Grandma Jean's Beans

(Transferred from the old blog, Numeenum)

So now I have another family recipe, this one coming from my Dad's mom. It is a delicious, sweeter alternative to traditional chili. For a healthier, lower fat version use Turkey sausage and put in 1-2 teaspoons of rubbed sage. The recipe also calls for using dry beans. For the meal I made recently I used a 3 cup can of kidney beans and 1 cup dried pinto beans. This recipe is versatile and you can use whatever beans suit you. The standard recipe uses only the pinto beans, but I like a mix.

1 lb dry pinto beans 6 cups water and additional water
2 tbs oil
1 package Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage
1 cup chopped onions
2 medium or 3 small tart apples (Granny Smith work best)
2 tsp garlic
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1tsp chili powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cans (8oz) tomato sauce
8 oz water

Soak 1 pound of dry pinto beans over night in 6 cups of water (don't forget to rinse), or do a quick soak by rinsing the beans, bringing the water and beans to a boil, covering and setting aside for an hour.

After soaking drain the water, replenish the water and add 2 tbsp of oil. Cook on medium/high and simmer until beans soften a little, about 30 minutes to an hour.

Brown sausage and break into bite size pieces. Core apples and chop, leaving the skin. Transfer beans to a crock pot or large pan. Drain sausage and add to beans. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer 2-4 hours, or all day in a crock pot.


This is something that actually tastes even better after a day or two. So leftovers are always good.

For a vegetarian option, I think that using spices in sausage along with tvp or other soy 'meat' should cover it. I haven't tried it, but I will eventually. The spices include basil, parsley, garlic, salt, thyme, ginger, red pepper flakes, black pepper, nutmeg, sage, and paprika.

Zucchini Pie

Ok, so this is a 'family recipe' from my mom's side...I could be in trouble for sharing our secret, but since mostly family and friends read this I'm going to take my chances ;) . This is definitely one of our favorites. It is pretty much a quiche, but my Grandpa Brochard didn't want to seem to "femme" so he would say it was a pie.

Ingredients:
3 to 4 cups of sliced zucchini, 1/4" thick or less
1 cup chopped onions
6 tblsp of margarine (or butter or olive oil)
1/2 cup fresh parsley or 2 tbs of parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 eggs
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package of Pillsbury crescent dough (8 pk)

In a large saucepan melt margarine. Saute zucchini, onions, parsley, salt, peper, basil, oregano, and garlic in margarine until zucchini is soft and opaque (not clear). Drain off most of liquid leaving just a little. Ina seperate bowl slightly beat 2 eggs, add mozzarella and mix. Pour into saucepan with zucchini mixture. Line 8' x8' square Pyrex dish or metal pan with crescent dough by placing 2 rectangeles in the bottom, and slicing 2 rectangles in half the long way to line th esides. Pour in zucchini mixture and bake for 20 minutes covered in a 375 degree oven. Remove foil, if crescent dough is golden brown it is done, if not place in oven another few minutes.

Enjoy!

A Trip to St. Augustine

Last weekend we took a trip to St. Augustine, the oldest city in the US. It is only an hour and a half drive from us. We took our friend Dave who was visiting from Utah. Zelda had a blast running around the old Spanish fort and we had a fun day which included a visit to the local winery, a walk down St. George's Street(a walking street with lots of shops and curiosities), a craft fair, an old drug store with medicines from the 1800's (Anyone heard of sugar of lead?), an old cemetery and a drink at an old 18th century style tavern. Zelda tried peanuts for the first time and loved them.

A sweet note

Right now, Zelda is sitting with me while I check a few emails. She is sitting up on the computer desk, which is rather large. She has been giving me a lot of hugs, and being silly and putting her face up to mine. She just said "Mommy!" and gave me a hug. A few minutes before she was behind me on the chair, her arms around my neck and bouncing, then she said "aww" and patted me. It is so sweet! :D
Better post this before she pushes a button that does something weird to the computer... ;)

Pesto and Smoked Gouda pizza

(Transferred from the old blog, Numeenum)

This is my absolute favorite thing at Red Rock brew pub in Salt Lake. I love it so much I decided to figure a way to make it at home. Their pizza's are wood fired, and I don't have the ability to do that, so I just buy Mama Mia's pizza crust at the store. I am fond of the whole wheat crust, which is a great flavor and thin but not flimsy.
So, after you've got your crust, place a good layer of your favorite pesto sauce on it. I learned the hard way that if you make your own, use fresh basil, not dried. To save time I like Classico's pesto the best. If you choose to use theirs, drain off the excess oil that resides at the top of the jar. I use about 3/4 a jar for a whole pizza. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese, then some smoked gouda cheese. In the pizza pictured I used sliced smoked gouda that I tore off into pieces. If you want some extra garlic flavor, sprinkle with garlic powder or place bits of roasted garlic on the pizza. Bake as directed for the crust, or at least until your crust is cooked.

When it is ready to eat I usually like to sprinkle some crushed red pepper on my slices as it goes very well with the strong flavors of pesto, smoked gouda cheese, and garlic.

Enjoy!

Toddler tales

Zelda has been forming a lot of little sentences lately. Ryan told me that the other day she was sitting on our office chair, and he was going to sit down in it, when she told him "Don't sit". She likes to talk a lot about Poo Bear, Piglet, and Tigger (poobeah, pigget, tiggah), oh, and "eeoh". She has been introduced to the disney princesses the daughter of our friend Ashley. She calles them "Pinness". She likes SpongeBob Squarepants, who she calls 'bobbob'.
Yesterday while playing she put Pooh in the play crib, telling him "Nigh nigh, poobeah".

Last Saturday she went to Ashley's daughter's 4th birthday party. It was at a local park by the Indian River. She took me to the swings which she loved, chased a squirrel, and when it went up the tree she tried climbing the tree to follow it, an impossible feat as there were no nearby branches (thank goodness), and that got her a little frustrated. She spent a lot of time playing on the playground, which although it said it was for ages 2+, there were several spots that were just too unsafe for her, so she definitely had me running around to be there when she attempted one of those parts. She loved the big slide, which she went on all by herself, a first, since she asks for help on the big slide at home. At one point there were two little twin girls, a few months younger than her, and she sat on the slide and looked at one of the girls who was standing nearby, talked baby talk and was all smiles as she showed her how to slide. It was so cute.

She also showed me what trouble she will be when she gets older. She kept on hugging a little boy who was between 2 and 3, and at one point they kept on falling over when she was hugging him. I walked up to them to make sure they were ok, and she got up, hugged him, then tried to kiss him...he was trying to politely pull away and this is why they were falling over! She is already boy crazy at 1.

Last night she stayed up late with us since we had friends over and were playing video games. Zelda had a blast watching and pretending to play. She eventually got very tired, grabbed her mickey mouse, then grabbed my hand to lead her to bed. Normally she insists that Daddy put her to bed, but she was on a mission and couldn't wait for him. I told her to tell Daddy goodnight, and rather than go find him, she just said while in her room "Nigh Nigh Daddy", then held her arms up to go into bed. I asked for a kiss, she took out her passy and gave me one, then said "hug", leaning in for a hug (this is a normal night routine). I laid her down, then she said "Poohbeah, tigga?" And I told her that I would go get them. They were still in the play crib, but she had moved the crib from her playroom to outside her room. As I was getting them she said, as if she just remembered, "Eeoh!", and I got him too. I then hid them behind my back, came to her and said, "Ok, here's Tigger!" and tossed him in. She smiled then said "Poohbeah?", then I said "Here is Eeyore!", tossed him in, and again she smiled then asked "Poohbeah?", to which I replied " And Pooh bear!" and gave him to her. She laughed, which is what she always does when she is happy that we understand what she is asking for. Then she looked up at me and said "pioh" a few times, taking me a minute to realize she was asking for a pillow. I told her I would go get her one, since she normally doesn't use one I went to the playroom and grabbed her the Piglet pillow. She was happy when I brought it back. She then asked for something I didn't understand, and was a little upset I didn't understand, then she pointed up and I realized it was the light. I turned the light off and told her goodnight, she responded "nigh nigh", and then went to sleep.

Erasmo's Black Beans and Fried Sweet Plantains

(Transferred from the old blog, Numeenum)

While putting together the last meal, I also started preparing the following black bean dish. It takes a few hours to get prepared, then it is best left in your fridge for 3 days. After all of the flavors have melted together, this makes an absolutely delicious meal that can last you a while.

Take 1 and 2/3 cups of dried black beans, wash well. Soak overnight in a covered pot with 4 1/2 cups water (or if you are pressed for time, heat them in a pot to boiling, cover & remove from heat, letting sit for an hour)

After this transfer to a large dutch oven or sauce pan, cook over medium heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until tender.

In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, then saute 2 minced onions and 5 cloves of minced garlic.

Add to beans along with 1/8 lb roast pork, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp granulated sugar, 2 tblsp chopped cilantro or culantro, and 1 tsp salt or to taste. Cook 1o to 15 minutes longer, adding more water if the mixture becomes too thick. Be careful not to split the skins from the beans.

Cool to room temperature and store in the fridge for 2-3 days. I actually did 4, and they were great. A mild but flavorful dish. The recipe has you add chopped white onions on the top of your dish, but I preferred not to have too many onions. We added some crushed red pepper to the top since we like our food spicy. Cuban food carries on the spanish influence of not being spicy, but it is full of flavor.

For a side dish I fried up some sweet plantains. They are such a yummy side dish, and a relative to the banana. Make sure the plantain is very ripe, otherwise it will be hard and similar in flavor to a cucumber if it is green. Peel the plantain, cut diagonally, then fry in oil in a skillet, browning the sides. Restaraunts I go to tend to heavily fry these, but I prefer to lightly fry them just to where they are golden brown. While frying you can add sugar to the sides, or after frying sprinkle with salt and lime juice. I prefer the sugar, but I'm sure it is just as good the other way.

Kenna loved both the beans and plantains, calling them "nanas" and "chips". Always good to get her approval!