What's for Dinner

Tofu, garlic, celery, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, stir-fry sauce, a touch of oil, a touch of soy sauce, black pepper and brown rice.

Black Bean Burgers & Oven Fries

I wish I had taken a picture of tonight's dinner, but I was in too much of a hurry, so you will have to use your imagination.

This post goes back several years. When Justice first started middle school, we were invited to dinner at the home of a new friend of hers. They served the best black bean burgers we had ever had. I never got that recipe, but I did some experimenting with other recipes, hoping I would stumble on the right one. I could always tell which ones were not right: anything with a bunch of chunky stuf ~ diced peppers and onions, corn, etc. The black bean burgers we craved were very simple, very flavourful and, well, simply delicious.

Recently, I stumbled on this recipe: http://recipes.bushbeans.com/recipe/71666/backyard-black-bean-burgers.aspx

Yes, it is on the Bush's Beans site. In fact, I have to explore that site more. Looks like some good stuff.

Well, this looked like a pretty great recipe, but we wanted to have some tonight and save some for later, so I knew I wanted to increase it a bit. I started by purchasing larger cans of beans. I changed a couple of other details, too, but stuck very close to the original. My recipe made 9 burgers (instead of 6), which was perfect for us. I think I might tweak it just a bit, but it got rave reviews from the family as it is. (Except Kaia. She ate a Boca Burger. But that's okay. I mean, that's why I keep them on hand.)

BLACK BEAN BURGERS

2-19 ounce can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup + 3 TBS of your favourite salsa (I use Trader Joe's Salsa Autentica)
a few drops of Liquid Smoke (or skip this, and use chipotle salsa)
2/3 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons chili seasoning (I make my own blend. Use what you like)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

In a food processor, process beans and salsa until fairly smooth and blended. (You could probably mash them by hand. Just mash very well.) Transfer to a mixing bowl, and stir in the remaining ingredients with a fork, mixing very well. Form the mixture into 9 balls and place them on a plate. Form the balls gently with your hands. They should be bigger than a golfball, but smaller than a baseball. That seems to be the right size. You should get about 9 of them. 8 might be okay, too. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. When you are ready to prepare your burgers, heat oven to 375°F. Flatten each ball into a burger (about 1/2" thick). Place the burgers on oiled cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then flip and bake for 8-10 minutes more.

Serve on buns with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, guacamole and salsa. I served corn salsa and oven fries on the side (because I forgot to make the coleslaw. Otherwise, I would have served coleslaw with it, too).

OVEN FRIES

6 potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cut into sticks
about 1 TBS oil (we like olive oil)
salt or Old Bay Seasoning to taste

Okay. If I had my druthers, I would always make these with Old Bay, but sometimes other people want plain fries. This is really simple. Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large mixing bowl, toss cut potatoes with oil and salt or seasoning to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a bit more seasoning or salt, if necessary. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip, and bake until done (depends how thick you cut them, and how well-browned you like them. Just keep and eye on them). Serve with your favourite dipping sauce.

Now, the truth is, you can make more (or less) fries, if you wish. My mom taught me to prepare one potato for each diner, plus one for the pot. So, for the five of us, that's six potatoes. Just remember, you have to be able to fit them in a single layer on your cookie sheet, so, if you make more, you might need more than one sheet.


In order to get this all done at the same time, I heated the oven to 450°, put in the fries and set the timer for 15 minutes. While they were baking, I formed the burgers. When the timer rang, I turned the heat down to 375°, moved the fries to the lower rack inside my oven and put the burgers on the top rack. I baked them for 8 minutes on one side, then flipped them. Just a few minutes later, the fries were done, so I pulled them out, set them on the stove and covered with a tea towel. The burgers were done just a few minutes after that, and everything was hot.

So, that's it. Super simple. Tonight, I just mixed corn and salsa, but I usually add cilantro and scallions to my corn salsa. It's better that way, but, in a pinch, simple works :)

Seitan Roast

I have been meaning to post this for ages.

Decided to try making seitan (which I believe is pronounced something like "SAY-tan" ~ which, of course lead my husband to ask repeatedly, "What's for dinner? Could it be..."SAY-tan? hmmm??" in his best Church Lady voice). To be honest, I thinkI have avoided making it so I wouldn't have to talk about it. You know, since I don't really know how to pronounce it.

I have thought about trying this before. In fact, I had gone so far as to buy not one, but two, packages of vital wheat gluten in anticipation of trying this recipe. (I forgot I had bought the first one, and so I bought the second. I am frighteningly well-organized.)

ANYWAY...

Having zipped around the internet for quite some time, I had settled on this recipe:

http://veganplanet.blogspot.com/2008/03/slow-cooker-seitan-pot-roast.html

You'll have to copy and paste the link in to your browser. I am so sorry, but I just cannot seem to successfully post a link here. Can somebody help me figure that out, please?

You know what? Screw it. I am copying and pasting the recipe here:

Slow-Cooker Seitan Pot Roast
This is an easier version of the pot roast recipe in Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker.
Important: You may need to adjust your cooking time according to the quirks of your own crockpot. The one I used for this recipe cooks fast — if I had used one of my other slow cookers, it would have taken nearly twice as long.

1 sweet yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 pound baby carrots
1 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved or quartered
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable stock
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 cups wheat gluten flour
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock, or more as needed
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup or tomato sauce

1. Arrange the onion, carrots, and potatoes in the bottom of a lightly oiled slow cooker. Season the vegetables to taste with salt and pepper and add the stock, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon each of the thyme and marjoram.
2. In a large bowl, combine the wheat gluten flour, onion powder, garlic powder, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each of thyme and marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Add the water or stock, soy sauce, and ketchup. Mix well, adding a little more water if the mixture is too dry, then knead for 2 minutes until smooth. Shape the gluten to fit inside your cooker and place on top of the vegetables. (You can place it on top of a piece of aluminum foil or wrap it in cheesecloth, if desired, to keep its shape). Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours (or longer, depending on your slow cooker), or until the seitan and vegetables are cooked.
3. To serve, remove the vegetables and seitan from the slow cooker. Cut the seitan into slices and arrange them on a serving platter. Surround with the vegetables and spoon the cooking liquid over all or transfer the cooking liquid to a saucepan and thicken into a gravy.
Serves 4

For the record, I didn't have any marjoram, so I skipped it ~ which is okay, because I have never liked the flavour of marjoram, anyway.

Several hours in, I realized the top of my seitan was just not cooking, while the bottom looked done already. I decided to turn it over, hoping it would finish cooking in time for dinner. Upon further investigation, I found that the broth was rather flavourless. I found a packet of Hain Vegetarian Brown Gravy MIx, stirred that in to about 1/2 cup water, added it to the crockpot and turned the whole thing to high.

In the end, it did finish cooking, and we decided it was not bad.


(Going to stop taking pics in my kitchen. The florescent lighting makes everything look a little greeinsh)

Shane found it reminiscent of pepper steak (a green pepper in the pot would probably have helped sell that angle). I suggested using a vegetarian beef flavour bouillon as the liquid that is mixed in to the gluten instead of water next time. I think that will give it a richer, beefier flavour. Hallie suggested seasoning it more like chicken some time. I thought it tasted like pork. Shane disagreed, but he did like it. We decided, at the very least, it will serve as a good jumping off point, and definitely warrants more experimentation.

The next day, I tried slicing some of the leftover roast into very thin strips, mixing it a little bar-b-que sauce and heating it. Sooooooooooo good! I only wish I'd had some coleslaw and hot biscuits to go with it. When we had the leftovers for dinner, I prepared half of it that way (very thinly sliced and simmered in barbeque sauce). The other half I placed in a baking dish with stuffing in between the slices, drizzled with a little gravy, covered with foil and baked. Both variations were well received. (I will try to find pictures of these and add them later.)

Quiche of the Day

Not to be confused with the "Quickie of the Day," as a customer at a deli at which I worked many years ago called it. I cannot (will not!) be held responsible for whatever THAT might be. What we have here is quiche. Real men do, indeed, eat it. In my experience, real men kind of love it. And, really, who can blame them?

If I remember this all correctly, years ago, my mom's friend and neighbour, Mrs. Main, gave her a recipe for Quiche Lorraine. Based on that recipe, I developed a couple of vegetarian variations. I have made them for many years, now, and they have always been well-received. Over the years, I have tweaked the recipe, and I think it is darned good now.

So, here you go ~ I will start with Broccoli Cheese Quiche, and then give the Spinach and Cheese variation. The great thing about quiche is that it is so simple to make, but it always impresses people.

Broccoli Cheese Quiche

2 pie shells*

3 cups chopped broccoli
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2-3 cups shredded cheese** (cheddar or colby work best)
salt & pepper
2 TBS flour
1 TBS butter, cut up
5-6 eggs
2 cups milk

Preheat over to 375-degrees.
Steam broccoli just until tender.
Divide the broccoli between your two (unbaked) pie shells. Sprinkle the sliced scallions, salt and pepper evenly over broccoli. Top with cheese. Sprinkle the flour over the cheese, and dot with butter.
In a mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs. Whisk in milk, beating until well combined. Pour egg mixture over all, dividing evenly(ish) between the two quiche.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until the eggs are set and top is lightly browned. Let stand at least 5 minutes before slicing.

*I am lazy (and usually in a hurry), so I almost always use a pat-in-the-pan pie crust. Here's one I like a lot:
http://www.exit109.com/~mstevens/lrccookb/PATINPAN.htm (I cannot post a link here. I don't know why. I have decided to copy and paste the recipe at the end of this entry, for ease of use.)

** The original recipe called for an entire pound of cheese. You can use that much if you prefer, but it always seemed like and awful lot to me. I just eyeball it, but I think we fall closer to the 2-cup mark, and everyone seems to like it just fine.


Okay. Now, for the spinach variation. The method is a bit different. Trust me. This works.

Spinach & Cheese Quiche

2 pie shells

1 10-oz bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2-3 cups cheese (any combination of mozzarella, monterey jack and parmesan/romano is divine*)
2 finely minced garlic cloves
2 scallions, thinly sliced
salt & pepper
2 TBS flour
1 TBS butter, melted
5-6 eggs
2 cups milk

Heat oven to 375.
Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the spinach.
In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk, lightly beat together eggs, milk, flour, butter, salt & pepper.
With a large spoon, stir in all remaining ingredients. Divide mixture between the two pie shells.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until eggs are set and top is lightly browned. Let stand at least 5 minutes before slicing.

*Swiss is also good, by itself.
Note: I have always thought some crumbled vegetarian bacon would be a nice addition to this recipe, but I have never tried it. Maybe one of you will :)


Oh! I almost forgot! THIS TIME, instead of making two quiche, I made one regular quiche. Then, I divided the remaining pie crust and filling between 8 muffin cups. They made the cutest, most perfectly-sized individual quiche. when they had cooled, I removed them from the pan, placed them on a cookie sheet and froze them, then sealed them in a freezer bag. We'll save them for quick meals and snacks. The kids were so tickled with them. I think you could divide the dough again and get about 16 mini-muffin-sized quiche, if you wanted. My regular muffin-sized ones took 28 minutes to cook.

They are so cute! See?


Pat-in-the-Pan Pie Crust:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons cold milk

Directions:

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the pie pan and mix with your fingers until blended. In a measuring cup, combine the oil and milk and beat with a fork until creamy. Pour all at once over the flour mixture. Mix with a fork until the flour mixture is completely moistened. Pat the dough with your fingers, first up the sides of the plate, then across the bottom. Flute the edges.

Vegetable Soup on the Cheap

Tonight, I needed to throw together something before I left for work (I am working 2-6pm on Mondays, and two of the kids have dance classes at 6:30 that evening, so I need to make sure dinner is squared away and will be ready and waiting when we get home). I decided to see if I could come up with something healthy and nutritious for my family using only ingredients from the 99-cents store and a few herbs and spices I had on hand. Most of the family has been nursing a nasty cold/cough, so soup seemed like a no-brainer.

Here's what I did (I am posting the cost of ingredients, too, which I figured based on the total cost of the product. So, for instance, if I got 8 potatoes for a dollar, but only used two, my potatoes in this recipe cost $0.25. Got it?):

1 TBS olive oil -- 10¢
1/2 large onion-- 25¢
3 stalks celery -- 25¢
1/2 bag baby carrots -- 50¢
4 cloves garlic -- 10¢
1/2 of a 16oz bag frozen mixed vegetables -- 50¢
1 14-15oz can diced tomatoes -- 79¢
6 cans water -- nc (no charge)
2 potatoes (pkg. of 8) -- 25¢
1/2 small head cabbage -- 50¢
herbs (sage, oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary)
optional - 1 spoonful bouillon (not sure of cost ~ was already in my cupboard)

So, without accounting for the few ingredients of whose cost I am uncertain, that comes up to a whopping $3.24 for the family meal this evening. If you estimate another dollar for the seasonings, it's still under five bucks. A couple of us had dinner rolls with our soup. Since there are 12 in a package, they cost us all of a little over eight cents apiece. Even if we each had one, that adds only another $0.41. So, let's add that and our dollar for seasonings. Wow. That's a grand total of $4.65 for the entire meal.

Want to know how to make it? It is so easy.

In a large souppot, heat 1 TBS olive oil. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic, all roughly chopped. Sprinkle with a little salt and cook, stirring, over low heat until onions are just starting to soften. Add a good sprinkle each of sage, oregano and thyme, and just a couple of pinches of rosemary. Stir in about 1 TBS dried parsley and a bit of black pepper. (Sorry, I didn't measure the seasonings. Just start small and adjust later to suit your taste.) Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes. Add tomatoes and water (and, if using it, the bouillon). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. While it is simmering, peel and dice your potatoes and roughly chop the cabbage. Add potatoes, cabbage and mixed veggies to the pot and bring up to a boil once more. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all veggies are cooked through. Add more water as needed to achieve desired consistency. Taste, and adjust seasonings.

That's it! You're done. Really.

Now, for us, this was perfect tonight, because we all just needed a kind of light soup. If you need something a bit more substantial, I recommend adding a handful of cooked beans and/or cooked pasta (or rice). That might drive up your cost to a whopping...what? Six bucks? I think that would still be good for a family meal.

There were four of us eating this tonight (the little one doesn't eat vegetable soup. She had ramen. *sigh*), and I have leftovers enough for at least two lunches tomorrow, even after some of us had seconds, so it really did make a good-sized pot of soup.

For the record, this recipe isn't all that different from others I have posted here. However, this is the first time I have bothered to sit down and figure the cost. I was impressed. Might have to include that info with more of my recipes. I know we are not the only ones striving to be frugal these days.

Tiny Food is Better

It's undeniably true. There is just something about tiny food that makes it better. It looks appealing, affords the diner an opportunity to sample many different foods because portions are small, and it just makes eating more fun. Appetizers, tapas, hors d'oeuvres...Tiny food comes in many shapes, but all of them are tiny. You might find miniature versions of larger dishes (think individual quiche, two-bite brownies...) as well as "baby" versions of fruits and vegetables (carrots, potatoes, bananas). There are also some foods that are just small. Kumquats come to mind. They look like tiny little oranges. Adorable.

Tonight was Sandwich Night. We've been trying to have a sandwich night once a week for two reasons: 1) we have a couple of very hectic days each week thanx to my new job and the kids music and dance lessons, and 2) we like sandwiches. So far, we have done grilled cheese (with tomato soup) and vegetarian cold cut subs. Last week, Hallie asked if we could have finger sandwiches this week, and I agreed. It's funny ~ I used to make them all the time, and then, at some point, I just stopped. I don't know why. We all always liked them so much.

Now, usually, I would make three types of sandwiches: cucumber, watercress and egg salad. We talked about it, and it seemed most people in our family prefer the watercress and egg salad sandwiches. I actually love cucumber sandwiches, but I can't eat them (cream cheese) and I was in the mood for egg salad, anyway. So, we settled on watercress and egg salad.

I searched several stores, but was unable to turn up any watercress. We were just about to scrap the idea when something occurred to me: we have a TON of lettuce growing in our garden. It's true. We have 5 or 6 varieties (I'll admit, I am not even sure what they are. I think I bought two mixed batches of seedlings ~ one labelled "gourmet" and the other something like "spring mix") , and they are growing like wildfire down there. so, we agreed it would be a good idea to choose one of the darker, flatter varieties and use that in place of watercress. If you can find watercress, use it. It is so good. If not, try some interesting lettuce. It's worth a shot, anyway.

Here's what you'll need to make your own finger sandwiches:

Sliced bread, wheat and white (I use a whole grain white, but I am sure that doesn't matter)
Softened cream cheese or neufchatel
Watercress (or something similar)
Cucumbers, peeled and sliced in rounds
Egg salad

To make watercress sandwiches:
Lay out six slices of white bread. Spread each slice with a layer of cream cheese (I like it fairly thick). On three of the slices, carefully cover the cream cheese with a single layer of watercress (or whatever you are using instead). Top each of those slices with one of the other three slices (that have just cream cheese). Cut off crusts.* Cut each sandwich into three strips, then cut each strip in half. Voila! Finger sandwiches.

To make cucumber sandwiches:
Follow the same procedure as you did for the watercress sandwiches, using cucumber slices instead of watercress. Try to keep the cucumbers in a single layer ~ do not overlap them. Cut as above.

To make egg salad sandwiches:
Use your favourite egg salad recipe. However, when preparing egg salad for finger sandwiches, use a fork to make sure the eggs are well mashed, with no excessively large pieces of egg white remaining. Also, since it is likely these sandwiches will be made ahead of time, do not make your egg salad very creamy. I used four eggs and just maybe a couple of tablespoons of mayonaise and a touch of mustard. You should season it however you like, but avoid making the salad itself too wet or you bread will get soggy. I also recommend adding dill to your egg salad. If you haven't tried this, you definitely should. I usually make my egg salad sandwiches on wheat. They look pretty and are a nice contrast to the watercress and cucumber on white. Assemble the sandwiches and cut as above.

* I find it is easiest to cut the sandwiches neatly with a good bread knife. Chilling them a bit before cutting can help, too, and it is a good idea to wipe the knife blade after each cut.


Now, you need some tiny little accompaniments. I recommend baby carrots, tiny pickles, small fruits like kumquats, grapes, cherry tomatoes, etc. Today, I was lucky enough to find a bag of mixed miniature potatoes (you know the "gourmet variety" pack that includes red and blue potatoes, as well as the usual type) at the 99-cents store, of all places.

BTW, while we are on the subject:
1 dozen eggs - 99-cents store
Whole grain white bread - 99-cents store
Wheat bread - 99-cents store
Neufchatel - 99-cents store
Lettuce - my backyard

So, yeah, this was a darned cheap meal for the five of us. And we have leftovers for lunches, as well as most of two loaves of bread, some cream cheese and about half a dozen eggs, so I would say we made out like bandits.

Anyway...I was talking about potatoes. I had picked up these potatoes (remember where I got them?), and they were tiny, so I thought they would go nicely with our lovely little sandwiches.

Here's what I did:

Scrub potatoes, cutting larger ones in half.

Heat a large skillet (with a lid) over low heat. Add 1-2 TBS olive oil. When oil is hot, add rinsed potatoes and sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to coat, then cover with the lid. Let the potatoes cook while you peel and roughly chop 2-3 cloves of garlic. Add the garlic to the potatoes and sprinkle liberally with dill (fresh or dried). Stir again to coat the potatoes with the seasonings. Cover and cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir, and add about 1/4 cup water if the potatoes are starting to stick to the pan. Replace cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally and adding just a bit of water as necessary to keep potatoes from sticking, until potatoes are done. Make sure to cook off any residual water at the end by removing the lid and cooking until water has evaporated. Transfer to a serving dish. If desired, toss with a touch of honey mustard and/or balsamic vinegar (I didn't this time, but it sure is good that way).

There you have it. Tiny dinner. Because tiny food is better.

Red Beans & Rice

Today, I went back to work. Every Monday, I will be teaching three drama classes, back-to-back, after school at an elementary school. On Wednesdays, I will be teaching at a different elementary school. I am very excited about this opportunity, of course, but it does present some challenges on the homefront. Mondays will be particularly challenging, as I will be teaching from 2:30 until 5:30 (arrive around 2-ish to set up, and leave around 6, after students are picked up), then picking up kids and racing Justice and Kaia over to the dance studio for their classes. This means that, somehow, I have to manage to prepare dinner...while I am not home.

Crockpot to the rescue! (Sorta)

I decided I really wanted to make red beans & rice. I don't know why, exactly. I had just been craving it lately. Today was a very rainy day, and my first day back at work...and my first day in a new job. So, I wanted something warm and comforting, that would be waiting at home for me when I got here. Oh, and I wanted to feed the family, too. I had red beans in the cupboard, and so, the matter was settled.

Now, there was only one problem. I had made red beans and rice before, but I had never found a recipe I really loved, so I decided to hunt around on the internet a bit. I knew mine would not be authentic, because I am fairly certain no one has made a passable vegetarian andouille sausage, but I thought I might give it a shot, anyway.

I found this recipe, and it sounded pretty good:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/authentic-louisiana-red-beans-and-rice/

I made a couple of simple adaptations to compensate for the lack of andouille sausage, and I also adapted it so that I could put it in the crockpot before I left for work and it would be ready when we got home. I tried cooking beans int he crockpot once before, and they took way longer to cook than the recipe I followed had indicated they would, so I decided to start this dish on the stove and transfer it to the crockpot later. Below, I have given instructions for a traditional stovetop method as well as my crockpot adaptation. You might be able to do all of the cooking in the crockpot, but I didn't want to take a chance on it not being ready when I got home.

I also cut down the amount of oil in the original recipe, and made my own "Cajun seasoning," as I didn't have any on hand. Since not everyone here likes things quite as spicy as I do, I left out the cayenne (since there was already some in the seasoning mix) and just let people add hot sauce to their bowls if they wished. Oh, and I used brown rice, because I just prefer it to white. So, I guess mine is a bit different. It might not be authentic, but it sure is tasty.

Here's what I did:

1 pound dry red beans
6 cups water
a couple of large pinches of baking soda
3 TBS cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning*
a few drops of Liquid Smoke
2-4 vegetarian sausage patties, cooked and crumbled
4 cups water
2 cups jasmine brown rice
1TBS olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp salt


Rinse beans, and then soak in a large pot of water overnight. (Or use quick-soak method: rinse and sort beans, place in a large pot and cover with water. I add a little baking soda to my soak water when cooking dry beans. I have heard this can help minimize the...ahem..."musical" quality. Bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes, then turn off and let stand for 1 hour. Proceed as directed for the rest of the recipe)

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat, cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes.
Rinse soaked beans, drain, and transfer to a large pot with 6 cups water. Stir cooked vegetables into beans. Season with bay leaves, thyme, sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Stir in a few drops of liquid smoke. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

I wanted to use my crokpot, so, after soaking, I cooked my beans for the first hour on the stove, then I transferred them to my crockpot and left them on low for 5-6 hours. They were perfect when I got home. I found it was good to use the back of the spoon to mash some beans (not too many) against the side of the pot, then stir. The mashed beans thickened the broth a bit.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice. In a saucepan, bring water, rice, oil, salt and garlic to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 16 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, for 5-10 minutes. (I did this before I left for work and stored it in the fridge. When we were ready to heat, we just heated our rice briefly first. I am guessing, because beans that have been in the crockpot for 5-6 hours are so hot, you might not even need to heat the rice, but I did it, anyway, because I like my food piping hot.)

To serve, place a scoop of rice in a bowl. Top with a generous amount of beans. If desired, stir in crumbled sausage and/or hot sauce.

Absolutely scrumptious. Definitely going to make this again.


* To make your own Cajun Seasoning:

In a small container (jar, ziplock bag, small dish with a lid, etc.) place:

2 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

Cover (or zip the bag) and shake to thoroughly mix. There ya go ~ Cajun seasoning (or something like it, based on what I read on the internet. It worked in my recipe, anyway). Use what you need in your recipe and store the rest in an airtight container for future use. Yum-yum!


I also tried to make corn muffins. I say I tried because I failed. I completely forgot to add the baking powder, so they didn't rise much. They are like hockey pucks. Not the texture, but the shape. Tasty little hockey pucks. Kaia ate one, anyway. They do have an excellent flavour, so I will make them again (with the baking powder this time). Here's the recipe I used:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/basic-corn-muffins/

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup milk
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl, mix together corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg, oil and milk; stir gently to combine. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Luckily, after my corn muffin fail, I realized we had some leftover pizza dough. A little flattening onto a baking sheet, a smear of garlic butter, a sprinkle of herbs (oregano and basil), a light scoring with the pizza cutter and about 10 minutes in a 450 degree oven later, they were breadsticks. Hallie, Justice and their friend Maya gobbled them up, and Hallie proclaimed them: "Way better than store bought."

So, all's well that ends well. We had an excellent hot dinner at the end of a busy, cold, rainy day.