Backwood Beans and corn bread

I hate to push down the fudgiest brownie recipe for another bean recipe. Sorry to be the "Debbie downer" of sorts. I made this this week and it turned out to be another cheap, healthy (high fiber!), and easy meal that turns into many meals. The first meal's main gist is pinto bean soup with corn bread. Then I used the left over beans in burritos and then also on nachos.

Backwood Beans (gluten free)

(I named it this because as I ate I couldn't help but imagine a log cabin in the Smoky Mountains, where everyone  is wearing brown tones, barefoot , the brother plays the harmonica, and the sister's hair is in braids.)

Night before:

Rinse and sort 2-3 lbs. dried pinto beans. In a large pot, cover beans with water (enough to let them double in size and still be submerged)

3 hours before dinner:

Dump out water and get fresh. Add a chopped onion to beans and simmer an hour. 

In a skillet, cook:

6 slices of bacon, cut up.

Add bacon and grease to beans (Caution: the hot grease will splatter when it hits the water, so you may want to let it cool a bit first.)

Continue to simmer 1-2 hours. Add water if necessary.

About a half hour before dinner bake:

Corn bread (not gluten free)

Oven: 400

1 C milk

1/4 C butter

1 egg

1 1/4 C cornmeal

1 C flour

1/2 C sugar

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Grease an 8x8 or muffin tin. Beat milk, butter, and egg in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients until moistened. Bake 20-25 min until toothpick comes out clean. (15-20 for muffin tin.)

The next day for dinner I reheated some beans on the stove and mashed them. Then I put them and some spinach, cheese, sour cream, and sliced avocados in a tortilla and it made a tasty burrito. And the day after that I spread chips on a cookies sheet, put heated beans on top, sprinkled with cheese and sliced avocado and broiled to heat the cheese and chips. Delicious!

Black Beans and Rice

Jen and I were talking about serving beans for dinner and she gave me this great idea of how to serve black beans. What I like about it is that there is no meat involved, which is what makes up the cost of most of my bean dinners. 

The night before: Rinse and sort black beans (however much you want...1-2 lbs or so) Put them in a large dutch oven or stock pot. Cover with 3 inches of water. Let soak overnight.

In the afternoon: Drain the water. (This helps cut down on the gaseousness of the beans.) Fill with fresh water and cover beans with a few inches of water. 

Add: 1-2 T bacon grease

1 chopped onion

2-4 minced garlic cloves

salt to taste

Cook on med-low for about 1 1/2-2 hours. Keep an eye on it, don't let your beans boil, this makes them crack. Also, stir them every now and then.

Next: Steam rice (for our fam of 5 I cook 1 1/2 C uncooked rice in 3 C water)

If you have grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, or chips, bring them out. If not, don't worry, it still tastes really good. 

To serve, I put a scoop of rice in the bottom of each bowl and top with the beans, add a sprinkle of cheese, and we all enjoy it. 

Then the next day I usually spice it up a little more, since leftovers are never as good as the first serving (unless they are chocolate cake or chili). This is when I add salsa, sour cream and chips. Or it is also good rolled up in a tortilla. 

I figured this meal, without the extras, costs somewhere around $1-$3 depending on the price you get on beans. And that serves 5, with leftovers!

Roasted Asparagus Lasagna

This recipe is a wonderful springtime recipe as it incorporates fresh asparagus. It's one of our favorite recipes to make in early spring when the asparagus is fresh and crisp (and somewhat inexpensive!). Although it is vegetarian, it's a very "meaty" dish and is sure to fill you up.

Roasted Asparagus Lasagna

2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
dash ground cloves
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place asparagus and mushrooms in a shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; toss to coat. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are browned; set aside. Reduce heat to 350 degrees.
In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and cloves until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Set aside. In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in remaining oil until tender. Remove from heat; add roasted asparagus and mushrooms.
In a greased 13x9 inch baking dish, layer four noodles, a third of asparagus mixture, a third of the white sauce, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers twice.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings

Creamy Goodness Oatmeal

Posted by: Meg Cooper

Oatmeal?- Yuck! I used to gag down oatmeal because it was a cheap hot breakfast. And then I started soaking to oats over night, and my opinion of oats changed...over night! Here's how you can make oats edible:

The night before:

Place 1/2C uncooked old fashion oats, per person in pot. (Note: to ensure this is gluten free, use certified gluten free oats.)

Add a little less than 1C water per 1/2C oats. 

Squeeze (or pour from store bought jar) a little (like 1/2tsp) lemon juice. 

Give it a little stir. Put the lid on the pot. 

In the morning: 

Turn the burner on. 

Cook, stirring frequently until cooked to your liking. 

Then put the lid back on while you get out the bowls and toppings.

Topping ideas: brown sugar, honey, peanut butter, cinnamon, any dried fruit-crasins, raisens, apricot, or any fresh fruit, chopped nuts, ground flax seed, and a smidge of milk. Creamy, goodness.