Bean Night . . . please post YOUR recipes

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Henry'schickens :

I want to (am going to) try the frijoles soup. Question though,,,I'm thinking of using homemade beef stock instead of water to make it soupy. What is your thought on this?

I would totally do that, I use stock when ever I have it (beef or chicken)​

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

WEEK 7

KATY & JOHN'S LENTIL SOUP

2 large shallotts - diced
2 ham hocks
1 bunch fresh thyme -tied with string
1 cup of white wine
1 teaspoons ground red pepper (or to taste)
Janes crazy mixed up salt (to taste)
1/4 cup of butter
1 Small bag of lentils

Low boil first 5 ingredients in a large pot of water all day.
About an hour before serving pull out the thyme sticks and meat, remove the skin and bones & discard; chop the meat into small threads and return to pot, add water if you need to - there should be about 10 cups of liquid in there. taste for seasoning adjustments and salt if needed, then add lentils & butter, and simmer for about an hour.

this is simple rustic and perfect, my favorite dish and a must serve with crusty warm bread to dunk.

Enjoy!

 

[breezy]

I have been following this thread with interest and wanted to say thank you. I love the bean recipes. I wanted to say that whenever I cook beans or lentils I often use a smoked turkey leg or wing or thigh in place of the ham hock. It provides that rich flavor with less fat and many times I find them priced lower than the ham hocks at the store. Whenever we buy a whole turkey I usually set aside the legs wings and thighs for smoking so I have some in the freezer for later. I am wondering if you could start a thread on how you meal plan a year in advance? I am curious how you plan that far in advance since it seems my planning is usually based on what is seasonally available as well as whats on sale. I only plan a week at a time but would love to have a better system.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

thanks! I use smoked turkey too, but don't have my own (next year I hope), so the pork in the freezer gets used a lot in my recipes!
here's the basics for how I plan a year in advance, I'll try to type more later but I only get about 5 minutes at a time on here . . . my family already thinks I devote wayyy to much time to BYC, LOL! I'm writing a cook book for it though, and maybe it will be done this year LOL LOL LOL

My family feeding philosophy is based on a 52 week year. Halve that and you get 26 weeks, 1/4 = 13 weeks. My family is happy eating the same favorite meals 4 times a year (any more and they are sick of it, any less and they tend to ask for it) so to suit the desires of my family each meal day has 13 recipes resulting in 4 servings a year

Therefore, when I shop, let's say for the most recent Lentil soup recipe; I know, if I put away 4 bags of lentils, 8 hamhocks, 1/2 lb of butter and 1 bottle of white wine that I have the storeable ingredients for that meal for a year . . . LOL!
I know you all think I am nuts at this point (and you're probably right), but I have a shopping list that has the ingredients for a year and that way when there is a sale, I know what to stock up on and I always know that I have a years worth of non-perishables in the pantry. For example we have a local store that sells canned goods in a case lot sale twice a year (beans are at .50 a can and with coupons .38), so I just look at how many are in the pantry, how many I need for a year and buy the difference . . . no fuss no waste . . . did I mention I HATE WASTE! and big savings LOL!

So Monday is bean night . . .
Tue - seafood
Wed - Leftovers (or if no leftovers then pork or rabbit)
Thur - pasta
Fri - Red meat
Sat - salad (in spring/summer) and soup (in fall/winter)
Sun - Chicken

It's just not that hard to come up with 13 recipes you like and it makes life so much easier. I have reasons for what I have on each night that suit my family, but you might have vastly different ones for yours so I'm not sure that spelling out mine would not be a waste of time . . . maybe later if anyone wants to know. LOl, I have reasons for everything I do . . . they just might not make sense to any one else!

 

[breezy]

I was thinking about this today and I kind of figured out what you were doing with a bit of thought. I have to say it is brilliant and partly because its so simple. I would love to buy a copy of your cook book when your finished. Is this a system you developed for your own family or something your mom or family did and that you have carried on? What disadvantages do you find go along with meal planning in this fashion? I can see how it makes meal planning and budgeting as well as shopping very focused and precise which would in turn I imagine save you both time and money. Thanks for sharing this with us it really awesome.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Been looking for new recipes. Keep 'em coming!!

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Quote:
that's quite a compliment thank you.
No, it's just something I worked out in my mind, I just always like to breakdown the efforts life requires into the simplest forms, leaving more time to live (my most favorite times are NOT spent at he grocery store!), that and I like to reserve my descretionary income as much as possible while still eating fantasticly well . . . by having bean night once a week (cost an average of 5.00 for 7-10 people)- I feed my family homey rustic healthy meals, and reserve enough of the grocery budget for the fancy cheeses and expensive wines that we prefer.
LOL, if you don't think I am too crazy; I'll tell you that I have breakfast, lunch and cocktail hour planned the same way.
Of course you may have a cook book when I get done, but I will happily give you one.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Helllllo dinner! No Crazy Janes, but kosher salt with a few add-ins will work, and I'll probably add a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. I am looking forward to this, thanks!

Henry'schickens :

Katy, ranchhand directed me over here and I'm glad she did! Please continue with the recipes if you have time. I will be making those.

Glad you made it! Isn't this the greatest? Cooler weather, tougher economy- this is pretty wonderful for dealing with both!​

 

[Grapefruit Moon]

I have been wanting to make red beans and rice, not being from the south I don't have much kitchen knowledge about it other than it exists and the few times I have had it on my travels it was a wonderful meal. Is it ever made with out ham or sausage?

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I'm making the frijole soup today along with Ozark Hen's pork (chops) baked with jalapeno jelly smothered over it. I'm going to shread the pork and have cheeses and stuff available for the kids to make wraps with it to go with the soup. Sorta Mexicanny style.
First time for both so I hope it turns out delish!