Pinto Beans and Salt Pork

Beans, beans, are good for the heart. The more you eat, the more you fart. The more you fart, the better you feel. Beans, beans for every meal.

Bean, beans the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot. The more you toot, the better you feel. Beans, beans for every meal.

Ingredients: (Figure about 2 servings per cup of dry beans - serving size depends on the eater 😀)

• 4 Cups Dry Pinto Beans - sorted and rinsed well
• 4 Slices of Thick Cut Bacon or Salt Pork (one strip of bacon per cup of beans -  I/Rori prefer HEB Brand Sliced Salt Pork)
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
• Water to Cover

Instructions:

1. Measure out and sort 4 cups of dry pinto beans into a colander and rinse very well.* sort to remove any dirt pebbles or bad beans
2. Place beans in a large pot.
3. Remove 4 bacon-lengths worth (if using salt pork) slices of salt pork from the package and cut into 2-3" pieces. If using bacon, then cut each of the 4 strips of bacon into 3rds or 4ths. Add to pot.
4. Add water to the pot of beans until the water is about 2-3 inches above the beans.
5. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a low simmer. 
6. Simmer on low with lid on - stirring about every 30 minutes - for about 3 hours or until beans are soft, tender and cooked through. 
7. NOTE: If the water level is getting low and you feel as though you need to add some. ALWAYS add boiling water/ same temperature water. If you add cooler water your beans will split and fall to pieces. 
8. Salt & Pepper to Taste

Enjoy with cornbread. (see cornbread recipe - not the one used for the dressing)

Grandmother's Pre-Turkey Day Stew

(Grandmother - as in Nell Cook)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Ground Beef
• 5 Medium White Potatoes - Peeled and Chopped
• 4 Carrots - Peeled and Sliced
• 1/4 - 1/2 Medium Yellow Onion - Diced
• 1/2 Green Bell Pepper - Diced
• 1 - 28 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
• 1 - 8 oz. Can Tomato Paste
• Water to cover
• Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

1. Brown ground beef in a large stew pot and when about half way done, add diced onion and green bell pepper until meat is cooked through. 
2. Drain excess fat from cooked meat mixture. If there's not a lot, then you can skip this step.
3. Add chopped/sliced potatoes and carrots. Stir to Combine
4. Add water until everything is covered. Stir to Combine.
5. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 30 minutes - lid on if possible in order to preserve moisture. Watch water levels and add more water when necessary. 
6. After simmering for 30 minutes, check veggies for softness. 
7. Add canned, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to Combine.
8. Mix and Heat.
9. Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Avocado-Cucumber-Sprout Sandwich Assembly

Ingredients: (To make a couple of ready-serve sandwiches. Read-serve because the avocado concoction doesn't store well.)

• Sandwich Bread of Your Choice (I use Killer Dave's 60 cal/slice small loaf bread or Ezekiel wheat bread)
• Cucumber
• Bean Sprouts of any kind
• Lime Juice (freshly squeezed or not - doesn't matter)
• Spices: Your favorite seasoning salt (Lawry's or Hooters is good), Pepper, and Garlic Powder

Directions:

1. Rinse your beans sprouts well and let drain in a colander. 
2. If only making one sandwich, then use about 1/3 of the average size cucumber. Wash it, remove skin, and slice very thinly.
3. If the avocado is small, then use only one, but if large, then use only half. I really don't follow that rule and generally prepare a whole avocado because they just don't store well. Once you've removed the skin and pit of the avocado, place it in a bowl with a flat bottom. You'll want your avocado to be good and ripe so you can easily mash it all up with a fork. Now add 1-2 teaspoons of lime juice to your liking. Finally, add your spices to taste. I never measure the spices but start small and taste a tiny bit as I go until it's just right. 
4. Toast or don't toast your bread - that's up to you. I don't fully toast mine, but just barely to get a nice toasting on the outside leaving the bread soft on the inside.Not a hard toasted sandwich fan.
5. On both pieces of bread you'll want a nice layer of your avocado spread (not too thick, but not quite what I'd call, "thin", either). I find that using a spoon to spread works better than a knife to achieve this in between amount. 
6. On one slice of bread that's been spread with avocado you'll layer the thinly sliced cucumbers, and on the other slice you'll add your sprouts. Don't be shy with the sprouts. You'll fluff up your bean sprouts that have been resting in the colander and add a generous amount. 
7. Now bring the sides together and ENJOY!
8. I like to eat this sandwich with an ear of oven roasted corn. (Take an ear of corn still in its husk and place it directly on the rack of a 375* preheated oven for 30 minutes. After the timer goes off, remove from oven, shuck and eat. Yum!