopped veggies to the pot followed by a selection of spices, chicken stock, the ham bone and beans then let the whole thing brew on the back of the stove for a while. The end result tasted slightly bland so I upped the flavor quotient with lots of coarse ground black pepper, fresh rosemary and thyme, then pureed a couple of cups of the mixture in the food processor to thicken up the pot of healthy goodness.

It was pretty darn tasty stuff let me tell you, particularly after I picked all the meat off the ham bone and returned it to the pot. The only real complaint is that I forgot the darn BEANO and the roofline of our house may have changed significantly overnight. Oh dear - what are the neighbors going to think?

 White Bean Soup with Ham (Inspired by Cooking Light)      

 1-1/2 cups dried navy beans

3 slices bacon, diced

1 large red pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 carrots, diced

1 teaspoon dried onion flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Dash red pepper flakes

6 cups chicken stock

1 large ham bone or 2 smoked pork hocks

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

small bunch fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Sort and wash navy beans and place in large pot. Cover with minimum 2 inches of water, bring to a boil and boil hard for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover pot and let sit for 1 hour. Drain beans and set aside.

In large pot cook bacon over low heat until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside, leaving grease in pot. Add red pepper, onion, garlic, carrots, onion flakes, garlic powder, black pepper and pepper flakes. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add beans back into pot along ham bone. Add chicken stock enough to cover all ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour until beans are just tender. Remove 2 to 3 cups of beans from pot and puree along with a little liquid in a food processor. Return pureed beans to soup pot. Add fresh rosemary, thyme and bay leaf and cook for additional half hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove ham bone from pot, and pick meat off. Return meat to pot along with reserved cooked bacon. Add chopped parsley just before serving. Taste for seasoning and add more pepper as required. Makes 8 to 10 servings. Download White Bean Soup with Ham

 

 

Country Style Ribs and Beans

You know that old saying that you can never be too rich or to skinny. Well I'm changing the skinny bit to "popular". Might as well make it something I can relate to and for heaven's sake, I think popularity is a lot more important than being skinny. So what am I getting at here?

Well, not only are these Country Style Ribs and Beans guaranteed to increase your popularity, it'll give you plenty of reason to toot your own horn (among other things). 

Sweet, spicy and easy, it's about the best thing to ever make it into a bowl. Believe me! I know you'll think I'm nuts having the oven on for 3 hours in hundred degree weather, but darn it all there's only so many salads and "cool" things you can eat before you crave some good old comfort food. 

We shared this one with you way back in April  but this time I used my noggin and increased the amount of beans because darn it they are just so flippin' good. Also if you're so inclined you can certainly make the whole thing in the slow cooker but I much prefer using the oven and my favorite cast iron pot. I'm kinda' weird that way, even when it's a really hot day in hell and the kitchen's simmering. If you haven't already tried this, please give it a go. You won't be sorry - not one bit.

Sweet Spicy Ribs and Beans

4 pounds pork country style ribs, trimmed of fat

Salt, pepper & flour

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 – 16 ounce cans pinto beans, drained (can be increased to 4 cans without adjusting recipe)

1 large onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped (optional)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 10.5 ounce jar red jalapeno jelly

1 18 ounce bottle hickory flavored barbecue sauce (I used Kraft)

1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 300. In a small saucepan, heat together jalapeno jelly and barbecue sauce until jelly has dissolved.  Remove from heat, add garlic and hot sauce. Set aside.Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Dust ribs with salt, pepper & flour and in batches, brown well on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside. Continue browning meat in batches.  When meat is all browned, remove pot from heat. Add half of the chopped onion, and green pepper to the bottom of the pot. Cover vegetables with drained pinto beans, then spread one half of the jalapeno jelly/barbecue sauce mixture on top. Place browned ribs on top, add the rest of the chopped onion and green pepper. Top with the remainder of the jalapeno jelly/barbecue sauce mixture.  Cover pot and place in 300 oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

 

Great Northern Bean Salad with Country Style Ribs

I got off the hook again yesterday and spent minimal time in the kitchen - don't you love weekends like that? The big guy and I took a trip to the library on Saturday and I've had my nose buried in a book most of the weekend. It's been lovely.

We collaborated on dinner last night and had grilled country style pork ribs along with a white bean salad and some tomatoes from our garden - freshly picked and still warm of the sun - juicy, ripe red tomatoes. OK so I'm rubbing it in. Only here would one be eating vine ripened tomatoes from their container garden in the middle of June. Don't get me wrong, they're small but oh boy do they ever taste good.  

 

The big guy put a rub of brown sugar, seasoning salt, garlic granules, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper and freshly ground cayenne pepper (also home grown) on some lovely boneless pork country style ribs. They got the rub down about an hour in advance of cooking, then were grilled over a hot fire for about 20 minutes before being coated in his special barbecue sauce. Five minutes later they were done to a tender moist interior and a wonderful crisp bark on the outside. I don't know how the man does it but he always has the same results in the barbecue department. He modestly says it's just luck but I know better.

He's a real tough act to follow but I did my best and whipped up a colorful and tasty bean salad that was just a touch out of the ordinary. A combination of Great Northern beans, minced sweet onion, roasted red pepper, black olives, fresh basil, parsley and marinated mozzarella, it was finished in a garlic Dijon mustard vinaigrette and had all the flavors and colors of Italy. Download Great Northern Bean Salad

It went very well with the pork and sliced tomatoes to complete our relaxed super summery Sunday night supper. Talk about a perfect ending to a perfect weekend!

Birthday Bash for the Big Guy

Yesterday was the big guy's birthday and his special request was a hamburger barbecue. Boy he's easy to please isn't he - especially since he did the burger cookin'. They were delicious and not something we have a lot of so certainly special in their own way.

The burgers were simply burgers, lean ground with a bit of dried breadcrumbs, some milk, egg, and spices but the clincher to keeping them from erupting into volcanoes as they cook is to put an indentation into the center with the bottom of a tablespoon. The big guy cooked them on the flat top instead of barbecuing them, and along with some caramelized onions they were out of this world, moist and delicious.

The picture shows the burger basically undressed, because I really wanted to tell you about the cheese. This isn't just any old cheese you know, but some we order from Washington State University's Dairy.What you're looking at on the burger is their American, but they have several different kinds that we order on line. It's all fabulous - the Natural Viking Crimson Fire is pepper jack cheese with an added kick and the Cougar Gold Cheddar is extra old, well aged and fabulous and the American, well it melts like a dream and tastes incredible. Not anything like that nasty waxy stuff you buy in slices, believe me. The cheese comes in cans (see below) and must be refrigerated when you receive it, but talk about something wonderful. 

The big guy's brother gifted us with some Cougar Gold the first Christmas we lived in Tucson and we kept it in the fridge to age for 5 years before we opened the can. It was incredible - absolutely incredible. You don't have to wait that long though as it's good to eat as soon as you get it, but if you're patient and hide an extra can in the back of your fridge, it's so worth the wait. Here's the link everyone. Give 'em some business, OK? You won't be sorry! I promise you it's some of the best you can buy.

 
Back to the big guy's bash. Other menu items - New England Style Baked Beans made extra special with the use of our Easter ham bone that I'd kept in the freezer for just such an occasion. Leftovers should taste so darn good - man! These beans are fabulous and very easy to make, especially since I was lazy and used canned Great Northern Beans. Loaded with onion brown sugar, molasses, mustard and ham, the flavor is fabulous. Download New England Style Baked Beans Course we also had some creamy potato salad which may have been overkill, but hey - it was the big guy's special dinner after all.

Dessert - oh man what a keeper this beauty is. You see the big guy's got a real major affinity for raspberry and dark chocolate and while I made him the cake (from hell) last year, his choice was going to be a repeat of that darn cake until I mentioned this Chocolate Raspberry Cream Pie and his decision was final. He put me out of my misery and chose the pie instead - isn't he just the best!!

A chocolate graham cracker crust is coated in melted semi sweet chocolate to keep it from getting soggy, then covered in fresh raspberries before being topped with a rich, creamy, decadent chocolaty, not too sweet filling. As if that isn't enough, I made a dark chocolate ganache, then whipped it and piped it into little chocolate mountains topped with a raspberry. For a pie that's pretty simple to make and fairly quick too, it tastes like a million bucks. Honestly, the big guy just kept grinning as he shoveled it in.  Download Chocolate Raspberry Cream Pie

As for today - well I'm sure enough not eatin' much till dinnertime let me tell you! I'm still stuffed but the big guy took repeats of the whole thing for his lunch today. I figure about 2 he'll be lookin' for an afternoon nap...the old fart. 

Sweet and Spicy Country Style Ribs and Beans

Last night's dinner would have been better on one of those cold rainy days so the oven could warm the kitchen a tad, but hey it's mid 80's here and we're unlikely to get any cold days for a while, so I bit the bullet and cooked up a mess a ribs and beans. Wednesday nights the big guy has a late class and I'm unsure exactly when he'll be home so dinner needs to be something that will hold a while without suffering too much.

This easy pot of yum could have gone into a slow cooker but I put it in the oven instead. As I've mentioned before, I'm not much of a fan of the things, but put these babies in a cast iron dutch oven in the oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours and while the result's looks similar in my opinion the flavor's better.

I dusted the pork country style ribs in salt, pepper and a little flour them browned them well in my trusty little black pot. Removed to the side, I covered the bottom of the pot in chopped onion, then two cans of pinto beans that were drained, rinsed and drained again. The ribs went back into the pot along with the rest of the onion and were topped with a mixture of red jalapeno jelly, hickory barbecue sauce, and smashed minced garlic. I covered the pot and shoved it into a 300 oven to be forgotten until the big guy darkened the door. It's certainly tasted like I'd put in hours of effort instead of mere minutes. One thing's for sure, with a side of cornbread and a simple salad, these ribs are certainly company worthy for a casual dinner party.  Download Sweet Spicy Ribs and Beans

I figure that quick sauce made from jalapeno jelly and barbecue sauce could easily accompany chicken or even a nice hunka' beef chuck pot roast. It is incredibly full of flavor without a lot of spicy heat (honest). I can't wait to make it again! Oh and the beans - I think I'll add an extra can of 'em to the mix next time I make it. They were just plum tasty.

Cabellero Frijoles (Mexican Cowboy Beans)

What's better than spending an afternoon out on the patio, enjoying a beautiful Sunday? Spring has definitely arrived in Tucson and even I admit it is beautiful. That's something for me to say as you all know how I really feel about living in the desert. The sites, sounds and smells are so "out there" right now, they almost hurt the senses. Incredible! We didn't want to miss a second of it, so with the help of the best prep guy in the house, these Mexican flavored cowboy beans went into the oven in no time flat! Talk about a huge payoff for such little effort.

Adapted from John Conley's cookbook (Cocina) of Salsa Brava fame, they are the essence of south of the border cookin'. You can't go wrong with pinto beans married with bacon, garlic, 2 kinds of peppers and extra spices cooked low and slow because they turned out to be absolutely perfect "steak" beans - so very flavorful with a subtle heat. We didn't even bother having a salad with our dinner, although a side of fresh salsa would have been the bomb! Download Cabellero Frijoles

Can't wait to have the leftovers later in the week after they've had a chance to mellow out in the refrigerator. Much like stew or soup, beans always taste better after a day or two, don't they?

Curried Red Lentil Stew with Roasted Cauliflower

Strike up the band. I did it! I actually snuck a meatless meal by the big guy. I got the famous "look" when the bowl was put in front of him, but when I explained that the results would show up on the scale he picked up his spoon and commenced chowin' down. You know what? He liked it, he actually liked it!

 
This curried red lentil stew is one more stop on our "spiceville" tour and likely the last this week. I have a feeling I'm pushing it with all of you as far as the heat quotient goes; however, the Indian curry flavors really wake up the taste buds. It's warm, comforting, incredibly flavorful food, and along with the roasted cauliflower instead of rice, it was a completely satisfying dinner. I know it doesn't look pretty, but it sure tasted yummy with lots of garlic, fresh ginger, and onion cooked along with red lentils. I pretty much followed the recipe, but I cut the oil in half, added light coconut milk to replace some of the water, and doubled the spices because you know us - subtle is not in our vocabulary. I'd make this dal again in a second! Served with some naan as a dipper, it would even make a fabulous appetizer, although it might keep the bartender pretty darn busy.

As for the cauliflower - another Sunset magazine recipe, I made it exactly as written and it is absolutely wonderful. Full of great curry flavor, it would be great served along side of some roasted chicken. Why even the store bought rotisserie kind would shine with this as an accompaniment. Now there's an idea!

Almost Meatless Lentil Ragu with Rosemary Dinner Rolls

When I say yesterday's dinner was "almost meatless" I feel like I've won a coup. I mean it's kind of hard to serve anything vegetarian in this house when the big guy's a classic carnivore; however, he really liked the Bacon and Lentil Ragu we had last night. I'm trying very hard to introduce extra fiber into our diet, and maybe a little less red meat would be a good idea too. It's not an easy task, what with the big guy fighting me every step of the way, but not only is more fiber and less red meat healthier, it's a lot easier on the budget too.

  

Adapted from a recipe posted at a British site called Dinner Diary, I merely took their recipe guidelines and weighed, measured, added some bacon and a few extra herbs and here it is - a fabulous hearty lentil stew that not only is darned tasty, it can be morphed into a whole bunch of other things too. Download Lentil Ragu With Bacon For example, it could be served on pasta, or made into a lasagne with the addition of a bechamel sauce, or it would be rather lovely filling a baked potato, or in a quesadilla. I'd say it's a most useful ragu stew, maybe even better as leftovers. Would ya' fancy that?
 

The big guy fancied it big time, although it also may have had something to do with the fact we finished the bottle of red wine along with it. I heard not one single solitary complaint - only the sound of lips smacking. Oh, we also had these fabulous rosemary dinner rolls courtesy of Pioneer Woman. They are awesome and also very easy to make with Rhodes Frozen Dinner Rolls, butter, rosemary and sea salt. I covered them up well and put them outside to rise in the sunshine (88 degrees yesterday...I know - oh shut up). 

Oh baby, there was only one problem with these lovely little beauties. I should have made a BIGGER pan! Thank you Pioneer Woman and Dinner Diary for the inspiration for this fabulous Monday night dinner. You're da' best!