Pinto Beans and Ham Hocks with sauteed kale

SATURDAY
Pinto Beans And Ham Hocks
A basic southern-style pinto bean recipe, cooked in the slow cooker.
Ingredients:

2 cups dried pinto beans, soaked overnight
2 smoked ham hocks
1 bay leaf
water
Preparation:

Place beans and ham hocks in Crock Pot with bay leaf. Cover with water. Cook 6 to 8 hours on high. No need to season because ham hocks give dish flavor.
Serve with rice

We're going to have sauteed kale. Kale is such a great super food!!! We love it just sauteed with a bit of olive oil, a sliced of chopped up bacon. Just let the kale wilt and serve hot!

Fennel Crusted Salmon on white beans

TUESDAY
Fennel-Crusted Salmon on White Beans

From EatingWell: February/March 2006,

Serves Two
Delicious warm white beans and fennel are topped with succulent fennel-seed-crusted salmon for a double hit of flavor. For an extra-fresh look, set aside some additional chopped fennel fronds to use as a garnish.

6 servings | Active Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 bulb fennel, halved, cored and thinly sliced, plus 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds
2 15-ounce cans white beans, rinsed
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 pound salmon fillet, skin removed (see Tip), cut into 2 portions
Preparation

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced fennel; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in beans, tomatoes and wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in chopped fennel fronds, mustard and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, combine fennel seeds and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl; sprinkle evenly on both sides of salmon.
Wipe out the pan. Add the remaining 3 teaspoons oil to the pan and heat over high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the salmon, skinned-side up, and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the salmon over, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand until the salmon finishes cooking off the heat, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer the salmon to a cutting board and flake with a fork. Serve salmon on top of the warm bean mixture.

Serve with rice

Lentil and vegetable soup with salad and bread

TUESDAY
LENTIL AND VEGETABLE SOUP

This soup is nice and thick, and you can thin it to taste with stock or milk. If you want a no-fat soup, simply add all the vegetables and lentils to the stock, and simmer until tender. Gill Holcombe says, "Use red or yellow lentils if you want to avoid soaking them in advance, otherwise brown and green lentils or chick peas will do the job."
Personal note: You really don't have to soak green lentils, I've used them before. As long as you have around 30 minutes to cook them you'll be fine.
Ingredients
200g (1 cup) red lentils
2 small potatoes
1/2 small swede(rutabaga or turnip)
2-3 carrots
1 smallish parsnip
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
225ml (1 cup) milk
oil
seasoning
parsley (optional)
1 level tbsp curry powder (optional)

Method
1.Peel and chop the vegetables
2.Warm the oil in a very large saucepan and gently soften the garlic and onion. Add the curry powder if using.
3.Add the lentils and cook for 1 minute.
4.Add the vegetables and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes or so.
5.Add the stock, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
6.Blend, season to taste and serve garnished with parsley if you wish.

Serve with a nice salad of arugala, tomatoes, parsley and spring onions and some fresh homemade artisan bread.
More Autumn fare but hey, we use what we have on hand.

The Result?
I wasn't exactly thrilled with this one. My husband liked it enormously however I found it to be missing something however I could not figure out what.
I don't really know if I'll ever end up making this again.

Lengua Burritos with Arroz a la mexicana

SUNDAY
Beef Tongue (lengua) burritos
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 8 Hours 15 Minutes

Ready In: 8 Hours 30 Minutes
Servings: 20

Ingredients:
1 beef tongue
1/2 white onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
salt to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 Roma tomatoes
5 serrano peppers
salt to taste
1/2 onion, diced
2 packages flour tortillas(for tacos we prefer corn but flour tortillas are so much easier to fold into a burrito than corn are. Especially for us gringos!)
Directions:
1. Place the beef tongue in a slow cooker and cover with water. Add the onion slices, garlic, and bay leaf. Season with salt. Cover and cook on Low overnight or 8 hours. Remove the tongue and shred the meat into strands.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the tomatoes and peppers in the hot oil until softened on all sides. Remove the tomatoes and peppers in a blender, keeping the oil on the heat; season with salt. Blend briefly until still slightly chunky. Cook the diced onion in the skillet until translucent; stir in the tomato mixture. Cook another 5 to 6 minutes. Build the tacos by placing shredded tongue meat and cooked frijoles refritos (see recipe below) into a tortilla and spoon salsa over the meat.

FRIJOLES REFRITOS
1/2 recipe of Frijoles de Olla
6 Tbsp. lard (or substitute vegetable oil)
1 Tbsp. finely chopped white onion
Optional: chili powder, garlic, cumin, cheese for garnish

Heat the lard in a heavy 10" frying pan. Add the onion and fry over gentle heat until transparent, about 1 minute. Add a cupful of beans and their broth and mash down over fairly high heat. A wooden potato masher works best. As they begin to reduce, add some more and keep mashing until they have all been incorporated. Continue frying, scraping sides and bottom of pan to prevent sticking, until the mixture becomes a thick paste and you can see the bottom of the pan as you stir.
Shortening can be substituted for lard, but the taste won't be as good!
Reduce this! This time around we're only using the refried beans as an additional filler inside the burritos, not as a side dish.

Arroz a la mexicana
4 to 6 servings
•Oil -- 2-3 tablespoons
•Long or medium-grain rice -- 1 cup
•Onion, minced -- 1
•Garlic, minced -- 2-3 cloves
•Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped -- 1 cup
•Stock or water -- 1 1/2 cups
•Salt and pepper -- to taste
Method
1.Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium flame. Add the rice, onion and garlic and sauté, stirring until the onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
2.Add tomatoes, stock or water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes.
3.Remove from heat and let set 10 more minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve


Mexican Corn Recipe
Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
10 ounces frozen corn - thawed
1 red bell pepper - chopped
3 green onions - chopped
1 jalapeño - seeded and diced
1/2 cup salsa - favorite variety
salt and pepper to taste

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Cut up the peppers and onions. Dice the jalapeño. Set these ingredients aside.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Add in the corn, bell pepper and onions.
Turn down the heat to medium and cook the vegetables for approximately 10 minutes, stir frequently. The vegetables should be cook until just tender.
Add the salsa and jalapeño. Stir and continue to cook until all ingredients are hot.
Serve immediately while still warm.

Black beans and rice with Sauteed Chayote with Garlic and Herbs

Saturday, 13 February
Black Beans with Rice
Recipe for black beans includes garlic bell peppers, onions, bay leaf, vinegar, sugar, and hot cooked white rice.
Cook Time: 4 hours
Ingredients:
•1 pound black beans, rinsed and picked over, soaked overnight
•1 quart cold water, or to cover beans
•6 cloves garlic, minced
•1 green bell pepper, chopped
•1 red bell pepper, chopped
•2 cups finely chopped onion
•2/3 cup olive oil
•2 bay leaves
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 tablespoon vinegar
•1 tablespoon sugar
•cooked white rice
Preparation:
Rinse beans. Cover with cold water and boil for 1 hour. Add garlic, bell peppers, chopped onion, olive oil, and bay leaves. Cook slowly 3 hours; add salt. Cook for 1 hour longer, or until beans begin to thicken. Add vinegar, and sugar just before serving. Serve with hot cooked rice.
Serves 8.


Sauteed Chayote with Garlic and Herbs
Bon Appétit May 2006

Look for chayote at supermarkets, Latin markets, and natural foods stores — it's a light-green pear-shaped squash that's mild and crisp.

Yield: Makes 6 servings
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 large chayote squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, pitted, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chayote, 1 tablespoon parsley, and garlic. Sauté until chayote is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in green onions. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley.