I ♥ Cast Iron!

                Making Better Choices!  Altering Recipes! 
                           Experimenting in the Kitchen!

                                    What's for Dinner?

Legumes (beans) are a pretty decent soure of protein!   Soybeans are, of course, higher in protein than Great Northerns.  But, because I steer clear of soy products, Great Northerns are on the menu tonight.  It's a dreary rainy day and is expected to remain this way for the next 4-5 days!   Transitioning off of a 30 day fast with some of my favorite comfort foods ... in moderation, of course!

Great Northern Bean Soup

1 # Great Northern Beans (or Navy Beans)

1 large sweet onion, diced

1 Tablespoon oil or Bacon Fat

       (yeah, I use it in moderation!

        C'mon! It's a huge pot of beans!)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 T chopped parsley

1 hambone (yep! found one in the freezer -

       prob from last Easter's leftovers!)

4 quarts of water (I'm not using stock, because

       I expect the hambone will be sufficient flavor!)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Spinach (optional)

Carrots, grated (optional)

Saute diced onion in oil or Bacon Fat! til slightly caramelized.  Add garlic and parsley.  Saute a little longer.  Add water and hambone (You could use any meat, or no meat.  Pork is my choice.  Got Bacon?  Go for it!)  Bring to boil and stew for a few hours til the meat is falling off the bone.  Remove bone and add more water to bring level back to four quarts.  This is where I season with salt (or Lawry's) and pepper to taste.    Now, add one pound of Great Northerns.  Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer.  Cook approximately two hours or until beans are tender, then add the spinach and carrots.  Adjust seasonings, if necessary and cook about twenty minutes longer.  I love this addition!  It's so much more nutritious and really colorful!  Ladel up bowls full and enjoy with some "legal" cornbread!  Recipe below!

By the way, I hope you are using a cast iron dutch oven and skillets for preparing this meal!  Nothing beats the flavor from cooking with cast iron, not to mention the iron leeches into the food, which is a good thing for us anemics!

Aunt Jenny's Cornbread

This cornbread recipe was developed for diabetics!

Low Glycemic! Don't let the ingredients throw you off! It's delicious!

We have used it for cornbread dressing too!
Double the recipe if you want it thick!

2 Tablespoons oil (for skillet)

1/2 cup Cream of Wheat (yes! really!)

1/2 cup self-rising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Heat oil in cast iron skillet in oven.  Combine and mix remaining ingredients and pour into HOT skillet.  Bake til browned!

Dessert!  Okay. Now, first, don't gross out on me! I'm using fruit pulp and some of the juice from my morning juicing! The pulp includes peaches, oranges and cherries and is very flavorful!!! You can used anykind of fruit. I will also be adding a fresh peach and a few cherries to the mix!

Fruit Crumble

Fruit Pulp and fruit to equal four cups

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/3 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In an 8" square casserole dish (guess what?  I'm using a cast iron skillet for this too! Imagine that!), spread fruit and pulp in bottom.  Combine remaining ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbles.  Sprinkle evenly over top.  Bake for 30 minutes til beautifully browned and bubbly!