Nanny's New Orleans Red Beans & Rice

1 lb. dried kidney beans
2 quarts water
1 large onion
2 ribs celery
2-3 cloves garlic
2 slices bacon
1 crumbled bay leaf
1  tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. allspice
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. sugar (I omit this.)
1/2-1 lb. spicy sausage (Andouille or similar)

I double this for our family of 6 so we can have guests or leftovers.

Soak beans overnight or follow quick-soak method.  Cook beans in 2 quarts of salted water (but not too salty!) until just barely done (45 minutes or so—if you overcook them, they'll fall apart later). Reserving cooking water, drain beans and rinse in cold water.

Fry bacon in Dutch oven, then remove. Using bacon drippings, sauté onion and celery.  Add garlic and parsley as onion gets clear and soft (maybe after 10 minutes).

Add 1 qt. (or more) reserved boiling liquid, cooked beans, and other spices/ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer lightly for 45 minutes.  (I've reduced this step to as little as 15 minutes in a pinch or if I've accidentally overcooked the beans in the first place.)  Mash 1/4 cup beans and return to pot for thickening. (I usually omit this step.)

Serve over cooked rice with a crusty bread and salad.

Christine's BBQ Beans

Combine in large bowl:

1/2 C. chopped onion

1/3 C. sugar (I use real maple syrup instead)

1/3 C. brown sugar

1/2 C. BBQ sauce

1/4 C. ketchup

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. chili powder

2 Tbsp. molasses

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Add 3 cans of any kinds of canned beans you like, drained and rinsed.

Original recipe calls for:

vegetarian baked beans (unrinsed)

kidney beans

butter beans

Christine uses white beans instead of butter beans.

Spoon in greased baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour, stirring once.

Sliced Baked Potatoes

• 4 medium baking potatoes (evenly-sized)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 Tablespoons melted butter
• 2-3 Tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, thyme, sage, etc.) or 2-3 teaspoons dried herbs (of your choice
• 4 Tablespoons cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Scrub and rinse potatoes. Cut into thin slices, but NOT all the way through.

Put potatoes in a baking dish and fan out the slices. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with butter, then sprinkle with herbs.

Bake potatoes  for about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Then bake for another 10-15 minutes until lightly browned and potatoes are done.

Sliced Baked Potatoes Recipe is a post from: Money Saving Mom

Regina's Potatoes Gratin

potatoes
onions
milk/cream/chicken broth
SPG
grated cheese (parmesan, cheddar, etc.)

Slice potatoes.  Layer in pan: put a layer of potatoes (slightly overlapping) topped with a layer of onions, sliced in half-moon rings.  Sprinkle with SPG.  Repeat a second time to fill 9x13 pan.  Pour over top, to fill pan about halfway up the side: light drizzle each of whipping cream and half and half, then chicken broth and milk to fill about halfway up side of pan.  Cover pan with foil and bake for at least an hour in a very hot oven (like 425 or 450 degrees).  Remove from oven and uncover.  If I have them, I like to stir in those last couple of leftover sausages (brats, Italian sausage, andouille sausage, etc.), sliced into quarters and then into little bite-size pieces.  Stir into potato mixture, then top with cheese.  (I use a good bit of shredded parmesan, because the flavor is outstanding, then a sprinkling of cheddar since it melts up so nicely.)  Return to over until cheese is nicely melted and bubbling.  The sauce will seem a bit runny still, but it will thicken up nicely as it sits there before serving, and even some more once you serve it onto your plate.

We like this with lightly steamed broccoli on the side (no seasonings, as the potatoes are very savory and need the fresh, plain taste of the broccoli), and a nice oil-and-vinegar style pre-dressed salad.

Hearty, Healthy Chicken Stock/Soup

This is about as dull as they come, but it is an absolute staple in our home, so I figured I'd include it. (Plus, I need to link to this post from the other Blog post about the dog!)

I make this whenever we eat/use a rotisserie chicken or two from Costco (relatively cheap, already prepared, and isn't made with any preservatives). Put the two chicken carcasses (I don't bother to pick them so very thoroughly) into a heavy stock pot with the following:

2 chicken carcasses with a bit of meat left on them
enough filtered water to cover them
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped

Put all in the stock pot and let stand for 30-60 minutes. Then bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 6-24 hours. The longer you cook it, the richer and more flavorful it will become. I usually leave it at least overnight, and usually also all day the next day.

About ten minutes before finishing, add a handful of fresh parsley (I have this in my garden), which will impart additional minerals and flavor to the broth.

After this process, the smaller chicken bones will be very soft and can be "smooshed" between your fingers and put on the dog's food!

Strain out all the bones and vegetables and reserve the broth.

I keep some of the it in a large jar in my fridge at all times, freezing the rest. If the refrigerated broth doesn't get used within a week, I will freeze it then. (This is very rare! Think of how many recipes/dishes call for chicken broth! No more nasty bouillon cubes or pasty broth paste...)

It makes a delicious chicken soup all by itself, with either rice or noodles cooked into it with some onion, celery, and carrots. Season liberally with Jane's Crazy Mixed-Up Salt, and you're all set!

The recipe for the chicken stock is from the cookbook Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.

Remember, "Good broth resurrects the dead" (South American proverb).

Crunchy Salad

(really cheap... really yummy... a very great last-minute meal option...)

Large Recipe (serves six generously as a main dish)

2 heads Romaine lettuce, finely shredded
1 bag pre-shredded slaw mix (finely-shredded cabbages & carrots) - very cheap at BJ's
2 C. sunflower seeds (or you can used sliced almonds in a pinch) - very cheap at Dollar Tree
6 Tbsp. sesame seeds - cheap in bulk at Farm Fresh
3 pkgs. crushed Ramen noodles (discard powdered sauce packets) - cheap anywhere!
(OPT.) rotisserie chicken to serve on the side if it is a main dish - cheap at Costco and BJ's

Mix all above together. Top with a dressing of:
3/4 - 1 C. oil
4 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 + C. red wine vinegar - cheap at Ollie's
1 Tbsp. soy sauce

(The original recipe calls for you to also add one seasoning packet from the Ramen noodles to this dressing, but the MSG bothers one of my daughters so I skip it.)

Also, I often make this for the kids and me as a lunch-on-the-go by grabbing two pre-fab shredded slaw bags and skipping the Romaine. If I pre-make the dressing, I can grab it all as ingredients and put it together at lunch time in a jiffy.

It is tasty, but no longer "crunchy," as leftovers. The Ramen goes soft and mushy and seems more like soft noodles after a few hours of sitting.

Susanne's Pintos & Rice (VEGAN)

(a healthy, cheap meal... a weekly favorite for us... I usually double this recipe)

1 pound dried pinto or cranberry beans

1 large onion, diced

1 large bulb of garlic (10 or so whole, smashed cloves per pound of beans)

1 small fistful of sea salt

brown rice, cooked, for serving

cold veggie relish (diced crudités), for topping

pickled jalapeños, diced avocado, salsa (optional)

cheese and sour cream (omit for vegan!)

1) Soak 1 pound dried pinto beans overnight (at least) in water.  (NOTE: It is best if they just barely start to sprout, which they'll do after 12-18 hours of soaking. See below for cheater trick if you're short on time.)

 
2) After they've soaked, pour off soaking water, and bring beans to a boil in fresh water. Turn down and simmer until tender (a couple of hours) with the onion, garlic, and salt. (Conversely, you can cook these in a slower cooker on HIGH for 3 hours or so until tender, or throw them in your instant pot according to the recommended cooking time.)

3) Serve over whole grain rice (brown, brown basmati, or brown jasmine), topped with your choice of cold veggie relish (made of any combination of cucumbers, peppers, onions, celery, and tomatoes), salsa, jalapenos, diced avocado, chili vinegar. 

4) On the side we serve either Cheri's griddle cakes or tortilla chips.

For "homemade refried beans," coarsely smash the beans in a saucepan with some of the broth. Let 'em cook down and bubble a little, stirring often. Add Mexican seasonings to taste. We use these on tortillas as a common "everyday sort of lunch" instead of PB&J sandwiches. I just put this filling on a small fajita-size tortilla with some cheese (omit for vegan), roll it up, and line them up in my toaster oven to warm. Cold, washed romaine leaves on the side, and you're set.

*I may as well include the "cheater" method when you didn't soak them, overnight, because it works and I've used it in a pinch many times.  It is not near as healthy or easy on your digestive system, but you can take dry beans and bring them a boil, turn off the water, let them soak for an hour or two, then bring them to a boil again to cook.  It isn't best, but I do it when I have to!