tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67007347596037789372024-03-05T05:24:19.904-08:00Cool BeansSara Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607787834226702768noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700734759603778937.post-61972567257771024602008-10-27T14:07:00.000-07:002008-10-27T14:42:21.892-07:00Bean Burritos<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywmmU4M0uNpwIvaHb1_NsBeL7iFdByrsOLzdsgWeHrVjLuWPhTHiciWZowBa9PqtqFXuIUgi8l8D1OzypseRQYJLX50iTeF3qDNIGJfmxOonvAnKza5R1izETUs0MiCq8E8-q2VxOAAI/s1600-h/premash.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261945666701204322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 286px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywmmU4M0uNpwIvaHb1_NsBeL7iFdByrsOLzdsgWeHrVjLuWPhTHiciWZowBa9PqtqFXuIUgi8l8D1OzypseRQYJLX50iTeF3qDNIGJfmxOonvAnKza5R1izETUs0MiCq8E8-q2VxOAAI/s320/premash.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div><div>As I had previously mentioned, I wanted to make bean burritos and did so on Wednesday night. Making your own refried beans is quite easy. Here's how: Heat some vegetable <strong>oil</strong> (1-2 Tbsp) in a pot and throw in your <strong>beans</strong>. Stir to heat evenly and then mash to desired consistency. Add seasoning as desired... I added some <strong>salt</strong> and some <strong>garlic salt</strong>, some <strong>cumin</strong>, and some bottled mild <strong>taco sauce</strong>. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261945649108521154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 292px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfoPf8cbsmUTJSv_s4GPfWXFtQmja74rNCjJtF_AmiRuXtYMFhsK5IlG5BDEp7avaPWgCTIGSwDcvZy5bKjyt0qopq-L4cpM6OU2zCwaHJM9LP4JliRoKNK-hcw9X7fRjT_i7Hr4RJ8s/s320/postmash.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>To make the burritos (some to eat then, some for the freezer for later), I heated the <strong>tortillas</strong> in a warm pan (just don't let them get crispy!), and then spooned on some <strong>beans</strong>, topped with shredded <strong>cheddar</strong>, and chopped <strong>onion</strong>. Fold in the top and bottom, and then the sides. Yum!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261945624527923874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uaVCZewGY7VxlIH6BQ26QCqbpGjTfZVeGHlJ1BU5REtcHwiRZOIyMgEu7qVzP8eNxjpIfwGzzbpKThRhkfz70yI2n0ZFb1Cw6EceNuIjg3Iy9xp1OJoOlHwvs2z-UWjc8yYdulvBZMM/s320/open.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261945639980024802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIP69paAXsIP2ai-x_qtHA8VGTO_2lW1dz6s02V5uAS64-I3SYFKNXJTjGJ3kJp8WdQTW0BG_obIvtVFc9OZWWK_9xF5psa0q6n3pF5hviY2rWS9xWm8D0FwL1qLoLPeDUj-JWB_oyN0/s320/plate.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div>Sara Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607787834226702768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700734759603778937.post-86884353202321540342008-10-21T21:38:00.000-07:002008-10-21T22:01:29.064-07:00Chili Beef and Pintos with Dumplings<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFRxt3ef6qHTQWtoNjqqTVNtVmudRTBHbsLh9vEiISUMwm8PSetQmXUcgOPz7Vz2jAN-hKM08IXMV8Q9bIrl1rgMT2IkynM_SRspq9SRPL5HLZWQf7BB928IDqWYjuy0cIP0bFu7c8Sk/s1600-h/plate.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259836407284771730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFRxt3ef6qHTQWtoNjqqTVNtVmudRTBHbsLh9vEiISUMwm8PSetQmXUcgOPz7Vz2jAN-hKM08IXMV8Q9bIrl1rgMT2IkynM_SRspq9SRPL5HLZWQf7BB928IDqWYjuy0cIP0bFu7c8Sk/s320/plate.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>As the roast and beans were cooking yesterday afternoon, I made one realization and one decision: I forgot to set the crock pot to high instead of low, and, I should make cornmeal dumplings. So, at 4:30, just one hour before dinnertime, I upped the switch to high. It was enough to cook the beans thoroughly. I used a recipe from a cookbook for the cornmeal dumplings:</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259836398166048962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsZIeIgcAAqiTidMOylanjlxcAFsoQPPjNIcLe1oJnuq7EYwBWTHTft49nRyfmY_E8iDVO4VhyphenhyphenmI3LNFU-zoE166rlGkPgiCydQmaTejDDdwCcZrhOLXyintQxI_ulItsoVPGlkPL3Dc/s320/dumplings.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Stir together 1/2 cup <strong>flour</strong>, 1/3 cup <strong>cornmeal</strong>, 1/2 cup shredded <strong>cheddar</strong> cheese, 1 tsp. <strong>baking powder</strong>, and a dash black <strong>pepper</strong>. In a separate bowl stir together 1 <strong>egg</strong>, 2 Tbsp. <strong>milk</strong> and 2 Tbsp. vegetable <strong>oil</strong>. Pour the wet into the dry and mix just until moist. I took the roast out first, then dropped the dough in small balls into the beans, and re-covered the pot. While the dumplings cooked (about 10 minutes), I sliced the roast. Everything tasted fine. The meat was lacking in flavor, though. I'll add more seasoning next time. And I doubt I'll make the dumplings again, though I'm glad I tried them. I fed 2 adults and 2 kids and had about half the roast, 2/3 the dumplings, and about 5 cups of beans left. My plan is to make refried beans for some burritos. </div>Sara Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607787834226702768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700734759603778937.post-16375187262652595322008-10-20T10:38:00.000-07:002008-10-21T21:58:16.046-07:00Chili Beef and Pintos<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCn5U-lJ7iBinSKEmu_pZ-P08-W3VhbRVLFyfzugp68hRc9t8xEU2wg2hWeGPCTo-WpzvYF_OzoBp4-65qisgzE7L7EbyIBhBs7NzB36k9DCYbDZ11-lLPtcLd3ZkK6-qJ9dTIBTssYw/s1600-h/beef+and+beans.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259297544350841730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCn5U-lJ7iBinSKEmu_pZ-P08-W3VhbRVLFyfzugp68hRc9t8xEU2wg2hWeGPCTo-WpzvYF_OzoBp4-65qisgzE7L7EbyIBhBs7NzB36k9DCYbDZ11-lLPtcLd3ZkK6-qJ9dTIBTssYw/s320/beef+and+beans.jpg" border="0" /></a>Last week I had guests for a couple days. They shared in my bean experiment and I will fill you in on details later--even if only by repeating the recipe later because it was very good. But today I have pinto beans (since it was the only dry bean in the house). The savory and spicy smell in my house right now is the result of: one beef chuck <strong>roast</strong> (2 - 2-1/2 lbs.), 1 pound <strong>pinto</strong> <strong>beans</strong>, chopped <strong>onion</strong>, minced <strong>garlic</strong>, coarsely chopped <strong>jalapeno</strong>, <strong>salt</strong>, <strong>chili powder</strong>, and <strong>cumin</strong>. And of course I dumped <strong>water</strong> on top of it all (6 cups). I actually forgot to rinse the beans before dumping them into the pot on top of the roast. So I spooned most of them out into a colander, rinsed, and returned them to the pot. I don't think it will kill us. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259297554030658706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNB1fwlRpxOvxpXpXZIx3-M2-WxzA4JISMTxOudbS-pjRqOs_9v8mYCsz6tRbalUbWWFjw9PQFb0cH18T_5xbn173Is6IAR7xyutzZ0z5JduZQwClEBEATysk4bNxSsmSaIcXQfWzBiE/s320/spices.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259297555759847442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_CORVN32CZEq2dOooUMduFcdX2hu5Qqs1NztiDnzKXfESE7Sj6C46jcx_6raqDs_nlhAm23CplWNGaez3HJmUrvIvALo6GPT_jgt5VFJdblHp6rK8V16iPrttnIky0OMepE2aBV0rrFc/s320/veggies.jpg" border="0" /> <div>You can judge by the pictures how much of everything I used. It was half a large onion and I would guess one tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, and 1/4 tsp cumin. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259297547152015122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXebUmruTOW0G6E-Ug2rsgJqQnV-9oK8BSjFJVZ36pFSrdybQTdYEiwkVtWgrQCB8TjuO-xyWJ8A-JHBGtxPbyRuwgxIhYn8_Z-b50gB7hrZZ8Q8-xKvwwUg0MQVkIoz-TWQkve_zuGHg/s320/everything.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><p>I'll let you know how it turns out!</p>Sara Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607787834226702768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700734759603778937.post-19673294749343710742008-10-09T21:10:00.001-07:002008-10-09T21:46:42.200-07:00Two Dinners<div align="center">Wednesday</div><div align="center"> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255373703760116162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uJu6pbGwu48c7kw_EZCXjxIgr5OWzBFfJ232pPnPCxktqnVqr4e-O0OwRfOFCB14_ZYzq4Pwz4NFbNTl9xBtXHsqPC6L4aSjhHhlLj8hJimv94YK_29xRUbaTkcWZQA3b9yk3BFHvxA/s320/soup.JPG" border="0" /><br />For a quick and easy meal I made Taco Soup... kind of. That makes it sound like there was meat in it and there wasn't. It was essentially the same dinner I made Monday but in soup form. All I did was combine about one cup of the <strong>beans + juice</strong>, one 15 oz can of <strong>diced tomatoes</strong>, the rest of the (15 oz) can of <strong>corn</strong> from Monday, and a some <strong>water</strong> (about one cup) to get it to soup consistency, and then heated it up. After dishing it up, I topped it with shredded <strong>cheddar</strong>, <strong>sour</strong> <strong>cream</strong>, and crushed tortilla <strong>chips</strong>. I served it with some warm tortillas. Voila! Dinner is served!<br /><br /><div align="center">Thursday</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255373707811809730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6J1pmnsWY4y-naaY5iBow5oYJw2W17r0axMhN4NgxyE2YHUPsJSSwx5VFumtPV_dxMYtUP65IID3nbmTn5fLTEj133fjWoclMb31G9sXrKLdqg2iWgoC4Rg8MrR-YtACpO0uIMJdJCI/s320/chicken+chili.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />I thought I would make some chili but didn't have ground beef or turkey and I really didn't want to go to the store for one thing. Then I realized I could make some quick chicken chili. I got some cornbread in the oven and then got to work. Here's the rundown:<br />- Prep: Defrost and cut into small pieces two boneless, skinless <strong>chicken</strong> breasts. Chop about 1/2 cup <strong>onion</strong>, one <strong>jalapeno</strong>, one large clove <strong>garlic</strong>.<br />- Cook: In large pan, heat some veg. <strong>oil</strong>. Add onion, pepper, and garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds and add chicken. Cook until chicken is done. Add one 15 oz can <strong>chicken</strong> <strong>broth</strong> (half a can would have been good), about 2 - 2-1/2 cups <strong>beans + juice</strong>, <strong>cumin</strong> (1 tsp), <strong>salt</strong> (1/4 tsp), <strong>oregano</strong> (1/4 tsp), about one cup chicken <strong>gravy</strong>*. Simmer 15 minutes.<br />- Serve: Spoon into bowls. Top with shredded <strong>cheddar</strong>. Continually correct family when they call it soup.<br /><br />It was pretty good and was a nice change of pace from the tomato/corn/chip thing. It was a little thinner than ideal. It was really good with some corn bread crumbled in it.<br /><br />*I know this probably sounds weird. It does to me anyway. I had been thinking about what should make the chili thick and I was planning on essentially making chicken gravy, when I remembered I had most of a jar of gravy in the fridge. You can never go wrong by adding gravy.Sara Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607787834226702768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700734759603778937.post-53523830706604245802008-10-06T22:11:00.000-07:002008-10-06T22:32:48.698-07:00The Results<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQavIk_-BdSZcjzIzPoF8VZWolXQYdA7ARKHf0_kiDUTd81KhYwDLiI843GxLSmkhSWGk0oRJqz-O1TBsjUViO31srp7IP_aU-C776K_d-_Ih2DNpS5aYWXVSp5ts4_YByWKoD4yC-do/s1600-h/cooked+pintos.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254279980158617314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQavIk_-BdSZcjzIzPoF8VZWolXQYdA7ARKHf0_kiDUTd81KhYwDLiI843GxLSmkhSWGk0oRJqz-O1TBsjUViO31srp7IP_aU-C776K_d-_Ih2DNpS5aYWXVSp5ts4_YByWKoD4yC-do/s320/cooked+pintos.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>The pinto beans turned out great. I did turn them down to low around 3:00. I've tried cooking them on low the entire time and 8-10 hours isn't quite enough. Cooking them on high worked great. I decided to throw together a little layered dish instead of serving the beans with just rice or corn bread, both of which would have been good as well.</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254279983565287282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoAKH0Mg8w7MLD4gTAkLNz0gLraTP7v1wczHSXH49i1PAKiuA5vNMbZcA5uuS_w0zBeiP4Bhs3OjXonZ4bBlTC10-vJfTovvNFDo9VC5uDdHZp6I6zFA9IB5D5srOItUZMGsamwK9zMM/s320/dinner.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>The layers:</div><br /><div>1) Salsa mixed with a can of diced tomatoes (salsa alone is fine--I just didn't have enough and the kids liked this better anyway)</div><br /><div>2) Tortilla chips</div><br /><div>3) Beans</div><br /><div>4) Canned corn (I used just 1/3 of can)</div><br /><div>5) More salsa/tomato mix</div><br /><div>6) Shredded cheddar cheese</div><br /><div>Heat it up for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees. Top with sour cream. Yum. I fed 2 adults, 2 kids, and have about 1-2 servings left.</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254279986209929554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdT_2nL-S4vRCY9Bmn3o678ZAKU8gWb_k9F_YGL8wfr0B9AWZSjQU0HYwNRihT4-1qrod8VyGjrIaLtkCUlIEFZYMb9A_y1Sql8GL5wrfgf9esQB44X_wf5Xpi0voPee0H_fcdjQQIUQ/s320/dinner+on+plate.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>I have about 5 cups of beans and liquid (bean juice) left for the week. I'll let you know how I use them!</div>Sara Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607787834226702768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700734759603778937.post-5937495658678397812008-10-06T13:20:00.000-07:002008-10-06T14:15:59.155-07:00Pinto Beans<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifaifkziEz8v4Gg6tPcMRdpH3_Ly5H7SuOmPBSAdE-qTEvCYkChyphenhyphen6ix1BGARzEXY1tw8Qo0MhbGnJeP9AeS4tjmx0itdPnyg0qTd20TIfdApZdQEsT7pFNWW6ERIVPUnnJqO1ab7WdXG4/s1600-h/pintos+and+water.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254151778546089682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifaifkziEz8v4Gg6tPcMRdpH3_Ly5H7SuOmPBSAdE-qTEvCYkChyphenhyphen6ix1BGARzEXY1tw8Qo0MhbGnJeP9AeS4tjmx0itdPnyg0qTd20TIfdApZdQEsT7pFNWW6ERIVPUnnJqO1ab7WdXG4/s320/pintos+and+water.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Today's bean is the simple pinto bean. I started with about 1 pound (2 1/2 cups) of dry <strong>beans</strong>. As always, make sure you rinse them and remove any non-bean items. I added 6-7 cups of <strong>water</strong>.</div><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254151792151708354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwwKxZTMIl647YFnU6q3qolVv7emTIDcpPgCagQU7wAPOKN410iWnu5yDtAEhBBcZ0nmhyxtqh0dYAvGXl9Ni8Hd5hRalArq1HDARlZ_hcMLf0nl0WZH1dcaYsuObtDyjZt1IxSZcwvE/s320/pintos+and+seasonings.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>As usual in the morning, I didn't have time to chop real onions or garlic, so I tosesd in some dried minced <strong>onion</strong> and <strong>garlic</strong> powder. Then some <strong>salt</strong> (about 3/4 tsp), a heavy sprinkling of <strong>cumin</strong>, and a few good shakes of ground <strong>coriander</strong> seed. I added about 2 tablespoons of vegetable <strong>oil</strong>, too. Covered and set it on high. I started it around 8:30 this morning and plan to eat about 5:30. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So far, it smells delicious!</div>Sara Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607787834226702768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6700734759603778937.post-9074971648352335132008-10-04T14:20:00.000-07:002008-10-05T13:49:56.308-07:00Bean NightThis fall I decided to make Monday nights "Bean Night." I know. That doesn't sound very exciting. But what <em>does </em>sound exciting is not having to think about what to make for dinner the first night of the week. In fact, it even gives me a base for planning the rest of the week's menu. Plus, beans are cheap, good for you, and (often) tasty. I'm cooking them in the crock pot, so I start them in the morning and they're ready at dinner time.<br /><br />I am starting this blog to help me keep a record of what worked and what didn't and so that you might be inspired to try a Bean Night of your own! Here's how it will work. (I think.) On Monday, I will give a general recipe (I often don't measure) of what's in the crock pot. Then, throughout the week, I will give updates on how I'm using the beans for meals. I'll try to include pictures. Just a note: I'm experimenting as I go, so you might not want to fill your crock pot with the listed ingredients before I report back to tell you how it turned out!Sara Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09607787834226702768noreply@blogger.com2