Bean and Pasta Soup

I'm always on the lookout for a yummy soup recipe.  This is a great one to make on a cold day.  It warms up the house and it warms up your tummy.  I serve this with grilled cheese sandwiches.  Hunter likes to eat the pasta out of the soup, so I put a little extra in for him.

Bean and Pasta Soup
2 cups Great Northern beans, prepared*
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp tomato paste
3-1/2 cups water
1 cup small shaped pasta (like fusilli or conchigliette)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced**
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add chopped onions and garlic, saute for 5-10 minutes until golden and soft. 

Add in the chopped tomatoes,oregano, tomato paste, prepared beans and water.  Bring to a boil. 

Add Pasta and sun-dried tomatoes, lower heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. 

 Adjust seasonings of salt and pepper.  Serve with parsley or cilantro and sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. 

*Prepared beans are precooked and frozen for future meals, or the canned variety at the grocery store.  If you are using dried beans, soak them overnight.  Drain and rinse them and set aside.  Proceed with the above directions through adding water.  Add the beans and cook for an hour.  Then proceed with directions by adding pasta...

**I used dried sun-dried tomatoes, ones not in water or oil.  I added these to hot water and allowed them to plump up for about 5 minutes while I waited on the onions and garlic to saute.  Then drained them and chopped them up.

YUM!

Chimichurri Burrito Casserole

This is an easy and delicious Tex-Mex dish we all LOVE! 

Chimichurri Burrito Casserole
1-1/2 cup water
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 packet Lawry's Chimichurri Burrito Casserole (found at Walmart)
1 pound ground beef
2 cup black beans or 15 oz can, drained and rinsed
8 flour tortillas (8" size)
1-1/2 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix water, tomato sauce and seasoning packet in a bowl, mix well.
Brown meat in skillet, drain fat and rinse.  Stir in 1 cup tomato sauce mixture and black beans.  Spoon about 1/2 cup beef and bean mixture into flour tortilla, roll up and place seam-side down in 9x13 casserole dish. Pour the remaining tomato sauce mixture over the rolled up burritos.  Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes until heated through and cheese has melted. 

I served this with lettuce, black olives, avocado, sour cream and sliced jalapenos (for me).  Next time I think I'll heat up some corn or even some Mexican Rice and Beans, but it was very filling and we all really enjoyed it.

YUM!

Garbanzo and Chorizo Soup

This is a yummy fall/winter soup using seasonal vegetables.  Daddy didn't like this, but the rest of us loved it.  

Here's what you do:

Garbanzo Bean and Chorizo Soup
2 cups garbanzo beans (chick peas), thaw if frozen; if using canned, drain and rinse

8 oz Mexican chorizo

1 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

14 oz can diced tomatoes

5 cups water

1-1/2 teaspoons tomato chicken flavored boullion

1 large bay leaf or 2 small ones

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1-1/2 cup diced butternut squash or pumpkin

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1/2 cup thinly sliced (julienned) collards, turnips, kale (whatever you get a good price for)

Heat Dutch oven over medium heat.  Squeeze chorizo from the casings into hot pot.  Stir frequently rendering as much fat as possible.  Remove from pot onto paper towel.  Pour off the excess oil from pot.

Add onion, carrot and garlic.  Saute 5-6 minutes.

Add garbanzo beans, tomatoes, water, boullion, dried herbs and chorizo.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes.  

Add squash and potato, cover and continue cooking another 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Add collards and continue cooking another 15 minutes uncovered.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Ladle up and enjoy!  

This is such a comforting soup.  

YUM!

Linked to:

Finding Joy in My Kitchen - Soup Countdown 2010

8 servings (1-1/2 cups)

328 Calories, 10.1 gr fat, 47.4 gr carbs, 8.7 gr fiber, 12.1 gr protein

(without the chorizo, add 2 Tbsp paprika, pinch of red pepper flakes, 1 tsp ground cumin = 210 calories, 1 gr fat, 45.3 gr carbs, 8 gr fiber, 6.7 gr protein)

1983 Classic Nachos

Back in the day (I'm referring to the early 1980's...), Nana and her friends would gather and make sheet pans full of Bean Nachos.  Yes, sheet pans or cookie sheets.  She didn't microwave them on a plate.  They were so good and the chips were so crispy.


1983 Classic Nachos
Round Tortilla Chips
Refried Beans
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Sliced Pickled Jalapeno Peppers

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the round tortilla chips on a cookie sheet or sheet pan.  Make sure they don't overlap.

Spread a little beans onto eat chip.

Sprinkle the tops with shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until melted.

Eat hot out of the oven with jalapenos.

SO GOOD!  So many good memories!

Yum!

Chalupas

When I was younger, Pappy and Nana would take me and Uncle DJ to a Mexican restaurant every Friday night.  We looked forward to it all week long.  At first, I'd only get the tacos, not being familiar with anything else on the menu other than nachos.  Then one night, at the urging of my cousin Brenda, I tasted guacamole.  Holy Guacamole!  I fell in love with it and that love affair continues to this day.  After that I learned about Chalupas.  Now I don't know if this is a Mexican name or not, because now I've learned these are in fact tostadas.  Chalupas at the restaurant were fried corn tortilla topped with refried beans, cheese and guacamole salad.  My cousins would order a "K", which of course included a chalupa.  I can still taste the cool tomato against the warm beans.  Wow, it was so good!

Here's how I make them today:

Chalupas
corn tostadas
refried beans
shredded cheddar (or use white Mexican cheese for more authenticity)
shredded lettuce
creamy guacamole
sliced tomatoes or Rotel

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread each crispy tostada with about 1-2 Tablespoons of refried beans.

Top with shredded cheese and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 5-10 minutes until cheese has melted.

Top with shredded lettuce, guacamole and tomatoes.

Reminds me of my childhood.  So good!

Yum!

Refried Beans a.k.a. Smashed Pintos

This is more a method than a recipe.  You can easily adjust the seasonings to your own liking.  I make refried beans, which by the way aren't really fried at all, to reduce the cost of canned beans.  In the store, you can find a can of refried beans for about $1.  Sometimes you can get them on sale for $.50 a can.  I find making them at home is cheaper and better for you.  These are vegetarian and I don't add any extra oil or fat.  A 2 lb bag of pintos cost about $2.00.  I can easily get 6-8 meals out of a 2 lb bag of dried beans.  

Refried Beans a.k.a. Smashed Pintos
2 lb bag pinto beans
water
salt
pepper
chili powder
ground cumin
garlic powder
onion powder
dried cilantro
drop or two of hot sauce (like Texas Pete or Louisiana Hot)
juice of half a lemon or lime

1.  Rinse, drain and sort through a bag of pinto beans.  Sometimes you'll find rocks and other debris which needs to be removed so you don't break your teeth.  Soak them overnight in a large bowl.
2.  Drain the water from the overnight soaking.  Add the pinto beans to a large slow cooker.  Pour in enough water to cover the beans with about 2" of water over the top of the beans.  Cook on low 6-8 hours or overnight.

3.  Turn off the slow cooker.  The water will look dirty and the beans should be mushy.  Pour off the water and return beans back to the slow cooker crock. 

 

Add your seasonings.  I find adding about 1 teaspoon salt and chili powder and then 1/2 teaspoon of the other spices is pretty flavorful.

4.  Mash the beans using a potato masher.  You can choose to mash them to smithereens or you can leave some beans whole.  It's whatever you like.

5.  Squeeze the juice of the lemon or lime.  (I prefer lime, but only had lemons in the fridge.)  Stir well.

6.  Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and ladle up the beans into freezer storage baggies.  Label and freeze.

When you're ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight or nuke in the microwave for a minute or so until soft enough to use.

Yum!

Spicy Black Eyed Peas

This is one of the few "veggies" Daddy will eat.  This is one of the easiest ways I've found to prepare dried black eyed peas.

Spicy Black Eyed Peas (adapted from Paula Deen)

1 pound dried black eyed peas, rinsed but not soaked
1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
4 slices precooked bacon
4 cup water

Place everything into a slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Yum!

White Bean Chili or White Lightning Chili

This is an easy meal in the crock pot or slow cooker.  Some people call this White Lightning Chili or Chicken Chili or White Bean Chili.  Whatever you call it, it's really good!  Bake up some cornbread and dinner is served!

White Bean Chili

1 lb dried Great Northern Beans, rinsed and sorted (not soaked)

4 cups chicken stock

4 cups water

1 chicken breast cooked and cubed

1 Tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 large onion, quartered

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1-4oz can roasted green chilies

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 Tablespoon dried cilantro

sour cream (optional)

Place all the ingredients (except the sour cream) into a slow cooker and set on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  Check the softness of the beans after 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low.  My slow cooker is brand new and cooks REALLY fast on either setting so I have to check it often to avoid ending up with mushy beans.  

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of fresh or dried cilantro and a slice of cornbread!

Yummy!

Soup Beans and Cornbread

We grew up on Soup Beans and Cornbread.  You might call them Pinto Beans too.  Nana always made a pot of Soup Beans when times were lean.  Now we eat them because they are comforting and are just so good! 

This is how I make this family favorite:

...in a bowl...

...or on a plate.

Soup Beans

2 lbs dried Pinto Beans, sorted and rinsed

2 quarts of water

ham bone, ham hock or smoked turkey leg or wings

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

Prepare the dried beans, sort and rinse them well.  Soak them overnight (OR To make them the same day, you can bring the beans and water to a boil and then turn the stove off and let them rest on the stove top for an hour in the hot water.)

Add the ham bone (or your choice of meat), bay leaves and salt and bring the pot of beans back to a boil and simmer over low heat for 1-2 hours.

Check the doneness of the beans after one hour to see if they are soft enough, if not, continue cooking to your liking.  

We always serve Soup Beans with a pone of cornbread.  This is cornbread baked in a round cast iron skillet not in a square baking dish.  And our cornbread is not sweet.

To make the cornbread, I use a packaged cornmeal mix from the store.  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat on the stove top.  Add the recommended amount of fat or oil from the package directions to the skillet to get it hot.  Mix up the cornmeal mix according to the package directions and add the hot oil to the bowl, leaving about 1 or 2 tablespoons of hot oil in the cast iron skillet.  Mix up the cornmeal mix and pour into the hot skillet.  Allow it to sit on the stove top for about 2 minutes and then finish baking it in the preheated oven.

When it's done, flip it out onto a plate and enjoy.

I also like to serve chow-chow (a relish that reminds me of bread and butter pickles, usually consisting of cucumbers, onions, peppers and sometimes cabbage) with the pinto beans, collards and big slice of cornbread on the side. 

Yummy!

Linked to:

• Leftover Ham Recipes at Hoosier Homemade

Stacy's Southwestern Chicken & Rice

This is Austin's Aunt Stacy's recipe.  She shared it with me on Facebook once.

Here's what she does:

Southwestern Chicken & Rice

1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups frozen corn
1-15.5 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed (or 1-3/4 cup cooked black beans)
1-1/2 cups instant brown rice
1-1/2 cup salsa (I puree the salsa so it's not chunky - Daddy doesn't like chunks)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Cook chicken in oil until lightly brown.  Stir in corn, 2 cups of water, beans, rice, salsa, chili powder, cumin, and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook about 15 minutes or until rice is tender.   Add cheese and if you like sour cream, top it off with that.

Now to make this for your Daddy, I do the entire thing like Stacy.  Only leave out the frozen corn and add 1/4 cup to each serving bowl.

You could also use pre-cooked chicken and work from there.  I've used leftover pork roast in the above picture and it turned out really good, everyone loved it!

Yummy!

Easy Quesadillas

I love Tex-Mex food and could eat it everyday, but then I hear protests from Daddy.  I wanted to share an easy, no-fuss quesadilla recipe.  It's really a method versus a recipe, seeing how you can tuck beans, chicken, shrimp, beef, pork or even grilled veggies inside with the cheese.  Here's how we do them:

Easy Quesadillas

10 flour tortillas $.99

non-stick cooking spray $.25

3 oz cream cheese, softened $.08

1 Tablespoon taco seasoning $.12

filling: beans, chicken, beef, etc...about 2 cups $.45-1.25 (depends on what you are using)

2 cups shredded cheese (your choice) $1.17

1. Heat skillet over medium low heat.  In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese and taco seasoning together until well combined; set aside.  
2. Remove two (2) flour tortillas from bag and spray one side of one tortilla with non-stick cooking spray (if you don't have this, use butter or olive oil, your choice), place the 2nd tortilla on top.  
3. Using the back of a spoon, spread about 1 Tablespoon of cream cheese mixture over the tortilla.  Spread thin layer of cooked beans or meat over the cream cheese layer.  Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of shredded cheese over the bean/meat layer.  
4. Separate the tortilla from the oily one beneath it and place it into the heated skillet.  Place the oily tortilla over the cheese layer, oily side out.  After about 1-2 minutes, carefully flip the tortilla so the other side can brown.  Remove the quesadilla from the skillet to rest and so the cheese can finish melting.  
5. Continue making quesadillas.  Cut them into quarters or sixths.  Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

Homemade Mexican Style Chili Beans

When we were growing up, my mom and dad would make Pinto Beans or "Soup Beans". We ate them with Chow Chow and cornbread. So I am accustom to soaking beans overnight in preparation for cooking them the next day. Canned beans can be expensive, as much as $1.50 per can for the organic ones.

Mexican Style Chili Beans (prices from 2009)
2 cups dried Great Northern beans $1.00
2 cups dried Pinto beans $1.00
water
1/4 cup olive oil $.50
1/4 cup butter $.25
2 cups very finely diced onions $.45
1 Tablespoon garlic powder $.05
2 teaspoons salt $.01
1 teaspoon ground black pepper $.01
4 Tablespoons chili powder $.40
1 Tablespoon dried oregano $.10
1 Tablespoon dried cilantro $.10
1 Tablespoon ground cumin $.10
2-6oz cans tomato paste $.30
2-8oz cans tomato sauce $.30

$4.57 for 16 cups of beans or $.28 a cup approx $.57 per 15-16 oz (a can size). You can feel good about these beans because they are healthy and have no preservatives. The price can reduce if you find some of the ingredients on sale or use coupons to get it FREE. I stocked up on the ingredients when they were on sale and really spent only $3.97 ($.24 per cup or $.50 per "can").

Soaked them in the largest bowl I could find. I ended up moving these from one bowl to the lid of my Cake Taker from Tupperware. Make sure you add plenty of water.

Glad I sorted them, check out that rock!

The next morning drain and rinse the beans and pour them into a large Dutch oven. Add 2 quarts of fresh water. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes. The beans will not be cooked through, yet.

In a skillet, heat olive oil and melt butter. Add onions and saute until golden and caramelized. Add garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper, chili powder, dried oregano, dried cilantro, ground cumin.

add tomato paste, tomato sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes. Drain beans, but reserve the cooking liquid. Pour beans back into the pot and add the tomato mixture along with 2 cups of reserved liquid. Cook it for another 45-60 minutes.

Then divide them into quart containers and freeze. 4 cups of dried beans yielded 4 quarts of beans.

These are really really good. Use a quart and half for Taco Soup, beans and rice, bean quesadillas, bean nachos...

Yummy!