10 Things To Make With Beans

|
By
|
Comments are off for this post

Hey guys! I hope everyone is doing well in light of the struggles we are all currently facing. I know everyone (myself included!) is getting into the kitchen a lot more these days, and cooking from our pantries and with what we have available.

I thought I’d do a roundup of some of my favorite bean recipes here on Tide & Thyme. They’re great to keep in the pantry in either dried form, or canned – or both! They can always be counted upon to provide a hearty meal – whether the recipe is a quick one that takes just a few minutes…or one that’s simmered for hours. Beans are so versatile in the kitchen!

Also be sure to take a peek at the post I did a few years ago for a well stocked pantry. I list all of my favorites to have on hand! Stay safe everyone.

Nancy’s Beer Braised Pinto Beans – Beans, beer, and spices are simmered for a couple of hours to yield a tender and flavorful pot of beans. Instructions for Instant Pot included too! I like using dried beans – you can use an overnight soak or the quick one-hour method (place beans in pot and cover in cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn off heat and let beans sit one hour. Then strain, and proceed with recipe. Soaked beans can also be frozen for future quick recipes, instead of using a can!

Chile con Carne – Chili has long been one of my guy’s favorite meals. Serve it with chips and fixings the first night, and leftovers make great nachos or chili dogs!

Bean and Cheese Enchiladas – These enchiladas take just a few minutes to throw together, and after a quick bake in the oven yield a filling meal that everyone will love.

Crockpot Red Beans and Rice – I love this super easy twist on classic Red Beans & Rice. It uses smoked sausage, which lasts in the refrigerator for months (great to have around to add to a quick meal!) – and it cooks in the slow cooker – so you set it and forget it!

Navy Bean Soup – I don’t think it gets more comforting than bean soup. This recipe uses a ham bone, so it’s perfect to make with those leftovers from Easter hams!

Brazilian Black Bean & Pork Stew – this is another great meal that utilizes the slow cooker. Tender juicy chunks of pork and tender black beans are simmered for hours. Then topped off with a fresh, spicy salsa.

Beef Burritos with Poblano Queso – I don’t know about you guys, but I LIVE for queso. Enrobe a burrito with it and I’m completely swooning. This one uses ground beef, black beans, and frozen corn kernals as a base. Then it’s bathed in a homemade poblano queso.

Elly’s Black Beans – this recipe comes from an old friend from by blogging days, back when we were all getting started. I’ve since started adding Lizano seasoning to my black beans, which I’ve added into my repertoire thanks to Pico Taqueria here on Chincoteague. But, without it – they’re still ahhhmazing! Great for black bean tacos, on nachos, in a burrito…the list is endless.

Chipotle Bean Burritos – Yes, another burrito. But this on literally only takes 10 minutes to throw together. And they’re incredibly delicious. One of my favorite older recipes here on the blog!

Black Bean Soup – I love black bean anything, and this soup is no different. I like to top it off with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh pico de gallo when serving.

Instant Pot Roast Beef

|
By
|
Comments are off for this post

I don’t use my InstantPot as often as I should. I break it out once a week or two, usually for chicken stock from my leftover bones. I’ve had it for a couple of years now, kind of buying it just to see what all the fuss was about – but being pleasantly surprised by the power it wielded. The saute function has quite a  bit of gumption, and you can get a pretty decent sear on a hunk of meat.

Searing your proteins in the same pan you cook your dish in yields a TON of flavor, that goes right back into whatever it is you’re making. In this case it made for one of the most incredible pan sauces I’ve had in my life. That’s another nice perk too – you can thicken your sauce right in the same pan as well. Who doesn’t love one less dish to wash?

I’d pinned this method for a cheap, lean cut of beef in the Instant Pot a couple of years ago. Scoffing at the idea that a rare roast could be attained in a pressure cooker! It got buried in my pins, and hadn’t given it a thought until I came across a nice sirloin roast marked down at my grocery store last week. For $9 I figured I could take a gamble…

Made it at lunchtime one day, thinking I could just slice it and use it for roast beef sandwiches for lunches. It ended up turning out so good we ate it for dinner, popping it in the oven for a few minutes to reheat. Everyone loved it. And it really couldn’t be any easier or more foolproof.

A quick sear on all sides. A few additions of onions, garlic, and spices. Beef broth. Then cook under pressure for 3 minutes, and let the pressure release naturally for 30 minutes. I then added some red wine to the pan drippings, along with a little cornstarch to thicken. Served it over the thinly sliced beef along with some roasted reds and asparagus. One of the best meals we’ve had in a long time! It was honestly just as good as prime rib, for about one quarter of the price and time involved in preparing it.

I used a 3 pound roast, and it was the perfect hair scant of medium-rare. If you want your roast more well done, or it’s larger – you can continue cooking by recovering and keeping InstantPot on warm for more time. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, get one. They’re cheap and are worth their weight in gold when it comes to worrying about the doneness of things.

Instant Pot Roast Beef with Red Wine Sauce

3 Tbsp olive oil
3 pound sirloin roast
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups beef broth
2 Tbsp soy sauce
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup red wine (Merlot or Pinot Noir)
3 Tbsp cornstarch

With InstantPot on Saute function, heat up 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Season roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Place roast into pot, cook for 4 minutes – then flip roast and cook for another 4 minutes on other side. Remove roast from pan to a platter and set aside.

Add remaining olive oil to pan, along with the sliced onions and garlic. Cook until onions are starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add thyme and bay leaf and cook for additional minute. Pour the beef stock in, and using a wooden spoon – scrape the bottom of the pan to scrape up any browned bits that are lingering. Add soy sauce and turn off.

Place the trivet in the bottom of the instant pot, on top of the beef broth mixture. Place the roast on top of the trivet. Close and seal the valve. Place on High pressure for 3 minutes. Once it’s done, let it sit for another 30 minutes to release the pressure naturally and continue to cook.

After 30 minutes, remove lid and check the temperature with a meat thermometer. You’re looking at 120-125 for rare to medium rare. And 130-135 for medium to well done (but, why would you do that?). Remove roast to a platter and tent with foil while you prepare the pan sauce.

If you like, strain the onions out of the pan drippings. Pour broth back into pot, along with the red wine, and place on Saute function. Bring to a boil. Whisk cornstarch with 1 Tbsp cold water, and add to sauce. Stir until just thickened – which happens very quickly.

Slice beef thinly across the grain and serve with pan sauce on the side.

Italian Sausage Soup

|
By
|
Comments are off for this post

Italian Sausage Soup

Much of the East Coast is getting bogged down with rain today. And, I’m feeling it. I made and photographed this recipe a couple of weeks ago – and meant to share it last week. However, I lost a very close friend last week kind of suddenly. I say “I” – but I really mean our whole community – as everyone is mourning the loss of our dear Laura. I haven’t really felt like doing much of anything the past few days, besides moping around the house, with the occasional uncontrollable sobbing. I’m getting there. Grief just sucks, ya’ll.

Needless to say, a couple of rainy days to stay in my pajamas is just what the doctor ordered. Figured I could at least take a few minutes to share this recent recipe find with you guys! And, what better meal is there to enjoy on days like this, than a warm bowl of filling soup?

I came across this recipe in the Loaves & Fishes cookbook by Anna Pump, another favorite which was lurking in the “lost pile”. All of her cookbooks are phenomenal. She was a close friend of our Majesty The Queen (Ina Garten) and collaborated at Barefoot Contessa in the Hamptons with Ina for years, as well as running her own successful shop and bed & breakfast. She too passed rather suddenly back in 2015, and I will always treasure the books and recipes she left behind. But, I digress… As I’d mentioned, I made this substantial soup a couple of weeks ago now – and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since!

It came together really quickly, with simple ingredients that are easy to find – or you may even have on hand already. It was also really quick to cook too. Most soups take ALL DAY to have a really deep flavor. But the addition of two kinds of sausage, both ground and link, really pack a punch in that department – yielding a soup that tastes like its simmered for hours, in less than one.

I served it along side some warm crusty rolls and a simple fresh green salad to round out the meal. Everyone really enjoyed it, and it will definitely be one I make again soon! Might try adding cannellini beans the next go-round.

Italian Sausage Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
5 links sweet Italian sausage (1 package)
12 oz hot bulk pork sausage (1 tube – I like Jimmy Dean)
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1 green pepper, diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups dry red wine (Pinot Noir or Merlot)
6 cups chicken stock
1 tsp dried oregano
3 zucchini, diced
1 cup orzo
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
fresh basil or parsley, chopped (for garnish)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish – optional)

Heat oil in 5-quart dutch oven over medium heat, add the link sausage and cook for about 6 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove and set aside to cool. Once cool, slice into 1/2-inch slices.

Meanwhile, add the bulk sausage to the same pan, breaking up with a spoon to brown evenly. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until cooked through. Remove to plate and set aside. Discard all but 2 Tbsp of fat from the pan.

Return pan to heat and add the onions, green pepper, carrots, and garlic – saute for about 3 minutes until onions are starting to soften. Add the tomatoes, wine, chicken stock, zucchini, oregano, salt, pepper, and both kinds of sausage back to the pan. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil – about 10 minutes.

Once soup is boiling add the orzo, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in fresh basil or parsley before serving. Season to taste with salt.

Serve with bowl of grated parmesan cheese for sprinkling, if you like.

*If you have leftover Parmesan rinds saved, this soup is a great place to use it! Just toss it in when you add the liquids.

Source: The Loaves and Fishes Cookbook – Anna Pump

Clambake Packets

|
By
|
Comments are off for this post

Hey y’all! It was a whirlwind summer spending most of our time out on the boat, which led into a whirlwind fall with school starting, and soccer, and Scouts. We certainly made the most of it, but now that the weather has finally turned to fallish behavior, I’m excited to be in the kitchen more often.

I’ve had this one hanging around in draft posts for months now. Figured I should take the opportunity to share this recipe from over the summer that we really enjoyed, before I delve into the heavier cold weather stuff…

I’ve long been a fan of things prepared in a foil packet, we’ll make them quite a bit when out on the boat or camping. They’re easy, tasty, and offer an easy cleanup – a trifecta of awesomeness when it comes to diining in the open outdoors. But this one. This one really takes it to a whole new level on the flavor front, guys.

Composed of ingredients that are plentiful here in my neck of the woods, but also readily available elsewhere – tender littleneck clams, shrimp, sweet corn on the cob, baby red potatoes, smoked sausage, and a few lemon slices. Sealed up in a piece of aluminum foil and tossed on a hot grill, the juices that are released as the items cook are sealed in, creating a perfectly prepared packet.

A pretty heavy clambake, with minimal effort and time.

Clambake Packets

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, shell-on
25 littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed
12 ounces kielbasa or andouille sausage, sliced about 1-inch thick
3 ears corn shucked, cut into 1 inch slices
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
fresh lemon, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp Old Bay
kosher salt

Devein shrimp but cutting up the back of the shrimp with a pair of kitchen shears. Remove the vein, but leave the shell on (helps retain moisture). Set aside in a medium bowl.

Prepare your packets by tearing 6 sheets of aluminum foil, each about 12-inches long. Stack in a pile and assemble ingredients inside.

Divide potatoes, corn, sausage, clams, shrimp and lemon slices into equal portions in the center of each piece of foil.

Fold up the sides of the packetsn- adding olive oil, Old Bay, and a sprinkle of salt. Gently toss to combine. Fold the sides of the foil over the ingredients, bunching and folding until completely sealed.

Heat grill to medium-high heat. Place packets on grill, and cook for about 20-25 minutes – until the shrimp are pink and the clams have popped open.