Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

1 can black beans
1 can yellow corn
1 can rotel
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 teaspoons cillantro
1 dash lime juice

Rinse the beans and put them in the bowl.  Strain the corn, and put it in the bowl with the beans. Stir in the onion, cilantro, rotel and lime juice. Let it marinate in the refrigerator and serve.

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Of course, you know I've modified this recipe just a little bit.  I used two cups of black beans I cooked from dry this weekend.  I used a pound of frozen corn thawed in the microwave.  The cilantro was dried and the rotel was generic store brand. 

It still turned out pretty darn good.  I've been eating it on Wasa crackers.  Yum Yum.

Italian Sausage and White Beans

Italian Sausage and White Beans
found at www.sparkpeople.com

12 ounces Italian sausage
cooking spray
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
19 ounces canned cannellini beans
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced Italian style tomatoes

Remove sausage from casings.  Heat a large skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic and saute for three (3) minutes.  Add sausage and cook until brown and crumbled.  Stir in oregano, beans, and tomatoes.  Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for five (5) minutes until heated through.

Approx. 8 servings

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I tried this tonight and it was some kind of awesome.  I'd never taken the sausage out of the casings before.  I'm still trying to find uses for the beans I cooked Saturday, so I used about 20 ounces of them instead of the canned.  This came out to be something like a thick stew. It was pretty filling, and I have plenty of leftovers.

The white beans and Italian tomatoes combination is good.  I think I'm going to make this for my father one day.  It's yummy and quick, and I will make it again.  It's a winner!

White Beans and Tomatoes With Pasta

White Beans and Tomatoes With Pasta


2 (14.5 ounce) cans of Italian Style tomatoes, diced or sliced
1 (19 ounce) can of cannellini beans (white beans), rinsed
10 ounces fresh spinach
8 ounces penne pasta
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook the pasta el dente.

In a large skillet, bring tomatoes and beans to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce and simmer for ten minutes.  Add the spinach and cook until it wilts, stirring constantly.  Serve the sauce over pasta and sprinkled with feta cheese.


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This recipe is very tasty with the added convenience of pre-seasoned tomatoes. Last night I cooked dry white beans, so I used 20 ounces of them in this recipe instead of the canned.  I also used spaghetti instead of penne pasta. This is very easy to make and comes together quickly.  Adding the spinach can be a little tricky.  It's more manageable if you add two or three handfuls at a time.  This could easily feed four if you add a salad and a hard crusted bread.  Yum.

When I was struggling with anemia, I read an article that these beans are a good source of iron.  I don't remember where I found this recipe, only that I found it online while trying to figure out how to use them.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

*Recipe copied from the September 2009 issue of Rural Arkansas published by Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas

You will need:

A very large pot

A whisk or mixer

A paper mask

A cheese grater

One bar of Fels-Naptha soap-grated

1 ½ cups 20 Mule Team Borax

11/2 cups Arm and Hammer washing soda

Put on the mask and grate the bar soap into a bowl.

Pour grated soap into the pot and add 12 cups of water.

Cook and stir until boiling and soap completely dissolves.

Add Borax and washing soda and stir until completely dissolved, remove from heat.

Put 8 cups of hot water into a 5 gallon bucket, add soap mixture and stir well.

Add 2 gallons and 12 cups of water and stir well again.

Let the mixture set for 24 hours, it will kind of gel – like egg drop soup.

Use a whisk or mixer (a paint mixer and drill works well) to make it smooth again.

Makes about 4 gallon of liquid laundry soap.

Use the soap full strength as a stain remover.

If the load is extra dirty, let soak for ½ hour before completing the wash cycle.

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My father introduced me to this recipe.  I thought he was a little bit loony for doing this, but I tried this detergent and love it.  It doesn't make me itch and it doesn't make my clothes smell like tropical passion tuti-fruity sunshine. (smile) I bottle it up in used detergent bottles and use the lid to measure out for the loads.  If the load is large or heavily soiled, I'll put another half lid full in for good measure.  It does a fine job, and it's a lot cheaper than the store-bought stuff.

Dad and I do a few things to make the process easier, though.  If you have a food processor with a cheese grater wheel, you can make short work of grating the Fels-Naptha.  Just drop it in like you would a block of cheese and let 'er rip.  You won't need the mask if you go this route.  Also, you can use a paint-stirring attachment on the end of a power drill to mix it.  This makes a really smooth concoction. Don't fill your bottles to the top. The finished product will separate in time, so leave a little room in the bottle so you can shake the mixture before using it.

You might have to hunt for the ingredients.  Fels-Naptha soap is sold at Ace Hardware.  The 20 Mule Team Borax can be found at Wal-mart and Kroger.  So far I've only found the Arm-and-Hammer Washing Soda at Kroger.  I should note that the washing soda is NOT the same thing as baking soda.  Look for it in the laundry aisle. Of course you can always buy the ingredients online. Shipping costs could cancel out the savings, though, so do your homework and crunch the numbers before going that route.  

By the way, don't eat it.  :)

Italian Beef

Italian Beef
creator unknown

Roast Beef
Salt and Pepper
2 cups water
3 or 4 beef bullion cubes
2 or 3 garlic cloves
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. basil

Salt and pepper the roast and cook as usual.  After cooking add the rest of the ingredients.  Slice paper thin and put in the sauce.  Marinate overnight.  Heat before serving.

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I realize the recipe lacks a few steps, so let me elaborate as to what I do.  I cook the roast beef in the crock pot with enough water to almost but not quite cover it.  Occasionally I'll get all fancy and sear it on a pan before putting it in there, but it's not necessary.  When it's done, I'll pull that baby out and let it rest on the cutting board until it cools enough for me to handle it.  In the meantime, I skim off the fat from the water left in the crock pot, drop the bullion cubes, garlic (I use minced, actually... about a tablespoon), rosemary and basil into the water.  When the roast is cool enough to handle, I slice it thin and return it to the liquid in the crock pot.  I clamp a lid on that baby and when it's cool enough I put the crock pot into the fridge.  (My slow-cooker has a removable crock.)  It marinates overnight and when I'm ready to eat it, I heat up what I want in the microwave.

Hum.  Maybe my elaborating didn't help.  No matter what, you can rest assured that salt, pepper, bullion, garlic, rosemary, and basil make a great spice combination for beef roast.

Rice Rolls

Rice Rolls
written by ?

1 cup cooked & cooled rice (fluffed with a fork)
1/4 cup warm to the touch water (110 F, for the exact among us)
2 or 3 tsp of sugar
2 packs dry yeast
2 cups warm to the touch milk (110 F again)
6 Tbs sugar
4 cups flour
6 Tbs soft butter
3 tsp salt
4 cups flour

Pour 1/4 cup warm water into mixing bowl.  Swish in yeast and add 2 tsp (or 3 tsp) of sugar.  Toss in 1 hand full of flour to cover the top of the liquid and cover the bowl for a towel for 5 to 8 minutes.  When the mix foams, add warm milk, 6 Tbs sugar, and 4 cups flour to the mix.  Mix until it reaches the "self cleaning" stage aka when the dough begins to clean itself off the sides of the bowl.  Put 1 cup flour on the counter top.  Empty the dough out on to the floured work surface and kneed it until all sides are smooth and you've made a puffy ball.  Oil the ball and cover it with a towel.  Allow it to rise until it doubles in size (about an hour), then kneed some more.  When the dough is smooth, shape into desired shape and put into oiled pans.  Oil tops, cover with towel and let it rise in the pans.  Bake at 325 F for 8 to 10 minutes. Butter the rolls as they come out of the oven. Cool them on racks and enjoy!

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Rice.  You can use it for anything.  While it may seem odd to have rice as a major component in a dinner roll you'll forget all about tradition when you taste them.  They're super sweet with all the sugar and milk, and they're best lukewarm.  You can serve them as you would a dinner roll.  Butter, honey, and all manner of jams and jelly compliment them.  I like them plain. 

I copied this recipe word for word from an old scrap of paper found at my father's house.  I don't think Mom wrote this recipe, but she must have experimented with it to come up with the very specific instructions.  Several of the recipes I intend to scribe into this blog have notes written in the margins.  I suspect wherever the original recipe is, it had so many notes written around it that she decided to write it down herself. 

Enjoy!

Mama's Rice

Mama's Rice
by Michelle Roberts 1985 "Miss Arkansas Rice"
Cross County

3 cups cooked rice (1 cup dry makes 3 cups cooked rice)
1 8oz carton sour cream
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cheddar cheese (grated)
1 4oz can chopped green chillies

Mix all ingredients together and put in a greased casserole dish and bake at 350 F. for 30 to 40 minutes.

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While my "Mama" didn't create this recipe, she certainly loved making it.  This was a special treat she made up for church socials and quilting bees. You may be wondering what size of casserole to use.  I use a 9" x 13" glass pan that's about 2" deep.  This makes a lot, but you'll be glad it does.  I've never seen leftovers return home with this dish, and that's saying something when you're serving a group with a large percentage of grandmothers who have cooked for years.

I especially love the simplicity of the dish.  It's easy to put together and easy to serve.  My father makes this dish successfully.  If you want a kick, you can use more green chillies or sharp cheddar cheese. Since you have to cook the rice before assembling the casserole, this dish will take you about an hour to prepare. Hats off to you, Ms. Roberts, and thank you for creating a meal that has become a staple for my family.