Navy Bean Soup (with sausage)

I dedicated my Saturday afternoon to this soup-- but I'm looking forward to eating it all week long and not having to worry about cooking.  Good with cornbread or cheese toast.

Navy Bean Soup:

 

1 16 oz package of dried navy beans, soaked 5 hrs. 

8 c. water 

1 c. tomato juice (or a whole can of tomato something; diced or sauce)

1 smoked ham hock - I use polish sausage, either would be good

1 bay leaf

3/4 c. diced onion

1/2 c. chopped carrots

1/2 c. chopped celery and leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 c. milk

1 c. cooked diced potatoes

1 t. sweet butter

2 t. whilte vinegar

salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

crushed (or liquid) red pepper

 

Drain and wash beans.  Add water and juice. Cover. Over mid-hi heat, bring to boil. Add everything thru garlic.

Reduce heat. Cover and boil slowly 'til beans are tender.  About an hour and a half. Quarter and cook the potatoes on the stove.  Place milk, potatoes and butter in blender.  Puree.  Add 2 c. of beans and veggies and 2 c. of liquid (preserved from the initial bean soaking) in blender.  Puree and return to pot.  Season with remaining ingredients.

 

Momma Hookie's Cookies

Don't ask!  My momma found this recipe in the newspaper a while ago and has been making them like a machine ever since.  They're a perfect dessert because they are not too sweet and have a lot of texture to them.  Addictive, in fact!  Enjoy:

MOMMA HOOKIES COOKIES

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. butter, softened

1 egg

1 t. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. flour

1/3 c. cocoa powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

3 c. uncooked oatmeal (I don't use quick; I use long-cooking kind)

6 oz. choc. chips (small bag; 1 c.)

1/2 - 1 c. chopped nuts (Mama Hookie doesn't use these; Mama Brearley does!)

 

Preheat over to 350. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla.

Mix together: flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. (Says sift, but who does that anymore?)

Stir into creamed mixture.  Add oats and chocolate chips.

 

Dough will be very stiff.  Add up to 1/4 c. water if needed.  Form tablespoon-size balls and place on prepared cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly.  Bake 10 - 12 mins.

Black Beans and Rice

So this is also an Ingrid Hoffmann recipe from the food network.  I found it last week for Molly when she was doing a Mexican fiesta party...  she says it was a hit!  So I figured that's enough of a response to add it here.  And it would go really well with the chicken enchilada recipe, also.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 cups long-grain white rice
• 4 (14-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles drained
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. Stir in the onions, peppers, garlic, bay leaves and cumin. Stir and cook for 8 minutes.

Stir in the rice, black beans, tomatoes, water, vinegar and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 40 minutes or until the rice is tender. Serve hot.

Four Cheese Baked Penne

  This is a great dish for winter time.  It's comfort food - warm and cozy!  And it's a good vegetarian dish- no meat.  It makes a lot, so you can always half it.  But it keeps great, too...

I've got to give credit where credit is due:  Food Network!  Three years ago, but I think if it sits in my recipe card box for that long, I start to feel ownership :)

Ingredients

• 1 pound whole-wheat penne
• 1 1/2 cups small-curd low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (3/4 ounces)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella and parsley in a bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate and set aside. Cook pasta until tender but still firm, a minute or 2 less than the package directs. Drain.

Heat the oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, rosemary, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Return pasta to pot with sauce and turn off heat. Add cottage cheese mixture.

Spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray then transfer pasta mixture to pan. Top with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and the parmesan. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 30 minutes.

Kippy's Shortbread

  A hallmate's grandmother makes delicious shortbread that I tried for the first time this weekend...

Kippy’s Shortbread

 

1 C. sugar

2 C. butter

1 C. cornstarch

2 C. flour

1 '/2 to 2 C. additional flour for kneading

 

In a large bowl cream sugar and butter. Gradually mix in cornstarch and flour. 

 

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead adding additional flour (1.5-2 cups) as necessary.

 

For Rectangular shortbread:

Use a 9x12 or 10x15 inch pan. Press the dough into pan. Mark into sections with a knife. Prick each section of dough with a fork.

 

For round or triangular shortbread:

Roll into a "log." Cut into 12 or 16 pieces, depending on size cookies desired. Roll each section into a ball. Place on a cookie sheet and press down with palm of your hand, so each circle is about 1/2 inch thick. With the edge of a knife indent each circle to make 4 to 6 sections in each, similar to a wheel. With a fork prick each of those sections. Crimp edges slightly with tines of a fork (for decoration only, not necessary). Sprinkle with granulated sugar.

 

FIRST:

Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

 

SECOND:

Reduce heat and bake at 200 for 1 hour.

 

Cut while warm.

 

Store in an air tight container. Improve with age. Shortbread freezes well.

 ** I put the shortbread in for this amount of time in the oven and it was not quite done.  I would either cook 10 minutes longer or 300 for more like 45 minutes...

YUM!

The Best Chili EVER.

    I made a big ole crockpot of this chili last night and it's gonna last us through the weekend.  It's easy and can simmer all day long.  Great with the broccoli cornbread:

2 lbs. ground beef or chuck

1 green bellpepper

1 medium onion

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 can (12 oz.) of tomato sauce

2 cans light red kidney beans

2 TBsp. chili powder

3 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Here's what ya do.  Brown the beef (mostly), drain excess fat.  Add in chopped onion and bellpepper.  Cook.  I then transfer to a crockpot.  Add in tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings.  Do NOT add in the beans until 15-20 minutes before you are ready to eat the chili, as they will get mushy if they sit all day.  Simmer on the LOWEST setting until you're ready to serve it up.  Great fall meal!!!

Peanut Butter Pie

   Ok, so it's not so good for the diet.  HOWEVER, it is such a popular dessert... a great dish to share.  I received this recipe from a girl in my Greek school class this summer.  It was so tasty I decided to post it:

Peanut Butter Cream Pie recipe:

Ingredients:
2 (15 oz.) pie crusts
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate
3 sticks margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
12 oz. cool whip
1 tablespoon corn syrup
2 tablespoons milk
(optional) 1/4 cup peanut butter chips for decoration

Pie Crusts:
*Make sure to put enough fork holes in crust so crust doesn't bubble
*Bake crust @450 for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown

Bottom Layer:
*Melt together: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2.5 tablespoons margarine, 2 tablespoons water, 1/2 cup powerdered sugar
*This makes enough for both crusts.  After crusts are cooled, spread chocolate on sides and on bottom of crusts.  Refrigerate until chocolate hardens.

Peanut Butter Layer:
*Melt together: 1 cup margarine and 1 cup brown sugar.  After mixture is melted together, stick in refrigerator for 10 minutes.  After mixture is cooled, add 1 cup peanut butter and mix well.  After mixed, add 12 oz. cool whip and mix well.  Spread the peanut butter mixture into the pie crusts and put in refrigerator.

Top Layer:
*Melt together: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2.5 tablespoons margarine, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon corn syrup.
*After everything is melted together, spread evenly on top of pies and either refrigerate or freeze.

(optional) decoration:
*Melt 1/4 cup peanut butter chips with approximately 1 tablespoon milk.  Once mixture is melted and smooth, decorate tops of pies to your liking!

**Hint for serving: Run knife under hot water for cutting**