Baked Beans

A "Viewer Request" today: baked beans. This recipe doesn't even call for pork&beans! Good baked beans are a great addition to a grilled dinner or your traditional backyard hamburger bash. I also love them as a lunch side dish, but this recipe is even hearty enough to stand as a main dish along with some brown rice and a salad.

Baked Beans

1/2 pound bacon
1 large onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp crushed garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
3 cans pinto beans (see note)
1 tsp liquid smoke (see note)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 can tomato sauce OR crushed tomatoes
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP hot sauce (optional)

1) Cut the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and cook in a large sautee pan until crispy. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towel, leaving the grease in the pan.
2) Meanwhile, peel and julienne (slice very thin) the onion.
3) Over LOW heat, add the onion, salt, and pepper to the bacon grease pan and cook for about 20 minutes. Cover while cooking. Stir occasionally. Yes, it sounds like a long time--you're caramelizing the onions. They shouldn't hiss too loudly, and they should slowly turn golden brown and very soft.
4) Add the paprika and the garlic. Cook for about 1 more minute.
5) Drain and rinse the beans. Add to the onions and add all remaining ingredients, including the crispy bacon bits (or you can save that and top it at the end for a big finale).
6) Heat beans to a boil and let simmer for about 20 minutes. OR you can transfer to a baking dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. OR you can transfer to a crock-pot and let simmer for about 1-2 hours, just until hot through and flavors are really melded beautifully.


Note 1: This recipe calls for 3 cans (regular size, at-the-grocery-store-type cans) of pinto beans. If you were starting with dry beans, it would be about 2 cups, soaked overnight in lots and lots of water, and then cooked thoroughly in boiling UNsalted water (about 2-5 hours). I love to cook dry beans in my crock-pot for about 6-8 hours on low (overnight is good too). I do a great big pot full and then you can freeze them as well. If you want, you can use other types of beans as well. I just recently made this recipe with 1 can of pinto beans, 1 can of great northern beans, and 1 can of black beans. The different colors were lots of fun.

Note 2 (ingredient of the day!): Liquid smoke. They make it by putting a little condenser and drip pan over giant hickory smoker. So quite literally, it is Liquid Smoke. You can purchase it on the condiments aisle in your grocery store, right by the other barbeque sauces and ketchup and hot sauce and whatnot. I love having it in my house. It is fairly cheap and you use only a little bit at a time. It is delicious, though! It's like instant barbeque. I make my own BBQ sauces with it (not all of them quite as complex as the aforelinked), put it in my marinades, add a few drops to chili, and then watch my family drool. While the bacon in this recipe and the smoked paprika add a nice smokey accent, it's really the liquid smoke that sets it apart. I highly recommend adding this delectable little treat to your spice cabinet today!

Broccoli-Bacon-Cheddar Soup and Garlic Toast

There's nothing in the world quite as comforting as a bowl of hot soup on a cold day. This soup is easy and quick to make, and has a beautiful mouth feel. Serve it with the Garlic Toast for dipping and dunking and wonderful goodness.

Broccoli-Bacon-Cheddar Soup

1 head broccoli
3 red potatoes
1 onion
2 carrots
salt, pepper and water
1/2 lb bacon
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 quart chicken stock
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp smoked paprika (or regular)

1) Dice the potatoes and the onion, and put in a large pot. Cover with water, add salt and pepper to taste. The water should cover them by about 1/4 inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
2) chop the broccoli (you can even peel the stems and chop them too) and grate the onion. After the 5 minute cook time, add them to the pot. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until everything is soft.
3) meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, cook the bacon until crispy and the fat has rendered out. Remove the bacon, but leave the fat in the pan.
4) add the flour to the bacon fat and whisk to combine. Let cook for 2 minutes.
5) add the milk and chicken stock to the bacon/flour roux. Whisk to combine, and bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently.
6) fold in the cheddar cheese and keep on low until the vegetables are done cooking.
7) Mix the cheese sauce into the cooked vegetables--don't drain! Add the remaining seasonings and bring to a boil, then keep on low until ready to serve. Serve with a few pieces of the crispy bacon, crumbled.

Garlic Toast

4 tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp parsley or Italian seasoning
1 tsp paprika

Mash the ingredients together and spread over your favorite bread. Toast under the broiler just until it starts to get golden brown--watch out, this goes fast!

Cheesy Grits Cakes with Bacon Chard

When it comes to eating healthy, something that is really important is to not be boring in your cuisine. Something I like to do to keep my food interesting is to seek inspiration from different cultures. Mexican, Italian, French...my husband goes nuts for anything Asian, especially Japanese. Today's inspiration is from the deep American south. By finding lots of variation (I'm talking LOTS of variation) in your food, you'll introduce yourself and your family to new flavors that can hide healthy ingredients, as well as being a lot of fun.

Cheesy Grits Cakes

1/4 sweet yellow onion, chopped fine
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups water
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn (or 1 can, drained well)

1) In a 2 quart or larger saucepan, cook the onion in the olive oil for 2 minutes over medium high heat.
2) Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Season with the salt and pepper.
3) Pour in the milk and the water, then turn the heat to high. Whisk occasionally, and watch carefully so it won't boil over. Bring all the way to a boil.
4) Turn the heat down to medium. SLOWLY pour in the cornmeal, stirring constantly with a good whisk.
5) Whisk constantly for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture gets really thick. Once it's hard to whisk, you've made it. Remove from the heat.
6) Fold in the cheese and the corn. (You can eat the grits right here if you like.)
7) Grease a 13x9 baking dish (or a small jelly roll pan) very well. Line with parchment paper or wax paper if you desire. Pour the hot grits into the pan and spread out thin. Sprinkle with a little paprika if desired. Put in the refrigerator to chill and set up, until totally firm--at least 1 hour.
8) Take the grits out and turn onto a cutting board. Cut into 2 or 3 inch squares (or cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters for the kids).
9) heat a sautee pan or griddle to medium hot. Give the pan a little oil or butter. Cook your grits cakes for 1 or 2 minutes per side, just until it gets toasty brown.

Note: this may look like a lot of steps, but they're very simple, and the recipe tastes great. Grits are a great thing to learn how to make, because once you master the basic recipe (1 quart of liquid, boiling, stir in 1 cup of cornmeal), you can put all kinds of things in it. Try adding mushrooms, peppers, different kinds of cheese. It is perfectly fine to eat it as soon as it's done cooking on the stovetop--no need to chill. I just like mine in cakes, though in a liquid form, it's equally delicious.

Bacon Swiss Chard

1/2 lb bacon, cut into 1" pieces
2 lbs swiss chard (looks like a lot, but it cooks down)
1/4 sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp red wine vinegar

1) In a large frying pan, cook the bacon over medium high heat until it starts to get crispy. Pull out the bacon onto a paper towel to drain. Keep the fat and drippings in the pan.
2) Add the onion. Cook for 2 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
3) Slice the swiss chard into about 1" strips. Add into the onion and bacon drippings. Toss with a pair of tongs or a good spoon. Cook for about 5 minutes until the chard wilts nicely.
4) Season with the salt and pepper, splash on the vinegar, and add the bacon bits back in.
5) Serve over the grits cakes, if desired.

Notes: Swiss Chard is a great vegetable. It's a dark leafy green--the kind the doctors beg us to eat more of. If you've never eaten it before, don't be scared. It is slightly bitter and really earthy in flavor, but really tasty. Unlike collard greens or mustard greens, the stem is totally edible and has beautiful flavor of its own. This recipe is a great place to start if you're new to Swiss Chard, because it is simple, and the bacon makes it super friendly.

Granted, this meal has cheese and bacon in it, but in small amounts, fats like these can make the difference between being bored and grumpy and being happy and satisfied. Try varying your cuisine to discover just how many choices there really are.