Easy Peasy Recipes: Red Beans and Rice

So today was Sunday, and I seriously used it as a rest day.  I was lazy.  LAZY with a capital L.  I did go for a run (1.73 miles in 20 minutes) and walk for 22 minutes too.  I'm doing a 5K training plan, and today I was supposed to run 1.5 SLOW miles.  So instead, I ran 1.73 SLOW miles.  I was a little disappointed that the RunKeeper did not tell me when I had hit 1.5 miles.  I may need to play with the settings.

I digress.  I have been COLD all weekend long.  It's in the 50s here in 'Bama, and anyone who lives here knows that is downright cold for us.  I feel like I will go outside and get a chill and just can't warm up. 

So today, I decided to make red beans and rice to warm me up.  My Mom used to make a great recipe when I was growing up, but alas I did not have it.  Instead, I browsed the Internet and came up with Paula Deen's recipe. She is right about this recipe: it is super easy to make.  It does take a long time though, because the beans are not soaked over night.  Still, in my opinion it was worth it. I modified the ingredients a little bit to my liking:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons bacon fat, lard, or olive oil
1 pound andouille sausage (I bought the pre-cooked linked sausages and cut them into rounds)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I minced mine, since I have a great mincer and I like to use it!)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound dried red beans
1 ½ teaspoons salt (I cut this down to 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon hot sauce (I cut this down to 1/2 teaspoon)
6 cups cooked rice (I used Yellow Saffron Rice, and not 6 cups, as we don't eat that many carbs)
¼ cup sliced scallions (I forgot these, but they would be good on top!)

I also serve it with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar.  My Mom always did this when I was growing up, and I love the way the balsamic vingear taste mixed in the with red bean flavoring.  Delish!!!

Directions

In a large pot or a Dutch oven, heat the fat, lard or oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the cumin and thyme and cook for 1 minute.
Add the beans, salt, hot sauce, and enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Bring the mixture to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 ½ hours. Uncover and simmer until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened, 30 to 45 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Serve over the rice, topped with the scallions. And with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

 

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Serving Size: 8

It was seriously delicious, but way too spicy for my kids.  Next time, I may cut out the tabasco completely OR use a milder sausage.  But, it hit the spot for me on a cold day.  Yum.

Easy Peasy Recipes: Perfect for the Fall

Perfect for the Fall: Acorn Squash

 

It's Fall, and here in 'Bama we're even having Fall weather.  It's amazing, and it puts me in the mood for Fall favorites like squash! I've always eaten regular yellow squash, sauteed on the stove, boring old squash. So yesterday at the grocery store, I decided to step out of the box.  I bought a beautiful Acorn Squash, though I had NO IDEA how to make it. The Internet is a world of wonders though, and within minutes I had a simple recipe to play with.

 

So, first set the oven to 400, then cut the Acorn Squash in half.  You need a sharp knife for this, and a stable hand.  When you cut it, it will look like this:

 

 

Then scoop all the seeds out of the middle with a spoon.  Take a knife and score the sides (make little cuts in the side), and in the bottom in multiple places.  This helps the squash soak up the juices while cooking in the oven. 

 

Then get all your ingredients ready: Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, Salt, Butter, Nutmeg and Cinnamon...plus a little wine for you to sip on while you're waiting for the squash to cook.  Remember: the wine doesn't go in the squash!

 

 



 





Put 1 tablespoon of butter into each half of the squash.  Then 1 tablespoon of brown sugar into each half, and drizzle Maple Syrup over the inside of the squash (1 teaspoon each side).  I added salt, because we use non-salted butter, and then I also added nutmeg and cinnamon for a little more taste (1 teaspoon each side). 

 

Place in a dish or inside a pan with a little bit of water on the bottom so the squash does not stick:

 

 

 

Place it in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  Sit on the couch, enjoy a sip or two of wine, while it cooks and take in the amazing aroma as it feels your house.

 

And here is the finished product:

 

Drizzle the leftover sauce at the bottom over the remaining acorn squash, and serve this tasty Fall treat. Serves 2-4.

 

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Ingredients:

• One Whole Acorn Squash (cut in half)
• 2 TBSPs of Butter
• 2 TBSPs of Brown Sugar
• 2 TSPs of Maple Syrup
• 2 TSP of Nutmeg
• 2 TSP of Cinnamon
• Dash of Salt
Optional: Crushed Walnuts

Directions:

Set over for 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut Acorn Squash in Half.  Scoop out seeds. Score sides with knife.  Put 1 TBSP of butter in each side of the squash, 1 TBSP of brown sugar in each side, 1 TSP of maple syrup in each side, 1 tsp of nutmeg in each side, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and finish off with a dash of salt.

 

Put a little water in a baking pan or dish, then place acorns in dish.  Cook at 400 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

 

Serves 2-4.

 

Let cool! Enjoy!

 





Easy Peasy Recipes: Sausage Balls

I'd like to start a new, occasional, post on easy recipes that we like.  I've found a new love of cooking this year.  A lot of these recipes have come to me from other people.  This particular recipe was passed to me from a co-worker.  Here goes:

Cheesy Sausage Balls

 

 

This is my favorite breakfast food right now, and it is totally simple to make.  You need three ingredients: Bisquick, sausage, and cheese.

 

Set oven to 350.

 

To begin with, take your one (1) pound of sausage and place it in a mixing bowl.  Do not cook the sausage beforehand.

 

Pour in two cups of cheese.

 

Pour in three cups of Bisquick.

 

*Side Note: I only use 2 cups of Bisquick in this recipe, because I use organic breakfast sausage, which is not as greasy as Jimmy Dean or other types of lower grade meat.  Adjust to meet your needs.

 

I usually put in a little bit of water to help the Bisquick, meat and cheese stick together.  This is not necessary if you use a greasier sausage. 

 

Then mix.  I use a mixer with the bread attachments, and they work really well to mix the Bisquick, meat and cheese together.  The bread attachments are the ones that look like little hooks, and they come with most mixer sets. 

 

Once it's mixed together, you can take a scoop and scoop out balls onto a cookie sheet, or use your hands to roll balls and place them on the cookie sheet.  This recipe fills up one and half cookie sheets. 

 

Place in the oven for 15-18 minutes. 

 

The finished product:

 

 

 

 

I enjoy them hot out of the oven, and then I bag and freeze some to pull out during the week.  Just pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and they're still just as delicious.

 

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Ingredients:

 

1 lb of Pork Sausage

3 cups of Bisquick (adjust if using higher grade meat)

2 cups of Cheese (I use Cheddar)

 

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Roll into balls.  Place on a cookie sheet.  Heat in the oven at 350 for 15-18 minutes.