Posts Tagged ‘Cooking with beans’

« Older Entries

Doing the Salsa at Food Stamps Cooking Club

February 21st, 2013

Salsa and black bean cakes are thrifty and tasty!

A few days ago Creative Savv posted a mouth watering piece about “Neat Balls” and it got me drooling and thinking.  I rummaged thru my cookbooks and found a little note about something similar I had made.  You might enjoy making it, too. If you like salsa, you will LOVE this:

SALSA AND BEAN CAKES

Start with your favorite salsa.  You’ll need 1 1/2 cups.

1  jalapeno pepper

2  cans black beans, rinsed n drained  *Cooking your own will save a wad of cash

1  pkg corn muffin mix  *8.5 oz size

1  tablespoon chili powder

2  tablespoons veg  oil

1/2  cup sour cream

1/2  teaspoon chili powder

Drain 1/2 cup of salsa in a colander.  Seed and chop half of the jalapeno.  Slice the other half very finely.  Using a large bowl, mash the beans, using a fork.  Stir in dry muffin mix, drained salsa, 2 1/2 teaspoons of chili powder and chopped jalapeno.

In a 12 inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat.  Add four 1/2 cup mounds of bean mixture to skillet.  Flatten each mound with spatula so each is about 3″.  Cook 3 minutes on each side to brown.  Remove from skillet and repeat with remaining oil and bean mixture.

Combine sour cream and remaining chili powder in a bowl.  Top cakes with remaining salsa, sliced jalapeno and seasoned sour cream.

This will make 4 servings but could easily be doubled.  It will also make the faces around your table smile.

Are you a user of an EBT card from WIC or SNAP?  Do you visit a food bank or food pantry?  Do you receive food commodities or some other form of public assistance to fund your food budget?  Are you simply thrifty by nature or living on a dime?

Before we sign off, we want to thank all the NEW Club Members.  It is heartening to see our Club House so full.  We hope we are helping you manage your food budget while feeding your loved ones wisely and well.  Your messages to us are so treasured and we thank you for all the love you share with us.  You are welcome to contact us at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com    

~Connie Baum.

The FTC wants you to know there are links on this page. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

4 comments »

Posted in Cooking, Recipes

Tags:

Comforting Pasta/Bean Soup: Food Stamps Cooking Club

February 13th, 2013
Who wants to spend the lazy days of summer in a hot kitchen?

Can we agree that pasta contributes to comfort food?

It’s entirely possible Mother Connie was Italian in another lifetime.  Oh, what delight there is in a bowl of pasta noodles, a salad featuring macaroni or a soup full of any kind of pasta product ever made!  Pasta is inexpensive and easy to make into whatever strikes your fancy.  Soup is wonderful on the cold days mid-February gives us so here today is an idea we hope will hit you like a brick:

BEAN AND PASTA SOUP

 2  cans cannelini beans, drained and rinsed *If you use white Northern beans, the Kitchen Police will not arrest you but it won’t be as authentically Italian…

1  can whole tomatoes, juice and all

2  ribs celery, roughly chopped

1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2  cups chicken broth *water will work, if you have no broth but the flavor your soup will not be as rich and the Kitchen Police don’t really care which you use…

2  tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2  cup pasta of choice *macaroni is Mother Connie’s fave but even rice would work if you are in a pinch.  Pasta swells as it cooks…

salt and pepper to taste

basil leaves – fresh if you have them but dry basil will flavor it nicely

4  tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Place beans, tomatoes with their juice, celery, garlic into a good sized soup pot.  Add the broth + one cup of water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the oil and the pasta, then boil UNCOVERED for about 8 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.

**Mother Connie places a wooden spoon over the pot of cooking pasta to prevent boil overs.

Add the basil, salt and pepper.  Be sure to taste so you know if it needs more seasoning.  When you are satisfied with the flavors it is ready to ladle into soup bowls or soup plates.

Put the cheese on the table to be passed so each diner can top his own soup to suit his taste.

Are you living on a dime?  Do you scrimp by every month using an EBT card from WIC or SNAP?  Do you used food commodities?  Food pantry food?  Food from a food bank?  Are you stretching your food budget to the max every month because you love the challenge of doing all you can with your food dollars?  This blog is meant to help YOU, no matter who you are or how you fit into this grocery budget business.  Ya gotta EAT, after all… 

It is such a delight to read your comments and we love getting your mail at foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com    Thanks so much, everybody!

The Club House is BURSTING with new members!  This is because you have been urging your peeps to join and get our little series of cooking tips.  We know you find it refreshing not to be bombarded with sales pitches and you feel as if you can come here and be whoever you are.  That makes Mother Connie’s heart sing.

~Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links on this page. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

 

5 comments »

Posted in Cooking, Recipes

Tags:

Green Beans at the Food Stamps Cooking Club

February 8th, 2013

There are many ways to prepare green beans but everyone has a favorite!

Fueled by the inspiration of the recently posted sweet and sour cabbage recipe, Mother Connie prepared some green beans in a similar manner…

The lunch table conversation slowed to a halt.  This was the first clue that The Normanator was not thrilled with this dish.  Instinctively, I knew that once again I had “blown it”…HIS MOTHER had always made creamed green beans by thickening some cream -they had cows so cream was not the Big Buy it is these days-with a bit of flour.  Salt and pepper finished off the commonly served vegetable and thus, a family tradition was born.

My grandmother served something similar but I remember as a small child that there was a pat of butter with each serving.  Delicious does not begin to do that justice…

So in each of our families we had a green bean tradition.  The first time I sauteed fresh green beans with onions, I thought The Normanator might have a panic attack.

Sometimes I make creamed green beans; sometimes I prefer to change things up.  I fancy you do this, too.

I was surprised by a recent blog post from The Dinner Diva, Leanne Ely.  She advises against creaming spinach (boo hoo – my all time personal fave) because this interferes with the absorption of the great nutrients .  She did not mention green beans…

Another prep idea for green beans, which came out of the 1950s I believe, is to add a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup to the beans, creating a sort of creamed vegetable.  You might think of the green bean casserole with the onion rings.  But that would not be the healthiest choice…have you READ the labels on soup cans?  Well, if that’s all you have, that’s what you’ll use but I hope you are going for fresh or frozen or home canned…just sayin’…

If you are not married to your usual way of doing things, this might hit your hot button:

GREEN BEANS EXTRAORDINAIRE

2  cans green beans, drained  *Users of food commodities, this is great for YOU!

salt and pepper to taste

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons chili sauce

splash of vegetable oil  *Mother Connie prefers olive oil but corn oil would do, as well.  If you use what’s in your pantry the Kitchen Police can’t file a complaint….

METHOD:

Mix the garlic, chili sauce, and honey together in a bowl.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet to medium, add the beans and heat through thoroughly.  As soon as the beans are heated, which will take 2 or 3 minutes, your dish is ready to serve.

This makes enough for 4 adults.

***How does YOUR family like their green beans prepared?

 

We are thrilled to have so many new Members coming to the Club.  We trust this is one corner of the internet where you are free to express your views, offer your ideas, share your experience and wisdom.  You are welcome to send emails to foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com

As you know, we cater to users of public assistance, those who procure their food from food banks, food pantries, food commodities and generous friends or neighbors.  Those who simply MUST s t r e t c h their food dollars can include users  of SNAP or WIC by use of EBT cards; those on fixed incomes, those who are frugal by nature.  People who are living on a dime seem to find some helpful notions here, as well.

~Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links on this blog. Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated. Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline. Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

7 comments »

Posted in Cooking, Recipes

Tags:

Sufferin’ Succotash! Food Stamps Cooking Club

July 23rd, 2012

Sufferin’ Succotash is a wonderful side dish for any meal; it’s even pretty enough to serve to guests. It is amazingly low cost and a super easy do!

Kids my age can’t think of succotash without remembering the lispy cartoon character who declared “Sufferin’ Succotash” at every dramatic turn in the story!  When this popped up in my line of sight, any  ingredients  missing from the pantry shelves went immediately on to the shopping list because it sounded so good and so easy.  I hasten to add,  also, that this is easy on the food budget.  I suspect this will become a comfort food in the Club House!

Sufferin’ Succotash

4 tablespoons oil  *Olive oil is my #1 fave but use what YOU like.  It’s YOUR dish, after all!

1  small chopped onion

3  cloves garlic, chopped very fine

1/4  jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and very finely chopped  *Gringos are allowed to omit this! giggle

salt and pepper

2  cups corn  *fresh, frozen or canned and drained will all do nicely

1  teaspoon sugar *This is the secret ingredient!

2  cups lima beans, cooked  *canned and drained, frozen, or dry beans you have cooked and drained

1  tablespoon chopped fresh oregano  *The Kitchen Police had no objection to my using dried oregano …

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered  *OK, I used Romas.  So sue me.  grin

METHOD:

Heat the oil on medium.  Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, salt and pepper.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion softens.  Add more salt if needed.  Add the corn, sugar, and salt again.  It will take about 10 minutes for the corn to soften.  Add a teeny bit of water if this seems dry as it cooks.

Turn the heat to medium high.  Add the beans and oregano.  Cook this for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the tomatoes and parsley and a sprinkle of pepper.

Now, for what it’s worth, it should be noted that The Normanator approved this dish, EVEN FOR GUESTS!

Incidentally, I served this with a very inexpensive piece of minute steak and this filled our tummies nicely.  We even turned down dessert because it was such a filling and pleasurable meal.

As you know, this little blog was custom designed for users of SNAP or WIC as a way to strengthen their buying power with that little EBT card.  We also intend that it is helpful for those who have food commodities, food from a food pantry or food bank.  People who are frugal or living on a dime;  people who  have not, for whatever reason, never learned how to cook or shop or plan meals.  We have a little series of cooking tips we send out when people join our merry band of foodies.  We sincerely hope these have value for you and your families.

There is yet ANOTHER cute blog that found us!  It is  Poor to Rich A Day at at Time and it looks as if it will be good for Club Members, too.  I hope you are all taking a moment to visit CT on a Budget and Creative Savv, also.  These bloggers have been such faithful supporters of what we are doing here that it’s only fair we cruise by and leave them some love…

Tomorrow I hope to talk about one of my favorite subjects related to food—DISHES!  We’ll see how that shapes up.  If I find something good to eat, I’ll share that, too.  AND if you come by the Club House, I’ll fill your glass with pure icy water.  This heat is killin’ us all!

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

PS/We love  mail.  We love your comments.  Your spam?  NOT SO MUCH, especially when your spam comments are rude.  We really love to hear about you and your lives.  Hint taken?  Good.  Thanks!   grin

2 comments »

Posted in Cooking, Recipes

Tags:

Summer Salad at Food Stamps Cooking Club

June 27th, 2012

Magnificent Garden Greens: BEANS!

The doorbell rang this morning and when the door was opened, there stood the FOOD FAIRY, big as life!  She had two grocery bags, one in each hand and a big smile on her face!  There was a bag FULL of zucchinis-she must have read about the zukes ‘n curry from the other day?  She also had a generous bag of green beans.   There’s no telling how she knew Mother Connie and The Normanator have been jonesing for fresh green beans.

As great good fortune would have it, there was a delightful offering from The Washington Post that will help us “road test” the green beans.  It’s a little high end so I am adapting it so it will be good for the Club Members:

Green Bean and Tater Salad for Picnics

Vegetable oil for your baking sheet + 2 tablespoons to drizzle over the veg

1#  potatoes,  peeled and sliced on the diagonal

1/2 # green beans, trimmed and cut on the diagonal

*This diagonal business is just for show; the Kitchen Police will never know if you are not “into” diagonals…

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

coarse salt

black pepper

2  tablespoons of honey

1/4  cup lemon juice 

*I’d use bottled juice cuz fresh lemons are not always available where I shop.  I’ve never had anyone from the Kitchen Police object to this practice.

1/4  cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

*If I don’t have access to lemons, what are the chances I’ll have parsley?  I do have some in a bottle…Those Kitchen Police should have better things to do than peek into my kitchen!

METHOD:

Apply veg oil generously to a large baking sheet.  Place it into your oven and preheat at 400*.

Combine the potatoes, beans and onion in a big bowl.  Add the 2 tablespoons of oil, season with salt and pepper.  Give it a taste test to make sure you like the seasoning.  Toss everything to coat it well.  Spread the mixture out evenly on your preheated baking sheet.  Return the goods to the oven and roast for 35 to 45 minutes or until the veggies are browned nicely.  Stir once in awhile.

When they are well roasted but still warm, dribble the honey and lemon juice over everything.  Run another taste test; add salt and pepper if needed. 

You may serve this as a warm salad at room temp or you may chill it.  If you opt to chill it, do add a bit more seasoning just before serving, because flavors tend to dull in the fridge.

***What a great dish to tote to a picnic or carry-in meal! ~Mother Connie

*The adaptation of the above recipe is offered with Mother Connie’s apologies to Virginia Willis, chef and cookbook author.

If you are sweating bullets because the end of June looms large but your budget’s tight and your cupboard is emptying out faster than tummies are filling this food idea may be just the ticket to help you get by.

You might be one of the many new Club Members we are so happy to welcome to the Club House.  You could be a user of an EBT card for SNAP or WIC…you might even be a user of food commodities, food pantries or you could possibly be one of the army of folks who just need to S T R E T C H their food budgets.  No matter where you sit, we do hope you are getting some concrete help in making healthy meals on a shoestring.

There are a great many blogs out there on the web, most of them are classier than we are.  We are not about glamor; we are into helping people do the best they can with whatever they have.  We offer what we can with love and truth and caring from hearts who understand we are not living in a perfect world.

Speaking of glamor and blogs, Carol, our #1 cheerleader has made a great find on the web:  Creative Savv.  You might want to cruise by there and check out what she has going on.  I find it fascinating how every blog takes on the personality of the blogger.

WE LOVE YOUR COMMENTS, hint/hint.

Connie Baum

PS/Soon there will be news here about business that may trip your trigger, so stay tuned. 

PS#2/Did I mention we LOVE your comments?

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

8 comments »

Posted in Cooking, Recipes, Tips

Tags:

Speaking of Rice at Food Stamps Cooking Club

June 26th, 2012

Here is a fresh take on Beans n  Rice!

The end of any month can be trying, what with the struggle of everyday life compounded by the management of skimpy food supplies.  Especially if you have a food budget that is tapped out!  Today we offer you an idea that may help you minimize the struggle.  By the way, this tastes good during the FIRST of the month, too!  grin

Red Beans and Rice

*Gee, how imaginative is THIS title?  smile

2  tablespoons butter

1  large onion

3   cups hot cooked rice  *Basmati rice, if you have it.  Cooked in broth if it’s available  Not to worry; the Kitchen Police will never know.

1  can kidney beans, drained

1/2  cup sour cream

1/2  cup grated Asiago cheese  *I repeat:  the Kitchen Police will never know if you use another kind…

1/4  teaspoon black pepper

METHOD:

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion; cook til it browns, about 8 minutes.  Add rice, beans, sour cream, cheese and pepper.  Stir well , blending and melting cheese.  Remove from heat and serve.  Makes 6 servings.

This will be kind to your food budget and might become one of your go-to comfort food recipes.

Are you living on a dime?  Do you use SNAP or WIC  EBT cards?  Do you frequent a food pantry?  Are you eligible for food commodities?  Maybe you are a person who squeezes the grocery nickels until those buffalo bellow…or you might be someone who just likes the challenge of saving food money by s t r e t c h i n g your food budget!  In any case, we sincerely hope this little blog is helpful to you.  Helping others is our passion and we love to cook. 

You are welcome to offer your thoughts and suggestions on our comments page.  WE LIVE FOR COMMENTS, don’t you know!  grin  Thanks for your contributions and opinions.

If you have a mind to do so, you could even cruise by our partners and let them know we are having fun here.  You can reach them through their websites  Living On A Dime and Saving Dinner.  They are all about helping people, too, and they will be delighted to hear from their fan club!

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

8 comments »

Posted in Cooking, Recipes, Tips

Tags:

Roasted Garbanzo Beans and the Food Stamps Cooking Club

May 16th, 2012

Roasty, toasy flavor with oodles of protein and crunch! Mmm...

When I opened the food section of the Lincoln Journal Star today I was thrilled to see something different and  wonderful that I could share with the  Club Members!

We at the Food Stamps Cooking Club are all about helping you S T R E T C H your food dollars.  It does not matter whether you are simply a frugal shopper or you lean hard on that EBT  card from SNAP or WIC.  Whether you get food from a food pantry or accept food commodities; it makes no difference–we all  have to eat and it’s tough stuff,  this living on a dime!  It’s important to pack  as much nutrition into every meal as possible and it helps to be creative and clever at getting everyone at the table a meal they would actually enjoy!

One of my most favorite food editors is Lynne Ireland.  Today she wrote about roasting chickpeas.  I must have been living under a bushel for my whole life, because it had never occurred to me that chickpeas/garbanzos could be roasted. 

SIDEBAR:  Roll your eyes HERE.  END SIDEBAR.

That phase of Mother Connie’s life is history.  Just scope out this EZ do idea:

Roasted Chickpeas

*This appeared in May 16, 2012 Lincoln Journal Star and is taken from WeightWatchers.com

Olive oil cooking spray

2  cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/4  teaspoon garlic powder

1/8  teaspoon red pepper flakes

OR

Any seasoning, such as chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, seasoning blend,  cumin, lemon pepper, Cajun spice mix or Tabasco sauce to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees – or 425 for more crunch in less time.  Lightly coat rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Spread chickpeas on baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic powder and red pepper; toss to coat. 

Roast on bottom rack of oven, shaking pan about every 15 minutes until browned and slightly crunchy, about 45 to 50 minutes.  25 to 30 minutes at higher temperature. 

The chickpeas still will be soft at lower temperature, more crispy if cooked at higher heat. 

Cook until desired texture is reached,  cool before serving. 

*Yields about 4   1/2 cup servings, equal to 3 Points Plus value for Weight Watchers.

Food Editor Lynne Ireland suggests using these as an alternative to cocktail nuts,  croutons for a salad or as a healthy snack when others might choose to open a bag of chips.  Mother Connie can imagine using them as topping for pasta, too.

There is plenty of room for variety with this because you can pick and choose the flavorings to suit your current fancy!  How can it get any better than this?   grin

Your comments on this blog mean the world to Mother Connie and judging by the mail we get, you are appreciative of them, too.  So click on the comments and let us know what you are doing with garbanzo beans or whatever else is making your kitchen smell like home and makes your heart sing!  Thanks, guys.  Please know that you are loved.

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

8 comments »

Posted in Recipes

Tags:

Taco Salad at the Food Stamps Cooking Club

May 5th, 2012

TACO SALAD!Dinner is served!

Happily, Tex-Mex has swept this country!  Study most any menu in the USA and you’ll find offerings from South of the Border in a wide variety.  The choices are endless, tasty, and varied.

One favorite in the Club House is Taco Salad.  Ours is likely to be very different from the one you make at your house because everyone’s flavor buds are unique!

The salad we have here is a QUICK FIX.  It is highly nutritious, has lots of flavor, and seems to be a crowd pleaser.  Here is what we served to a special house guest last evening.  We had eaten a heavy lunch and the weather dictated something light and fresh would delight our palettes, so this is what graced our dinner table.

MOTHER CONNIE’S LAYERED TACO SALAD

1  pound ground beef

1  onion, chopped

Season to your taste:  cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper

3  ribs celery, chopped

1   can, drained and rinsed or 2 cups cooked red kidney beans 

*The Kitchen Police will not arrest you if you use pinto beans, black beans or some other family favorite…

2   medium tomatoes, chopped

1  can corn, drained

1  cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

*Nobody will tattle to the Kitchen Police if you use cheddar, American, or whatever else you like or have on hand

1/2  head lettuce, shredded

Package of corn chips

Your favorite dressing

Method:

Brown the ground beef and add the spices and a bit of the chopped onion in a heavy skillet.  While the meat is cooking, chop the celery and tomatoes and layer them, along with the beans and corn in a large bowl. 

*If  it needs to look pretty you can use a clear glass bowl; if you are like Mother Connie, you will pile it into your most favorite bowl! 

When the salad comes to the table you can crush some corn chips in the bottom of a soup plate or dinner plate and pile the salad over the top.  Use your favorite dressing-we prefer a combo of French and Mayo.  Some like to use “Ranch” dressing, or some other combination.

*If you are “flush” enough to have black olives, those are a nice addition. 

If you do not have ground beef, just use cooked rice, combining rice and beans in the skillet and adding the spices.  I have made this meatless salad in this very way and people raved about how well cooked the MEAT was!

Most folks love salsa so you can add that if you like or you can make a dressing of salsa and mayo…are you drooling yet?  grin

There is a lot of info – or is it MISinfo or DISinfo?- about the SNAP program and the EBT cards.  There is the threat of making it less available.  NOT TO WORRY because it is the mission of the Food Stamps Cooking Club to ease your burden when it comes to feeding your family on a restricted budget.  Even if you use food commodities or food pantry food or you just want to manage your food budget in better ways, we want to help you in concrete ways.

We love your messages and thank you for them.  We also love that you are sharing what we have here with your friends.  It’s always fun to find out what YOU are creating in YOUR kitchens…sharing those ideas is great fun and most helpful!

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

 

 


8 comments »

Posted in Message from Mother Connie, Recipes

Tags:

Our Mailbox and Food Stamps Cooking Club

March 26th, 2012
Our readers have sent us some great bean recipes!

Oh, how we love mail!  Several of our faithful Club Members have contributed ideas and recipes and today we share one that will have you making plans to try this dish ASAP!  We owe a debt of gratitude to Carol    who thoughtfully sent her latest find:   (Incidentally, Carol lives in Northeastern USA)

“Campbell’s” style pork beans

1  lb dried pea/navy beans, rinsed, sorted

1  T cooking oil

3  cloves garlic, minced

1  medium onion, chopped fine

8  slices bacon, fried until crisp, drained and cut fine

2  tsp soy sauce (I used reduced sodium version)

1 and 1/2-2 cups water

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 and 1/2 tsp salt

3 T sugar

2  T corn starch

1  T cold water

 

1. Soak beans overnight (or use the quick soak method), drain, rinse. Cover with fresh water and bring to a boil

2. Meanwhile, saute onions and garlic in 1 T cooking oil, until onions are translucent, set aside

3. Place beans into a crock pot and cover with 1 1/2-2 cups of the now hot cooking water. Add the soy sauce, onion/garlic mixture, bacon.

4. Cook on high for 2 hours, then set to low and continue cooking until beans are soft

5. Mix ketchup, oil, salt, sugar and add to softened beans in crock pot. Continue cooking on low, to allow flavors to blend.

6. Just before serving, mix a slurry out of the cornstarch and cold water. Carefully fold it into the beans. Let cook a bit more to allow the slurry to thicken the sauce.

Enjoy!

I ended up making a double batch, we had some for supper tonight, and I have 2 meals’s worth of “Campbells” beans in the freezer.   ~ Carol

Thank you again, Carol!  We really appreciate your input! 

Another Member, Charlene, has also sent us some great ideas; Mother Connie will save that for another post!

It is heartwarming to know that there are peeps ALL OVER THE GLOBE who are interested to help one another with managing food costs.  The USA is not the only place where folks struggle to feed their family on a shoestring budget.  If you are holding an EBT card for SNAP  or WIC; if you frequent food pantries or use food commodities you know full well what’s going on with food costs.  Our passion is to help people S T R E T C H food dollars and food budgets by offering nutritious, low cost menu ideas.

Oh, and speaking of ideas—I must tell you that it was our great pleasure to host Kay, a lovely woman from England recently.   I was concerned about offering her a breakfast she would truly like to eat.  I needn’t have worried…Kay told me she is accustomed to her “proper English breakfast” of beans on toast!  I was surprised to hear this because it is so simple.  But, just think–it provides complete protein and that is a great start for anyone’s day!  Carol’s bean recipe would fill the bill perfectly  but I am just as fond of refried beans on toast.  When we use The Normanator’s home made bread, that is a VERY satisfying meal, indeed!  And it would be a proper English breakfast, after  all.  grin

We’d love to hear from YOU.  Our address is foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com 

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

6 comments »

Posted in Cooking, Guest Post, Recipes

Tags:

Microwaving & Soup at Food Stamps Cooking Club

March 4th, 2012

 

WARNING: Microwaves ARE dangerous!

Mother Connie has been taken to task for going overboard with respect to microwave ovens.  She was called out for being radical.  Mother Connie is one tough ole broad and can take criticism, but this is not about MC.  IT IS ABOUT YOU BEING SAFE AND HEALTHY.

Mother Connie, as you are well aware, is passionate about helping people.  People are not helped by microwaving their foods. This is not merely opinion; this is truth.  Please direct your attention to this article, which ‘splains the dangers more eloquently than your humble blogger: Microwave Ovens: The Proven Danger

‘Nuff said about THAT.  Let’s find something fun to discuss.  How about FOOD?

People who sit in my circle know how I love to cook so Santa brought by a daily calendar put out by The Food Network.  Each day there is a new delight to peruse and use.  Most of the dishes I find are a bit “high end” for those of us who fuss over our food budgets or use EBT cards from SNAP or WIC.  However, there is a doozee of a crock pot soup that is ab-so-toot-ly DELISH.

 

Slow Cookers are safe to use! They make life simpler, even!

 

SLOW COOKER BEAN AND BARLEY SOUP

1  cup dried multibean mix or great Northern beans, picked over and rinsed

1   14 oz can whole peeled tomatoes w/their juice

3  cloves garlic,smashed

2  ribs celery, chopped

2  medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2  medium onion, chopped

1/2  cup pearl barley *Mother Connie toasted hers before adding it to the soup but the recipe did not call for that step

1  bay leaf

2  teaspoons dried Italian herb blend

1/2  oz died porcini mushrooms *optional  Good thing; I don’t keep those on hand…do YOU? grin

Kosher salt and pepper  * The Kitchen Police did not object to my use of sea salt…

3  cups baby spinach *I used frozen, chopped

1  cup grated Parmesan cheese

1  tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Olive oil, for drizzling

METHOD: 

Put the beans, 6 cups of water, tomatoes and their juice, garlic, celery, carrots, onion, barley, bay leaf, Italian herb blend, mushrooms 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and some pepper in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low until the beans are quite tender and the soup is thick-about 8 hours. 

Stir in the spinach, cheese, and vinegar.  Cover and let the soup sit until the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and drizzle each serving with a bit of olive oil.

Thank you, Food Network Calendar!

In the Club House, we like to spoon most any kind of soup over crusty bread.  The Normanator baked bread with a bit of almond flour and this made us a great lunch.  Since there are just the two of us there was plenty left over to freeze for a quick meal on a busy day.  We also had a green salad with our bean/barley soup.  We were well nourished and we both had happy tummies!

Soup is a great comfort food on cold, blustery March days.  If you are struggling to S T R E T C H your food dollars it’s a good way to feed your family.  If you know anyone who is living on a dime-or less-you may want to share this link with them.  We are all about helping people here.  Maybe you use food commodities or know someone who does.  You might frequent a food pantry…this page is for YOU.

We love mail:  foodstampscookingclub@gmail.com

Connie Baum

The FTC wants you to know there are links in this post.  Should they be clicked, resulting in sales, your humble blogger would be fairly compensated.  Please do your due diligence when conducting affairs online or offline.  Always do business with those you trust implicitly.

2 comments »

Posted in Cooking, Message from Mother Connie, Recipes

Tags: