Three Bean Salad

Lucky Number 7 Bean Salad

 

This was always my favorite summertime salad.  I’ve doctored it up a little, added a few more beans and gave it a little kick.  Try it out and see what you think.

½ cup red kidney beans

½ cup great northern beans

¼ cup soldier beans

¼ cup black beans

¼ cup pinto beans

¼ cup lima beans

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

½ tsp black pepper

Combine above ingredients in slow cooker/crock pot and cook on high for four hours.  Do not remove cover during cook time unless more water needs to be added.  Drain, discard bay leaf, rinse and cool completely (about 3 hours in fridge). 

Measure 5 cups of beans and place in large bowl.  Sprinkle with ½ tsp kosher salt and toss.

*2 cups pickled green beans cut into 1 inch pieces, drained, reserve liquid

1 tsp minced garlic

1 cup largely diced onion

3-5 sliced Chile peppers

½ cup reserved pickled green bean broth

½ cup Italian salad dressing

2 Tbsp sugar

½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp parsley

¼ tsp celery seed

Combine pickled green beans, onion and peppers in bowl with mixed beans and toss gently.  In small bowl combine garlic, dilly bean broth, sugar, pepper, parsley and celery seed and mix well.  Slowly add Italian salad dressing while whisking.  Pour mixture over beans and toss to coat.  Let stand in refrigerator for an hour to chill and incorporate flavors before serving.

© Crackerberries 2013

*Note: usually I would use my own dilly beans but I tried making this recipe from BHG and didn't care for them much by themselves, but they are perfect for this recipe.

Frozen Yogurt

This is the easiest frozen yogurt recipe ever!  Take your favorite container of yogurt, pop it in the freezer for at least 6 hours and voila, instant frozen yogurt.  I tried it this morning with my favorite Great Value yogurt.  Just stir with a spoon and enjoy. 

** Just a note ...if you over freeze, let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

Scones

Whole Wheat Blueberry Scones

w/Cranberry Glaze

1¼ cup whole wheat flour

1½ tbsp sugar

½ tbsp baking powder

Scant salt

2 tbsp butter flavored Crisco

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup half and half

¼ cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven 400°

In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix; using a fork, cut in Crisco until mixture resembles small crumbs.  Make a well in the center of the mixture.

In a small bowl combine egg with half and half; pour mixture into well of flour mixture all at once.  Stir just to moisten.  It will be sticky.  Fold in blueberries gently.

Turn dough onto floured pizza stone or cookie sheet and roll and pat into 6-inch circle. Cut into six wedges and gently spread apart slightly.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Let cool slightly and drizzle with cranberry glaze (½ cup confectioner’s sugar mixed with ½ tbsp cranberry juice).

*This recipe can be easily doubled to make two six inch rounds of scones.  

© Crackerberries 2013

Bread & Butter Squickles

Bread & Butter Squickle Pickles

This is Mimi’s old fashion Bread and Butter Pickle recipe with a new take of adding summer squash to the mix.

12 cups sliced cucumbers and summer squash

Place in ice water over night

Next morning drain and create three layers in large container with 2 cups sliced onions, and ¼ cup canning salt, ending with salt on top.  Cover with cloth and let stand at room temperature 3-4 hours.  Drain off liquid that forms.

3½ cups vinegar

1¼ cup water

2 cups sugar

3 tsp celery seed

3 tsp mustard seed

1 tsp curry powder —or—

(Note: I did not have curry powder but I did some research in an old spice book and found out that curry is actually a blend of six or more of the following spices: cumin, coriander, fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, pepper, dill, mace, cardamom, cloves.)

1/8 tsp of each: cumin, turmeric, ginger, dill, cardamom, ground cloves, mace & cayenne pepper.

Combine vinegar, water, sugar and spices in preserving pot and bring to a boil.  Add veggies and bring to a boil again, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.  Pack into hot sterilized jars and seal covers according to instructions and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.  Yield: 8 pints

© Crackerberries 2013



Pork Chop Stroganoff

Spicy Pork Chop Stroganoff w/Mushroom Sauce & Peas

1¼ lb pork chops

2 cups plain potato chips, pulverized until the oil is coming out

2½ cups corn tortilla chips, pulverized

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

¾ tsp ground black pepper

½ cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup half & half

1 can cream of mushroom soup

½ cup water or chicken broth

2 cups egg noodles

¾ cup frozen peas

Oil for frying

Cook and drain noodles according to package directions.  Set aside.

Cut pork chops into 1½-2 inch pieces, remove bone if present.  Soak in half and half for ten minutes.

In shallow bowl combine potato chip crumbs, tortilla chip crumbs, cumin, and chili powder; toss to combine.  In a zip lock bag combine flour, garlic powder and pepper and shake to combine. 

Remove pork from half and half shaking off liquid back into the bowl.  Add pork to flour mixture and shake until all pieces are coated well.  With a few at a time dip back in half & half mixture to coat well.  Roll in chip crumb mixture.

Cover the bottom of a cast iron fry pan well with canola or corn oil and heat until hot on medium high.  Cook pork for three-five minutes per side until crisp and brown. 

Meanwhile combine mushroom soup with water or chicken broth in medium sauce pan.  Heat until it just starts to bubble and add peas and noodles.  Place mixture of noodles on plate, top with pork and serve.

© Crackerberries 2013

Zucchini Lasagna

Tall Cool One says "Don't tell anyone how good this is."  So I'm not telling you, just quoting what he said.  This is the ultimate noodless lasagna.  

Zucchini Lasagna

2½ cups zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 2 medium)

¾ lb ground beef

½ Vidalia onion, chopped

1½ cups pasta sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chopped celery

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 eggs

1 cup cottage cheese 

½ cup parmesan cheese

4-6 slices Colby jack cheddar cheese

Directions:

Fry burger, garlic, celery, and onions until meat is brown and onions and celery are tender; drain fat. Add sauce, Italian seasoning and pepper.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered 10 minutes.

In small bowl slightly beat eggs and add cottage cheese, and half of the parmesan cheese.

In (1½ -qt.) baking dish spread a little sauce on the bottom and layer with 1/3 of the zucchini slices.  Top with half of the meat mixture, then 2-3 of the cheese slices.  Repeat layers two more times.  Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 30- 40 minutes.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.                                  

© Crackerberries 2013

Bean Hole Beans

Famous Bean Hole Beans

 Saturday night was always famous for Baked Bean night served with steamed brown bread or hot Johnny Cake.  Summer time is the best time for bean hole beans.

2 lbs State of Maine Jacobs Cattle dry beans (preferably from Green Thumb Farms in Fryeburg, Maine)

½ lb. salt pork (not fat back)

½ to ¾ cup sugar

½ cup molasses

½ cup ketchup

2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 onion

1 tbsp vinegar

Soak the beans the night before you plan to cook.  Cover them with cold water and pick out any that look bad or continue to float to the top.  Some people will parboil them in the morning.  Parboil until the skins crack when blown upon.  I find that parboiling make the beans mushy and therefore I do not parboil.  Each person has their own taste when it comes to beans.

Dig a hole in the ground at least 3 feet deep and 2 feet wide, larger if your kettle takes more space.  Get a special iron kettle with legs and a cover that fits down over the top of the kettle at least 2 inches, with slots at the two opposite sides to allow the kettle handle to be raised. 

The chances are that your first beans will not be as tasty as later cooking until after the hole is “burned out” and used a few times.  Place a flat rock at the bottom of the hole; add any old scrap iron or good size rocks.  Lacking these, the woodsmen used old logging chains.  Fill the hole with hardwood and keep a fire burning for a half a day (this is called the “burning out” process).

After good coals are formed, the hole is ready for cooking the beans.  Slice the onion and salt pork and place on the bottom of the kettle.  Drain and rinse the beans, place them in the pot and add enough water to barley cover the beans. Combine the sugar, molasses, ketchup, dry mustard, salt, pepper, and vinegar together with one pint (two cups) of boiling water.  Pour over the beans.  Place the cover on the beans.

Now remove all the scrap iron, rocks and chains from the hole.  Lower the kettle of beans into the hold.  Surround the kettle with the hot coals, rocks, scrap iron, chains and fill the hole with earth.  Pack the earth tightly and tread on it to seal the hole.  One tiny opening could allow air to get in and result in burned beans.  The following day, dig off the earth, pull out the kettle and enjoy old fashion bean hole beans.

We have also tried cooking them on a fire pit such as this.  They suck up too much water and are not as good  as cooking them in a hole.  We just wanted to try it and see how they came out. 

NOTE:  This is for the adventurous at heart. If you feel the task of preparation inhibits your appetite for your own homemade bean hole beans, take a drive to Maine or any old New England town during the summer time months.  Look for highway signs that say “BEAN HOLE BEANS”.  Many churches have Saturday night dinners and several of the Old Home Days feature them. 

© Crackerberries 2013