My dear neighbor showed me the best way to make great pinto beans. You will need a
1. crock pot
2. Clean dried pinto beans, about 3-4 cups. Light beans are freshest. Don't soak them first!
3. Goodies like boullion, onion, meat, garlic, chiles.
Directions:
Put the beans in the crockpot; cover with a few inches of cold water. Turn it on high. In about 6-8 hours you will have tender, perfect beans. Or, you can put the beans on in the morning, but be sure to add lots of water, and let them cook on low all day, 8-10 hours.
After the beans are tender, then add stuff you like such as chicken or vegetable boullion, sauteed onion and garlic, red chile powder, cooked beef, or pork or chicken sausage, a few cubed potatoes. And, of course if you can, add pealed, de-seeded, chopped, roasted, green chiles, as many as you like. Frozen chiles work great. Simmer 30-60 minutes in the crockpot a bit longer after adding the goodies. If you like your bean broth thicker, you can thicken it with flour or cornstarch. But it will thicken itself if you simmer it a bit longer.
The crockpot is very forgiving. It's nearly impossible to goof up, as long as the beans don't cook dry. They turn out delicious.
* I wear rubber gloves when working with chiles. So does Mark. Our neighbors laugh at us, but at least we aren't walking around with hands on fire for hours afterwards.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Green Chile Stew
Last week during the Balloon Fiesta we had lots of company, and I made a pot of green chile stew. It was a big hit, and I promised to post the recipe, though I don't really have a "recipe" but I can tell you how I made it. It's relatively easy.
You need:
1. about 3 quarts Chicken Broth (I buy the 32 oz boxes of organic broth at Sunflower Market or Trader Joes, but any kind will do, or even better, make your own!
2. One very large onion sauteed just until transparent and sweet.
3. Three or five crushed cloves of garlic
4. About 2 pounds very lean pork, such as tenderloin, cubed, lightly sauteed with the garlic. If you are anti-pork, you can use chicken.
5. Roasted Green Chillies--Hatch, NM chillies are the best, peeled, de-seeded, chopped. The amount depends on how hot you like it. The "big boy pot" I made used about 30, 6-inch med-hot chillies. Frozen chiles work just fine.
6. Five or 6 medium fresh tomatoes. If you have to used canned, or frozen be careful not to use too many so that the tomatoes don't overpower the chile flavor.
7. Crushed dried, oregano and Red chile powder--not the kind in the spice cans, but the kind you find in celeophane bags in the Mexican food section. About a heaping tablespoon of dried oregano pods, crush them in your palm and add to the pot. The red chile, use about a tablespoon or 2, really depending on your own preference.
Mix all that together in a soup pot and simmer about an hour or two, until the meat is as tender as you want it. The longer you simmer, the thicker it gets. And if you want it thicker quicker, you can use a flour or cornstarch thickener. But it is a light, semi-clear stew. If you need to stretch it a bit, add more broth, or a few bullion cubes and water. Even part beef or vegetable bullion or broth works fine.
I like pinto beans in mine, but some folks like their's beanless, so I cook the beans separately, and add them to my personal bowl of stew. I'll post a great method of cooking a pot of pinto beans next.
Serve the stew with fresh made tortillas if they are available.
Yum!
Enjoy!
You need:
1. about 3 quarts Chicken Broth (I buy the 32 oz boxes of organic broth at Sunflower Market or Trader Joes, but any kind will do, or even better, make your own!
2. One very large onion sauteed just until transparent and sweet.
3. Three or five crushed cloves of garlic
4. About 2 pounds very lean pork, such as tenderloin, cubed, lightly sauteed with the garlic. If you are anti-pork, you can use chicken.
5. Roasted Green Chillies--Hatch, NM chillies are the best, peeled, de-seeded, chopped. The amount depends on how hot you like it. The "big boy pot" I made used about 30, 6-inch med-hot chillies. Frozen chiles work just fine.
6. Five or 6 medium fresh tomatoes. If you have to used canned, or frozen be careful not to use too many so that the tomatoes don't overpower the chile flavor.
7. Crushed dried, oregano and Red chile powder--not the kind in the spice cans, but the kind you find in celeophane bags in the Mexican food section. About a heaping tablespoon of dried oregano pods, crush them in your palm and add to the pot. The red chile, use about a tablespoon or 2, really depending on your own preference.
Mix all that together in a soup pot and simmer about an hour or two, until the meat is as tender as you want it. The longer you simmer, the thicker it gets. And if you want it thicker quicker, you can use a flour or cornstarch thickener. But it is a light, semi-clear stew. If you need to stretch it a bit, add more broth, or a few bullion cubes and water. Even part beef or vegetable bullion or broth works fine.
I like pinto beans in mine, but some folks like their's beanless, so I cook the beans separately, and add them to my personal bowl of stew. I'll post a great method of cooking a pot of pinto beans next.
Serve the stew with fresh made tortillas if they are available.
Yum!
Enjoy!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
October 4, 2010
Dear Students and Families,
Homework going home today is due next Monday, October 11th. Thank you, parents, for making sure your child has a set place and time, and the support they need to complete their homework, and make sure it is returned on time. Your child should not be working more than 20 minutes per day on homework, plus the 20 minutes for reading. If it takes your child more than 20 minutes a day to complete homework, please write a note or call me to let me know.
There is no school this Friday, October 8th because of our Fall Holiday. We will be doing our spelling test and reading assessment on Thursday, so please make sure your child is present! Always, the last day of the week is assessment day. Make-up testing is often not possible. Missing a test can affect your child's grades. Students' assessments will be kept in their Data Notebooks at school. Parents are always welcome to come in and see their child's data notebook and grades.
It is so important for your child is at school everyday possible.
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