Red Bean & Andouille Soup

Being mainly cribbed from the Emeril Lagasse recipe with a few modifications of my own to make things work a little easier.

• 6 oz. andouille sausage or ham, diced. I recommend the andouille sausage, which gives the soup its resulting punch (there's very little actual heat in the added cayenne pepper below), but less-heatproof palates may prefer the ham, and I think I may yet try it this way for Helen. I used Schreiner's, from the Sunday farmer's market, and can't be beat.
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil. I used peanut oil, which is my favorite oil for frying, but some people may be allergic; grapeseed or, if you are careful, olive oil should be fine. (The original recipe called for 2 teaspoons, which I find unreasonably small, and in fact I just poured enough in the pan to coat it. One reason that might be so is Schreiner's sausages are exceeding lean, and don't leave much, if any, fat in the pan.)
• One small yellow storage onion, chopped. The original called for 3/4 cup, but that's half a small onion, and I like onions, so there.
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped. I ended up using a sweet red pepper.
• 6 tbsp. chopped celery. I ended up using a small stalk, probably about half again more than the recipe called for.
• 1 bay leaf.
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. minced garlic. (Horrible confession: we ran out, so I had to make do with garlic powder.)
• 3 16-oz cans red beans. I used kidney beans, but azuki beans work for this as well.
• 32 oz. of chicken stock. One reason I wanted to make this recipe is because I had a bunch of stock about to expire.
• 1 cup cooked long-grain rice, as garnish
• 2 tbsp. green onion, as garnish. I omitted both garnishes.
• 1 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined. I was originally going to make a gumbo, but the volumes of rice and flour dissuaded me from that path.
• 2 tbsp. butter. I used ghee, which is nearly indestructible as butter goes, and because we have it lying around; but regular butter works fine, too.

In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, cook the sausage until browned and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

To the fat in the pan, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, bay leaf, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft. (Sorry, browning onions takes about 20 minutes, not 4. Try again, Emeril.) Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the red beans and their juices, cooked sausage, and the chicken stock, stir well to mix, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick and reduced slightly, about 30 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, set the butter in a frying pan on medium-low heat. Once the pan has heated up, fry the shrimp. Remove the soup from the heat, add the shrimp, and discard the bay leaf. (If desired, the soup can be pureed at this point using a hand-held immersion blender, or in batches in a food processor.)

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top each portion with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cooked rice. Garnish each serving with scallions and serve immediately.

Pressure Cooker Update 2018-01-15: Several matters:

• Dry beans, IMO, are about half the volume of cooked beans, so substitute 3 c. dried beans. Follow directions below.
• Sausage was Aidells Cajun Style Andouille (UPC 764014458058), which is well under Helen's threshold for capsaicin (and barely noticeable on my own palate).
• Red beans are supposed to cook for 25-30 minutes @ 15 psi with natural release per Pressure Cooking Perfection, the dried bean cooking data I have found most consistently useful. I split the time at 2 minutes "presoak" (quick release), followed by 20 minutes (natural release), followed by 10 minutes at pressure for most ingredients (stock, sausage, vegetables, beans, but NOT shrimp).
• The Instant Pot operates at 11 psi, which means the times above should be increased by about 50%.
• 2018-12-15: Make sure to add the shrimp after depressurizing the soup. It will need to cool down anyway, and the shrimp will help with that.
  

Heather's Aztec Chili, In Convenient Recipe Form!

As presented at Raised By Wolves here and here, only this time transcribed into convenient recipe form. I find myself scouring the posts looking for amounts the two times I've made this so far; the recipe format is good for a reason.

• 3 lbs of beans, split between red chili beans and pink (pinto?) beans. Derangement the first: about double this amount of canned beans. Heather thinks this defiles the chili, but if you don't have time to dedicate to the multiple passes of soaking and boiling, this is to me an acceptable option. (I did this for the first batch and it turned out fine. Sue me.) Derangement the second: I have also used Mexican goat's eye beans (ojo de cabra if you inhabit the Mexican markets), and it worked very nicely.
• 3 medium onions
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3-4 tablespoons of peanut oil, or lard (for frying onions & meat -- double this if you substitute bison below)
• 3 lbs beef, bison, or venison roast (I used bison and it's great, but needs more oil because it's so lean)
• 3 lbs ground beef, bison, or venison
• Vegetarian version: for the beef roast and ground beef above, substitute 2 cups textured vegetarian protein
• 2 quarts beef stock or an equivalent amount of Le Goût 095 beef base
• 2 large (14 oz?) cans of tomatoes. I might be convinced to try fresh ones at some point.
• 2 small (6 oz) cans of tomato paste
• 2 oz baker's chocolate (2 squares)
• Optional: 1/2 bottle of red wine or 1-2 bottles of beer
• Chili powder to taste. I like a lot, which means about 8 tbsps.
• Black pepper to taste.
• Cayenne pepper to taste.
• White pepper to taste (I had none and didn't miss it).
• Red pepper flakes to taste.
• Cumin to taste.
• Salt to taste. I like the Himalayan pink stuff or coarse-grained kosher salt, but sea salt works just as well.
• 2 large stock pots (it makes that much and yes you will need them)

What follows is an edited version of her engaging and amusing instructions, which necessarily diverges from them because I have already blasphemed with the canned beans.

If you are using the dried beans:

You rinse the dust off of 'em, pick out any little rocks. (How do the rocks get into the beans? Seriously, how? I never have this problem when I dry beans at home.) Then put them in a great big stockpot and soak overnight in cold water.

Next day, pour out the soaking water, rinse the beans well, and refill the pot. Bring the pot to a boil and then simmer for maybe half an hour. Pour out the boiling water, rinse well again, add fresh water, and bring the beans back to a boil, then simmer.

When the beans are just done -- just about the texture that you want in your finished chili -- discard the second pot of boil water and rinse one last time.

Seriously -- two changes of water, both discarded, you won't regret it, because these beans will taste good and will not give you gas. They will not get any softer after you add the acid ingredients (tomatoes, tomato paste, wine).

When using canned beans, I just dumped 'em in and started warming them up in the stock pots, of which you will need two.

While the beans are cooking, get out your biggest frying pan. Chop up three or four medium storage onions, chop or press about four or five big garlic cloves, and fry them up until the onions are wilted and a little bit brown.

I usually use peanut oil for frying, but this time I used lard. Yeah, lard. Because I serve the chili at parties and to guests a lot, and a fair number of people have peanut allergies. Nobody has a lard allergy. If you are making the veggie version, duh, don't use lard. Also, skip the next bit.

While the onions are frying, cut up about three pounds of beef or venison. This time I used chuck roast. Venison is better, but not everyone will eat it, so this batch is all beef. Cube the meat about the size of a die -- much smaller than for stew. (This is easier if the meat is partly frozen.)

Note that I have used bison with this recipe but it is so dry it requires a lot more oil to fry -- maybe twice as much as in the original recipe.

Put the onions aside. Brown the cubed meat. Put the browned, cubed meat aside with the onions. Brown about three pounds of ground beef or venison.

Why, you ask, do you not brown the onions and all the meat together? Good question. Because I've got some big-ass frying pans, but none big enough to cook all that stuff in one go.

Throw the meat and onions in with the the rinsed, cooked beans. At this point I divide everything in half and start a second stock pot, because leftovers are everything with this chili, and there's no point making a small batch. Two big stockpots full make enough for a couple of dinners plus about five quarts of frozen or canned chili for later. If you don't have two big stockpots, then just use half as much of everything.

Add a quart or two of beef stock, or vegetable stock/miso if making the vegetarian version. Dial the heat back to low, and then add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Allow to simmer, then add chocolate. Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour.

Add chili powder, white/black/cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin.

For the vegetarian version, now add the textured vegetarian protein.

Salt to taste.

Cranberry Cherry Relish

A recipe from Cathy Payne --

• 1 1/2 pounds cranberries (three 8 oz bags)
• 1- 3 cups sugar (to taste)
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
• Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
• 1 cup unsweetened dried cherries

Pick through the cranberries, rinse and drain. Combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, cranberry juice, and orange zest in a pan. Place over medium heat; boil slowly until the berries pop open, about 10 minutes.

Skim the foam off the surface with a spoon, stir in the cherries and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate. It will last up to one month.

Crock Pot Barbecue Beef Ribs

Beef ribs are notoriously tough, which is why I go first to the crock pot. This recipe is utterly painless and yields delightful, falling-off-the-bone spare ribs.

• 1 quart tomato sauce. I used my own canned, but most people will want to use two 14 oz. cans.
• 1 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 2 tbsp. garlic powder
• 3 tbsp. onion powder
  
• 6 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 lbs. beef ribs

Mix all the liquid ingredients, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Scatter the xanthan gum over the surface of the liquid, and, using either a whisk or an immersion blender, slowly blend it in until the sauce starts to consistently gel. Add the bay leaves, and ribs. Set to cook for 6 hours.

Mom's Navy Bean Soup

 

• 1 pound of dried Great Northern beans
• 1 ham hock or 1 center slice ham, diced (save the little bone)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 c. carrots, diced
• 1 c. celery, diced, with leaves
• 1.5-2 quarts chicken broth OR
• 6-8 c. water (If you don't want to use chicken broth.)
• 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes (optional)
• 1 lb. sliced mushrooms (optional)
  
• 3 large cloves of garlic (optional)
• 1 tsp. cumin (optional)
  
• Salt, pepper to taste

Pour the dried beans out and inspect for debris for stones or bad beans. Rinse the beans and put in a large soup pot, covering with water. Bring to boil; turn off heat and let sit for 1 hour. (This is supposed to reduce the beans' flatulence ability.) Pour off the water and pour in the broth, if using, or the 6-8 c. water. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and ham hock or the little bone that comes with the center-cut slice of ham. Turn on heat to med.-high and bring to boil. Turn heat to med.-low and let simmer for 2 hours. Remove ham hock or the little bone. Dice ham hock meat. If using the center-cut slice of ham, saute the meat in a little fat. Set aside. Using an immersion blender or a potato masher, mash some of the beans to thicken the soup. Add the diced ham meat, carrots and tomatoes and simmer until carrots are tender.  Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4 - 5. Best way is to serve with cornbread.

Pressure cooker: Brown the meat beforehand, if desired. Cook beans in stock at 15 lbs. (high) for 35 minutes. Use quick release; add all other ingredients, and cook for an additional 25 minutes.

Note to myself for next time: Try this method of presoaking.

(Sorry, Ma, no cornbread tonight.)

Update 2017-10-22: At Helen's insistence, I cooked up a pound of mushrooms in a couple tablespoons of butter and added it to the mix before hitting it all in the pressure cooker. Noms!

Ann's Tartar Sauce Recipe

Got as a comment from Ann Disnard on Facebook.

• 1 Cup Mayo 
• 1 Cup Mayo½ tsp Dry Parsley (or 3x fresh)
• ½ tsp Horseradish 1 tsp Dijon Mustard½ tsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Vinegar
• 1 TBL Sweet Relish
• 1 TBL Minced Onion, Fresh2 Dash Green Tabasco Sauce

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate at least one hour before serving. I use Hellman's mayo, the kind of horseradish you get in the refrigerated section at the grocery, distilled vinegar and I make sure the onion is finely minced.

Marinara Sauce Canning Recipe

Tomorrow, I'm going to take delivery on 50 lbs. of tomatoes, which had me thinking about some of the stuff I've laid up before. I've previously experimented with marinaras, and all of them have been tweaks of recipes found elsewhere. This one is based on the marinara recipe found on page 191 of the encyclopedic Putting Food By, and actually is an expression of how I intend to implement this next time, as I used half the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes as will be listed below. The main change is that I'm reusing previously canned tomatoes and tomato sauce.

• 2 quarts tomato sauce or 1 quart tomato sauce and 2 pints of paste
  
• 2 quarts diced tomatoes
• 2 medium onions, chopped
  
• 2 chopped green peppers (or celery)
• 10 cloves garlic, crushed/minced
• 2 lbs. fresh mushrooms, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup parsley (I used dried in a much smaller amount)
• 4 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup salt
• 4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves (optional)
  
• 2 tbsp basil
  

Heat the oil in a pan big enough to hold the onions, peppers, and mushrooms, and combine those ingredients, sauteing until tender. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, spices, and salt; allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the bay leaves. Fill pint jars to a 1" head space, and process at 10 lbs. for 20 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts. Makes about 10-11 pints, or 5 quarts.

Edit 2014-09-12: doubled spices, onions, tomatoes, tomato sauce and/or paste, and peppers, but not the salt.