Slow Cooker Black Beans

 I found this recipe over a decade ago on cafejohnsonia.com by Lindsey Johnson. Unfortunately, her website is now gone :-(. It's a definite family favorite.

Serves: 4-5 cups 

Cook time: 4 hours

Total time: 4 hours 20 mins

INGREDIENTS

1 Ib. black beans, picked over to remove broken or wrinkled beans or small stones
6 cups water
1 onion, halved or diced
2-3 whole garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon salt (this seems like a lot, but is fine with this much water, you can use less)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the beans in a big bowl, cover with water, agitate the beans a few times to remove any dirt, drain in a colander and rinse again.
2. Place black beans, onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaf in a slow cooker. Add water.
3. Cook on high for about 3-4 hours, testing after 3 hours. To test doneness, spoon out a few beans and blow on them. If the skins peel back, they beans are ready. Taste just to make sure. If all of the water has been absorbed, add more. Beans must stay completely covered to prevent them from burning. If cooking on low for 6-8 hours, test the beans at the 6 hour point.
4. Add the salt and let cook, or sit with heat off for another 20-30 minutes, to absorb the salt. Remove the bay leaf, garlic cloves, and onion before using, if desired.
5. Use immediately, or allow to cool before transferring beans and some of the cooking liquid to a zipper-lock freezer bag or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months. If freezing, flatten bag in freezer--it makes for easier defrosting. Defrost in warm water.

VARIATIONS:

1. White beans – (Great Northern, Cannelini, navy, black eyed peas) add to the slow cooker: chopped vegetables (carrots, fennel, celery), rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic, onion. Use in salads, soups, purees, braised (side dish)
2. Pinto – add to the slow cooker: a few sprigs fresh cilantro, dried oregano, a diced chile (serrano, jalapeno, etc), ground cumin, onion, garlic, bay leaf. Use in chili and soups, salads, refried, etc.
3. Kidney – cook the same way for pinto or black beans. Use in Italian soups--proceed as for the white beans.

20-Minute One-Pan Beef and Chickpeas (Keema Chole)

I'm all about recipes that are delicious and fast, especially if I already have most of the ingredients in my pantry. This one fits the bill. My family said it's a definite do-over! Original recipe found here: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/one-pan-beef-and-chickpeas-recipe-8714041

Serves 4-5 (I double it for my family of 7)

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef
2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained
2 teaspoons grated garlic (about 2 garlic cloves)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (about 1 thumb-sized knob of ginger)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups water (or more to your liking)
Handfuls of baby spinach to your liking (I used roughly 8 oz.)
Juice of 1 lime
Chopped cilantro

TOPPINGS:
Pickled onion
Plain greek yogurt
Crushed red pepper flakes

Serve with rice and flatbread (for a fast option, butter some pita bread and warm in the oven).

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook the beef and chickpeas:
   Add the oil to a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Use your hands to gently form the beef into 4 even-ish patties, pressing just enough to keep the meat together. Add to the skillet and let cook undisturbed until deeply browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
   
   Flip the beef patties, then add the canned, drained chickpeas to the pan and let cook until the chickpeas are turning brown and starting to burst, about 7 minutes. Use a spatula or spoon to break up the beef patties into small pieces and mix in with the chickpeas; it’s okay if you accidentally break up some of the chickpeas in the process.
   
   
2. Add seasonings:
   Add the grated garlic, ginger, onion powder, cumin, garam masala, salt, and pepper and let cook for about a minute, stirring the spices into the ground beef and chickpeas.
   
   Add the tomato paste and mix in, using your spatula to scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan.
   
   
3. Finish and serve:
   Keep the heat at medium-high and add the water. Mix everything well, taste, and season with more salt and pepper as desired, then remove from the heat. Serve immediately.
   
   Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add to a warm frying pan or pot with a little bit of water to loosen and bring to a simmer before serving. You can also reheat this in a microwave. Add to a microwave-safe dish with a little water, cover, and heat on high in 45-second increments, stirring in between, until hot all the way through.

Lasagna Soup

I found this on Mel's Kitchen Cafe, though my family affectionately calls it Lasagna Soup! The amount she has isn't enough for my family, so the amounts below are 1 1/2 times her recipe.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds lean ground beef (see note)
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
Salt and pepper
2 1/4 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Large Pinch of dried thyme
9 cups chicken broth or stock (I use low-sodium)
1 (28-ounce) & 1 (15-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) & 1 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, optional (UPDATED: see note)
12 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened to room temperature
3 cups (12 ounces) short tube pasta, like ditalini or elbow macaroni
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the ground beef, onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent, 4-5 minutes. Drain excess grease.
2. Add the basil, oregano, garlic powder, thyme, broth, crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir well.
3. Bring the soup to a simmer and add the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is just al dente (according to package directions). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and lower (or increase) heat, if needed, to maintain a gentle simmer without scorching.
4. Add the softened cream cheese to a bowl and ladle in 1-2 cups of the hot soup (do the best you can to avoid scooping up the noodles and small pieces of ground beef – doesn't have to be perfect). Let the cream cheese and hot soup sit for a minute or two so the cream cheese can melt then whisk until creamy, smooth and well-combined.
5. Add the cream cheese mixture back into the soup and stir until evenly combined. Simmer for 1-2 more minutes, stirring often, until the soup is bubbling and slightly thickened. The soup will thicken as it cools (so if you want a thicker soup, let the soup rest, off the heat, for 5-10 minutes).
6. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Oreo Trip Layer Chocolate Pie

INGREDIENTS

32 Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups cold milk
2 (4 serving size) packages Jell-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 (8 ounce) tub Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Finely crush 24 of the cookies; mix with butter. Press firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate.
2. Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk until well blended and thickened, about 2 minutes.
3. Spoon 1 ½ cups of chocolate pudding into crust. Gently stir 1/2 of the whipped topping into remaining pudding; spread over pudding layer in crust. Chop remaining 8 cookies; stir into remaining whipped topping. Spread over pie.
4. Refrigerate pie until set, about 4 hours.

Aimee's Chocolate Chip Cookies

My sister, Michelle, has a dear friend named Aimee. Aimee brought these to my niece's baby shower, and I couldn't stop eating them! :-) 

INGREDIENTS & DIRECTIONS

Cream together:

2 cups brown sugar (424 grams)
2 cups white sugar (424 grams)
1 lb butter softened to room temperature (454 grams)
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs (for an egg free version, use one cup of applesauce)

Then add:

1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 1/2 cup flour (639 grams)
5 cups oats (400 grams)
2, 12 oz bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Optional: 1 cup coconut (85 grams)

Bake at 375° for 11 minutes. Take them out when they don't look quite done and let them finish baking on the pan.

**If making a smaller cookie (think Oreo size), bake at 350° for 9 minutes.