Cheater's baked beans

You want them to taste great, but you don't have time to simmer all day: here is a cheater's version of baked beans that aren't too bad.

Cheater's Baked Beans

2 slices of bacon
1 onion, chopped
2 (14 oz) cans of small red or pink beans, rinsed
1/2 c molasses
1/4 c ketchup
1 t grainy brown mustard
Salt and pepper

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon, pouring off the excess grease.  Remove and crumble.  Cook the onion until softened.  Add the rest of the ingredients, including the bacon and heat through.  Add water if needed.


Image - Mk2010

Pork-lentil stew

There's a reason why pork and legumes are paired so often.  Now, here's a twist on pork and beans, just perfect for fall!  Pork-Lentil Stew has a smoky, rich flavor with very little fat and loads of good carbs.  I made ours juicier than the recipe called for.

Lentil soup with chorizo

I make quite a few variations on lentil soup, but until this Lentil Soup with Chorizo came along, I don't think I really had ever exactly been excited by any of them.  Liked them, yes.  Craved them, no.  Until now.  Chorizo, oh chorizo...just like bacon, you make everything better!

Stuffed portabella mushrooms that I actually like

Don't hate me.  I have just never been a fan of those huge meaty mushrooms, and certainly not as a substitute for actual meat.  Still, I have wanted to like them, so I continue to experiment.  I like them much better when they've been chopped up into something, but that sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Finally, I found this stuffed recipe that I really like, thanks to Hannaford's Fresh magazine.  A lot of the stuffing is actually taken up with additional mushrooms.  That's not cannibalism, is it?

Lamb and chorizo cassoulet

Serve this with something green!  And with a roll.  Even though you'll get more than enough starch from the beans, you'll definitely want something with which to sop up any sauce left on your plate or in your bowl.  We put it in a bowl and treat it like a really really thick stew.

Lamb and Chorizo Cassoulet

Olive oil
8 oz lamb
4 oz chorizo
Onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 c dry white wine
8 oz tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
2 t fresh thyme leaves
3 cans (15 oz) white beans (like great northern or small white)

Turn on the oven to 300 and set rack on lowest level.  Cut the lamb into cubes and the chorizo into thin diagonal slices.  Brown in a Dutch oven in olive oil.  Remove meat and set aside.

Saute the onions and garlic until barely tender.  Add the wine and scrape up browned bits.  Stir in the tomato sauce, herbs, and white beans.  Return the meat to the pot, nestling it part way into the bean mixture.  Cover with foil and the lid and place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Turkey chili

I learned a pretty cool trick recently from Cook's Illustrated about how to improve the texture of your ground turkey in any chili recipe.  You know how sometimes it ends up being stringy?  Well, the secret is to go ahead and brown 1/2 of it as usual, but wait until you've added the tomatoes and broth before adding the rest.  Form the second half into a tight ball, and pinch off small teaspoon-sized pieces to drop into your simmering chili.  After cooking at a simmer for about 40 minutes, the broth is rich and thick, and the turkey is tender and perfect!  Clever. 

Chili cook-off winner

We have many chili recipes that we already like, but I am of the opinion that you can never have too many.  Sometimes you need it fast and easy, other times you don't mind taking the time to slow cook or braise.  When I saw the recipe for Brian Daddio's award-winning chili, I knew that we were going to have to make it, but change it up just a bit.  If you want to make Brian's version, visit the link above: it's faster than mine and you'll also notice that I cut the recipe in half.

Besides taking longer, mine is a bit spicier since I leaned towards the high side in my "halving" of hot ingredients.  Be warned...his or mine...this is a hot and spicy chili!

Spicy Meaty Braised Chili

2 red bell peppers
Olive oil
1 lb cubed stew beef

1/2 lb hot Italian sausage 
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
3 (14.5 oz) cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (Brian recommends Hunt's)
2 (15 oz) cans of black beans
1 (7 oz) can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
1 t sugar
2 T fresh basil
1 t cumin seeds
Sour cream for serving

Slice, seed, and roast the red peppers under the broiler until blackened.  Let the oven cool down and reset it for 300.  Peel and chop the peppers and set them aside.

In a Dutch oven, brown the stew meat in olive oil.  When all sides are brown, add about 1 c of diced tomatoes to the pot and cover it with both foil and the lid.  Braise at 300 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Remove the beef and juices from the pot and set aside.  Return the pot to the stove top and add the sausage to brown.  When almost totally browned, add the jalapenos and saute until softened.  Add the beef and juices, red peppers, and all the rest of the ingredients (except for the sour cream).  Stir together and cook over low heat, uncovered, for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Serve in bowls with sour cream.

Pasta with lentils and walnuts

It's hard to imagine anyone ever getting tired of spaghetti with a good homemade red sauce, but if you ever do, you might want to try this unexpected combination.  You will have to pre-cook the lentils, so it might be a good idea to make this sometime when you've cooked up a big batch of lentils for some other purpose.  You can use whatever color you want...I think next time I'll make it with red lentils to get a bit more color in the dish!

Since Mikey doesn't care too much for walnuts, I subbed in pecans and it tasted just fine.

Pasta with Lentils and Walnuts

1/2 c dried lentils
1 c chopped walnuts (or pecans)
A dash of garlic powder
1/2 c olive oil
1/3 c toasted sesame seeds
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c wheat germ
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 lb spaghetti or other pasta

Cook the lentils until tender.  Drain and mix with the walnuts through the parsley.  Keep warm but do not cook further.  Boil  the pasta until al dente.  Drain.  Mix with the sauce and add in the wheat germ and cheese.  Garnish with more parsley and serve. 

Our favorite hummus

Hummus can be dressed up with all kinds of additions, but if you want a plain old good hummus, try this:

Hummus

2 cloves of garlic
15 oz can of garbanzo beans, liquid drained and reserved
1/3 c tahini
2 t sesame oil
1 T olive oil
Salt
2 t lemon juice
1/4 c toasted sesame seeds

In a food processor, whirl the garlic until minced.  Add the garbanzo beans through the olive oil and process until pureed well.  Add some of the reserved liquid if needed.  Scrape into a bowl and add salt and lemon juice to taste.  Stir in sesame seeds.

White bean and rosemary stew

Don't let the white beans fool you...this is a powerfully wonderful soup with great flavors!  We'll be having it again soon for sure.

White Bean and Rosemary Stew

2 bell peppers, red and yellow
Olive oil
Onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 c of vegetable broth
19 oz can of white beans (we like great northern or Goya small white beans)

2 t fresh rosemary or 1 t dried plus additional for garnish if desired

1 T balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Roast the peppers on a piece of foil under your broiler until the skins are black.  Let cool, peel, julienne, and set aside.

In a dutch oven, cook the onion and garlic until softened.  Stir in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Stir in the drained beans and rosemary.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, uncovered.  Stir in the peppers and vinegar and cook for a couple more minutes to heat through.  Add salt and pepper as desired.  Garnish the top with an additional sprig of rosemary if desired.  

Spicy lamb and black bean chili

I made our favorite lamb chili last week, but I wasn't able to find ground lamb.  Not to fear...cut up a leg slice and brown it up.  Delicious!

Split pea soup

You can never have too many recipes for good split pea soup, so despite the fact that I've got at least three other versions on this blog, I've made another that I want to share.


Other pea soup recipes:
Pea soup with smoked turkey
Spicy pea soup
Pea and bean soup


Split Pea Soup

2 thick slices of bacon (optional)
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped

1 lb split peas, washed
2 quarts of water
1 t salt
3/4 t marjoram
1 t basil
1/2 t cumin
1/2 c dry white wine
Black pepper to taste

In a large pot or dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp.  Remove it, along with most of the grease, and crumble the bacon.  Saute the vegetables in the remaining grease until softened.  Add the water, peas, and herb, bring to a boil, and simmer for a couple of hours, adding more water as needed.  Add the wine and adjust the seasonings.  Use an immersion blender to puree the soup as much as you'd like.

Southwest chicken and bean stew

The addition of so many beans to this stew make it really hearty.  You can substitute ground chicken or turkey if you'd like, but definitely do serve the steaming bowl with tortilla chips on the side!

Southwest Bean and Chicken Stew

Canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1-1/2 c picante sauce
3 cans (15 oz) beans: kidney, pinto, and black, drained
1 can hominey
1-1/2 c water or more if needed
2 lb pre-cooked chicken breast
Chili powder to taste
Salt and pepper
Ranch dressing for topping, optional
Tortilla chips

Saute the onion and both types of peppers in oil.  Add all the remaining ingredients through the chicken and simmer.  Add spices before serving, and serve with a dollop of ranch dressing and tortilla chips.

Another lentil stew

Oh this is soooo good.  If you like figs and spice, and we really like figs and spice in our house.  I made a batch of the Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Fig Stew exactly as instructed by the Hannaford recipe.  I ended up adding more water than they called for (you can also use stock instead), and I left out the optional cilantro as we are just not huge fans.  But oh my...we are definitely fans of this stew.  I made a second batch - a double batch actually - to share at a potluck later in the week.  We didn't bring much of it home.

Roasted garbanzo beans

I found the easiest and tasiest thing to do with garbanzo beans recently...all thanks to Oil & Butter!  If you haven't visited this website, you really need to.  I mean, spicy cayenne pepper enhanced garbanzo beans?  Crazy good!  Visit the link above for the recipe.

Turkey and white beans

Here's a terrific meal , courtesy of Fresh magazine, to use up leftover turkey!  I reduced the amount and it came out quite nicely.  Never never never would I recommend using the pre-cooked potatoes, but you're on your own about that.  If you simply take a bit more time, you'll have amazing home fries to use on top of your casserole.  I recommend frying them up with some of the garlic and an onion, in bacon grease if possible!  Then you can skip buying the garlic dipping oil.

Beef and lentil stew

This recipe is a variation on the Lamb and Lentil Stew that I shared many moons ago!  I made a few changes to the original recipe, so I'll give you the update here. 

Beef and Lentil Stew

Olive oil
1 lb stew beef
Flour
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, mashed
2 T fresh ginger, grated
1-2 T curry paste, or your favorite mix of Indian spices (optional, my mixture is here)
2 c beef stock
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 c lentils, pre-soaked
10 oz spinach
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 red hot pepper, chopped

Pre-soak the lentils, 2 c lentils in 4 c water. Drain before using. Brown the beef in oil in a dutch oven, sprinkling with flour. Remove meat and set aside. Saute the onions, garlic, and ginger. Add the curry paste or spice mixture of choice and heat through. Add a small amount of stock and scrape up all the browned bits. Add the rest of the stock, the tomatoes, and the beef, and simmer for 2 hours. Add the lentils and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. [Note - some varieties of lentils cook faster than others.] Add the spinach and peppers, and cook until peppers are tender, about 10 minutes.

Low-country shrimp

I used a mixture of beans this time when I made Low-Country Shrimp and Black-Eyed Peas.  I didn't have the black-eyed peas on hand, so I used a mixture of small white Goya beans and pigeon peas.  Great with a Corona!

Broccoli and white bean soup (OAMC)

This broccoli soup is a great Once a Month Cooking recipe for those who like to make meals ahead!  You can easily double or triple this and have some tonight while putting portions away for later.  If you use vegetable broth instead of chicken, it also makes a great vegetarian meal.

The beans give the soup a great creamy texture without adding fat!  Great deal.    

Broccoli and White Bean Soup

32 oz of broth, either chicken or vegetable 
2 - 15oz cans of white beans (we like great northern)
2 heads of broccoli, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 T Garlic oil (or 2 T olive oil with minced garlic added)
1/2 t Tabasco sauce
Sour cream for garnish (optional)

Heat the broth and beans in a large stock pot.  Steam the broccoli in the microwave for about 4 minutes until soft.  With an immersion blender, puree the bean mixture.  Add the broccoli and puree again.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients except for the sour cream and heat thoroughly.  Ladle out into bowls and garnish with sour cream.  

Easy basic chili

I think everyone ought to have a basic chili recipe that their family likes and that they can throw together very quickly when needed.  We use a crock pot for ours, and I love how the flavors mingle and develop during the day as the pot chugs along on low.

Part of pleasing your family is finding the combination of beans that best suits them.  We like to vary it.  I use a mixture of the following, depending upon mood and what's currently in the pantry: great northern, kidney, pinto, pidgeon peas, black, black-eyed peas, and sometimes soybeans.

Easy Basic Chili

Olive oil
1 lb ground beef 
Onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 t cumin seeds, ground
1 t cocoa powder
1 t dried oregano
1 t molasses
1 small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
4 - 15 oz cans of beans

Shredded jack or mozzarella cheese (optional)

Brown the ground beef in a large non-stick skillet and remove to the crock pot.  Saute the onions and garlic over low heat until almost cooked through.  Add the cumin seeds, cocoa powder, and oregano and heat till fragrant.  Add the molasses through the tomatoes and bring to a low boil.  Remove from the heat and add to the crock pot.

Drain and rinse the beans, and add them to the crock pot.  Cook on low for several hours.  Adjust spices as needed before serving, adding salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with jack or mozzarella cheese if desired.