Slow-Cooker Ham and Northern Bean Soup
It's Super Bowl Sunday. And what am I doing? Why, watching Netflix, of course! I am also making some delicious Ham and Northern Bean soup. I had read quite a few recipes and here is what I ended up deciding on including in my recipe.
One recipe called for basically double of the beans/ham... and I thought, well I'd love to have leftovers - I'll do that. Well whoever wanted to do that must have had a crockpot that can feed a stinking army! (I didn't find this out until after I'd soaked two bags of beans only to discover there's never going to be enough room in my normal-person crockpot!)
On the plus side, I ended up with a second batch of this I put in a freezer bag! I put everything in except the water and spices and wrote the cooking directions on the freezer bag.
2 Cups (1 Bag) Northern Beans, Dry
1 lb Pre-cooked ham or smoked ham (I used honey ham)
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced (from the jar works just fine)
1 Teaspoon Kosher Slat
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Just a pinch Ground Cloves
12 Cups Water
Start with soaking the beans overnight according to the directions on the bag.
Then in the morning, chop up the ham, onion, and garlic. Dump everything in the crockpot and cook for about 8 hours on low.
(The cornbread in the picture was just Jiffy mix with one extra egg, a little less milk, and a couple tablespoons of honey)
Derek's rating: 5/10. Note: use less cloves next time.
Bourbon Chicken
If you're anything like me, you love "Chinese" take-out... whether it be from a legitimate and authentic Chinese restaurant or from a questionable mall food-court. When I saw the Pinterest link to a Bourbon Chicken recipe, I just had to try it (and put my own personal taste into adjusting measurements).
2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (Cut into bite-sized pieces)
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove
1/4 Teaspoon Ginger
1 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 Cup Apple Juice
1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar (or Dark!)
2 Tablespoons Ketchup
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce (Or a little less if desired)
1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
Directions:
Heat your olive oil in a large skillet. Once your olive oil is nice and hot, add only your chunks of chicken until the outsides are slightly browned. Remove the chicken.
In the same pan, add all of the other remaining ingredients over medium heat. Stir until everything has dissolved.
Add the chicken back in and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not cover.
ENJOY!
Red Beans and Rice
2 Cups Red Beans, cooked/canned
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
1 Small Yellow Onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
===
2 Cups cooked rice (white or brown)
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Oregano
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
In a medium-sized pan heat olive oil. Saute minced garlic with the onion. Once the onion has softened up, add the red beans.
In a large mixing bowl, toss the garlic/onion/bean mixture with the cooked rice and other remaining ingredients.
ENJOY!
This meal sure does bring back good memories of Somerset Mall. It could only get better by having roasted potatoes. There's always next time!
My husband will be adding his opinions of the meals after each post. Here was his thoughts on the Bourbon Chicken/Red Beans and Rice: 10/10.
Original Bourbon Chicken Recipe
Original RB&R Recipe
