Deliciousness! Frijoles and Sweet Cornbread Recipes

Tonight we are under a winter snow advisory.  As we have lived back in Kentucky for a couple years I am learning something - this is not the same winter weather patterns from when we lived here before!  We went to college here years ago - and we remember lot's of heavy snows!  The last two winters have really had little or NO snow.  Sadly, I am afraid that tonights weather will also show little actual snow.  We love snow - and would actually really like to see some!  In hopes to encourage the accumulation of our favorite white fluffy frozen precipitation we are having a traditional Northern New Mexico dinner and watching one of our favorite family movies!  Hugo!  Emi has honestly read the book, no less than five times.  If you haven't seen it, it's a beautiful movie and equally interesting for children and adults.  OH! With excitement we discovered that one of the main antagonists in Hugo is also in the new movie version of Les Miserables ~ another favorite story of ours.

These two recipes straight out of my Taos, New Mexico home.  The beans are how I make them - I'm not quite sure how "true" the recipe is - but they are nummy!  {I do have to add that my dear Brad actually did most of the beans tonight - I wasn't 100% today! Good Job Brad!} The corn bread recipe is via my father.  It's rather amazing, I have to say!  They go well together - but the meal would be all the better with some chili as well.  That recipe is for another night!

The beans may be eaten as a bean soup, used as a side dish, made into refried beans, or added to chili.  I like to freeze left over’s to be able to use in other recipes.  Thus this recipe makes a large amount of beans at one time.  

Frijoles - Pinto Beans New Mexico Style!

• 2 pounds of pinto beans
• 10 cups water (or enough to cover over night!)
• ham hock or a couple of strips of bacon
•  2bay leaves
• 1 diced onion, 3 diced garlic cloves.
• Dry garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dry leaf oregano
• 1 tsp. whole cumin seed, crushed a bit
• Black pepper to taste
• Several teaspoons of beef base or several cups or beef stock.  
• 1-2 tablespoons ground chile powder
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• salt 

Directions

1. Wash and clean beans thoroughly and then soak them overnight.

2. Rinse the beans well, add enough water back to cover.

3. Sauté onion and garlic, add to beans. 

4. Add bay leaves.  

5.  Heat ingredients until they are at a medium simmer. Simmer for several hours.

6.  Add garlic powder to taste (usually about a teaspoon), oregano, cumin, peopper, and beef stock.  Simmer for several hours until beans are tender.

7. Add water as needed during this time. Water should cover the beans. Add Chile powder, vinegar, sugar and salt. Simmer until beans are thickened and flavor really blends.  You can take ½ cup of beans out, mash, and add back into bowl if need be.  This helps to made the whole dish heartier. 

8. The beans may be eaten as a bean soup, used as a side dish, made into refried beans, or added to chili.  I like to freeze left over’s to be able to use in other recipes.  Thus this recipe makes a large amount of beans at one time.

JEFF’S FAMOUS NORTEÑO SWEET CORNBREAD

Prep
Put an 8 to 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Ingredients
Dry:

• 2 – 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ - 2 cups corn meal (use amounts to your taste; the point is to have 4 cups of flour and meal)
• ½ cup sugar (or less, if you prefer; we prefer sweet cornbread)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt (or less, if you prefer)

Wet:

• 2 cups milk (we prefer low-fat or skim, but you might not)
• ½ cup vegetable oil (we prefer canola) (**Meg uses coconut oil)
• 2 eggs
• ¼ - ½ cup chopped green chile (to your taste; fresh is best but frozen is fine)
• ½ - 1 cup corn kernels (to your taste; fresh is best but frozen is fine)
• Some fresh, chopped onion can be good

1. Take the hot skillet out of the oven, coat it with oil.
2. Mix the dry ingredients.
3. Mix the wet ingredients.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
5. Pour the mess into the skillet, put it in the oven.
6. Cook until top is golden brown, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean—usually about 30 to 45 minutes, mas o menos. I always cut into the middle to see if it’s done because it will be thick and might not be done in the middle. If top is brown before middle is done, wrap foil around the edge of the skillet to decrease browning while middle is baking.

Makes at least eight servings.

Serve with frijoles, chile, chile stew, soup, stew, or by itself.