Sandy’s Ham & Lima Bean Soup

From: Art of Cooking – Junior League of Ogden (Utah), page 48

4 cups dry lima beans

¼ tablespoon white pepper

1 teaspoon parsley, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 head celery, diced (leaves included)

½ cup carrots, shredded

¼ cup ham base paste or ham hocks

2 cups ham, diced

2 tablespoons butter, cubed

Pour lima beans in a large stock pot. Add celery, onion and carrots. Stir in 1 gallon of water and add ham base paste. Sprinkle white pepper and parsley on top of the water and add butter. Bring to a boil and continue for 30 minutes (will boil down). Begin checking beans for desired tenderness. Continue cooking until beans are tender. Reduce heat and add ham. Stir and serve.

Sandy’s Fine Foods, offers down home good cookin’. Family owned and operated in Ogden, Utah since 1976.

Nancy’s Notes: Made 12-15-09, ½ recipe. I thought this was very good, tasted just like I expect lima bean soup to taste. Reminds me of the way Mother’s tasted for Saturday lunch after we got the house cleaned and laundry done.

Successful Green Limas

 

 

1 bag frozen green beans

2 carrots, diced

3 slices pre-cooked bacon, diced

3-4 tablespoons diced red onion

1 tablespoon butter

Seasonings

Cook frozen limas and diced carrots in small amount of water. When fully cooked, drain and set aside in colander or dish. In the same pan melt butter, add red onion and diced bacon. When onions soften add beans and carrots. Season with sea salt, pepper and Castle Peak Cheese Sprinkle from Savoy Spice Shop in Littleton, Colorado.

Nancy’s Notes: I was looking for something a little extra to do with a bag of green limas. Many of the recipes I Googled included sauces and or large amounts of cheese. I picked up a couple of ideas and created this side dish that was very well received. Michael thought this was a really good treatment and took home the leftovers.

Pork & Black Bean Burritos

 

Shredded pork spiced with:

Chimayo Holy Chile

Chipotle Powder

Black Pepper

Garlic

Smoked Sea Salt

Cumin

Cook in broth with spices 45 minutes.

Saute ½ cup chopped onions in olive oil, add one large can black beans (drained and rinsed), add ¾ cup broth from pulled pork. Heat until hot through and some of the broth is absorbed. Mash beans until most are broken but not totally smashed.

Grease a 13-x9-inch dish. Spread ¼ of a can of green enchilada sauce across the bottom of the dish.

Using extra large, thin flour tortillas spread a scoop of beans down the center – about 2-inches wide. Cover beans with ½ cup spiced pork, sprinkle with shredded Mexican 4-cheese mix. Fold ends towards filling and roll. Place in greased baking dish with seam side down. Top with the remaining green enchilada sauce and the rest of the shredded cheese. Bake in 350° oven, uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Serve with guacamole and sour cream.

Nancy’s Notes: This recipe evolved from my expectations and didn’t disappoint. The burritos were good enough to take the time to write down the procedure.

Kielbasa Black Bean Chili

From: Colorado Classique – Junior League of Denver

2 tablespoons olive oil, or more if needed

1 ½ pounds turkey or beef kielbasa or Canino’s Bratwurst, quartered

lengthwise, then cut into ½-inch pieces

2 cups chopped onions

1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

4 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 32-ounce box organic chicken broth

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

3-4 tablespoons chili powder, depending on desired spiciness

2 tablespoons sugar

2 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 small bay leaves

1 ½ tablespoons salt, or more to taste

Sour cream and chopped green onions for topping

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add kielbasa or bratwurst and saute 12 minutes or until beginning to brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer kielbasa or bratwurst to a bowl. If necessary, add more olive oil to drippings in pot to measure 2 tablespoons, or discard all but 2 tablespoons of drippings. Add onions, both bell peppers, and garlic. Saute 10 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add beans, broth, tomatoes with juice, chili powder, sugar, vinegar, bay leaves, oregano, and cumin. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until chili is thick, stirring occasionally. Return kielbasa or bratwurst to pot. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until chili is thick, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Nancy’s Notes: Made 11-1-09 – Good, I halved the recipe except for the tomatoes and broth plus an additional can of broth. Of course, I added a healthy dose of Chimayo Holy Chile. Even the half recipe made a good sized pot of soup, Bob and I had it for Sunday supper with a 2 quarts left over.

Pinto Bean Roast

From: Beyond the Rim – A Taste of Amarillo, Junior League of Amarillo

1 (1-pound) bag dried pinto beans

1 (3- to 4-pound) chuck roast

1 (10-ounce) can tomatoes with green chiles

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon salt

1 large onion, sliced

1 package chili seasoning mix

Sort and rinse the beans; drain. Place in a Dutch oven. Place the roast on top of the beans. Combine the canned tomatoes with green chiles, chiles and garlic in a bowl and pour on top of the roast. Add enough water to cover the roast. Add the salt. Cover and bake at 225° for 9 hours. Season the onion slices with the chili seasoning mix and place on the roast. Cover and bake for 1 hour longer. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Nancy’s Notes: I made 9/23/09, using a crock pot on high instead of the over. I had a smaller roast to use and ended up with more beans than meat to go with for leftovers. Michael really liked this dish. I served with baked cheesy mashed potatoes which proved to be a great match.

Hot Green Bean Caesar

 

From: Reflections Under the Sun, Junior League of Phoenix

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

¾ cup ½-inch bread cubes

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon minced onion

¼ teaspoon salt

1 (16-ounce) can cut green beans, drained

2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread cubes. Sauté until golden and crisp. Combine the vinegar, remaining oil, onion and salt in a bowl; mix well. Add the green beans to the bread cubes, stirring once. Pour the oil mixture over the green bean mixture.

Cook, stirring, until heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

A side-dish twist on the famous salad, these beans are an ideal accompaniment to seafood.

Nancy’s Notes: I made using fresh green beans that I lightly steamed. I thought this was excellent. A keeper.