Succotash Chili

For February's post I'm sharing one of my most versatile recipes, succotash chili.  I make this several times during the year and almost never make my old chili recipe, I love this one with lots of veggies.
Depending what I have on hand determines what goes in the chili as far as meat, beans and vegetables which makes it very versatile and I try to use fresh or frozen tomatoes (or some I have canned myself) so use mostly fresh ingredients with only a few cans of beans, tomato sauce and paste. The majority of the vegetables I chop up really fine so there could be up to 10 vegetables included all fresh or that I had cut up and frozen.  We usually eat our chili over rice and topped with shredded cheese. It freezes beautifully and can be used for several other recipes as well.  One of our favorite is slow cooker enchiladas which is just layering flour tortillas, shredded cheese and chili in a crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8.  It can also be done as a casserole, same layering process and cooked in microwave 10 to 15 minutes or in oven at 350 for 30 minutes. I've also added fresh chopped spinach between layers in the crock pot and casserole versions which is really good.  Another option is Frito pie which is just corn chips layered with chili and shredded cheese in casserole dish and microwaved 10 to 15 minutes or cooked in oven at 350 for 30 minutes. I made a chili/cornbread casserole recently (will post recipe at another time) but left over chili would work for this one as well.  In a casserole dish put chili, top with shredded cheese and in separate bowl mix together 2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix with 1 c milk and spread over chili/cheese mixture then bake in oven at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes. And yet another option is to top nacho chips with chili and cheese for a snack or light meal. I usually cook on Saturdays for the week and when I make chili I always make enough to freeze for one or more of these recipes/options for later.
Now for the recipe:




Succotash chili

1 onion chopped
1/2 c sweet peppers, chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 1/2 c eggplant, shredded
1/2 c zucchini, chopped
1/2 c yellow squash, chopped
2 c fresh cut off cob or frozen corn
2 c tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c carrots, shredded
1/2 c celery, chopped
1 to 2 lbs hamburger meat, cooked and drained
1 can tomato paste
1 to 2 T chili powder
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t paprika
1 t each seasoned salt and pepper
1 T parsley
1 t each garlic, garlic and onion, onion
1/2 t cumin
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 t spicy mustard
2 T sofrito
1 can black beans
1 can great northern beans
can also add kidney and/or garbanzo beans


In large stock pot, cook chopped vegetables in a little oil and 1 c
water adding salt and pepper until tender. Add tomato paste, beans and
seasonings with 2 cups water and cook about 30 minutes. Add cooked
meat and more water as needed.  Cook on low 1 to 2 hours until
thickened adding more seasonings as needed. Serve with shredded
cheese and/or cooked rice. Freezes beautifully.

 Enjoy,
Bamah

corn bread/chili casserole

Yellow rice aka Jello rice

My plan for this year is to post at least once a month so for January I'm sharing my Yellow Rice recipe also known at my house as Jello Rice.  About 15 years ago my friend who speaks Spanish gave me the basic recipe, since her Y's sounded more like J's my young daughters started calling it Jello rice which stuck and became family favorite. This is such a easy and versatile recipe plus freezes beautifully.  I probably make it once a month or every other month.   It's evolved over the years, I used to use just canned beans and not much other vegetables but as with all my recipes it's now full of fresh vegetables from the farmer's market.  The beauty of this recipe it's so versatile, by adding different combination of vegetables (canned, frozen or fresh), whatever you like or have on hand (leftovers work great too, especially salsa or beans). It can be made a total vegetarian option or add meat such as chicken, ham or smoked sausage.  I've tried it with ground beef but we didn't like it so mostly I make it with smoked sausage or chicken.  I made it this last weekend and added 1/2 cups of quinoa to the 2 cups of instant rice to make it a little healthier along with 9 fresh vegetables (onion, kale, eggplant,carrots, sweet peppers, tomatoes, corn, broccoli, and sugar snap peas) 2 kinds of canned beans and smoked sausage topped with shredded cheese.  It turned out very yummy.  It can be eaten by itself or added to flour tortillas to make burritos adding sour cream, fresh spinach, guacamole, salsa, extra cheese or whatever toppings you like.  Here's the recipe:

 Jello rice



2 to 3 c instant rice
2 to 3 c water (equal amount of rice and liquid)

1 chopped onion

1 to 2 cloves minced garlic or 1 t garlic powder

1/2 c chopped sweet peppers

1/2 to 1 c chopped carrots

1 c fresh or frozen corn

1/2 c chopped eggplant

1 c chopped squash or zucchini (or any fresh or frozen vegetable)

1 can black beans, drained

1 can great northern beans, drained

1 can kidney or garbanzo beans (or both), drained

cooked chicken or smoked sausage

1 to 2 chopped tomatoes

1 c fresh spinach or kale, chopped

2 pkgs Sazon seasoning

1 T each seasoned salt and pepper, parsley, turmeric, cumin

2 to 3 T sofrito

1 to 2 c shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)

cooked chicken or smoked sausage, cut up

optional 1/4 to 1/2 t chili flakes

Add sofrito and fresh vegetables (any vegetables would work), except beans and tomatoes, in pot and cook with a little olive oil and water (less than 1/2 c) until tender (about 20 minutes).  Add beans, tomatoes, seasonings, meat and water until heated through then add rice and cover on low for about 20 minutes, stir after about 10 minutes so it doesn't stick.  Check to see if rice is cooked and take off heat, add cheese and cover until melted. Serve as is or as filling for burrito with desired added toppings such as sour cream, salsa or guacamole. Freezes beautifully.

Enjoy

Bamah

yellow rice with chicken

yellow rice with smoked sausage

Sausage ball recipe

A final recipe post for this year is one of our family favorites, sausage balls.  I'm not sure how long I've been making these but ever since my daughters were little girls so over 20 years. I cut the original recipe out of a magazine that was an advertisement for Jimmy Dean sausage and taped it into my main family cookbook with all our holiday traditions. I've changed it up over the years adding more vegetables, of course, and I use Blue and Gold sausage.  I buy it every year from someone selling it at church or work, freeze it and save at least 1 roll for sausage balls.  Every year for Christmas Eve snack supper, sausage balls are made, usually a day or two ahead of time and almost always when there's another family member available to help. I've done it by myself before but it's more fun having someone else helping rolling the balls out. I have made them at different times of the year, usually upon someone's request, but mostly they are a Christmas tradition.  They work great as snacks by themselves or added to spaghetti or another veggie dish.  Also they freeze beautifully. Here's the recipe

Sausage balls

2 pounds sausage
1 box baking mix
4 to 6 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/2 c celery, chopped
1/2 c sweet peppers, chopped
1/2 c eggplant, chopped

1/2 c fresh spinach, chopped
 1/2 to 1 t each garlic powder, parsley, seasoned salt, pepper

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, adding more baking mix as
needed.  Form into 1 inch balls.  Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes
until golden brown.  Cool and store in refrigerator.  Can be frozen
either raw or cooked. Makes 6 dozen.

Enjoy,

Bamah

Main dish green bean casserole

We are going out of town this Thanksgiving to spend it with my husband's family so I won't be cooking a huge meal this year for a change.  There's a great advantage to this but the down side is no leftovers so I have been making Thanksgiving themed food for dinner/lunches the last couple of weeks. I made a cornbread dressing casserole with chicken added which I will post about later and have baked sweet potatoes for my and my daughter's lunches.  This past weekend I made an updated green bean casserole with ham added for dinner.  I love green bean casserole and not sure why I only make it around the holidays but this recipe will change that.  My husband and daughter loved it and I was pretty please with myself as well.  I used fresh green beans from my freezer that I had put up from my farmers market purchases. I cooked them in a pot of water with onion, seasoned salt, garlic and pepper for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until tender. I saved the bean cooking liquid and froze it like broth in a freezer bag for a future soup. I make and freeze broth all the time. Homemade is so much better than canned and much lower in salt. My husband is on a low salt diet so I use very little salt in my cooking and mainly use seasoned salt. I sautéed some additional vegetables; shallots, garlic, onion, zucchini, and yellow squash in a little olive oil and added some of the bean liquid until the veggies were tender. My husband had told me "not to get carried away" adding too many vegetables, but I thought these additional ones worked well with the beans. I had a ham steak we cut up into bite size pieces and added in so it was more of a main than side dish. I put it all together in a casserole pan, added the traditional cream of mushroom soup and French fried onions, heated in oven for 30 minutes and dinner was done.

Main dish green bean casserole recipe


4 to 6 c fresh green beans (I had 2 quart bags full)
water to cover
2 onions, chopped
1/2 c green onions, chopped
1 to 2 shallots, chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
seasoned salt and pepper
1 c zucchini, chopped
1/2 c yellow squash, chopped
1/2 c sweet peppers, chopped
2 T olive oil
1/2 t garlic pepper
2 T parsley
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can French fried onions
1 ham steak, cubed


In large pot cook green beans, 1 onion and enough water to cover, adding seasoned salt and pepper. Cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours until tender.  In skillet sauté in olive oil with a little bean cooking liquid added, other onion, shallots, green onions, zucchini, squash, garlic and sweet peppers, adding seasoned salt and pepper until tender. Drain green beans, (saving liquid if desired, freezes great) and combine with sautéed veggies in casserole dish with cubed ham, add both cans of cream of mushroom soup, garlic powder, parsley and a little more seasoned salt and pepper.  Gently stir until combined and top with French fried onions. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until bubbly and heated through. 
Enjoy
Bamah

Watermelon rind preserves/jam

Watermelon rind preserves homage to Grandma

I'd planned to get several recipes posted this summer but somehow time got away from me and then I had computer issues. I had a busy summer of canning, making jams, pickles, salsa and relishes. I think I canned something every weekend for 3 months. I hadn't canned in years and had so much fun trying new recipes and reviving old favorite ones. In July I made watermelon rind preserves for the first time in years paying homage to my grandmother. I remember her making them when I was young and loving them. I don't remember if she made them every summer but it seemed that there were always jars of them in the cabinet. She didn't process them in a water bath but sealed the jars with paraffin wax which was popular at the time. She made several kinds of preserves and jams but didn't really do any canning, only using the wax. The watermelon rind preserves was always one of my favorites. Sadly, I don't have her recipe and I'm not sure she had one written down. She wasn't one for written recipes, she just did it. I used to ask her about written recipes and cook books to which she would just say that she didn't need a recipe for "just cooking groceries".  I looked in several of my cookbooks and online to come up with a recipe that worked for me. I decided to cook them in the crock pot similar to an apple butter recipe I have since it's best if they are cooked low and slow. It worked great, I just had to finish up on the stove for the last 30 minutes on medium heat to get the thickness I wanted. Grandma's always had small pieces in a syrup but I cooked mine longer and mashed them a bit with a potato masher because I like mine more spreadable. It was more of a jam consistency rather than preserves which is what I prefer. The majority of fruit spreads I've made come under a jam/butter/preserve combination. I like the fruit pieces so don't really do much jelly which is just the juice. I'm also on an all natural kick so only using natural pectin found in fruits and longer cooking times to get the "set" or consistency needed. Apples and citrus have natural pectin especially in the peals so I finely chopped a couple of small apples plus the zest and juice from 1 lemon (oranges work great too).  I made the preserves on one day, cooled them and put them in the refrigerator. I heated them up the next day to a boil them put them in sterilized jars and processed them in a water bath. I've done this with apple butter as well. I find it works best for me to do small batches when canning so I don't wear myself out. Eating my wonderful watermelon rind preserves/jam on my toast took me back to my childhood and breakfast with Grandma, wonderful memories.

Watermelon rind preserves/jam recipe


8 c watermelon rind cut into small pieces
cover with salted water and chill overnight, rinse
1 c lemon juice
zest from 1 lemon
1 c water
2 c sugar
1 t ginger
1/4 t cloves
1 t allspice
1 t cinnamon
1 grated green apple, peel included
sterilized jars


In large pot combine ingredients, cover and bring to boil over high heat, stir to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for about 1 hour, stirring often, or until translucent.  Or put in crock pot, cook on high for 30 minutes then turn to low 8 to 10 hours or until tender.  The last 30 minutes does have to be on high on stove to thicken to consistency needed. If preserves wanted, put cooked rind in jars and boil syrup for 10 minutes to thicken then fill jars leaving 1/2 head space on top. If wanted more jam/butter consistency, partially mash with potato masher and put mixture in sterilized jars leaving 1/2 head space on top.  Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes after full boil reached. Let jars cool overnight then store in cook, dry, dark place.  Great spread for toast or biscuits.  Enjoy.

cooking in crock pot

finished jars

Serious Farmers Market Addiction

farmers market in St Joseph MO

farmers market photo shoot

another local photo shoot

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Hello, my name is Bamah and I am a serious farmers market addict.  I admit my addiction and take all kinds of kidding from family and friends. But as addictions go, at least mine is healthy and benefits others. I've been going to our local farmers market faithfully, rain or shine for the past 5 years. On Saturday mornings from spring to fall, I'm out there usually with my dog, Clapton, (years ago it was Lizzie until she passed away) most of the times one or both of my daughters go with me or I go by myself. I buy the majority of what we eat at the market, eggs, meat, vegetables, fruit, baked goods, plus plants, dog treats, homemade soap and more. I've gotten Christmas gifts when craft vendors are there. The past 3 years pretty much our entire Thanksgiving dinner has been purchased at the market including fresh turkeys. I love knowing where my food comes from, supporting local, providing healthier meals and eating less processed food. It's great visiting with the vendors/farmers each week, knowing their names and they knowing mine, really like a little family. I take pictures each week of what I purchase plus the food I've cooked and post them on Facebook. My husband teases me about my "photo shoots". I have quite a following which is why I started this blog with recipes and such. Plus when I get overly ambitious and buy too much and as a result cook too much food for us to eat in a week, I always share with family and friends which they love.

 This past weekend was Dog Days at our local Lawton farmer's market with all kinds of activities and products for dogs sadly I had to miss it due to my husband and I going out of town to visit our youngest daughter, Aubree, for Father's Day weekend. Now I would by no means choose the farmers market over my family, although my daughter did tease me when I said I'd miss the Dog Days event. I do manage to work around the market when going out of town most of the time and check out farmers markets at places we visit. It's not like I really need anymore produce, I have a freezer full of stuff, but I still like going and seeing what's there plus when buying in season everything is at it's freshest. I follow the Lawton Farmer's market and Murphy Farms on Facebook. I also get updates from one of the markets in Oklahoma City that we visited last year. Wherever we go I manage to find a farmer's market or fruit stand. I checked the Lawton Farmer's market Facebook page concerning the Dog Days event even though I wasn't able to go to which my daughter gave me a hard time and resulted in this post. My love of farmers markets has rubbed off on my daughters, not to the same level as mine but they enjoy getting fresh produce and supporting local. Aubree currently is doing contract work as an occupational therapist and moves every 3 to 6 months. Usually when she moves to a new place, I look online and find farmer's markets for her to check out. When I visit her that's one of the 1st places we go. When she was in California their markets were fantastic and I was in heaven when I got to go with her. Although I couldn't really buy a lot since I was flying back home so I took a lot of pictures and just enjoyed being there. She now lives in Missouri so of course we went this past Saturday to their local market and I brought stuff home with me. It's always fun to see different produce and items in the different places, and what's in season there. I very happily brought home several pounds of tomatoes in 4 different varieties.  It did my heart good when she said we had to get some from her "tomato guy" because his heirloom tomatoes are so good. I also have my favorite farmers/vendors that I always buy from, that's part of the charm.  So if you want to find me on a Saturday morning, check out the local farmers market because I will be there buying stuff for the week to cook and stocking my freezer for the winter.

Enjoy

Bamah

St Joseph pickings

beautiful peppers at CA farmers market

Southern Green Beans and New Potatoes

I cooked fresh green beans and new potatoes in my crock pot today so decided to share the recipe and my life long love of this classic southern summer dish. I'm really a vegetarian at heart, I like and eat meat but absolutely LOVE vegetables of all shapes and sizes. I grew up in a house full of women with my grandma cooking home cooked meals but not a whole lot of meat.  She was a wonderful cook but always said she was "just cooking groceries". Every late spring and early summer when fresh green beans were in season she would cook up a big pot of them with new potatoes seasoned with bacon grease and served with cornbread.  That would be our whole dinner and I was in heaven.  When I was newly married I got a set of 11 Southern Heritage cookbooks, one of them just vegetables. These are some of my favorite, especially the vegetable one, and I have used them for years. So here I was a new bride making a homemade dinner for my husband and I cooked southern green beans and new potatoes (using my new cookbook and calling Grandma) with cornbread and set it on the table and the first thing John said was "where's the meat?", I'm like we never ate it with meat, this was the whole meal.  I learned then that I had married a carnivore and from then on all or most of my vegetarian meals have some kind of meat in them. On the plus side, after 34 years of marriage I have turned him more to the "green" side and have learned that if the veggies are shredded to where he can't distinguish what's in there then he'll eat it.

The last couple of years I've been buying fresh veggies all summer at the farmer's market, cutting them up, putting them in freezer bags and freezing them then enjoying them all year long. I don't buy canned vegetables anymore (except for black and kidney beans) I just use mine out of the freezer.  It's great pulling out green beans in winter and throwing them into whatever I'm cooking.  But come summer, I can't resist buying them even if I have bags in the freezer which is what happened last Saturday. I bought a large gallon bag full of them and found that I didn't have room in my freezer for them when I got home. I plan on doing some canning and pickling this summer plus cleaning out and organizing my freezer.  I still have vegetables to buy, to feed my farmer's market addiction. With that said, here's the recipe.

Southern Fresh Green Beans and New Potatoes

 

2 lbs fresh green beans, snapped and rinsed (1 used a gallon bag full, not sure how many pounds)

1 to 2 med onions, chopped

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c sweet peppers, chopped

6 cups water

1/2 t each, seasoned salt, pepper

1 T parsley
2 T sofrito

2 bay leaves

2 T bacon grease

12 new potatoes, washed and chopped

1/4 to 1/2 t red chili flakes, optional for a little kick

Cook on stove, covered and simmer for 2 hours.  Green beans take longer to cook than potatoes so add potatoes after 1 1/2 hours for the last 30 minutes or until tender. Or cook everything in crock pot on high for 4 to 6 hours (mine took 6 hours) or on low for 8 hours or until tender. Can add cooked bacon or ham after veggies are cooked, serve with cornbread. I added a ham steak cut up to the cooked beans for my carnivore

Enjoy, Bamah.

cooked on stove top