Epidemic Mac&Cheese

This will be my second of three meals that use ingredients that can be stored for a long time - and cooked quickly.

The humble Mac & Cheese is a comfort food, favoured by many. Mac & Cheese comforts me, too - even more so, when it contains veggies and spices. Here, 3 of the 5 magical spices.

Ingredients:

• 1 Box Mac&Cheese mix.
• 1 T Onion chopped / minced, dried.
• 1/4 t Curry powder.
• 1/2 t Garlic powder.
• 1/2 t Ginger powder.
• 1/2 t Onion powder.
• 1/4 t Paprika.
• 1/4 t Tumeric.
• 4 T Butter / Margarine.
• 1/4 C Milk.

Preparation:

1. Boil water in a large pot.
2. Add dried onion to boiling water.
3. Add noodles to water, cook until tender.
4. Drain cooked noodles, put in mixing bowl, add butter, milk, cheese, mix well.
5. Add spices, mix.
6. Add butter, milk, mix well.
7. Add cheese powder, mix.
8. Serve, immediately.

CoronaVirus Rice

This started out as CoronaVirus Prevention broth - but I like curry and ginger. And someone else suggested adding rice.

CoronaVirus is not going away! Eat healthy!!


Here, we have all 5 identified healthy spices - some in rather generous quantity.

Ingredients

• 1/2 t Cayenne Pepper.
• 1/2 t Cinnamon.
• 1 t Curry Powder.
• 6 cloves fresh garlic.
• 1/2 C Ginger Root ("fresh ginger") chunks / 2 T ground ginger..
• 1/2 t Tumeric.
• 1 large onion, diced.
• 1 cube / 1 T powder bouillon.
• 2 C rice, well rinsed and drained, until clear water.
• 8 C water.

Preparation

1. Rinse and drain rice, repeatedly - until water drains clear. This removes starch.
2. Dice onion, mince 2 cloves of garlic, peel and mince 2 or 3 chunks of ginger root (as possible, without cutting yourself).
3. Add water to a deep pot or dutch oven, bring to a boil.
4. Add bouillon, curry powder, minced and whole garlic cloves, grated / minced / whole ginger root, diced onion, rice to boiling water.
5. Add any other interesting veggies, as desired.
6. Reduce water from boil, to slow simmer.
7. Stir, and cover mixture - and simmer. Stir frequently and well, until no water is visible, Remove from heat, and let it cool until all water is absorbed,
8. Refrigerate in a large pot with tight cover. Warm up in microwave, when hungry. If not hungry, force eat some anyway, regularly.

Protect yourself for CoronaVirus - drink lots of garlic water. I added ginger and onion, and someone else suggested rice. Drink / eat up - and wash your hands!

Chorizo Turkey Thighs

My family has always preferred dark meat turkey. You can have the breast, we'll take the drumsticks and thighs!

>> See it done!


Ingredients

• 1/2 lb Chorizo Sausage.
• 3 C Cornbread Stuffing mix (1 1/2 boxes).
• 3 - 5 lbs Turkey Thighs.
• 1 C chicken broth.
• 1 rib celery, chopped.
• 1 bu cilantro, chopped.
• 1 t chili powder.
• 1 clove garlic, minced.
• 1/4 t ginger.
• 1/4 t pepper.
• 1/4 t salt.
• 2 - 3 T olive oil.
• 1 small onion (1/2 C), chopped.
• 4 - 7 oz can chopped green chilis.

Preparation

1. Set oven to 325 F.
2. Heat up a large skillet, and add olive oil to cover the bottom.
3. Mix chorizo and onion in the skillet. Cook until the chorizo is slightly brown, and the onion is transparent.
4. Add celery and garlic, cook until celery is tender.
5. Add chopped chilis, stuffing mix and chicken broth.
6. Cook briefly, until most of the broth is absorbed by the stuffing mix.
7. Add the cilantro, toss briefly.
8. Spoon the stuffing mixture into a 9" baking dish.
9. Put turkey thighs on top of the stuffing mixture, with the skin side up.
10. Rub the skin with olive oil.
11. Mix chili powder, ginger, pepper, salt.
12. Rub the spice mixture into the thigh skin.
13. Roast in the heated oven 2 hours - or until a poultry thermometer reads 175 F.
14. Add more broth, until the stuffing is appropriately moist.
15. Toss briefly, and serve immediately.

See it Done!

Turkey thighs, 1/2 lb of chorizo sausage, chili powder / ginger / pepper / salt.

3 C stuffing mix, 1 C broth, 1/2 C chopped onion, 1 rib celery - chopped, 1 garlic clove - minced, 4 - 7 oz chopped chilis, 1/4 C cilantro.

Mix chorizo and onion in a heated large skillet, and cook until the onions are transparent.

Add chopped celery, and minced garlic.

Cook until celery is soft.

Add chilies, stuffing mix, and chicken broth. Cook briefly, until most of the broth is absorbed by the stuffing mix.

Add cilantro, and mix. Spoon the stuffing into a 9" baking dish.

Put thighs on to top of stuffing, skin side up. Rub olive oil into the skin.

Combine the chili powder / ginger / pepper / salt.

Rub the spice mixture into the skin.

Roast at 325 F for 2 hours - or until a poultry thermometer reads 175 F.

Wait.

Almost ready.

Add broth, until the stuffing is appropriately moist. Toss the stuffing briefly, and serve.

Cold Ramen Noodles

Most people cook Ramen Noodles. In hot weather, cold noodles are very satisfying - and can be “cooked” without heat.

This is great, for a planned emergency . When using all dried ingredients, this can be made any time when needed.

>> See it done!


Ingredients

• 1/2 t Curry Powder.
• 1/8 t Ground Garlic.
• 1/2 t Ground Ginger.
• 1 T Dried Chopped Onion - or 1/4 C Fresh Onion, minced.
• 1/2 t Paprika.
• 1 C Water.
• 1 Package Of Ramen Noodles (Shrimp, for me).
• 1/4 C Cottage Cheese.
• 1 splash of Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce.
• Sprinkle of chopped chives.

Preparation

1. Combine spices, in a large cereal bowl.
2. Mix in onion (chopped or fresh).
3. Open Ramen Noodles package. Separate the noodles, flavour, oil, and vegs packets (Note that packets included will vary)..
4. Mix flavour and vegs packets (as included) into the spices bowl.
5. Crumble noodles into the bowl, mix with spices etc.
6. Add water, mix with contents.
7. Refrigerate noodles mixture, to marinate 2 - 4 hours.
8. Remove from refrigerator, when marinated.
9. Mix in cottage cheese, oil packet (as included), chili sauce.
10. Serve promptly.

See it Done!

Add flavour packet, onion, spices to a large cereal bowl.

Crush Ramen noodles. I use a plastic bag.

Add ramen noodles and water, to the bowl. Mix.

Cover, and marinate.

Mix in chili sauce and cottage cheese, once the noodles have expanded.

Garnish with chopped chives.

Jambalaya (Dollar Store)

Everything here can come from a Dollar Store - and it cooks in a microwave. It's perfect for a quick potluck contribution.

Try the Supreme Version, with additional / fresh ingredients, for a special dish.

This is perfect. to "celebrate" the first day of winter.

>> See it done!

>> Supreme Version


Ingredients

• Jambalaya Mix, 8 oz
• Chicken, 2 x 8 oz sandwiches
• Chili powder, 1 t
• Curry powder, 1 t
• Garlic, 1 clove, minced
• Ginger powder, 1 t
• Mushroom pieces, 10 oz can / jar
• Onions, chopped and dried, 2 T
• Red pepper strips, 10 oz jar / diced pimento peppers, 4 oz jar
• Rotel tomatoes / green chilies, 10 oz can
• Water, 3 C
• Salsa, 4 oz

Preparation

1. Remove chicken patties from sandwiches, chop chicken into 1/4" cubes.
2. Mix Jambalaya mix, chopped chicken, chopped onion, spices.
3. Add water.
4. Microwave mix etc 10 minutes, on high.
5. Add 1/2 to 3/4 each of the veggies.
6. Microwave 30 - 40 minutes, on high - 10 minutes at a time, stirring each 10 minutes.
7. When all liquid is absorbed by the rice, the jambalaya is done. Cover, and let it sit 10 - 15 minutes to thicken.
8. Add remainder of veggies, and salsa. Mix well.
9. Let it cool slightly, and serve.
10. Have lots of cold beer, soft beverages, and / or water ready.

Supreme Version

• Substitute 8 oz fresh ground turkey - for chicken sandwiches.
• Add 6 - 8 oz canned shellfish (clams, oysters, scallops).
• Substitute 1 medium fresh onion, diced - for dried onions.
• Added / substituted ingredients may overfill the typical microwave casserole dish. Cook in a dutch oven on stovetop, instead of in microwave - it is much easier to stir ingredients when cooking in a stovetop pot.
• Saute the meat - then the garlic, onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes - in that order - before adding rice and spices.

See it Done!

Jambalaya Mix, spices, water, vegs, chicken.

Add spices, and water.

Add vegs, and chicken.

Cook until no water is visible.

Stir once more. Mix everything lovingly.

Cover, and leave alone for 15 minutes.

Stir once more - and serve. Some sourdough bread - and a nice red wine (or apple / mango juice) - are perfect accompaniments.

Dumlyama / Dymlyama

All of the other recipes (see below) say beef or lamb for the meat - and basil / dill is the green herbs.

»http://www.youtube.com/v/sAldVsayIm8

Another version of the recipe:

»http://www.youtube.com/v/VCcgLJ-gHfE

As the old saying goes,

Google is your friend.

And using Google for Dumlyama, and again for Dymlyama, I found one recipe, in English (accompanied by a lot of recipes, predictably, in Russian).

Mutton - two kg potatoes - two kg, carrots - one kg, Bulgarian pepper - one kg, cabbage - forks (1 kg), onion - one kg tomatoes - one kg, garlic - 10 cloves, a bunch of dill, a bunch of basil vegetable oil - 0, five l, salt, pepper, bitter - 1struchok. First, prepare all the food. The meat cut into chunks, see my 3x3, clean all vegetables. Potatoes are leaving a whole, a major cut in half, carrots, peppers in half, tomatoes, onion rings, cabbage in large pieces (10 pieces of forks). Tying thread bunches of greens. Take the cauldron at the bottom of the pour vegetable oil, laid a layer of meat, salt, onion layer on it, a little tomato, a layer of potatoes and carrots on it, the top layer of tomatoes and peppers, salt. All pours garlic, put a pod of red hot pepper, keeping stalk. Laid a layer of cabbage, add some salt again, cabbage, cover with tied bundles of herbs, then put the whole cabbage leaves, cover with all the big dish, cover with lid and set on fire. Cook for one hour.

Starting with the first ingredient (translated)

4 pounds of mutton

It is obvious that this recipe is designed to feed a large family. I'll not be attempting this in my own kitchen - so I'll plan to post an actual recipe, in 2 - 3 months, at the soonest.

And briefly glancing at the Russian recipes, in the Google searches, and translated, I can tell that there are many variations - with different meats, herbs, spices, and vegetables.

Chicken Gizzards, With Ginger And Ramen

My Mom used to serve us chicken gizzards and rice, pressure cooked, years ago. This month, I'm visiting Mom and sister - and sister buys a pound of chicken gizzards and asks me to cook them. I hated the pressure cooker, when I was young - but I loved the gizzards and rice - so I found a recipe with microwave cooking instructions, and I added my favourite spices. Not bad, for a first attempt.

• 2 packages Ramen soup mix
• 1/4 t Cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t Ginger
• 1/4 t Paprika
• 1 lb Chicken Gizzards / Hearts / Livers. Not the healthiest parts of the chicken - but tasty.
• 1 medium onion
• 1 T oil (olive, vegetable, whatever)
• 1/2 C flour
• 2 C water

1. Combine Ramen flavour packets, Cayenne, Ginger, Paprika, and flour.
2. Wash, rinse, drain, dry chicken parts.
3. Mix chicken parts, and flour mixture.
4. Chop onion.
5. Brown floured chicken, and onion, in a skillet with oil.
6. Put browned chicken / onion in a microwave safe container, add water.
7. Cook chicken / onion on High, until the meat is just barely tender. The original recipe claimed 30 minutes - my microwave needed 60 minutes.
8. Crumble Ramen noodles, mix with chicken. Add water as necessary.
9. Cook until noodles are tender, and mixture is thick enough to eat with a fork.

Peanut Chicken Stew

Sometimes I don't have enough ingredients to make one recipe, don't feel like running to the store, but feel like cooking something. So, it's time to improvise. Here is my attempt at a combination of several favourite recipes, and using what I felt like cooking.

• 2 or 3 chicken thighs / 4 to 6 drumsticks (dark meat chicken)
• 12 C water
• 4 bouillon cubes
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced, or thinly sliced
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• 1 T curry powder
• 1 t ground coriander seed
• 1 t garam masala
• 1 t ground ginger
• 1 t paprika
• 2 C white rice, rinsed and drained
• 28 oz can cooked kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 LG onion, chopped
• 1 LG red (sweet) pepper, chopped
• 28 oz can cooked tomatoes (5 large), chopped, drained
• 8 oz peanut butter

1. Add water to large dutch oven / pot, bring to boil.
2. Add bouillon cubes, chicken, garlic, and spices, bring to boil again.
3. Reduce to simmer. If you desire a more healthy stew, remove the skin - as it should peel off the meat, well before Step #4. Or, you can shred the skin, with the meat, later.
4. Cook until chicken is very tender, and meat falls off the bones.
5. Remove chicken from pot, use 2 forks to remove bones and shred the meat.
6. Return the meat to the pot.
7. Add the rice, stir well, bring to boil again, stir frequently.
8. Add beans, onion, pepper, and tomatoes, stir frequently, until rice starts to thicken. Add water as rice thickens - and stir constantly.
9. Check rice - when chewable, add peanut butter.
10. Stir until mixture becomes too thick to stir, and rice is cooked. When rice is tender, the stew is done.
11. Let cool slightly, and serve. Have lots of cold beverages available, this will make you very thirsty.
12. Refrigerate overnight, for best flavour. Kidney beans will make it rather sweet. Again, serve with lots of beverages. The cayenne pepper may make you sneeze occasionally (that's how you know that you have enough spices!), so have kleenex available.

Thanksgiving 2008

This was a good alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey.

• half a dozen chicken breasts, skinned
  
• 1/2 stick (1") cinnamon, halved
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 1 medium onion
  
• 1 t ginger
  
• 1/2 t curry powder
  
• 1/4 t cumin
  
• 1/4 t garam masala
  
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes
  
• 1/4 t tumeric
  
• 1 C chicken broth (1 bouillon cube in water)
  
• 1/2 t chopped chives
  
• 1/2 t cilantro

1. Arrange chicken in microwave dish, meaty side up.
   
2. Boil water, bouillon cube, and cinnamon stick until bouillon cube is dissolved.
   
3. Mix ginger, curry, cumin, pepper flakes, tumeric. Rub a pinch or so into top of each chicken breast. Mix remainder into broth.
   
4. Sprinkle chives and cilantro over chicken.
   
5. Mince garlic, sprinkle over chicken.
   
6. Dice onion, sprinkle over chicken.
   
7. Pour broth over chicken.
   
8. Microwave @ 100% for 10 minutes, 30% for 120 minutes.
   
9. Check chicken, if tender, serve over rice.

Quick Ratatouille

• 1 medium eggplant
• 1 medium onion
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 T basil
• 1 C spaghetti Sauce
• 1 splash red wine

1. Peel and cube the eggplant, 1/2" cubes.
2. Chop onion.
3. Mince garlic.
4. Mix eggplant, onion, garlic, basil, spaghetti sauce.
5. Open bottle of red wine (cab is good), let it breathe, test it well.
6. Cook eggplant mixture in microwave - 5 minutes @ 100%, then 30 minutes @ 30%.
7. Remove from microwave, add red wine.
8. Test wine some more.
9. Cook rice.
10. Serve ratatouille over rice, with some sourdough bread, and more red wine.

Perfect Meatloaf

• 1/2 C catsup
  
• 4 T brown sugar
  
• 4 t vinegar
  
• 2 t vegetable oil
  
• 1 med onion, chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 lg eggs
  
• 1/2 t black pepper
  
• 1 t salt
  
• 1/2 t dried thyme
  
• 2 t Dijon mustard
  
• 1/4 t hot sauce
  
• 2 t Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1/2 C milk
  
• 1 lb ground chuck
  
• 1/2 lb ground pork
  
• 1/2 lb ground veal
  
• 2/3 C saltine crackers, crushed (16 or so)
  
• 1/3 C minced parsley
  

1. Mix the glaze: catsup, brown sugar, and vinegar. Set aside.
   
2. Heat oven to 350.
   
3. Heat oil in skillet or pan on medium.
   
4. Add onion and garlic, saute until softened, about 5 min.
   
5. Set pan aside to cool.
   
6. Mix eggs with pepper, salt, thyme, mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and milk.
   
7. Add egg mixture to meat in a large bowl, with crackers, parsley, and cooked onion and garlic.
   
8. Mix well with fork, until evenly blended, and mixture doesn't stick to the bowl. If it continues to stick, add a little milk.
   
9. Starting with wet hands, mold mixture into a loaf shape, about 9" x 5".
   
10. Place mixture in a foil lined pan, brush with half the glaze.
    
11. Bake until crisp, about an hour at 350.
    
12. Let cool 1/2 hour or so, then brush the remaining glaze over top, and serve.
    

Peanut Butter Stew

Peanut Butter Stew is a great way to use up leftovers. It's good either hot (over rice, as a soup) or cold (as a salad).

>> See it done!


Ingredients

• 5 Medium / 3 Large onions, diced (1/4" chunks) (when chopped, almost 2 Quarts)
• 2 T oil
• 28 oz tomatoes, canned (5 large), chopped, drained
• 3 C water
• 1 - 1 1/2 t ground ginger
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• 1 - 1 1/2 T curry powder
• 1 t paprika
• 8 - 16 oz crunchy peanut butter
• 1/4 C leek leaf, diced (opt)
• 4 - 8 oz bean sprouts, chopped into 1/2" pieces (opt)

Preparation

1. Mix spices well in cup.
2. Add oil to well heated deep pot.
3. Fry onions on high until soft, stirring constantly.
4. Add tomatoes, fry 2 minutes.
5. Add water and drained tomato juice, bring to boil, add spices and mix well.
6. Add peanut butter with a fork, mix well.
7. Sir constantly, bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, cook 3 minutes.
9. Uncover.
10. Add bean sprouts (opt).
11. Stir, cook until oil appears on top.
12. Stir again, garnish with whatever is on hand:
    
    • Leftover bits of chopped leek.
    • Coarsely chopped green onion.
    • Leftover bits of parsley.
    • Chunks of fresh tomato.
13. Serve over cooked potatoes or rice, and whatever cooked or raw veggies come to mind. Or as a dip for taco chips. Or as a sauce for meat.

See it Done!

Red (sweet) pepper, onions, spices, peanut butter, tomatoes.

Put spices in a bowl, and mix well.

Add cooking oil to a dutch oven, heat until water droplet sizzle when sprinkled.

Fry onions, then peppers and tomatoes.

Add tomato juice and water, then spices and peanut butter. Bring to a boil - then simmer, until oil appears on the surface.

Chop green onions.

Mix chopped onion, and serve over rice.

Tuna Couscous

Ingredients

• 1 C Water
• 1 C Quick couscous
• 1 t olive oil
• (dash of salt)
• 1 t lemon juice
• 1 T dried mint leaves, crumbled and cleaned very carefully
• 1 can tomato, chopped
• 1 can tuna
• 1/4 C onion, minced
• 1/4 C celery, minced
• 1/4 C cucumber, minced

Preparation

1. Heat water in microwave 2 - 3 minutes or until boiling (or hot).
2. Stir in salt, olive oil, lemon juice, mint, couscous; stir continuously (2 - 3 min) until water absorbed and couscous solidifies.
3. Stir in other ingredients.
4. Chill in refrigerator.

Chuck's Kick In The Seat of Your Pants Chili **

Kick In The Seat of Your Pants Chili is great during cold weather - to warm you up, and during warm weather - to cool you down. It's real tasty with San Francisco style sourdough bread.


(**) Follow Safety Precautions when you cook this, please.

• 1 T olive oil (Optional - see meat cooking variances)
  
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 t ground black pepper
  
• 1/2 t ground brown pepper (aka cumin)
  
• 1/2 t ground cayenne pepper
  
• 1 fresh Habenero pepper, WELL minced (** Follow safety precautions)
  
• 1 Can (6 oz) chopped Jalapeno peppers, drained
  
• 6 fresh Serrano peppers, minced (** Follow safety precautions)
  
• 3 T chili powder
  
• pinch oregano flakes
  
• 2 - 3 T black caraway seeds
  
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
  
• 1 sweet pepper (green or red), chopped
  
• 1 Can black beans
  
• 1 Can brown (pinto) beans
  
• 2 Cans red (kidney) beans
  
• 1 Can white (garbanzo) beans
  
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds meat or meat substitute - chopped stew beef, ground beef, ground turkey, or tofu - see meat notes)
  
• 28 oz Can chopped tomatoes
  

1. Cook the meat.
   • Cook in a microwave safe bowl or dutch oven. See Meat Cooking Variances.
   • If using ground beef, cook meat, drain well, and set meat aside (per note below), leaving 1/8 C grease in bottom of bowl.
   • If using stew beef or ground turkey, pour olive oil into bottom of bowl.
   
   
2. Chop, mince, and / or drain peppers and garlic.
   
3. Add garlic and 6 quantity of hot pepper, chili powder, oregano, black caraway to bowl.
   
4. Microwave spice mixture 3 - 5 minutes, covered, on 10.
   
5. Wash hands VERY carefully (** 5 minutes of scrubbing with a brush for safety).
   
6. Remove bowl from microwave, uncover (** point bowl away from face - fumes are intense).
   
7. Add chopped onion, sweet pepper on top of spices, cover, microwave 5 minutes on 10.
   
8. Remove bowl from microwave, uncover (** again, point bowl away from face).
   
9. Thoroughly mix onion, sweet pepper, and spices.
   
10. Place meat on top, cook if stew beef or turkey (per note below).
    
11. Add tomatoes, mix well, cover, microwave 5 minutes on 10, then 15 minutes on 3.
    
12. Remove bowl from microwave, uncover, stir mixture thoroughly.
    
13. Drain and rinse beans thoroughly, draining in colander, until water drains clean from colander.
    
14. Add beans to bowl, mix thoroughly, microwave 5 minutes on 10, 30 minutes on 3.
    
15. Remove bowl from microwave, uncover, stir, let cool until comfortable in mouth (** chemical burns from hot peppers is enough).
    
16. Serve with sourdough bread, sour cream, and cold beverages (** creamy or thick like Sobe Liz Blizz, Thai Tea, tomato juice, or unfiltered apple juice), or beer, and lots of that.
    

Meat Cooking Variances:

• Stew Beef (preferred) - cook after cooking spices and vegetables:
  Chop meat into 1/4 or so inch cubes, drain blood / juice off
  Place meat on top of cooked onion / pepper as above, microwave 3 - 6 minutes til brown with slight pink showing.
  
• Chopped beef (lean or normal) - cook before anything else:
  Place beef into plastic colander, place colander in clean glass bowl, cover and microwave for 4 - 8 minutes on 10, until brown and still soft, with grease draining into glass bowl.
  Remove bowl from microwave, uncover, chop cooked beef using wooden spatula or spoon into 1/4 inch chunks, let finish draining into bowl.
  Remove colander from bowl, finish draining colander on newspaper.
  Pour off and discard all but 1/8 Cup or so of grease from bowl.
  Substitute bowl with 1/8 C of grease, for bowl with olive oil (above), and cook hot peppers / spices in this.
  
• Chopped turkey (prefer normal - lean is too dry) - cook after cooking spices and vegetables:
  Place turkey on top of cooked onion / pepper as above, cover, cook until brown and dry (5 minutes or so).
  Remove bowl, uncover, chop turkey with wooden spatula / spoon into 1/4 inch chunks.
  
• Tofu - Wash and rinse tofu, drain, and chop into 1/4" cubes. Saute with 1T oil, 1 t oregano or marjoram, 1 t chili powder, and / or 1 T beef bouillion, until chunks are brown, dry, and leathery. Add with tomatoes.
  

Bean Salad

This is a very versatile recipe. It can be a side dish, or a main course. You can add or subtract ingredients, easily - just use a properly chosen container to marinate the beans - mix / stir frequently, for several days, for best flavour.

If you make this regularly, you'll want to buy juice in 128 oz plastic bottles. You can marinate the salad in a used empty bottle, cut the bottle open open to remove the salad, when done - then discard the bottle. A funnel, large enough to pass beans easily, yet small enough to fit inside the mouth of the bottle, will be very useful when pouring beans into the bottle.

Here, I substituted 8 oz of sliced mushrooms for the green and wax beans.

This is the veggies, marinating in the bottle. See the vivid colours? Each colour represents a different flavour.


Ingredients

• 2 Can black beans
• 2 Can garbanzo beans
• 1 Can green beans
• 2 Can pinto beans
• 2 Can red beans
• 1 Can wax beans
• 8 oz mushrooms - "bits and pieces", or "sliced".
• 1 onion (red is best), or 1 bunch green onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1 sweet pepper (green or red), or 1 each, diced
• 1/2 C oil
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 C vinegar
• dash pepper
• dash salt
• dash paprika and / or tumeric

Preparation

1. Drain and rinse beans thoroughly. Use a very large pot, and lots of water.
2. Mix beans, and other veggies. Make sure that all beans and veggie pieces will fit through the funnel or neck of the bottle. Dice as necessary.
3. Put veggie mixture in a bottle or marinating container. You may need more than 1 container.
4. Mix dressing mixture (oil, sugar, vinegar, spices) thoroughly.
5. Pour dressing mixture into marinating container(s).
6. Marinate 12 - 48 hours (longer is better). Mix or turn over the container, regularly. 1/2 of the vegetables should be draining, as the other 1/2 is soaking, constantly. This works best, with the bottle on its side, and turned end over end - not rotated.

Cheese Grits

3/8 C Instant Grits
1 1/2 C water
1/8 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/8 t garlic powder
1/4 C chopped chives or green onion, chopped finely
1/4 inch pat of butter
1/4 C hard cheese (cheddar), minced
1/4 C grated cheese (mozzarela / parmesan)

Combine grits, water, salt, pepper, garlic in pan.
Microwave on High 4 - 5 minutes, stirring each minute.
Stir in onion / chives, butter and cheeses, mix til cheese melted.
Serve immediately.