Old Bean Art

I used my old hard beans to make this turkey bean mosaic a long time ago.  The mice didn't mind how old the beans were and ate half my creation.  I patched it up relying on my memory to get it right.  I don't think I got that black belly right.  

 
Turkey Bean Mosaic


Cut out a turkey shape out of 1/4 inch plywood and spray paint black.  Use various beans such as black, corn, lentils, kidney, red, navy, white, and pinto to make the mosaic.  Glue beans with Tacky glue.  Spray with varnish if desired.  Keep out of reach of mice.  

More Freezer Burn

Freezer burned turkey turned slop turned soup.  I'm relentless.  

Tomato Turkey Soup
Adapted from Taste of Home
Yield: 14 servings

6 cups chicken or turkey broth
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup quick-cooking barley
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1-1/2 cups sliced carrots
1-1/2 cups sliced celery
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped okra (I used zucchini)

I added beans and pasta.

In a large saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 50 minutes. Add turkey and vegetables. Cover and simmer 50 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Yield: 14 servings.

Exploding Beans

And I don't mean me.  I have canned baked beans so old some are bulging and one actually exploded.  This is a very bad sign.  I threw out the bulging ones since it means botulism.  The others?  They're still good.  Well, we are still alive. 

Baked Bean Soup
From Betty Crocker
Serves 4

3 slices bacon, chopped 
1 lb. lean ground beef 
1 (21-oz.) can baked beans 
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can ready-to-serve beef broth 
1 (5.5-oz.) can vegetable juice cocktail, or 2/3 cup
3 tablespoons ketchup 

Cook bacon in large saucepan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add ground beef; cook 5 to 8 minutes or until ground beef is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.

Add all remaining ingredients; mix well. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

Garnish each serving of this soup with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of shredded cheese and some sliced green onions.  Serve with a mixed green salad and warm cornbread sticks. 

1 Serving (1 1/2 Cups): 420 calories

  

My 30 Year Old Beans

My beans are so old only a pressure cooker can make them tender.  Here are instructions for canning/bottling beans. 

Pressure Canning Legumes
Guidelines for healthy eating recommend 1/2 cup of beans five times a week. 
Winter is a good time to can beans and meat since the summer produce is all put up. 


Instructions for a 22 quart pressure canner

Equipment

Pressure canner with inside rack--check to make sure the gasket is in good condition
7 quart clean canning jars, with no cracks or chips
Bands and new, unused lids, with no nicks
Clean towels
Large saucepan
Teakettle or pot for boiling water and ladle
Measuring teaspoon and cups
Wooden spoon or flat plastic spatula (not metal)
Funnel 
Strainer/colander 
Lid lifter (optional)
Jar lifter (optional)
Dry beans-  Larger beans like kidney use 9 cups,  small beans like navy and red use 10 cups.  (There are about 7 oz in one cup of small beans.)
Salt

Preparing the beans

If necessary, wash and sort beans, picking out any rocks or dirt clumps.  Remove any soft, diseased or spotted beans. 

Soak the beans.  This hydrates them and releases the sugar (oligosaccharides) that causes gas.  Place beans in a large pot and cover the beans with water.  For one pound of beans you will need 6-8 cups of water.  (About 3 cups of water for one cup of beans.) Add salt if desired. Soak for 12-18 hours.  Drain the beans, discarding the water, and rinse beans well.   (My beans are so old I soak them 3 times and it helps control flatulence.)  Tip from Debbie Kent:  Soaking them in the fridge keeps them from souring. 

For a quick soak, cover the beans with water add salt if desired and boil for 2 minutes.  Cover with a lid.  Let stand one hour.  Drain and rinse beans.

 For this recipe, you may need to use 2 large pots putting half the beans in each and adding 4 quarts of water to each pot.

A most sensible tactic involves a lengthy soaking, and was developed some years ago by the California Dry Bean Advisory Board. For each pound of dried beans, use ten or more cups of boiling water. Boil for two to three minutes, cover, and set the beans aside overnight. This initial boiling breaks down the cell membranes of the beans, releasing the oligosaccharides so they can dissolve into the soaking water. Just make sure you discard the soaking water!


Getting ready to pressure can

After the final rinse, rinse out the bean pot as well.  Place beans back in the pot and cover with fresh water.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for 3-5 minutes.  (New recommendation is 30 mins. You can cold pack but not recommended.  Do not pack jars as tightly when cold packing.)  Turn off burner. 

Meanwhile, do all of the following:

Boil the lids and bands for 2 minutes and keep warm

Bring water to a boil in a pot or a teakettle.  (A completely full teakettle is just enough for this recipe.)  You will need about 2 1/2-3 quarts of water.

Place canning rack in canner and add 2 quarts of water.  If desired, add 1 T. vinegar or 1 t. cream of tartar to help prevent water stains in canner.  Place canner on stove and turn on burner on medium low.  The point is to warm up the water so the jars don’t crack when you put them in but not to boil away the water.  The water should just be kept warm. 

Warm the jars by placing in the sink and filling each one with very hot water. 


Filling the jars

Drain the hot beans.  Pour out the hot water in the jars.  Fill the jars with hot beans leaving one inch head space.  Place one teaspoon of salt in each jar.  Pour or ladle boiling water over the beans leaving one inch head space.  After filling jars with beans, release air bubbles by inserting a flat plastic (not metal) spatula or the handle of a wooden spoon between the food and the jar. Slowly turn the jar and move the spatula up and down to allow air bubbles to escape. Clean the jar rim (sealing surface) with a dampened paper towel. Place the lid, gasket down, onto the cleaned jar-sealing surface. Uncleaned jar-sealing surfaces may cause seal failures.  Fit the metal screw band over the flat lid.

Pressure canning the beans
Place the 7 jars in the warm water in the canner.  Secure and lock the lid.  Place on the burner and turn the heat to high.  Some electric stoves may have a special canning burning that sits up higher so as not to crack the stove top. 
Let the canner vent for a full 10 minutes (set a timer).  Place the weight on for 10 or 15 pounds of pressure.  Keep heating until the weight rocks vigorously.  
SLOWLY reduce the heat until the weight rocks 4 times per minute.  (Just a little bit at a time. Turn it down just a tad every few minutes.) If the heat is reduced too fast, the pressure drops too fast and the liquid will all flow out of the jars.  Also, prevent drafts from blowing over canner. 
My beans are so hard I cook them for 2 hours.  Otherwise, cook for 1 1/2 hours. 

When the beans are done, slowly reduce the heat.  Leave the canner alone until it is completely cool and the lid has unlocked.  This could take up to an hour.  You can test if the pressure is down by gently nudging the control.  If steam spurts out, the pressure is not yet down.

Once that has occurred, take off the weight and carefully remove the cover.  You can take out the jars.  They may still be hot!  Use a jar lifter or hot pad.  Be careful where you place them.  If they are hot and you place them on a cold surface they will crack.  Place on a cooling rack or several layers of cloth.   The best thing is to just let them stay in the canner until they are completely cool.

Do not retighten lids after processing jars. As jars cool, the contents in the jar contract, pulling the self-sealing lid firmly against the jar to form a high vacuum. If rings are too loose, liquid may escape from jars during processing, and seals may fail. If rings are too tight, air cannot vent during processing, and food will discolor during storage. Overtightening also may cause lids to buckle and jars to break, especially with raw-packed, pressure-processed food.

Screw bands are not needed on stored jars. They can be removed easily after jars are cooled. When removed, washed, dried, and stored in a dry area, screw bands may be used many times. If left on stored jars, they become difficult to remove, often rust, and may not work properly again.

Let them sit for 12 hours.  Check to see if they are all sealed.  Press the middle of the lid with a finger or thumb. If the lid springs up when you release your finger, the lid is unsealed.  Refrigerate any unsealed jars.  Once they are opened they only last about 1 week in the refrigerator.  Be sure to check the seal again on the jar before you open and use the beans. 


Tip from Cook's Illustrated, the magazine that produces America's Test Kitchen.
Their tests confirmed that boiling beans in salted water makes them undercook, because salted water prevents some of the starch granules from bursting. However, they found that soaking the beans in salted water, then boiling in fresh water, confined the salt's effect to the outside of the beans, mostly just the skin. They say that during soaking, the sodium replaces some of the calcium and magnesium ions in the skins, and sodium is a weaker ion that allows more water to penetrate the skin, which makes the skins softer.  They recommend 3T salt in 4q water for 1lb beans. Soak them for 8 hours for a creamier texture or bring to a boil and soak 
1 hour.  The bottom line: salt beans before, but not during cooking.  They also recommend cooking the beans at a near-simmer in a low oven if you want the fewest burst beans.
 
A good resource:  “Country Beans” by Rita Bingham 

Arugula Addendum

Here are two more recipes using fresh arugula. Before things turned south. As always, spinach or salad greens can be substituted for the arugula.

Arugula Salad with Chicken and Apricots
From Cooking Light

Yield: 4 servings
This main course salad is an ideal lunch or light supper option. Plums would be a delicious substitute for the apricots.

Ingredients

• 2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon (or 1/2 t. dried tarragon)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• Dash of freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups baby arugula
• 4 cups gourmet salad greens
• 3 apricots (about 8 ounces), pitted and thinly sliced (I used canned. Peaches could be substituted)
• 1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion

Preparation

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound each piece to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with parsley, tarragon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
3. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer to a plate; cool to room temperature.
4. Combine oil, vinegar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and dash of pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
5. Combine arugula, greens, apricots, and onion in a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over arugula mixture; toss well to coat. Place about 2 cups arugula mixture on each of 4 plates. Cut chicken breast halves crosswise into thin slices; top each serving evenly with chicken. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:243

Fat:12.9g (sat 2.1g,mono 8.3g,poly 1.7g)

Protein:22.2g

Carbohydrate:10.1g

Fiber:2.9g

Cholesterol:54mg

Iron:2.1mg

Sodium:364mg

Calcium:86mg

Tuna-Garbanzo Salad
From Cooking Light

nspired by Spanish tapas, this salad spotlights premium tuna. Bonito del Norte or albacore packed in oil are good choices for this recipe.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups salad and 2 toasts)

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (1-inch) cut green beans (about 1/2 pound)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2 medium)
• 2 fire-roasted piquillo peppers, chopped (optional)
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
• 4 cups arugula
• 1 (7.8-ounce) jar premium tuna, packed in oil, drained and flaked
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 8 (1-ounce) slices French bread

Preparation

Preheat broiler.
Bring 2 quarts water and salt to a boil. Add green beans; cook 4 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Combine green beans, shallots, peppers, chickpeas, and garlic in a large bowl.
Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, and paprika in a small bowl, stirring well. Add mayonnaise mixture to bean mixture; toss gently to combine. Arrange 1 cup arugula on each of 4 plates; top each serving with about 1 cup bean mixture. Divide tuna evenly among plates.
Sprinkle cheese evenly over bread slices; place bread on a baking sheet. Broil 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Serve toasts with salad.

Nutritional Information

Calories:391 (26% from fat)

Fat:11.5g (sat 2.2g,mono 2.8g,poly 3.6g)

Protein:23.7g

Carbohydrate:46.5g

Fiber:6.2g

Cholesterol:23mg

Iron:3.5mg

Sodium:1052mg

Calcium:198mg

Can't Do It.

I cannot make a decent baked bean from scratch to save my life. I opened a bottle of beans that I had made. Not good. Too strong. I combined them with my favorite baked bean recipe. Oh and threw in some T-Dawgs sauce for good luck. Luck was mine as they did get eaten. Maybe that should be my new baked bean recipe from scratch, beans and
T-Dawgs sauce.

Baked Beans

2 pounds canned baked beans (Campbell's)
1 t. prepared mustard
One small onion, chopped
Sprinkle salt and pepper
1 T. brown sugar (I add more)
1/2 c. ketchup
4-5 strips bacon

Combine all ingredients except bacon. Pour into casserole dish. Place bacon on top. Bake 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

High Viscosity Bean Soup

I made bean soup out of the leftover Christmas ham bone. All the meat had been gnawed away by J. I mean there was not one morsel left. He was raised by wolves. Just kidding. I think. Of course I used my 30 year old beans. I was raised by squirrels.

Senate Bean Soup

From Betty Crocker

12 to 14 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb. dried navy beans (about 2 cups)
12 cups water
1 ham bone
2 1/2 cups mashed cooked potatoes
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Directions:

Heat beans and water to boiling in Dutch oven. Boil 2 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour.

Add ham bone. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until beans are tender; about 2 hours. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Remove ham bone; trim ham from bone and stir into soup.

You can substitute celery salt for the salt and celery. I make this very thick by adding more potatoes, usually in the form of potato flakes or pearls. I throw in a handful of dehydrated carrots as well.

Bringing up Beans from the Basement

Black-eyed peas eaten on New Year's Day brings good luck. These 30 year old beans are gonna need it. Or maybe it's those who eat the beans that will need it. Happy New Year's Eve.

New Year's Eve Menu
T-dawgs Hot Dog Stand

Hot dogs and buns
Toppings:
T-Dawgs sauce (my imitation J Dawgs sauce)
Onion
Pickle
Relish
Sauerkraut
Jalapenos
Banana peppers
Cheese
Yellow mustard
Brown mustard
Mayonnaise
Celery salt

Veggie chips

Cowboy caviar

Soda floats with homemade ice cream

Brownies and chocolate chip cookies (maybe)


Cowboy Caviar AKA Poor Man's Caviar
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Any combination of beans work.

1 (14 ounce) can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15.5 ounce) can black-eyed peas or navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can white corn, drained
1 cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley or 1/3 c. dried parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil or 1/2 to 1 t. dried basil
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or amount to taste (optional)

Stir the black beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans, white corn, onion, garlic, parsley, and basil together in a bowl.
To make the dressing, mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and hot sauce together in a small bowl until well blended. Pour over the bean mixture and toss to mix evenly. Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

Calories: about 160 in 1/2 cup

Viney or Rotten-y?

The last harvest of the tomatoes were either viney or really overripe. It was hard to tell but not hard to tell they didn't taste very good.
I hid them in chili.

Beef and Bacon Chili

1/2 lb sliced bacon, chopped
1 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions or 1 T dried mince onion
1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
28 ounces whole tomatoes, undrained
16 ounces pinto beans, undrained (coarsely chopped if you wish)
1 cup picante sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt

4-6 servings

Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, Fritos.

In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove to paper towels with slotted spoon. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the drippings. In drippings, brown ground beef with onion and green pepper; drain. Add reserved bacon and remaining ingredients except optional toppings; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Ladle into bowls, top as desired, and serve with additional picante sauce.

Instead of the bacon you can substitute with 8-10 slices of pre-cooked bacon chopped. Skip the step of cooking the bacon and reserving the drippings. Add pre-cooked bacon with remaining ingredients.

Jackpot!

I found this recipe and get to use 3 old/moldy things from my fridge! Cuban black beans from one month ago (that long?), sun-dried tomatoes from years ago and some salsa from months ago. Obviously I changed it a little to accommodate my needs. I heeded my advice and went easy on the marinated tomatoes.

Warm Black Bean Dip

SERVINGS

Servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (15 ounce) can BUSH'S® Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven broiler.
2. Heat oil in an oven proof skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic until tender. Stir in BUSH'S® Black Beans, and corn; cook until heated through. Mix in tomatoes, and season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Top with cheese. Transfer the skillet to the oven.
3. Broil dip 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This is much better with the salsa. It isn't so dry.

Old Beans

We aren't talking beans you can possibly cook soft. Unless you use a pressure cooker for 2 hours. These are as old as dirt. But still good! If you having Cuban sandwiches, you have to have Cuban black beans and rice with them. This is from my Cuban friend.

Carmen's Cuban Black Beans and Rice

2 cans black beans

1 can French onion soup

1 can pureed black beans

1/4 c. olive oil

2 T sugar

green pepper

1 can water

Combine all. Bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer covered 45 min.- 1 hr. Stir occasionally. Serve over/with rice.

Hard beans and Torotoes

I found a bottle of American Ranch Barbecue Brine at Williams-Sonoma for only $2.99 reg. $12.95. But I started brining the meat too late for dinner so I made tacos instead.

Extra people showed up so I stretched the meat with beans. Now these beans are at least 30 years old and the only way to get them to cook until soft is to pressure cook them for about 2 hours. And the tomatoes? Let's just say some were riper than others. But on a yummy note everything was wrapped up in these: