Just Taking Notes
Jan. 2, 2008 - New Year's Eve Bean soup
Remember to eat poor for New Year's so you can live rich the rest of the year, right?
I need to jot down my latest favorite bean soup recipe that I came up with for our New Year's Eve Dinner. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Though name brands do not normally take the spotlight in our home, I feel that I must mention at least one in this recipe. Bush's beans. They are gas free and I love that aspect. Otherwise you can choose to soak dry beans overnight and let them sprout for a day or 2.
Ingredients
3 slices bacon
2 large carrots
2 stalks celery
1 med onion
6 cloves garlic
1lb smoked sausage
2 15oz cans Great northern beans, drained
1 15oz can black beans, drained
1 15oz can pinto beans, drained
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbs thyme
1 Tbs oregano
1-2 tsp hickory salt or other smoke flavoring
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 qt water or broth, more or less for desired consistency
How to:
- Cook bacon in heavy bottom pot (4qt or larger) until crisp
- Remove from fat and crumble
- Saute onion in reserved fat until tender
- Add garlic, carrots and celery and cook until soft, remove from pot
- Slice smoked sausage into 1/2" rounds and cook until brown
- Return cooked vegetables, bacon, and remaining ingredients to sausage in pot
- Simmer over med heat for 30 minutes or so
- Serve with bread of your choice and lotsa hot sauce.
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Oct. 23, 2007 - Polenta with Roasted Vegetables
I mentioned in a previous post that I would give you my latest vegetarian recipe that I threw together with the free harvest I receive each week. Time was running short one day and I had some perishing foods in the fridge that needed to be eaten right now, providing me with the opportunity to come up with a really tasty dish. Being a protein type family, we eat few vegetarian (never vegan) meals, but sometimes it is necessary so as to not bust the budget. So here goes it to you, assuming you know the basics.
Polenta with roasted vegetables
Roasted vegetables
1 small globe eggplant, sliced into 1/2" thick slices
1 orange bell pepper cut into 1" pieces
1 yellow bell pepper cut into 1" pieces
1 red bell pepper cut into 1" pieces
1 red onion cut into 1/2" dice
Several garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
1/4 Olive oil
1 Tbs salt
1/2 tsp pepper
28oz can crushed tomatoes (with basil, optional)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Toss vegetables (not canned tomatoes) in olive oil salt and pepper
- Place on baking sheets 1 layer deep
- Roast in 425 degree oven for 15-25 min (watch carefully and remove when vegetables are nicely browned)
For polenta:
6 cups water
2 cups dry polenta (finely ground cornmeal)
1/2 parmesan cheese
2tbs Italian seasoning ( Oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, basil, sage)
- Bring water to a boil and slowly add polenta while whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming
- Turn heat to med or med low and continue to stir until very thick
- Add parmesan cheese and italian seasoning
- Pour into buttered 9x13 pan
Assembly:
- Layer roasted vegetables over polenta
- Pour crushed tomatoes over vegetables
- Top with cheese
- Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-30 min or until hot and bubbly
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Oct. 9, 2007 - Home Grinding Meat
The American Royal Barbecue last weekend brought back memories of my husband, and some of his friends from work, entering the contest just a couple of years ago. They did it for fun and had a great time despite their less than average placings. However, the one category that they placed well in was the smoked sausage category, coming in at 26 out of over 400 entries. I like to boast that they placed well because I made the sausage myself.
When I found the recipe I used as a base for that sausage, I also found how one can motorize one's hand crank grinder. It is a great idea for those who want to have a non-electric grinder for emergency and simplicity, but also wanting the option of electric for those times when your arms just can't fly the wheel fast enough. I, however, have the Kitchenaid meat grinder and sausage stuffer attachment and am looking for a way to adapt it to be a manual machine.
A great project for a mechanically minded home schooler.
And here is my secret sausage recipe for those who want to try it out.
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1 1/2 cups apple cider
- 1 large apple, shredded
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1 tablespoon fine sea salt
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1 tablespoon rubbed sage
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2 teaspoons finely ground black pepper
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1 teaspoon ground allspice
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1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
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1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 5lbs Ground pork
Visit SausageMania.com for a photo tutorial on sausage stuffing and other great sausage making information.
Now if I can just find a great deal on some pork for making my sausages this fall... |
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Aug. 17, 2007 - Summer tomatoes
Having a broken digital camera prevents me from doing many things; such as post cute pics of my kids on my blog, post pictures of things I have for sale on my forums and Craigslist, and from making up some great tutorials that I wanted to do. Oh well. Until I get a working camera, you will just have to use your imagination.
Imagine my surprise when a friend of mine called me up yesterday morning to tell me that her neighbor wanted to give me her surplus tomatoes and brought over a 5 gallon bucket full plus 2 bags for me. Plus I am invited to come pick all her other surplus which is about 3-4 more buckets full. I am so happy I do the dance of joy. 
Last night- BLT sandwiches and pasta salad loaded with diced tomato. Today I am making tomato sauce for pasta and have reduced my bucket of tomatoes to about 10 quarts of sauce. I am not sure if I will do a water bath or just freeze it since I will go through it pretty fast. Freezing is so much easier. |
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Jul. 18, 2007 - Farmer's Market Summer Stew
So what to do with all the goodies from the farmer's market? Here is what I came up with and we all loved it.
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups jasmine rice
- 1tbs butter
Put ingredients into appropriate sized pot (2 quart) and bring to boil. As soon as a boil is reached, reduce heat to lowest setting and let sit for 20 minutes. When rice is dry on top turn off heat.
- 1lb pork sausage
- 1lb ground beef
- 1 med onion, diced
- 2 cloves elephant garlic, minced
- 1 sweet banana pepper, diced (about 1/3C) -can add some diced hot pepper to taste*
- 1lb yard long green beans cut into 2-3" lengths
- 5-6 med to large tomatoes, cubed
- 3tbs Italian style seasoning
- 1/4C chopped Fresh Basil
- 2 large eggplants roasted and pureed in a blender adding water as necessary to thin to a thick puree.
- salt and pepper to taste
- Brown meat in a large skillet
- Add onion, garlic, and peppers cooking until soft and transparent.
- add green beans and tomatoes and cook until soft.
- Add seasonings and pureed eggplant and cook until heated through.
- Serve over rice.
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