Recipe Tuesday

I am going back to my roots this week with a hearty country meal complete with Sweet tea. My favorite meal this week was Beans and Cornbread. It is my Papa's favorite meal so I grew up eating it at their house. It is nice to sit at the kitchen table and make new memories while reminiscing about old memories. Although this is one of my childhood favorites I want to encourage you to go back to your roots and share a childhood memory with your children at dinner tonight. I can't say that all of my food memories are good ones. Let me tell you we ate plenty of tuna casseroles, and kielbasa sausage meals to scar me for life. We take the good with the bad. So let's focus on the wonderful times.

Recipe: Beans and Cornbread

Prep Time: 30 Minutes | Cook Time: 2 Hours | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• Bean Ingredients:
• 4 cups Pinto Beans
• 4 slices Thick Bacon (can Also Use Salt Pork, Or Ham Hock, Or Diced Ham)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
• Cornbread Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup Plus 2 Tablespoons Shortening
• 1 cup Yellow Corn Meal
• 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

Preparation Instructions

BEANS: Rinse beans in cool water; pour into a pot, cover with water by 2 to 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer 2 hours, or until beans are tender. Add water to pot as needed. Beans should have a thick broth. Toward end of cooking time, add salt and pepper and season to taste. Don’t over-salt. For a variety try adding chili powder, garlic or Tabasco. Serve in a bowl with cornbread. Can serve with small bowls of grated cheese, chopped onions, chopped fresh jalapenos, sour cream, and/or cilantro.
CORNBREAD: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat shortening in an iron skillet, muffin pan, or other baking pan. Combine corn meal, flour, and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, milk, and egg. Add baking powder and baking soda. Stir. Add ¼ cup melted shortening, stirring constantly. Pour into hot pan, smoothing surface with spatula. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Here is a link to The Pioneer Woman's Beans and Cornbread recipe. If you haven't visited her before she takes step by step photos. Plus she is a lot of fun to read. Enjoy
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/08/beans_and_cornb/

I topped the beans with Greek yogurt (it has replaced all the sour cream in our house. It is a healthier option and once you start you can never go back.), shredded cheddar cheese, red onions, and a dash of hot sauce. If you have a husband who loves beans but you don't love him after beano is handy to have before dinner.

We made honey butter to go on the cornbread. Cornbread is good crumbled into the heavenly beans but if you love bread on the side honey butter is a quick mix away. All you need is about 1/4 cup butter and 1/8 cup of honey mix together. If you use the real sticks of butter like me soften it in the microwave for 15 seconds or until you can easily mix it. Spread it on the cornbread thick.

Finally Sweet tea. We use Stevia to sweeten our tea. We also use fresh mint from the garden to flavor the tea. If you are up for a little Tea adventure try putting fresh peppermint (any flavor of mint will work) into the hot tea let it sit for a few minutes before adding ice or cold water. We often leave the mint leaves in the picture because it adds a pretty color in the clear glasses. Fresh stevia leaves taste just like the store bought processed stevia so you can sweeten with your Stevia leaves.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and your week is filled with love, laughter, and sweet smells of childhood memories floating from your kitchen.