Recipes

Pinto Beans

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Pinto Beans

Michelle Underwood
This recipe for pinto beans is my grandma's recipe, one she cooked every Sunday to accompany red flat enchiladas. It is hard to beat the smell of a pot of pinto beans cooking. Try it and you will know what I mean. My kids love pinto beans and I love that they are so good for them.  This is a win win for everyone!  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.  
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Servings 12 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups dried pinto beans (about 1 pound) soaked overnight, liquid discarded
  • 2 tbsp bacon grease you can substitute oil if you prefer
  • 1 onion (small), finely diced
  • 1/2 cup diced green chile
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp chile powder
  • 2 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Soak beans 8-12 hours, covered by 1-2 inches of water.
  • Drain soaked beans and discard soaking liquid.
  • Saute onion and green chile in bacon grease until translucent. Add garlic and stir. I use the saute option on my instant pot.
  • Add remaining ingredients into the pressure cooker. Cook soaked beans for 15 minutes, allowing 10 minutes of natural release of pressure when cooking time is complete. If you forgot to soak your beans, no worries - just increase the cooking time to 45 minutes.
  • Note: If you don't have an instant pot, you can easily cook the beans on the stovetop, it will just take longer (1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours - start checking at the 1 1/2 hour mark for doneness).

Notes

I buy bulk organic pinto beans from Natural Grocers, Azure Standard or Rancho Gordo.  
Pressure cooking is the secret behind these delicious beans (you can use a pressure cooker or instant pot).  Note:  When cooking beans in the Instant Pot, use 2 1/2 cups of water for every 1 cup of dry beans. 
Pinto beans are as nutritious as they are affordable. Their high levels of antioxidants and protein have researchers singing their praises.  A 2004 study by the USDA looked at the phytonutrient content of 100 of our most common fruits and vegetables, and found that three of the four top-ranked foods were dried legumes.  The fourth was wild blueberries.  According to this study, 1 cup of pinto beans has more antioxidant activity than six cups of cooked cauliflower or 12 cups of cooked carrots. (1)
While the science community is raving about the nutrition benefits of legumes - many people's bellies are rumbling about the difficulty digesting them.  If that is you...  you may find that soaking the beans first and then discarding the soaking liquid helps.  You can also try an over-the-counter remedy, like Beano, that help breakdown the problematic oligosaccharides making them more digestible.  
  1. Eating on the Wild Side, Jo Robinson.

Spanish Rice

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Spanish Rice

Michelle Underwood
I have been making this Spanish rice for family and friends since my college days at New Mexico State University. A friend's Abuelita shared her secret recipe with us, and today I have the honor of sharing it with you.
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Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups long grain white rice white
  • 3 tbsp oil avocado
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 8 oz tomato sauce canned, plain
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cumin

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in large pan until hot. Add rice and cook until golden brown. Stir the rice frequently to ensure it browns evenly.
  • Once rice is brown, stir in broth, tomato sauce, garlic, salt and cumin. Bring to a boil.
  • Once liquid comes to a boil, decrease heat to low. Cover pan and cook 30 -40 minutes or until rice is tender. Fluff with a fork and serve warm.

New Mexico Red Chile Sauce

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New Mexico Red Enchilada Sauce

Michelle Underwood
This authentic New Mexico enchilada sauce is a staple in our home. It is fairly simple to make and freezes well. It's flavor is unmatched and is sure to delight your taste buds. For me, it tastes like home, and the aroma of the boiling chiles smells like fall in New Mexico. The New Mexico sunshine, people, and food are some of my very favorite things in life.
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Cuisine Mexican
Servings 1 quart

Equipment

  • blender and strainer (sieve or cheesecloth will work)

Ingredients
  

  • 24 red chile pods
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 tbsp oil avocado
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Remove stems and seeds from chiles. The seeds are very hot, so be sure to use gloves when handling chiles. As you snap the stems off the dried pods, most of the seeds will shake out. It is okay if a few are left... they will be strained out.
  • Once all stems and seeds are removed, wash the pods and place in a large pot. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once boiled, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
  • Pour chile and water into a blender. Be careful to vent the steam out the top of the blender and do not overfill. Blend for about 30 seconds.
  • Once blended, strain the pulp from the sauce. I have a special cone shaped sieve with a wooden pestle I purchased years ago just for this task (see link below), but you can use a fine mesh sieve and wooden spoon, or cheesecloth.
  • Set strained sauce aside. In large pot, heat oil. Once oil is very hot, quickly add in flour and whisk until combined.
  • Pour red sauce into flour and oil mixture. Whisk together. Turn heat to medium low and simmer until sauce thickens. Add salt to taste.

Notes

You can purchase New Mexico Chile Pods at the Hatch Chile Store.  Choose the level of spice that works best for you - mild, medium, or hot.  I usually go for medium.  
Cone shaped sieve with wooden pestle
Recipe source: A Bite of History, Recipes & Tales from the Mesilla Valley, La Posta Restaurant.  
Keyword sauce

Golden Einkorn Pancakes

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Golden Einkorn Pancakes

I have tried many pancake recipes over the years. This is our current favorite. I love grinding fresh Einkorn wheat berries for this recipe in my Vitamix. With slightly modified ingredients, pancakes easily become a superfood.

  • 190 g grams Einkorn wheat berries (can substitute 190 g ground Einkorn wheat flour (~2 cups))
  • 2 Tbsp flax seed
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk (your choice)
  • 1/2 cup yogurt, plain
  • 2 Tbsp butter, melted (grass fed when possible)
  1. Grind wheat berries and flax seeds in your Vitamix or grain mill until consistency of flour. I use my Vitamix and start at 1 and slowly increase to 10, for about 1 minute.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine wheat/flax seed, baking powder, brown sugar, & sea salt. Mix with a whisk.
  3. In a small bowl combine eggs, milk, yogurt and melted butter.
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir just until mixed.
  5. Pour batter into a hot skillet, cook until golden brown on both sides. Einkorn flour does not bubble like other flours do, so watch the bottoms carefully.
  6. Serve warm with real maple syrup and grass fed butter.

This recipe has been adapted from the Whole Grain Einkorn Pancakes recipe on the Jovial website.  They are a wonderful resource for using Einkorn flour.  If you need more specifics on this recipe or working with Einkorn, hop on over to their site and start exploring.

Note: 1 cup of ground Einkorn is the same as 95 grams of wheat berries.

I have not tried this recipe with other types of wheat.

I purchase my Einkorn wheat berries from Azure Standard.  You can also find them for sale on the Jovial website.

Brown Sugar, Homemade

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Brown Sugar, Homemade

Michelle Underwood
Why choose homemade organic brown sugar over store bought? Because it is half the price and super simple. I buy organic cane sugar and molasses in bulk. Mix them together and you have brown sugar. Easy as 1 (buy in bulk), 2 (mix), 3 (enjoy).
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Prep Time 5 mins
Servings 1 cup

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup cane sugar organic
  • 1 Tbsp molasses organic

Instructions
 

  • Mix ingredients. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

*Need dark brown sugar, just double the molasses
COST BREAKDOWN
RECIPE COST:
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) organic sugar: $0.48
  • 1 Tbsp (1/2 ounce) molasses: $0.14
  • Total: $0.62 / 8 ounces or $0.08 / ounce
COMPARISON
  • Store bought brown sugar
    • ~$3.75/24 ounce bag or $0.15 / ounce
  • Homemade brown sugar
    • ~$1.95/24 ounces or $0.07 / ounce
Keyword condiment

(I Love You Like) Biscuits and Gravy

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Biscuits and Gravy

Michelle Underwood
This is one of our families favorite comfort foods. I have tried numerous recipes and we have landed on this one as our favorite. Homemade biscuits are not hard and well worth the added effort. You can make the biscuits in advance - they reheat well in a toaster oven.
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Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Equipment

  • biscuit cutter is helpful, but not necessary

Ingredients
  

Biscuits

  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup milk, plus 1 tsp vinegar works also

Gravy

  • 1 lb sausage
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 3 cups milk

Instructions
 

Biscuits

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  • Cut butter into small cubes. Place in freezer while you prepare other dry ingredients. Do not freeze!
  • Mix together dry ingredients. I use a food processor for this step, but you can also mix by hand.
  • Add the cold butter to dry ingredients. If using a food processor, pulse until it resembles course crumbles. If mixing by hand, use a pastry cutter or two knives.
  • Place butter / flour mixture in a large bowl (if not already in one). Add buttermilk and mix until combined. Do not overmix. It will be sticky - but should be manageable and not too wet. If needed add a bit more flour.
  • Turn dough out onto a well floured surface and pat into a rectangle. Make sure your hands are well floured as well.
  • Now you are going to make those beautiful layers by folding it onto itself six times. Fold in half. Then fold in half again. Do this process six times until you end up with a tall stack. I press it down a little in between folds.
  • Once your folds are complete, press the dough down so it is about 1 inch thick. Make sure the top is nice and flat... that will help your biscuits to rise evenly and not be lopsided.
  • Using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits.
    Note: You can reshape your dough 1 to 2 times more, but keep in mind that the more you handle the dough the less flaky the biscuits will be.
  • Place biscuits (almost touching) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until brown.

Sausage Gravy

  • Saute sausage until cooked and golden brown on medium heat.
  • Once sausage is cooked, sprinkle with 1/4 cup of flour and stir to combine. Allow to cook about 3 minutes.
  • Turn burner to medium low and slowly add the milk, mixing as you pour. I like to pour the milk in a single stream slowly - it seems to thicken better this way. Use 2-3 cups of milk - depending on desired consistency. Gravy will thicken over time and you can simply add more milk to thin it out.
  • Once gravy is done, add pepper to taste. Fresh ground pepper is best!
  • Pour gravy over biscuits and serve.

Notes

Biscuit recipe is compliments of The Chunky Chef.  These are the best I have found and I have tried a few.  
The sausage you choose makes a difference in the quality of your gravy.  Try a few different options... you will find your favorite.  Unfortunately my favorite sausage comes from a farm in Colorado... and I now live in the Midwest.  So I am searching again.  

Amish Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

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Amish Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe Girl
These are a quick and easy cinnamon roll recipe originally posted by Recipe Girl. They have become a first day of school tradition in our home.
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Course Breakfast
Servings 12 rolls

Ingredients
  

ROLLS

  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 Tbsp cane sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (or one packet)
  • 2 cups flour white, can use 1/2 bread flour

FILLING

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp butter melted

FROSTING

  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered sugar sifted

Instructions
 

ROLLS

  • In a small saucepan, heat milk and 2 Tbsp butter just until warm and butter is almost melted (~120 degrees). Stir constantly.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar and salt.
    Add milk mixture and beat with an electric mixer until well mixed.
    Beat in egg and yeast.
    Add 1 cup flour to the mixture. Beat on low speed about 5 minutes, occasionally scraping the sides.
    Add remaining 1 cup of flour and mix well. Dough will be very soft.
    Turn into a lightly greased bowl. Grease dough surface lightly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place. (My dough takes about 2 hours to rise).
  • Once dough is risen, punch down and turn onto floured surface. Add flour, a sprinkle at a time, and knead a few turns until dough is smooth. At this point dough should be easy to handle.
    Roll dough out on floured surface into a 12x10 inch rectangle.
  • In a small bowl combine cinnamon and brown sugar.
    Brush surface of dough with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.
    Beginning with the long side, roll up jelly-roll style. Pinch seam to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut into twelve 1-inch slices.
    Place rolls in a greased 9-inch square baking dish.
  • At this point you can chill the dough over night, if you are making them the day before. Just remove them from the fridge about 2 hours before baking to allow the second rise.
  • If you are making them right away, skip the above step. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

ICING

  • In a small saucepan, heat butter until melted.
    Stir in brown sugar and milk.
    Cook over med-low heat about 1 minute.
    Cool slightly. Stir in vanilla, salt and powdered sugar. Beat with a whisk or electric mixer until smooth.
    For a thicker icing, you can add more powdered sugar.
  • Drizzle icing over rolls and enjoy!

Notes

If I can't find a warm place to let the dough rise, I turn my oven on warm for a couple of minutes and then turn it off.  I then place the dough in the warmed oven.  MAKE SURE OVEN IS OFF BEFORE PLACING DOUGH INSIDE. 
I found this recipe on the Recipe Girl website.  I retyped it with the minor adjustments I have made over the years.  This simply makes it easier for me to follow.  I am grateful for her recipe and give her all the credit that is due.  
 
I have also topped these rolls with a different icing which is also really good.  The recipe is as follows:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp milk
Mix together powdered sugar and butter with an electric mixer.  Slowly add in vanilla and milk, until well mixed. 

Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

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Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

A delicious and simple dressing that will have people asking for more. My children rave about this dressing. It balances out nicely when combined with something sweet like dried cranberries or apples.

Vinaigrette

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper

Salad

  • Kale, stems removed and chopped very small
  • Diced apples
  • Dried Cranberries
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Feta Cheese

Mix vinaigrette ingredients together and serve over prepared salad.

Note: Keep dressing refrigerated and discard if left at room temperature for more than two hours (see notes below regarding food safety).

This recipe was inspired by my amazing friend Gilberto, the chef I used to work with in Aspen.  He is gifted beyond measure in so many ways – and his creativity with food is unmatched.  I couldn’t find his original recipe so I searched the internet to find something similar, and found this recipe compliments of The Delicious House.  It was a close match and absolutely delicious.  

 

Food safety 101 regarding garlic and oil.  It is important to note that when garlic is immersed in olive oil it creates an oxygen free environment, that when left unrefrigerated can promote the growth of clostridium botulinum bacteria.  This bacteria cannot be detected by taste or smell.  Botulism in a potentially fatal food borne illness.  “To reduce this risk of botulism, the garlic in oil mixture should be refrigerated and used within two to three days. Garlic-in-oil should always be discarded after two hours at room temperature, even if salt and acids are present. Commercially prepared oils have added acids and other chemicals to eliminate the risk of botulism, but still must be handled carefully and correctly.” (Michigan State University)

Greek Dressing

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Greek Dressing

Michelle Underwood
This dressing is quick and easy to make. My children love it and request it over ranch most days. It is delicious with Greek Salad, but we use it on a variety of salad creations. My goal is limit store bought dressings, they are expensive with a lot of unnecessary ingredients. Besides - homemade always tastes better!
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Servings 1 cup

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp dijon

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients together in a ball jar. with a lid and shake well. Enjoy

Notes

If you want to make a simple Greek Salad to go with this dressing, simply gather the following ingredients:
Lettuce, peppers, cucumber, red onion, Kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers and feta cheese. 
We usually top our salad with sliced grilled chicken to make it a meal.  You can also skip the chicken and have a quick, simple and healthy side dish.    
Bon appetite!