My mom gave me a great cast iron enamel pot for my birthday last year and I finally got around to using it the other night. In honor of her I made one of my favorite recipes she use to make us when we were kids. Not kidding...this bean soup is so delicious and easy. And if you're on a budget you can make a giant pot that'll last all week for less than $4.
Sue's Bean Soup
-1 lb. bag of pinto beans soaked in water overnight or all day, drained.
-In your cast iron enamel pot or large soup pot saute one large yellow onion in a little olive oil until translucent.
-Add beans, one smoked ham hock and one package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
-Cover with water or Chicken Stock
Bring to a boil then turn down, cover and simmer for an hour.
-Add 1/4 C tomato paste
-1 t salt
-1 t pepper
Simmer for another hour or up to a few hours.
They might not look like much but oh my...so delicious.
Crazy as it sounds my family serves up bowls of this yummy soup with a tiny dab of butter and 1/2 a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar mixed in. All you need is some crusty sourdough french bread toast and you're ready to go! Our favorite is Semifreddi's Sour Batard.
For dessert I whipped up this plum galette with some homemade pie crust (also my mom's recipe) I had in the freezer. Galette's are so great because you get all the yumminess of pie without having to do the hard part of rolling it out perfectly and all that. 
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Beans
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6 comments:
um, you dont know me, but i ADORE your blog. i found you through you other awesome blog- "the new awesome"... and i love this recipe idea- i am so gunna make it! you look like a great cook... i love that pot you have, too!
oh, and i know this is also random... but my goodness you had like MY dream wedding... the fall, the colors, the dress... it was exquisite!! you were a gorgeous bride :)
~your biggest unknown fan
Does Steve realize how good he has it? Maybe you should go easy on the gourmet cooking, Betsy. You won't be able to top yourself on a regular basis in the upcoming years (not speaking from experience or anything) ... looks great, though. If it's from Sue, I gotta try it. One question: do you buy your ham hock or eat a ham to get it?
Hi...you don't know me either, but I thought I would say hi amd I am totally going to need the recipe for the fake pie. I have no time to mess with a rolling pin, but the fake pie is right up my alley. (If it's okay with your Mom.) I have a recipe for a frozen lime pie that I could trade...:)
HJ - thanks so much! fall is the most beautiful background for a wedding...seriously...it was so pretty and I don't even feel like we had to try very hard. glad you're enjoying the blog!
A - don't worry...my key is the ILLUSION of gourmet. I buy my ham hock. They are super cheap...they are usually in the meat department packaged in the pork section. Usually I see them in packages of 2 or 3 for less than $2. I'll use one and freeze the rest. They are also perfect if you ever make split pea soup.
Z - Frozen Lime Pie!!! I'm in love already...I love anything pickled, vinegary, or tart. My mom's flaky pastry recipe is as follows:
Sue's Flaky Pastry
4 C Flour
1 T Sugar
2 t Salt
1 3/4 C Shortening
1 egg
1 T vinegar (apple cider)
1/2 C Water
Mix egg, vinegar and water in a small bowl and set aside. Using a pastry cutter, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until it's blended to the size of peas. Add wet to dry and combine but don't overwork. Separate into 4 even balls. Flatten the balls into disks (not really flat...about an inch thick...just so it's easier to roll out later) and freeze for later use or pop in the fridge for a few hours if you're going to use that day. This recipe makes 4 crusts...Either 2 tops, 2 bottoms or 4 bottoms...you get the idea.
I love crust made with shortening vs. butter...soooo flaky. I also love this crust because it's not sweet. I like my pie filling to be sweet...I'm not a huge fan of sugary crust. But to each his own!
Thanks for the recipe! It am going to make this tomorrow. Here's the recipe for the frozen lime pie...if you like key lime, you should dig this.
It's really hard, so bear with me.
Frozen Lime Pie
Pre-Made graham cracker crust (or you could make your own, but why???)
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tub of Cool Whip partially thawed
1/2 c lime juice
Take the last three ingredients and mix them together. Put them in crust. Freeze for at least 4 hours. Act like you didn't eat the whole pie in two days.
P.S. I usually coat the crust with egg white and pop it in the oven for 5 mintues before I fill it, but you don't have to.
beans beans beans. love the pot lady. hope you guys are doing swell in your amazingly cute loft. i walked by the other day...aaahhh, so envious.
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