Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice

1 ham bone (I used ham shank from the grocery store, it had so much meat on it, but it was good)

1 lb. dried red beans (the smaller kind, usually found in the mexican section)

1 large yellow onion, minced

1 cup green onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/2 tsp dried basil

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup butter

cayenne pepper (i used 1 1/2 tsp and it had a kick, use 1 tsp for more mild)

salt-only add in at the end (i used 2 tsp, depends on how salty the ham is)

white jasmine rice, cooked

Pick through the beans, make sure to remove any bad ones and rinse them well.  Add the beans to 2 quarts cold water in a 4 quart pot.  Bring them to a boil and simmer 2 minutes; remove them from the heat, cover and let stand one hour. 

Next, rinse the beans and discard the water that they soaked in, replacing it with another 2 quarts of fresh, cold water.  

Bring the beans to a boil with the ham bone in the pot.  

Once a boil is reached, turn down the heat to low.  Add in all the remaining ingredients except for the salt to the pot.  adding the salt will make the beans tough. 

Give it a stir and simmer uncovered on low heat, just enough to keep the contents of the pot percolating at a nice, low bubbly boil for FOUR hours, stirring and turning the ham bone every once in a while.  

Take the ham bone out at 3 1/2 hour and remove the meat and add the salt. Also remove the bay leaves. 

Mash the beans up a little bit as it thickens, until you get a roughly creamed consistency a little coarser, but thinner, than mexican refried beans.  

Make the rice. 

Serve on a large plate with a heaping ladle of cooked, white rice on top.  Goes great with cooked, smoked sausages.  But this ham shank had so much meat on it. 

In addition to chopping the vegetables by hand, I also give them quick whirl in the food processor before adding them to the pot.  That helps reduce the cooking time and to make the dish as smooth and creamy as traditions calls for. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

See how small the veggies are. This picture above I took off the internet, my ham shank was meatier.  

Chicken Sausage and Shrimp Dirty Rice

I found this recipe online. I made it for Christmas Eve dinner and it turned out so good.  I made a few adjustments.  I added sweet potato instead of butternut squash. Try it you will really like it.

Chicken Sausage and Shrimp Dirty Rice

3/4 cup Jasmine rice ( cook with 1 cup water)

1/2 cup wild rice (already cooked from a can)

2 medium sized sweet potatoes (around a total pound)

1/2 lbs cauliflower, cut into florets

2-3 tbls olive oil

3/4 tsp cajun seasoning

2 andouille chicken sausages (cut into pieces and brown)

1/2 medium yellow onion diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 large green bell pepper

2-3 tbls olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2-1 tsp cajun seasoning

3/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp crushed red chilies

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 can 14 ounce diced tomato

1/2 cup chicken stock

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

8-12 Jumbo shrimp with shell on and butterflied open

2 tbls fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

on a baking tray toss sweet potato and cauliflower with oil and seasoning, roast in oven until tender.

Meanwhile cook the rice in a pot with water. Drain wild rice and mix together.

In a large pan sauté sausage until browned, remove from pan. 

In the same pan, sauté onions, celery and bell peppers until tender, adding more olive oil if necessary. 

Add garlic, cook for a minute then add remaining spices and cook for another minute. 

Add tomatoes and stock, simmer on low until mixture has thickened, approximately 15 minutes.

Add Shrimp cook until cooked through stirring at times.

Fold in cooked rice, sausage, sweet potato and cauliflower, adjusting seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle fresh parsley on and serve. Yum.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

if you can't find cooked wild rice in a can just make your own.

Easiest Homemade Cheese

I found this recipe on the internet at www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmeXMboUeKQ

She showed how to make this 5 minute cheese. It tastes like mozzarella cheese but crumbled. You can crumble it on a cold salad.  

Easiest Homemade Cheese

2 cups of whole milk, organic, pasteurized. (can not be ultra pasteurized)

1 tsp Kosher salt

2 TBLS white vinegar 

Put the milk and salt in a saucepan, bring the milk to a scald, not a boil. 

When the milk is scalding, add the vinegar. Stir

When it curdles, take off the heat.

Strain with a cheese cloth (I didn't have a cheese cloth, I used a paper towel and strainer under it. be careful, it will rip when you go to squeeze out liquid)

Squeeze out all the liquid.

Crumble and enjoy!

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Cookies and Cream Cookies

Cookies and Cream Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 package cookies n cream pudding mix

2 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

10 oreos, or less, i made it with 4 Oreos and it was just as good

1/2 cup white baking chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together butter and sugars.

Stir in pudding mix.

Add eggs and vanilla to cream mixture

Mix flour, baking soda and salt into mixture.

Chop ten oreos into small pieces.

Add chopped oreos and white chocolate chips into the dough.

Stir until all ingredients are combined. 

Drop spoonfuls of dough onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes or until slightly brown on top.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Frosted Cashew Cookies

I originally got this recipe from a friend at work years ago when we did a cookie bake together.  I recently googled the recipe and found the same one from Taste of Home.  They are yummy.

COOKIES

1/2 cup butter, soft

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 c flour

3/4 tsp baking power

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 c salted cashew pieces

FROSTING

1/2 C butter, soft

3 Tbls half and half or milk

1/4 tsp vanilla

2 c powdered sugar

PRINTABLE RECIPE

1. In a bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg, sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in cashews
2. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
3. For the frosting, lightly brown butter in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat; add cream and vanilla. Beat in confectioners' sugar until thick and smooth. Frost cookies. Top each with a cashew half if desired. Yield: about 3 dozen.