I love this time of year....chili and tamales, homemade beef stew, and my favorite, ham and beans. Winter is the time for the hearty comfort foods that we all enjoy. I'm posting my favorite recipe, hoping that others will post theirs as well so we can try new foods this Christmas season. The recipe below is very hearty and inexpensive. I make this a lot when we are low on funds and we can eat off it for a couple of days. Make some cornbread and it's even better.
Ham 'N Beans
1 pkg navy beans, rinsed
1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, cut in strips
1 small yellow onion cut in large chunks
Cubed ham (I use a ham steak and cube it myself)
1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
Seasoned salt and pepper to taste
I boil the navy beans on the stove for about 35 minutes to start the cooking process. While they are boiling, I combine all the other ingredients in the slow cooker. After the beans have boiled, I drain them, add them to the slow cooker, and top with 2 cans of water (from the chicken broth can). I put the slow cooker on low for about 5 hours and once they are ready, I can eat these until they are allllll gone!
Happy Holidays ladies!
Oh YAH, like Riley J. said:
French Onion Soup!!!
YUM!
My Husband is the one that makes this in our house and it is SO good.
Even my son, who is usually a picky eater, loves it!
I am getting hungry now...
And it is easy to make.
And I LOVE Ham Soups too... the one I make is similar to yours.
French Onion Soup!! (Adaptation from Tyler Florence)
This is a long recipe... But actually very simple, and less than $15 to make / lasts for several meals. Butter/ onions/ herbs / wine / broth / cheese. Simple.
If your eyes water with onions, go dig out swim goggles from summertime! :D
1/2 cup butter
5 large purple onions, sliced
2-4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs or a big pinch of dried
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 bottle Red Wine
(the wine is really REALLY key. I've tried a lot of types and have found that a cheap Malbec works best. Expensive Malbec is okay, but why? Avoid avoid avoid Shiraz. It does terrible things with the thyme. Red Zin & Cabernet are other good ones, but cheap cabs can be too acidic. I prefer not to use a $20 bottle to cook with, but its up to you! Malbec is my hands down fav. Comes out very rich and deep with the onions & thyme. Which is quirky. Since Malbecs are neither.)
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts beef broth (I use Better Than Bouillon)
1 baguette, sliced
1/2 pound grated Gruyere or plain ole Swiss
Directions
This is one of those soups that can take between 30 minutes and 2 hours to cook. I generally plan on 2 hours, finish in 30, and just let it simmer.
Melt the stick of butter in a large pot* over medium heat.
Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. *
* The time it take to caramelize REALLY depends on the surface area of your pot. Ditto, in a bit, how long it takes the wine to cook 'dry'. For this first part I use a 20" sauté pan, and then LATER move it into a big pot with smaller diameter. Its the difference between 25 minutes & 45 minutes each time. Aka a big pan will halve your cooking time.
Add the wine, crank it up on high to bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes (or 30+ depending on your pan size).
Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Meaning it will become a big, gloppy, purple sludge. No worries. Its supposed to do that.
Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.
My favorite winter food is cauliflower casserole. Parboil cauliflower florets, you can also add or sub broccoli, carrots and onions. put in pyrex baking tray together with bisquick, eggs, milk, swiss, salt and pepper. top with breadcrumbs and bake.
Holy moly delicious.
F. B.
Chicken soup (roasted chicken carcas, potatoes cut in big chunks, onions
sliced in chunks, sm carrots in big pot filled w/water above carcas level.
Cook on med for about 4-6 hours constantly checking to see if water
needs to be added. Also, add spices in the beginning.)
Beans 'n biscuits (bag of mixed beans soaked night before. Cook in water
((amt on bag)), garlic powder. Cook for 4-6 hrs on stove constantly
checking the water level w/lid slightly off. )
White Chicken Chili!!! YUM!!!!
1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 - 15.5 ounce cans white beans
• 2 pounds cooked, cubed chicken breast
• 2 - 4 ounce can green chopped chilies
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups fat free chicken broth, low sodium
Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil or skip the oil and sauté in a little of the chicken both.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Top with fat free sour cream (optional) and chopped fresh cilantro for garnish.
Serve with baked tortilla chips and a green salad.
I usually use a little less onion and about 1/2 the cumin. I do add more green chilies if its just me and my husband eating. We like it hot :) Oh, and I either use less broth or add flour so it is a bit thicker.
Sounds deLISH, thanks for the recipe :)
I don't have a recipe off the top of my head right now cept for steaming hot coffee with a generous splash of Irish cream. I start that tradition at Thanksgiving and carry it through to the new year.
