Red Beans and Rice

Beans are one of my least favorite foods. However, Matt loves them, so when I feel like he needs a special dinner I make him Red Beans and Rice. I have never tasted any red beans and rice but my own, so I really don't know if this is a good recipe, but Matt eats it all up so it can't be horrible :-D This recipe is not too difficult, it does take some time (about 1.5 hours of cook time) but most of that is just giving the beans time to cook. I usually brine my beans overnight, so you do need a little planning for this. I think I'm going to try and start adding some cooking tips into my blog. So, here it is:

Cooking Tip #1:
If you are pressed for time you can "quick brine" your beans. Combine the salt, water and beans in a large dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans and proceed with your recipe!

And here is the recipe:

Red Beans and Rice

For the Beans
Salt
1 pound small red beans (about 2 cups), rinsed
4 slices of bacon, chopped fine
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
1 celery rib, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ground black pepper
3 cups chicken broth
6 cups water (3 Pints)
8 ounces andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch slices (this kind of sausage is spicy)
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, plus extra for seasoning
3 scallions, white and green parts, sliced thin
Hot sauce, for serving

For the Rice
2 cups long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or vegetable oil
3 cups water
1 teaspoon table salt

Beans

1. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 qts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
2. Heat bacon in large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and almost fully rendered, 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Add onion, green pepper, and celery; cook stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 7 minutes.
4. Stir in garlic, thyme, paprika, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Stir in beans, broth, and water; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and vigorously simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are just soft and liquid begins to thicken 45 to 60 minutes.
6. Stir in sausage and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar and cook until liquid is thick and beans are fully tender and creamy, about 30 minutes.
7. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and additional red wine vinegar.
8. Serve over rice, sprinkling with scallions and passing hot sauce separately.

Rice (I usually start this during step 6 of the beans)

1. Place rice in colander or fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear.
2. Heat butter or oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly until grains become chalky and opaque, 1 to 3 minutes.
3. Add water and salt, increase heat to high and bring to boil, swirling the pot to blend ingredients.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes.
5. Off heat, remove lid and place kitchen towel folded in half over saucepan; replace lid. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes; fluff with fork and serve.

~Cooks Illustrated #102

Individual Baked Oatmeal

Once upon a time, when I had one child, I actually made fun breakfasts... We'd rotate between bagels, scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, and grits (and sometimes, I'd even make biscuits from scratch!). Now, with 3 children (4 and under...) mornings seem like a crazy grumpy time. The baby wants to be fed, the 4 year old is saying she's starving, and the 2 year old is busy picking out a warm winter outfit that he insists on wearing (on a 100 degree day no less). So when I found a recipe for individual baked oatmeal I thought it was such an awesome idea. Now we have something to break the monotony of the bowls of cereal! I had to buy a large thing of heavy cream for a pasta recipe (they were all out of the small things), so we've been eating our baked oatmeal with warm cream and my homemade peach spice honey. I haven't tried it yet, but the recipe claims you can freeze them and reheat as needed, which makes the idea even more awesome for us busy moms!

Individual Baked Oatmeal

2 large eggs
1 T vanilla
1 C unsweetened applesauce
1 C maple syrup
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 C blueberries
5 C old fashioned quick oats
1 teas. salt
3 teas. baking powder
1/4 C ground flax seed
1 T cinnamon
2 1/2 C skim milk

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with liners and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce and maple syrup together. Add the banana and blueberries.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together oats, salt, baking powder, flax seed and cinnamon. Add milk to dry mixture.
4. Combine oatmeal mixture with egg mixture. Fill muffin cups.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until set. Best eaten warm with milk served on top.

~Hyvee Seasons, Volume 6, Issue 4

Memories...

Food and memories seem to go together. Whenever I have a jalapeno popper I always think of the end of my pregnancy with Evie :) Whenever I dip my french fries in mayonnaise I think of my travelling in the Netherlands. Whenever I make a silver white cake with chocolate chips I think of my last year in college and how our apartment's heater didn't work. It was so cold that fluffy light cake seemed like a pound cake (I miss you Anna and Laura and Amanda!). I could go on and on... Whenever I make Honey Hoisen pork tenderloin I remember how Ashley made it for us one of the times we came over to their apartment in 2006. And how that stupid pork just wouldn't cook! Until we realized the oven wasn't turned on :-D Ashley and Eric were some of our first friends when we moved to Muscatine. We have had a ton of fun times with them: beer pong, played with a tiny bouncy ball in their tiny apartment, late nights of playing settlers, Ashley super gluing her finger to her toe, singing karaoke... Just recently they moved from Muscatine and we already miss them! So, I will make this recipe and remember them (I'll just try to be sure to turn the oven on!)

Honey Hoisen Pork Tenderloin

2 Tablespoons sliced green onions

2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons sage (or clover) honey

1 Tablespoon hot water

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb Pork Tenderloin, trimmed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds       

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Pour 1/4 cup of mixture into ziplock bag with pork. Reserve rest of marinade. Refrigerate pork 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Remove Pork from bag. sprinkle with salt. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork, brown on all sides.

4. Brush with 1 Tablespoon of marinade. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place Pork on cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

5. Drizzle pork with remaining marinade and serve sliced.