Crock Pot Refried Beans

YUM! I mean, really, yum.  I just finished putting my vat of "refried' beans into containers and I ended up eating at least a cup of them straight.  I this recipe with some small modifications.  Like everything else, being resourceful and using what you have on hand is what makes life easier and cheaper, so that is what I did.

INREDIENTS
3 c dry pinto beans *
2 tbls fat ( I used olive oil, orig recipe called for lard)
1 small- med onion chopped
5 cloves garlic
1 green bell pepper ( I did not use)
1/2-1 jalapeno pepper diced (I used a Serrano)
1 1/2 tsp cumin ( as usual, I doubled this)
1 tsp chipotle powder (did not use)
        -instead, for interest, I used 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1-2 tsp salt **

*pick over beans carefully, they may look fine through the bag, but there are yucky things hiding in there
** do not even get the salt out until the end, and certainly do not let it near the beans while they are cooking, because, science.

MAKE DEM BEANS
Heat fat in skillet and add onion, bell pepper, and hot pepper. Cook 8-10 minutes and add garlic, then cook for 2-3 more minutes. Dump cooked veggies in crock pot. Pour dry pintos into crock pot and cover with 8 cups of water.  Cook on high for 8 hours. Just leave them be while they cook.  Remove excess liquid from crock pot. I was able to just lift up the pot and pour the extra liquid in a  bowl. Do not discard liquid, some will be added back in while blending.  Using an immersion blender blend beans to desired consistency adding back some liquid and some salt as you gone. Done!  

hot weather survival tips with cranky kids

ask Mr Grumples if you can borrow one of his plastic superhero tumblers  to demonstrate what good manners look like as he has clearly forgotten. Also, offer him some watermelon chunks as you fill up your glass; it's a healthy and nutritious snack that won't ruin his dinner.  when taking the watermelon and cherry infused vodka out of the freezer ask cranky pants if he notices anything different about the fruit or why isn't the liquid frozen? it's science! Also offer him some of the remaining Kern's peach nectar after you've topped off your glass; it's good for the kiddos to try new things.  And lastly, enjoy that cold, hard-earned drink. You can now relax, and join your child at the table for the special dinner you made him ahead of yours so he would go to bed early allowing you to enjoy the rest of your evening.

Crock Pot Marjoram Chicken

I feel like marjoram is one of those spices that always shows up in your spice rack and you have no idea what to do with it. Or at least i didn't.  So last night I took a cut up chicken that needed to be cooked, plopped it in the crock pot, and put my marjoram to use.

Slow Cooked Marjoram Chicken

2-3 lbs of chicken (whole chicken, thighs, whatevs)
1 palm dried marjoram
1 palm tarragon
1/4 cup soy sauce

cook on low 6-8 hours
or
I was successful with 2 hours on high and 1.5 hours on low

Maybe I just really like my own cooking, but I LOVED the flavors of this. 

Cooking chicken this way makes enough broth to save for later use or make into gravy.

                * everything you ever wanted to know about marjoram

Lazy Horchata

If you are like me, when you are hot and thirsty you don't crave what is best for you: a big glass of water.  Maybe it is the NM water, or my over stimulated taste buds, but I always crave something....really delicious.  So when I discovered horchata last summer I felt as though my hydration dreams had come true.  Just last week, on one of the warmest days this spring, my pal and I went for fro yo and they had a horchata flavor (and a chai flavor, red velvet flavor, and cake batter. Man I love OLO). 

I was so refreshed after my cup of frozen horchata fro yo that I vowed to make that refreshment mine, anytime I wanted it, for cheap.  My internet search lead me to this site.  I followed their instructions including the method that adds almond milk to the horchata in place of water.  That is, the method that has you whip up some almond milk as well. 

Well, what resulted was exactly what I had in mind.  The beverage was cold, slightly sweet, and incredibly refreshing.  The mess that resulted in my kitchen was not what I had in mind, nor was the amount of effort involved. To be fair, it was the first time I ever used an immersion blender and that took some learning. 

What I have come up with now is a lazy version that is just as good as the more involved version.

materials
1 cup raw almonds
2 cups rice (i am using 1/2 brown & 1/2 white because that's what we have on hand)
1 cinnamon stick
4 cups water
2-3 Tablespoons sugar or honey
blender
cheese cloth

Combine almonds, rice, and boiled water in a container of your choice (keep in mind, if using an immersion blender, container should be friendly to that method) and cover.  Let sit over night. Remove cinnamon stick after overnight soak. Blend until smooth and only fine grit remains. Stain (in batches perhaps) into beverage container using cheese cloth. Stir in sugar or sweetener of your choice.

Now what to do with all that rice and almond paste.  I made "rice pudding". If you really love the flavor of horchata then why not. Another suggestion is mixing with coconut oil and making a body scrub. 

Simple Peanut Noodles

I've had a long complicated relationship with peanut noodles.  I've swung from love to hate and back to love again.  As with so many things, circumstance dictates that this dish gets made regularly in my house during the summer months.   We almost always have left over chicken to dice and carrots to ribbon and cucumbers to chop up into the noodles on hand.  This is easy, kid friendly, and now, gluten free.  I used to just use angel hair, even bow ties in a pinch. Today I used brown rice noodles.

Peanut Sauce

These are the necessities:

• 5 Tbl Peanut Butter
• 3 Tbl Water
• 1 1/2 Tbl Soy sauce
• 2 -3 tsp Rice Vinegar
• 1-2 tsp Sugar

 I also add :

• 1 Tbl of Ketchup (trust me)
• 1 splash Sesame Oil (to taste)
• 1-2 Tbl Salsa (fruit salsas are particularly tasty in this)

Mix sauce ingredients up while the pasta cooks. Rinse cooked pasta in cold water, drain well, and add sauce. As mentioned earlier, I also add protein (shrimp or chicken) and veg (whatever we have) and serve with cilantro, lime wedges, Sriracha, and chopped peanuts.