The 2 Spoons

Easy Refried Beans from Homemade Pinto Beans

November 30, 2018 by Becky Spoon

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I start my refried beans with pinto beans that I cook with just a little lard, an onion, and salt, that’s it. I have friends in Mexico and they make amazing refried beans that are so, so simple, yet delicious so that’s how I make mine now. Oh, I do make them in the Instant Pot too. I try to soak them overnight, then set the timer for beans which I think is about 35 minutes. The Instant Pot makes the most delicious, creamy pinto beans, or any beans for that matter.

After the beans cook, I remove the onion if its’ in big chunks, I add a little oil to a saucepan, then add the beans, reserving the bean juice to ladle in as I mash the beans.

One thing I found that is essential for refried bean making is the bean masher. I got mine from Amazon and I love it. The texture is key in refried beans and you don’t want to put them in a food processor. I like a little texture, or don’t wan them mushy at all. https://amzn.to/30wzoeK.

This is a great tool, inexpensive, but a must have!

Easy Refried Beans from Homemade Pinto Beans

I always have refried beans in my freezer because we eat so much Mexican food. I make them, them put them in small freezer bags to use when I need them. Since I store them in small bags, I can take out just what I need for that meal.

Here are some uses for them:

as a side to any Mexican dish
nachos
tostados
burritos
tacos
Mexican pizza
layered dip

These are just to name a few. I love to make them homemade. They are so simple and so much more delicious than the canned version. The canned version seems like they just process them. I like to make mine that they are mostly mashed with the bean masher, but there may still be a little texture. So good. Wish I had some now. Here’s my Mexican Pizza that I use them in:https://the2spoons.com/simple-mexican-pizza-easy-snack/.

and, another favorite:

https://the2spoons.com/homemade-chorizo-with-eggs-hashbrowns/

Homemade Chorizo with Eggs, Hashbrowns, and Refried Beans

This is one of Allen’s favorite breakfast!

Here’s the simple recipe!

Refried Beans from Homemade Pinto Beans

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Prep Time 10

Course easy side dish, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1 lb dried pinto beans
1/4 cup lard
1/2 tsp salt
1 white onion, halved
water to cover the beans by 2 inches and more as needed
1 jalapeno, seeded optional

Instructions

Wash your beans and put in a bowl or pan to soak overnight with a pinch of salt and the onion.
If you are cooking on the stove top, add the lard and bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 2-3 hours until tender. Check for salt.
If you are cooking in the Instant Pot, cover with water by 1 inch. Add the lard to your pot. Use the bean mode and set for 35-45 minutes. Since we are using these for refried beans, we want them to be pretty soft.
When the beans are done, add a little oil to a skillet or a sturdy saucepan. Add the amount of beans you want to use, mashing with your bean masher, adding liquid as needed. Serve with your favorite Mexican food, Texmex dishes as a side dish or stuffed in a burrito with cheese. We like to add cheese to the top when we are using them as a side dish! Great for nachos too!

Keyword easy side dish, Instant Pot, mexican food, pinto bean, pinto beans, refried beans, side dish, vegetables

Chicken and Dumplings – the Ultimate Comfort Food

November 29, 2018 by Becky Spoon

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Chicken and Dumplings is the perfect dish for leftover chicken. I roast a lot of chicken and if i am not roasting a whole chicken or some chicken parts, I’ll pick up a rotisserie chicken. These Chicken and Dumplings were from a whole chicken I had roasted. Here’s the link for my roasted chicken: https://the2spoons.com/lemon-and-garlic-roast-chicken/

What about the pan drippings from that roasted chicken or those chicken parts? I use all of of it in this Chicken and Dumplings recipe; the drippings, the broth…the best part of roasting a chicken!

I really needed some comfort food today! What better comfort food than Chicken and Dumplings?

Chicken and Dumplings – Ultimate Comfort Food

These are a little different from the Chicken and Dumplings I grew up with. I start a base of onions, celery and carrots and in the end I add a little english peas. I really like the addition of carrots and peas because they add color to the dish!

I love the history of foods from my Southern roots. https://www.southernkitchen.com/articles/eat/the-true-history-of-southern-chicken-and-dumplings-isnt-what-we-thought

Here’s my recipe! I hope you like it!

Chicken and Dumplings – the Ultimate Comfort Food

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Chicken

2-3 chicken pieces (I used a leg quarter this time)
salt and pepper

For the Dumplings

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 Cup milk
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt

For the Chicken and Dumplings

1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinkly sliced
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp flour
5 cups chicken broth More if needed
2 Cups Cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1/2 cup english peas

Instructions

For the Chicken

Roast a whole chicken or a few pieces of chicken, legs, thighs or the breast seasoned with salt and pepper on a sheet pan until browned and internal temperature reaches 165. When the chicken is cool, shred into pieces and set aside.
Alternative 1:
Place a whole chicken or pieces in a stock pot with 1/2 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until chicken begins to fall off the bone..45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the stock pot and after it has cooled, shred the pieces you want to use and save the remainder for another use.
Alternative 2:
If you have a store bought rotisserie chicken, pick and shred a couple of pieces.
This is a small recipe, if you double you want to add more chicken

For the Dumplings

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Heat the milk and butter in a small sauce pan to a scald. Pour the milk mixture over the flour, baking powder and salt mixture.
Combine the mixture and form into a disc.
Roll the dough on a floured surface as think as possible.
Cut the rolled out dough into strips, then pieces.

For the Chicken and Dumplings

In a medium saucepan melt the butter and heat with the oil. Add the onions, celery and carrots and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the flour, stir and cook about 1 minute or so.
Add the chicken broth, whisking to combine and bring back to a boil. Continue cooking until the carrots and celery are tender. Add the shredded chicken and the peas.
Add the dumpling strips punching down as you add them. Cook uncovered until for about 10 minutes until done.
Spoon the dumplings into serving bowls and enjoy!!

Keyword chicken, chicken and dumplings, Dumplings

Crispy on the Outside Potatoes

November 26, 2018 by Becky Spoon

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I had never made these potatoes but I kept seeing others post them and they just looked so delicious I had to try them. I wasn't able to find a recipe...so I think I figured it out. They are super easy, but they do have to cook a while to get them soft in the middle then your going to let the crisp at the end. Perfect side dish! This is a small skillet, you can make it in a large skillet for many just as easy

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

6-7 Unpealed Yukon Gold Potatoes You can use russets
4 tbsp Unsalted butter, melted
salt and pepper
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
lemon juice, optional
fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Melt two tablespoons butter in a small skillet. Slice the unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes or potatoes of your choice as thin as possible with a mandoline. Stack the potatoes and start lining the skillet, placing them in the skillet. Salt and pepper the potatoes trying to get a little salt into the potatoes. Add the 1/4 cup water and cover with foil.
Bake the potatoes for about 30 minutes or until they are tender when a knife or fork is inserted. When they are tender, pour the last two tablespoons butter with the garlic, lemon juice and a pinch of salt over the potatoes. Return to the oven and continue to bake until they are brown and crispy on top. This is a beautiful side dish! Enjoy!

Pimento Deviled Eggs

November 21, 2018 by Becky Spoon

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Do you need another quick side dish? I was watching the Cajun Aces a while back and they were making these Deviled Eggs. I immediagely made them and I am so glad I did. These are delicious. It seems deviled eggs are one of those things that always end up on a Southern Thanksgiving table. I think you will love these too.

These are easy, can be made ahead and will be perfect for your Thanksgiving table or as an appetizer.

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Prep Time 25

Total Time 25

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

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Ingredients

12 hard boiled eggs, peeled
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsps creole mustard
2 tsps sweet pickled relish
dash hot sauce
1 4 oz jar finely diced pimentos, drained
kosher salt and freshley ground black pepper, to taste
thinly sliced green onion for garnish
paprika for garnish
crushed butter crackers for garnish (I used ritz)

Instructions

Slice the hard boiled eggs in half. Pop out the yolks with a small spoon into the bowl of a food processor and add to a food processor along with the cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, pickle relish, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Run food processor until smooth. Remove the filling into a bowl and fold in the pimentos.
Add the mixture to a piping bag outfitted with a large star tip and pipe into the egg whites. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions and a dusting of paprika and crushed butter crackers.

Giblet Gravy

November 19, 2018 by Becky Spoon

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Giblet Gravy is another of those recipes that is a family tradition. Most of us in Texas not only put giblets in the gravy buy we add sliced boiled eggs. Of course you can leave these two things out and have a delicious gravy, just omit the part about cooking the giblets and the final adding the hard boiled eggs!! You will love it and you have to have gravy for the dressing, mashed potatoes, turkey?

This recipe is based on 6-8 servings but it is easily doubled. The prep time is after you have your giblets cooked, so I'll add the instructions on cooking your giblets and boiled eggs first.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Ingredients

For the Giblets

1 package giblets (hearts and gizzards) plus the neck and heart and gizzard from your turkey
1 stalk celery
1/2 onion, quartered
1 carrot
6-8 cups water
1-2 cubes bullion (I like Knorr)
1 bay leaf

Hard boiled gs

4 eggs
water to cover

For the Gravy

Giblets that have been sliced, with the cartlidged removed
4-6 cups chicken stock left from the giblets or store bought is fine
1/4 cup pan drippings or vegetable oil
4 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp dressing
4 eggs cooled and sliced

Instructions

For the Giblets

Add the giblets to a stock pan and add 6-8 cups water. Add a stalk of celery, the onions, carrot, the bullion cubes and bay leaf. An alternative to the bullion cubes would be to cook the giblets in stock, but if you are like me I always seems to run out of stock for my gravy and dressing, so I like to make this additional stock that you can strain and use in your gravy.
Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer to medium heat and cook until the giblets are tender. An Alternative is to do this in your Instant Pot and set it for 30 minutes.
Once your giblets are tender, strain the broth and pick out your cooked giblets from the vegetables, discarding your vegetables. Slice the gizzards removing the cartridge part...just keep the meat part, shred the meat off the neck, slice the heart and set aside. Save the broth to be used in making your gravy.

Boiled eggs

I know we can all boil eggs, but I'll go ahead and give you the instructions of how I do them. Place the eggs in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat just a little. Once they start to boil, start timing 10 minutes. Remove from the heat at this time and submerge in ice water to stop the cooking and to insure you have a lovely yellow yolk. Tap the ends on the counter and roll your egg for easy pealing. An alternative given to me by a friend is to put your eggs in an Instant Pot with one cup water and set the timer for 4 minutes. When the timer goes off...release the steam and remove to the ice water....follow above instructons from here.

For the Gravy

Add the 1/4 cup pan drippinngs from your turkey or vegetable oil to a pan and heat to medium heat. Add the flour, using a whisk stir and cook for about a minute. Still whisking, add your stock, bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook until thickened. Be careful as the gravy will easily boil over, so reduce the heat as soon as it starts to boil. (At this point your gravy is ready to serve if you do not want to add the giblets and eggs)
Go ahead and add your giblets and keep the gravy warm until ready to serve. When ready to serve add your dressing and lightly stir to combine, then add your boiled eggs, just stir to combine.

Green Bean Casserole

November 18, 2018 by Becky Spoon

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In my family, as long as I can remember, there was always Green Bean Casserole on the Thanksgiving table!! I think it is on most southern Thanksgiving tables and elsewhere.

This recipe uses fresh mushrooms and makes the sauce rather than the customary canned soup from the original recipe from years ago. And the topping is shallots that you flour and fry instead of the canned onion rings!! This is a great recipe.

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Ingredients

For the Green Bean Casserole

3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 shallot chopped
1 8 oz package button mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsps chopped fresh thyme
3 tbsp all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
2 cups white cheddar cheese, saving some for the top
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Panko bread crumps for the top

The Crispy shallots for the top

2 cups vegetable oil
4 shallots thinly sliced
1/2 to 1 cup flour

Instructions

For the fried shallots that you will top your finished casserole

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat to about 325. Dredge the shallots ion flour, separating them as you go coating them thoroughly. Add the shallots to the skillet and cook stirring until golden brown and crispy. Drain and set aside.

For the casserole

Preheat oven to 350
Heat a pan of salted water to a boil. Add the trimmed and halved green beans and blanck for 4 or 5 minutes. Remove to ice water so they will retain their color. Set Aside.
Melt butter in a skillet and add the shallots and mushrooms. Cook until tender and slightly browned. Stir in garlic. Cook for about a minute and add the flour and cook about one minute more. Add the chicken stock, scraping bottom and sides, bring to boil, then lower heat and cook for about 4 minutes.
Add the green beans and cook until crisp-tender....one or two minutes should all since they were blanched...longer if needed. You want them tender, but still a bite to them as they will cook more in the oven.
Turn off the heat and add the white cheese and the heavy cream. Stir to just combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add this mixture to a buttered casserole and top with the panko and remaining cheese.
Place into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven when bubbling and slightly browned. Sprinkle the shallots on top and serve. Delicious!!