Refried Beans

There are tons of recipes for refried beans out there and they are all pretty much the same and very easy. All you need to do is plan ahead a little and you’ll have something much tastier and healthier than what you’d get from the can!

Refried Beans

• 6 to 7 cups dried beans (we like black beans, but you can use whatever kind you prefer)
• One medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 tablepoon salt (add more to taste)

Instructions:

1. The night before, put beans in a large bowl and cover with water.
2. The next morning, drain and rinse beans, then put them in the crockpot and cover with water or broth (liquid should be about 2 inches higher than the beans). Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, then check to see if the beans are soft. If not, add a little more liquid and let cook one or two more hours.
3. When the beans are soft, drain them, but be sure to reserve at least one cup of the liquid.
4. Sautee the onions and garlic in butter, lard or tallow, until soft. Add them to the beans, along with the cumin and salt.
5. Using an immersion blender (or a food processor or blender), puree the mixture. Add liquid as needed. Taste, and increase seasonings to taste.
6. If you will not need all of the refried beans right away, you can fill mason jars to within 1 ½ inches of the top and freeze. To avoid the jars bursting, I let them cool on the counter and then overnight in the fridge before putting them in the freezer.

This is a cut and paste from this website:   http://creativechristianmama.com/refried-beans/

I want to try to have these beans on hand in my freezer instead of using the canned refried beans.  We'll see if it happens. I think I would make it out of pinto beans.  I would also just cook them on my stove top and not in the crockpot. 

Hummus

1 19 oz can chick peas, (garbanzo beans) drained (but save the liquid)
1/4 cup liquid frm the can of chick peas
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste-available at middle eastern and health food stores, and some supermarkets)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Put everything in the blender or food processor and zip it until really smooth, scraping down the sides 2 or 3 gimes.  Tasts, and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.  Hummus should be a little thicker than, say, sour cream.  If it's too thick, add another spoonful or two of chick pea liquid to loosen it up.  Scoop into a bowl, sprinkle the top with a little chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve with pita bread or vegetable dippers.

Makes about 2 cups of hummus.

This recipe is from Clueless in the Kitchen by Evelyn Raab

Thanksgiving Vegtable Plate

Gobble, gobble

Crockpot Cashew Chicken

 Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh tenders or chicken breast tenders
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup cashews

Directions:

Combine flour and pepper in large Ziploc bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Add cashews and stir. Serve over rice. 

Makes 4-6 servings.

If you want more sauce to pour over the the rice, double the sauce ingredients.

My niece posted this on her facebook wall from Health is Wealth page here.  We had it for dinner tonight.  It was good.  It was easy to make.  

Pumpkin Pie Dip

A pumpkin dip that is perfect for your next party or after school snack.

Ingredients

15 oz can of pumpkin
1 3.4 oz box of instant vanilla pudding powder
16 oz container of fat free cool whip
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon


Instructions

In a large bowl combine all ingredients
Stir until well blended
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving

ENJOY!!

I found this on my fb page by Mary Asbury.  The changes I would make for this is to use one cup of real whip cream (whipped and sweetened with 1/4 c powdered sugar and a 1/2 tsp vanilla added) instead of the cool whip.  

*Grandma's Fruitcake (*Grandma Cula Magnusson)

1 box 15oz. raisins             1 t ground cloves
2 ½ C water                        2 t heaping fresh soda
2 t cinnamon                       2 cubes margarine (I would use butter)
1 t allspice                           2 eggs   
1 t nutmeg                           2 C sugar
1 lb. sliced gumdrops (not black)
3 ¾ C sifted flour                1 8oz. cherries
1 8 oz. candied pineapple   1 C chopped nuts (walnuts) 

Simmer water and raisins together for 10 min. Add spices, soda, margarine—let stand 10 min. Slice fruit and add 3/4C flour to fruit. Add 1 C sugar to wet mixture.  Add 1 C sugar and 2 beaten eggs, then add to wet mixture. Mix everything.  Add 3 C flour, nuts, fruit.

Load 3 greased, floured big bread pans about ½ full. Cook at 300 for 35 min.—then reduce heat to 250 and cook for 45 min.   {watch them—may need to adjust}

Smaller pans: 18 min at 300, then 35 min at 250.

Cool in pans, 5-10 min, then on cookie sheet.

I was introduced to this fruitcake when I married Scott 36 years ago.  It's not your usual fruitcake recipe that everyone jokes about.  Maybe it's the gumdrops.  You'll really enjoy this holiday fruitcake.  If any Magnusson cousin makes this recipe, email me a picture and I'll post it with the recipe.   

Cucumber Salsa

2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4-1/2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

1/4 c reduced-fat sour cream (try plain Greek yogurt as a substitute!)
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp seasoned salt

Tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the sour cream (yogurt), lemon juice, lime juice, cumin and seasoned salt. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with chips.

This is also a recipe found on Facebook.  Others commented that it would be good with dill and/or avocado, or as the filling to a wrap (with chicken added).  I haven't tried it yet, but it looks delish!

Halloween snacks

Cut bananas in half.  Press in mini chocolate chips for eyes and a regular chocolate chip for the mouth.

Peel tangerines.  Add sliced celery for the stems.

Fun!  My friend had this posted on her Facebook page.

Chicken Tikka Masala

2 tsp oil
1 small onion minced
1 TBSP fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes (or a 15 oz can)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (can use greek as well)
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp tumeric powder, optional
1/2 TBSP chili powder
salt to taste
2 cups chopped chicken breast, already cooked
cilantro to top

Heat oil in large heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook until golden.  Add crushed ginger, cumin, curry, tumeric powder , chili powder, and salt.  Stir in tomatoes, yogurt, and milk.  Simmer on low heat for a few minutes.  Add chicken.  I also like to add garbanzo beans (1 cup) and cooked potato chunks.  Serve over hot rice.

Super yummy!  

Frozen Pumpkin Yogurt

1 1/2 cups Greek lowfat yogurt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
2 cups pureed pumpkin
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until combined.  Place in container of ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.  Serves 10

I found this recipe in our newspaper last fall and cut it out to post on this blog. 

Window and Glass Cleaner, All-purpose Cleaner, and Laundry Bleach Alternative

Mary Hunt, you've done it again.  I love reading her cleaning recipes from her column in our paper.  You can access her site at:   everydaycheapskate.com

This is what Mary has to say about homemade cleaning recipes:

Just imagine you could actually make all kinds of household products equal to the window cleaner, chlorine bleach and all-purpose cleaner you're buying now--and make them for pennies, not dollars.  You can if you have the right recipes.

Click on article to enlarge

Window and Glass Cleaner

Ingredients
1/2  cup non-sudsing household ammonia
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 drops blue food coloring (optional)
warm water

Directions
Pour ingredients into a gallon-size container that has a tight-fitting lid.   Fill with warm water.  Shake to incorporate.  The food coloring, while not necessary, will alert you that the contents are not water.  Label and keep out or the reach or children  

All Purpose Cleaner

Ingredients
2 cups rubbing alcohol
1 tablespoon Blue Dawn dishwashing soap
1 tablespoon non-sudsing household ammonia
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions
Mix in a gallon container that has a tight-fitting lid.  Fill container with warm water, and shake to mix.  You can put this in a spray bottle and use as you would any other household  cleaner.  Great for cleaning chrome, countertops and bath fixtures

Laundry Bleach Alternative

Ingredients
12 cups water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup hydrogen peroxide

Directions
Mix, label, and store in a container with a tight-fitting lid.  Add 2 cups per load of whited to keep them bright.  

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars

25 chocolate sandwich cookies such as Oreos
1 cup plus 4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, divided
1 pound (about 3 1/2 cups) powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips

 Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with foil that extends over edges of pan.  Set aside.

Process whole cookies in food processor, or place in large zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin until crushed into crumbs.  Melt 4 tablespoons butter and stir into crumbs and mix until combined.  Press crumbs evenly into bottom of the prepared pan and refrigerate while you prepare the next step.

Melt remaining 1 cup butter.  Beat 1 1/2 cups peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar until combined.  Add graham cracker crumbs and mix until incorporated.  Press peanut butter dough evenly into pan on tip of cookie crust.

Place chocolate chips and remaining 3 tablespoons peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.  Pour chocolate mixture over peanut butter layer and spread evenly.  Refrigerate bars about 2 hours.  To serve, lift foil out of pan and use a large sharp knife to cut into bars. 

Makes about 32 bars. 

A family in the ward gave of some of these during Christmas time last year.  They were so good, I requested the recipe.  As I typed up the recipe, I could see that the ingredients could get a little pricey.  You could probably used Walmart brand chocolate sandwich cookies and graham crackers crumbs to cut the cost of making the bars.   When I make some up, I'll include a picture. 

Beans and Greens

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups kale, washed, stems trimmed and chopped
1 (15- ounce) can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained
3/4 cup chicken stock


Heat olive oil over medium heat in a frying pan or pot.

Add onion and garlic slices. Saute until tender about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and salt and pepper; stir until fragrant. Add the kale and let saute until it cooks down slightly. Add the beans and the chicken stock.

Cover and let cook for 10 minutes.

This delish dish comes from my roommate Carrie.  It's surprisingly yummy!  and probably super good for you.

Microwave Popcorn

 1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a cup or small bowl, mix together the unpopped popcorn and oil. Pour the coated corn into a brown paper lunch sack, and sprinkle in the salt. Fold the top of the bag over twice to seal in the ingredients.

2.  Cook in the microwave at full power for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, or until you hear pauses of about 2 seconds between pops. Carefully open the bag to avoid steam, and pour into a serving bowl.

This recipe is from Rachel.  She said:  " I made this the other night......pretty tasty.  I burned the first batch by cooking too long.  I did it in my microwave for 2 min, but each microwave varies." 

I say it's got to be a lot cheaper than buying pre-packaged microwave popcorn.  And healthier too.  Have you ever read the nutrition  label on a package of microwave popcorn?

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

PANCAKES
4 cups all-purpose flour
8 tsps baking powder
2 tsp. salt
4 cups milk
4 tbsps vegetable oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Stir them together until everything is moistened leaving a few lumps.

CINNAMON FILLING
1 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Mix the three ingredients together. Place in a disposable piping bag and snip the end off or put in a Ziploc bag and snip the corner off.

CREAM CHEESE GLAZE
1/2 cup butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In a microwave safe bowl melt the butter and cream cheese and then stir together. Whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Add a little milk if needed to make it a glaze consistency. 


To make the Pancakes:
Heat your griddle to exactly 325 degrees. You don't want these too cook too quickly, and you won't want your cinnamon to burn. 

Make desired size pancake on greased griddle and then using the piping bag and starting at the center of the pancake, create a cinnamon swirl. Wait until the pancake has lots of bubble before you try to turn it. You will find that when you turn it the cinnamon swirl will melt. The cinnamon will melt out and create the craters which the cream cheese glaze will fill.
Place pancake on plate, then cover with cream cheese glaze.

From a friend's facebook page.  First person to make these and then write a review gets 10 points!

10  points for me!  I (Kathleen) made them this morning for breakfast.  Yep, they are very good.  Here is my input:

They are very sweet.  More like a dessert.

I made 1/2 the recipe for the cinnamon filling and I had plenty.
My Smart and Final ziploc bag tore (twice) as I was piping them onto the pancakes, so I switched over to a regular sandwich baggie which worked fine to pipe on the cinnamon filling.  

It took a couple of cooked batches to figure out the heating and turning  as you cook the pancakes.  I would pratice making this recipe a couple of times before serving them for guests.  

I did a regular frosting glaze because I didn't have any cream cheese on hand.  My glaze recipe is:   Melt 1/4 cup butter.  Add 2 Tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.  Add enough powdered sugar to make the consistency you want for your frosting glaze.  

In the pancake section:
   8 teaspoons = 2 2/3 Tablespoons
   I used 1 teaspoons of salt instead of 2 teaspoons

Chili Mac

Yield: Serves 6

Note: If you want a traditional chili mac, omit the corn, chiles and cilantro.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, minced
• 3/4 tablespoon chili powder (add more if you want more heat)
• 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander (substitute ground cumin for a smokier flavor)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 4.5-oz can chopped green chiles
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of cheddar and monterey jack but you can use pepper jack or a mexican shredded cheese blend)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, chili powder, coriander, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Drain off any excess fat or grease (the amount will depend on how lean your beef is). Stir in garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water, and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often and keeping the heat at a steady simmer, until the macaroni is tender, about 12-14 minutes.
2. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, frozen corn, green chiles and cilantro and sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cover and let sit off the heat until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

 Rachel told me about this recipe found here on melskitchencafe.com  Click onto the site to see a picture of how to serve this dish and Mel's commentary . 

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

Yield: Makes about 30 cookies

Note: These cookies should bake up puffy not flat. If your cookies are flattening, try adding another tablespoon or two of flour to the dough (up to 1/4 cup if needed). Also, the orange extract is optional but really enhances the orange flavor of the cookies.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 2 tablespoons orange zest (from 1-2 oranges)
• 2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, silpat liners or lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg, vanilla, orange extract and orange zest until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture and white chocolate chips, mixing until combined.
4. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges, taking care not to overbake. The cookies should be rounded and full, not flattened. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

This will be your new favorite cookie recipe.  This recipe will work without using the orange extract.  When I made it, I doubled the recipe, but not the white chocolate chips.  Rachel told me about this recipe found here on melskitchencafe.com  Click onto the site to see Mel's commentary about the recipe and a lovely picture. 

Slow cooker Italian Beef

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 pounds chuck roast

Directions

1. In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine water and beef broth with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, and bay leaves. Whisk to combine.
2. Place roast in slow cooker and pour seasoning mixture over the meat. Cover, and cook on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork (keep the shredded meat in the slow cooker with the juices). Serve on crusty rolls with cheese, if desired.

Rachel told me about this recipe found here on melskitchencafe.com  Click onto the site to see a picture of how to serve this meat.