EAT AT JOMAMA’S


MamaJo’s Red Beans and Rice Deux
October 15, 2009, 1:39 pm
Filed under: Beef, Crock or Stock, Main Course | Tags: ,

Evidently, I have two recipes for red beans and rice. I wonder which is better…we’ll find out tonight.

 

MamaJo’s Red Beans and Rice Deux

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 c water
  • 1 beef sausage link (we use Chappel Hill)
  • 1# small red beans, soaked and drained
  • 1 c fresh chopped onion
  • 3 stalks celery heart, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 sm can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 t red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 t chili powder
  • 1/2 t paprika
  • kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in crock pot, stir until mixed well.
  2. Cook on low for 10 hours. Mash some of the beans with a fork to thicken.
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Black Bean Tortilla Soup
March 4, 2009, 3:02 pm
Filed under: Chicken, Crock or Stock, Kitchen Quickies, Tex-Mex | Tags: , ,

I’ve only had tortilla soup once and actually liked it. It was about five or six years ago, when I was doing my own psycho version of Atkins, and it was a low carb find, introduced to me by a fellow Atkins psycho.

Since then, I’ve had several versions, but none that tasted much better than concentrated vegetable soup with some cumin in it. So, I took advantage of our recent cold spell and put together this fresh soup, based on my recollection of the flavors in the one I liked so much.

Not to pat myself on the back here…but it was gooood. And, for an added bonus, I have never, ever seen my hubby eat veggies so fast. Next time it’s cold out, why not try this soup and tell me what you think?!

Enjoy!

MamaJo's Black Bean Tortilla Soup Close-Up

Plated, with cheese quesadillas.

Plated, with cheese quesadillas.

MamaJo’s Black Bean Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 large pablano pepper, seeded, cut in 1in x 1/4 in strips
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 c (app) fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 T canola oil
  • 4 cups (app) natural chicken broth
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed
  • 1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles
  • 8 oz frozen corn
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 t cumin
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1/4 t black pepper
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • spray oil (canola or olive)
  • sour cream
  • 2 avacados

Instructions:

  1. Add oil to large skillet, heat to medium.
  2. Add pepper and onion, saute until just tender.
  3. Turn off heat, add cilantro.
  4. Pour chicken broth in large sauce pot, set heat to med high.
  5. Add contents of skillet to broth.
  6. Add black beans, tomatoes, corn, and spices. Increase heat to high, bring to boil.
  7. Reduce heat to low, simmer at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  8. Cut tortillas into 1/2 in strips.
  9. Set oven to broil.
  10. Spray cookie sheet with spray oil.
  11. Place strips on cookie sheet, try not to overlap.
  12. Spray tortilla strips with spray oil, sprinkle with kosher salt.
  13. Cook in broiler until exposed sides are golden (just a minute or s0).
  14. Flip strips, brown other side.
  15. Garnish soup with tortilla strips, fresh diced avocado, and a small dollop of sour cream.
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Guilt Free Sloppy Joes
February 11, 2009, 5:19 pm
Filed under: Crock or Stock, Evening Menu | Tags: , ,

My latest challenge for the JoMama dinner table has been to use up the things we have already purchased before we go buy new stuff. I got so tired of wasting food (and MONEY!) by having to throw things out that had expired or otherwise made it past their prime whilst sitting in my refrigerator, pantry, and freezer. We’ve been doing that for about two weeks, and so far all I’ve had to buy at the store is dairy items and a tiny bit of produce. If THAT’s how much junk I’ve been accumulating in my teeny tiny “pantry” (which is a small, three drawer dresser from Ikea, hey you make do ok), then I can only imagine what goodies are lurking in a larger pantry! Want to waste less, cook more, and save money?? Join me!

Tonight’s recipe is guilt free because it is made from venison *gasp!* I know, I know, VENISON??? Well, I have issues about it too, but when you’ve got five pounds of it sitting in your freezer, well, you’ve gotta use it. Plus, while searching around for some info about cooking deer meat, I found out that it is leaner than chicken and even turkey! Wow! Still, should you not be able to get over your deer issues, you can substitute any ground meat and drop the “guilt free” from the title.

Ok, enough with the babble…enjoy!

Guilt Free Sloppy Joes (or is it Sloppy Does??)

Ingredients:

  • 2 to 3 lbs – ground venison (mine is a deer/pork combo)
  • 1 tsp dried mustard
  • 1/2 T + 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 c water
  • 1/2 c katsup
  • 1/4 c brown sugar
  • 2T cider vinegar
  • 2T yellow mustard
  • 1T chili powder
  • 1T worcestershire sauce
  • 1T liquid smoke
  • 1T flour

Instructions:

  1. Preheat cast iron skillet or dutch oven to medium-low.
  2. Add onion, garlic and meat to pan.  Stir until well mixed.
  3. Increase heat to medium-high.
  4. Add dried mustard, 1 tsp salt, and pepper. Mix well and brown.
  5. Add browned meat to large crock pot (do not drain if using lean meat!).
  6. Add remaining ingredients to meat. Mix thoroughly.
  7. Cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours. (This recipe can be converted to stock-pot by simply simmering on low for about 45 min.)

Serve over whole wheat buns with mustard and pickles to garnish. Pair with beans and a green salad for a complete evening meal.

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His Favorite Things
December 4, 2008, 1:03 pm
Filed under: Crock or Stock, Evening Menu
THIS EVENING’S MENU

Mama Jo’s Red Beans and Rice Woooeeee!

Homemade Bread

Banana Pudding

Recipes to follow…

Review:

What I liked-

The red beans are always a favorite. They were packed with flavor, a little spicy (which is great), and not too salty. Two thumbs up! Oooo, and the rice actually came out the way it was supposed to. I think that is the first time I ever made rice that came out just right!

The banana pudding was also pretty.

What I didn’t like-
My first attempt at making yeast bread was a bust. I attempted to get fancy pants and twist the bread which resulted in a crust that was impossible to slice (it quickly became a ‘tear-apart’ loaf) and the inside was way too dense. It sort of tasted like a pretzel. The only flavor in the bread was (duh!) the herbs, oil, and salt I added to the top. Though not horrible, it certainly was a waste of carbs and calories.

Hubs liked the banana pudding, BP itself is one of his favorites. I couldn’t stand it. It was straight from the J-E-L…. box. It was more on the fluffy side rather than the creamy. I’m not a fan of banana pudding to begin with, but I did have some a few weeks ago that was *GASP!* divine. She obviously didn’t make it from the box. Still, this was a menu of HIS favorite things, and he liked it…so I guess it was OK.


Mama Jo’s Red Beans and Rice Woooeeee!
For stock or crock.

Ingredients:
1 # (about 2 cups) small red beans, soaked and drained
1 round sausage link
1/2 C yellow onion, diced
1/2 C green onion, chopped
1 can diced chipotle tomatoes
2 stalks celery w/ leaves, chopped
1/2 t garlic powder
1 to 2 T Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 bay leaf
corn starch (to thicken, if needed)
2 cups rice, uncooked

Instructions:
Let red beans soak overnight according to packaging instructions.

In the morning, in a crock pot or stock pot,
combine all ingredients except corn starch and rice,

add water until just covered.
Crock pot: Cook on med-high setting (6 hours).
Stock pot: Bring to low boil, then simmer on low.
Stir occasionally. Red beans are done when beans are tender and
sausage begins to swell away from skin.

To thicken if desired: Put spoonful of corn starch in a coffee mug or measuring cup. Gradually spoon small amount of liquid from red beans onto corn starch while mixing with a fork. When corn starch is runny and smooth, add to stock pot and stir.

Serve over cooked white rice.

Basic Yeast Bread

Ingredients:
3 C all-purpose flour
1 pkg rapidrise yeast
1 C warm water
3/4 t salt

Instructions:
Combine water salt and yeast in a mixing bowl, let rest 5 min.
Stir in flour a little at a time.
Knead until smooth and elastic-y.
Smoosh into a ball and place in a large, greased bowl.
Cover and allow to rise to twice its original size.
Form dough into a loaf.
Place on a greased baking pan that has been dusted with corn meal.
Place in cold oven.
Set oven to 375, bake 40 minutes.

Banana Pudding

Ingredients:
2 boxes banana cream pudding mix
4 cups 2% milk
vanilla wafers for topping

Instructions:
Read the side of the box.

2 Comments