Beans!

Black beans - or any dry bean, really - makes a great, frugal pantry staple.  Periodically, I cook up a whole bag, cool, and freeze in 1 and 2 cup portions.  They make welcome additions (or stretchers/fillers) in chili, meatloaf, salads, burritos, enchiladas, soups, with rice or just by themselves.  How do I make them?  Like this:

What You Need:

1 - 16 oz. bag dry black beans

1/3 - 1/2 Cup dry spices* (salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder)

water

What You Use:
4 qt. saucepan, with lid
large spoon
strainer
lidded storage container
freezer bags

What You Do:
1. Rinse the dry the beans. Sort the beans to remove anything that doesn't look like a firm, black bean.
2. Drop sorted, rinsed beans in saucepan.
3. Dump spices on top of beans. Mix well. You're looking for good coverage on the beans. Let sit for 30 minutes. This allows the spices to cling better to the beans, which means tastier beans.
4. After 30 minutes, cover the beans with water. The water needs to cover the beans by at least 2 inches.
5. Bring beans to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for one hour. You'll know the beans are done when they're tender and starting to split.
6. Drain beans. DO NOT RINSE.
7. Place beans in lidded storage container.  Let cool for about 20 min, then slide into fridge.
8. For freezer storage:  Only use beans cold from the fridge.  Label freezer bags with the date (including month and year) and measurement of beans (1/2 Cup, 1 Cup, 2 Cups).  Measure out beans and place in labelled bag.  Squeeze out air and seal.  Beans keep in the freezer for a couple months.

*The truth is I don't really measure my spices here.  I go by aroma.  If it smells good, I stop dumping in the spices.  Helpful, aren't I?  For the beginner, I'd say use ~1 Tbsp each of salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder.  Cumin adds depth and a smoky flavor.  Chili powder adds heat.  These are your beans, so season to taste.  When in doubt, stick your finger in the mix and taste.  Keep in mind the final flavor will be muted, so if it's mild to you now, it'll be even milder when finished cooking.

Rinse the beans thoroughly, removing little rocks and bits that aren't good, firm-looking beans.

The spice team.

Dump spices on the beans.

Yep, you want this much coverage.  Stir them up and let it sit for about 30 minutes.  Letting the spices dry a little on the wet beans helps the flavor.  If you add water now, you'll have more flavor in the water than in your beans.

Add the water.  Cover beans with 2 inches of water.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 1 hour.

When the beans are done, your pot will look as if it's holding industrial sludge. Drain the beans in your strainer but do NOT rinse or you'll wash away all their delicious goodness.  After draining, place them in a lidded storage container.  Let them cool about 30 min on the counter, then lid up and place them in the fridge to cool completely before bagging, tagging, and freezing.  If they aren't completely cold from the fridge, the hot moisture will cause condensation in the freezer bag - which means ice crystals all over your beans.  So, cool them completely.  It might take a whole day in the fridge before they're cool enough to freeze.  I usually cook my beans one day and freeze the next.  They'll keep in the fridge for 4-5 days, so no rush.  

~ G

Pie Time

Yesterday, my son asked for a pie. I'm not a fan of store-bought crust. It took awhile, but I've perfected a recipe that's no-fail. Here's the recipe, some pics, and freezer tips.

Perfect Pie Crust

Refrigerator time: 30 min
Cooking time: 60 min
Resting time: 60 min
Total time: 2 hr 50 min

What You Need:
2 C flour
1 tsp salt
6 3/4 Tbsp butter (ice cold)
6 3/4 Tbsp shortening (ice cold)
1/2 C water (ice cold)


What You Use:
measuring Cups and Spoons
mixing bowl
pastry blender
large cutting board
rolling pin
9" pie plate
plastic wrap
aluminum foil or Glad Press n' Seal

What You Do:
1. In a medium bowl, place flour and salt. (Sometimes I substitute 1 C of white flour for 1 C of whole wheat flour, just to squeeze in nutrition.)

2. Cut ice cold squares of butter and shortening into salt and flour until looks like small pearls. Using butter and shortening gives you both a tender and a flaky crust. The butter and shortening melt at different rates in the oven, which gives you the optimal texture.

3. Add water sparingly until it's moist enough to shape into a ball. I stir with a dinner knife. When the dough comes together, turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Quickly and gently, shape dough into a flat disk.

4. Place disk of dough in plastic wrap. Immediately place in fridge. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before making your pie.

5. To roll: Roll out quickly on a lightly floured surface. The key is to move 
 quickly so the dough stays cold. If starts to warm, place back in the fridge.

6. For a crisper crust, place pie in the fridge until just before baking.

This is how mix should look just before adding water.

Disk of dough in the fridge.

See the yellow and white flecks?
Those are bits of butter and shortening.

This is how your rolled dough should look.
(This dough has brown flecks because
I used some whole wheat flour.)

Tasty pie straight from the oven.

Tasty, flaky piece of pie.

Strawberry Pie:

I cheated. I used a can of strawberry pie filling. Then I added some brown sugar and a couple tablespoons of butter. Covered it. Docked the top to allow steam to escape. It baked for 60 min in a 400 degree oven. It sat for 2 hours before we cut into it. With a spritz of whipped cream... YUM!


Freezer Tips:

I tend to double, triple, and quadruple recipes so I can put some in the freezer. Pie crust is very freezer friendly. Roll out the dough, gently cover the pie pan with it, fold the top crust in plastic wrap and place in the center of the pie crust-covered pie plate. Wrap it all with plastic wrap, covered with a layer of foil, label, and freeze. It'll be ready whenever you want a homemade dessert or dinner pie.

Pie dough, rolled and packaged.

Freezer ready.