Cooking Beans

A couple of cans of beans on hand is well, handy, but dry beans are much less expensive.  Some canned beans also contain other additives.   A package of dry beans contains:  BEANS.

Water and salt added at home hardly add any cost to the endeavor of a "pot o' beans."  Not only is it less expensive, cooking dry beans is really not difficult.  The time is the issue, but it's not like you have to watch them soak . . .

Beans are a good source of protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates.  Definitely a great addition to stretch any meal and much more nutritious than pasta.

Leave 1 pound of dry beans soaking over night in about 1/2 gallon of water with a Tbs. of Baking Soda.  Drain in the morning and rinse.  Add 4-6 cups cold water and 1 Tbs. salt.  I like to let them soak until an hour before I want to prepare dinner.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.

1 Pot of Beans are ready for dinner or as an ingredient.  2 Cups of home cooked beans are about equivalent to 1 can of beans.

http://www.yahoo.com/food/just-say-no-to-canned-beans-72689183091.html

Ethiopian Cabbage Dish

Original recipe makes 5 servings

1/2 cup olive oil
4 carrots, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes


Directions

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the carrots and onion in the hot oil about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric, and cabbage and cook another 15 to 20 minutes. Add the potatoes; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are soft, 20 to 30 minutes.

Kosher Biscuts & Gravy

You don't need sausage to make delicious biscuits and gravy.  You only need the spices used in the attempt to make ground pork taste like food!

In a skillet or 3 qt saucepan.  Medium heat
3 Tbs. Butter.
3/4 Tsp. rubbed Sage
Dash of ground Red Pepper  [Size of dash determines  mild to hot]
Once butter is melted, add flour, to make roux
Then add milk according to your usual method.

Serve hot on fresh hot biscuits

Grandma's Pot Roast

I never liked the smell of roast cooking.  I wasn't sure what the problem was, but I didn't like it.  I did, however; love pot roast at Grandma's house . . . I hadn't smelled it cook for hours, though.

I have now realized it's the strategic addition and location of the bay leaf that makes the difference.

Remember those family dinners in which the entire meal, or the primary portion all came out of one granite roasting pan?

1 Beef roast 3 - 4 pounds
Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper
Water
Potatoes halved
Carrots cut

3 Tbs Corn Starch
Barley leaf

Bake roast for 3 - 4 hours @ 325°
Add water, potatoes, and carrots.  Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours @ 325°

Pour au jus in sauce pan.  Add Corn starch with 1/2 cup water to make gravy.
Simmer with bay leaf.

Serve roast, potatoes and carrots with gravy and remember . . .

Chicken Gumbo from the Bones

 Stretching the meat budget is a necessity for most of us these days.
The carcass of one grilled or baked chicken can still add plenty of flavor and protein to one more meal.  Chicken gumbo is really a great way to enjoy the last flavor of the bones.

Boil the carcass in 3 pts. of water for 30 minutes, then simmer another 30 minutes.  Remove bones from pot.  The stock is now ready, and the scraps of meat have virtually fallen off the bones.

Add 1 chopped onion
1 Quart of Tomatoes
1 Cup Rice
Garlic
Salt & Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper
Cayenne Pepper Sauce - just a tad
1 Cup frozen Lima Beans
1 Cup frozen Okra
Basil, all the basil you want.  I don't think it's possible to have to much Basil!

Simmer for at least an hour, checking to add water if needed.

Improvised Cookies

Here I was, snow falling, working on projects and checking social media; when a cute little cookie recipe caught my eye.  I am always in search of "eggless" recipes through the winter months as the "girls" here at the homestead are on hiatus through the 6 weeks of shortened daylight hours.  Eggs are not plentiful.  A friend, Deborah Covington posted a recipe for cherry chocolate cookies that had no eggs, but it also called for other ingredients that I don't just have on hand, like Hershey kisses, so . . .

Here's what I did and they were fun!
Preheat oven to 375°
1 stick Butter
1 1/4 Cup Flour
3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/3 Cup chopped Maraschino cherries with 1 Tbs juice
1/2 Cup Chip Chocolates

Mix well and roll into balls about 1 inch.  Press slightly on cookie sheet.  Bake @ 375° for 8 minutes.  Makes about 2 dozen.

Lentil Soup

Contributed by Beth Rank

This lentil soup is vegetarian, vegan, low-calorie and low-fat. You could add a little smoked turkey sausage if you want some extra flavor. Kale or spinach might be good too.

Ingredients: 1 tsp vegetable oil 1 onion, diced 1 carrot sliced 4 cups vegetable broth 1 cup dry lentils 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp dried thyme 2 bay leaves dash salt 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional) Preparation:

In a large pot, sautee the onions and carrot in the vegetable oil for 3-5 minutes until onions turn clear. Add the vegetable broth, lentils, pepper, thyme, bay leaves and salt.

Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until lentils are soft, about 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stir in lemon juice before serving. Makes 4 servings of lentil soup.